Re: [RC] cougars and protection to carry - Sisu West Ranch
:"....a sheathed non-folding knife. MANY attacks
have been survived by fighting back. Even with a stick....."
By the time you can play Tarzan with a knife, you are already
off of your horse and badly wounded by the claws and teeth of your
adversary. Even worse if your adversary is human and not
animal. (I may be wrong but I think that the statistics will show that the
most dangerous animal in N America is people), they can now turn your weapon on
you.
The problem with using tools for defense, is spending the time
required to learn how to use them effectively. This goes for all tools
including pepper spray, knives, spears, and firearms. Before depending on
any weapon, take a course and practice, practice, practice. For example,
pepper spray must not be sprayed up wind. Have you practiced enough that
in an emergency you could spray in the proper direction? (How long
could you stay on your horse if the wind brought the spray back into you and
your horses eyes?) If you are fighting off a critter with a knife which way do
you hold the knife? Where do you stab with the knife? Are you strong
enough to push the knife into the critter far enough? How many times
will you have to stab to be effective?
If the adversary is a person, why did you let them get close
enough to stab them? Since they are close to you, how long will it
be before they stab you?
Firearms have a number of advantages for protection that
place them high on the list of effective defence weapons. They do not take
extreme strength to operate. They work at a distance. They are
instantly recognized by humans as a threat, even when far away. They
can be discharged multiple times and reloaded quickly.
If you choose a firearm for protection. Take a Conceiled
Carry Weapons course (If you are unlucky enough to live in a state that does not
have a CCW law, you may have to travel out of state.) Join a pistol range or
club and shoot regularly. Practice drawing from the holster you
use. If you feel you may want to fire from horseback, train your
horse to be steady to shooting.
Using potentially deadly force (rocks, knives, clubs or
firearms) for protection is an awsome responsibility. Make sure you are
comfortable with the fact that its use always has consequences. Make
sure that you practice so can use it effectively.
Ed
Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower
Road Victor, MT 59875
