Pond in the foothills

[MitchM]

Right, so with restricted firearms here - what's the point of buying one?
- plus you need a permit to transfer it from your home to the firing range, and you better not make any detours on the way!
You also agree to periodic inspections of where the gun is kept.
(stills are illegal here too)

 

[j.w]

Yep think just about anything goes here in the good ole US of A! Some are trying to take away our right to bear arms tho.

The right to bear arms is a tradition with deep roots in American society. Thomas Jefferson proposed that "no free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms," and Samuel Adams called for an amendment banning any law "to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." The Constitution of the State of Arizona, for example, recognizes the "right of an individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself or the State."

Washington State is a "Stand Your Ground" state, in which there is no duty to retreat in the face of what would be perceived by an ordinary person to be a threat to themselves or others by another person that is likely to cause serious injury or death. It is a misdemeanor to aim a firearm "whether loaded or not, at or towards any human being". Unless the person is acting in self-defense, they can be charged with "brandishing" and threatening someone with a deadly weapon.

 

[MitchM]

I think Canada is too restrictive with firearms, but I think the US is too far the other way,

 

[j.w]

I've never owned a gun but I respect the right to choose to own one. After all are not the zombies on their way here?

 

[MitchM]

Yep, I fully support responsible hunters and gun owners. Zombies I think you can dismember with a broomstick so I'm not worried.

 

[CountryEscape]

OMG, Zombies are on the way to JW's house in WA! That is just too hilarious. :claphands: My son has been a gun owner since he was a small boy. I saw a pic of him at a recent wedding he went to and had to post it. If all were as responsible with guns as my son, we would not have so many problems with gun ownership.

This pis reminds me of his dad teaching him when he was little. My son was the "teacher" to all the neighborhood kids. He was the oldest of the neighbor kids, and as the younger boys got older, and wanted to shoot a gun, they came to Matt. He had every type of gun from a 22 rifle to a big kicking 7mm rifle. He had hand guns of different calibers. He taught the kids not only to shoot a gun, but first and foremost, to be careful, and how to use a gun properly, always using the safety. I remember him harping over and over ... "Is the safety on" "Safety?" They finally got the idea and it became natural to NOT let off the safety until they were ready to shoot, and they had better put the safety on before they turned around after taking a shot.
I was not raised with guns, but my son could teach the world's kids how to handle a gun. I've watched him for many years, and seems he is still doing it. This kid in the pic obviously wants to know everything, and he is properly equipped with ear protectors, as are the adults. Yep, I'm very proud of my son. Guns do NOT kill, people kill.
Mitch, what type of guns are you allowed to have to be safe to go out if you HAVE to and wild animals are likely to be in the area, like when you go gather rocks?

 

[MitchM]

...Mitch, what type of guns are you allowed to have to be safe to go out if you HAVE to and wild animals are likely to be in the area, like when you go gather rocks?

Rifles or shotguns. (and non-restricted handguns, like a .22 or something. In case a squirell charges you.)
I am a little concerned about the rock gathering area though. It's the same place where a rancher leaves the carcasses of dead livestock.

Did that little boy actually pull the trigger on that thing? :ugh:
Is the little boy your son? (never mind, I figured it out....lol)

 

[CountryEscape]

The young man in the green shirt is my son, and I'm guessing eventually the little guy did pull the trigger, but not positive. Looks like it would kick like a mule, though. My son probably just got in there to give the little one some instructions on the proper way to handle the gun. The man behind the boy is maybe his dad, and he looks a little concerned as well, maybe also about the kick action. If it was going to kick that kid on his butt, my son would not have allowed him to shoot it. His finger is not on the trigger, so the instructions were still ongoing. Not saying little kids should fire rifles like this either, it's just the look in the little boy's eyes, the determination and concentration, and the smile on my son's face ... priceless.
Yeah, well, not many charging squirrels in the area, I bet!!! But, you also wouldn't want to shoot a moose or bear, but you have so many neat stories of how you live with them, rather than against them. I love that. Was your wife very afraid when she spotted the cougar? Just wondering ... what would she have done had it decided to come after her and your family dog? Yikes!!!!

 

[MitchM]

She said she wasn't afraid, thank goodness.
Our dog Mykka, on the other hand, was involved in the fight 2 years ago when a cougar killed our first dog, Shaddow.
He was really anxious today though, so we're glad he didn't chase after the cougar or run away from it, leaving my wife alone.
Whenever my wife goes out, I listen for a possible commotion. If the worst happens, we have our two dogs, ourselves, and whatever else I can grab - bearspray, knives, hammers.
Not a pleasant situation to think about but living in denial can be hazardous to your health too.

I have come across a black bear here before, did the same thing - turn around and quietly leave, checking every now and then to see if i was being followed.
For a moose encounter, I hid behind a tree, lol.

 

[callingcolleen1]

you need a special permit for such things, and if you don't already have one, then you are all out of luck cause they don't give them out for hand guns anymore....

 

[CountryEscape]

So, Mitch, I have to ask what type of dog Mykka is, since you said he weighs 120#, and what type was Shadow, that got killed? I'm glad your current dog had been there done that and knew it was best to stay close to your wife as opposed to trying to chase off the cougar. OMG, what a scene that must have been when your other dog got killed. Sure am sorry about that. How awful.

 

[MitchM]

Black Russian Terriers, CE. Like a Bouvier, but a bit bigger.
Shaddow was our 1st, We got Mykka a year later, then after we lost Shaddow we got Bear (another Black Russian Terrier) a year later.
So we have 2 dogs Mykka is 3 years old, Bear is 1.
It was a terrible experience, yes.

 

[CountryEscape]

Holy cow, I've never seen a pic of that breed of dog. Assume one is on the porch of your house in your avatar. I'd love to see a pic of one or both of them up close, though. :cheerful: Just looked up pic on internet..,.. OMG, do you have to brush them, or do they have hair like "dread locks" that is not brushable, best left natural? My sister and BIL had a Giant Schnauzer, and he was a brute. Was too unpredictable, though, when they had their babies. VERY protective dog, afraid of nothing, but he was huge, too. He was show quality, and my BIL loved him, but after he grabbed their 9 month old's arm in defense of his bone toy, and left teeth marks, they decided it was best to move him to another home with no small children.

 

[MitchM]

They're a bit tough to photograph because of their color, but here they are with me just before we go out for a walk.

 

[MitchM]

We get their hair cut every 8 weeks, we don't keep them in a "show cut" - too much work, lol.