Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Whatcha gonna do?

It is dark and you hear a noise downstairs. You live in a rual area and on the assumption there's a possum or coon in the garbage you go downstairs with a gun to remedy the situation. As you prepare to turn on a light a voice comes from the darkness and says, "I know you can't see me in the dark.", about 2 o'clock and 15 feet from your position.

Whatcha gonna do? It is not a rhetorical question...

Is this a shoot or not shoot question?

Do you have a son, was it a man's voice, do you have family in the area?

I think you would need to clarify, are you sure it is an intruder, could not possibly be a family member or friend?

If I'm sure it is not family or friend, I have no problems.

There are no unaccounted for family members, only yourself and wife who is upstairs. You live at the end of a 2.5 mile dead end road, housing density is very low. The voice is that of a black man, none live within the community you live in, or within 10 miles for that matter. All neighbors are well known, and you see movement of a second person at your 10 o'clock and 30 feet, standing behind your pickup.

This has nothing to do with race, it is simply a variation of a scenario that just occured at my residence, 9 PM this evening. What would you do? Keep in mind that in Florida you are not required to retreat. In fact, you may stand your ground by State law. You own the property, are retired after 30 years of Federal service, and have resided at the address in question since August 2001. What you are holding in your hands is a SxS 16 Ga loaded with #6 shot.

Back up as quiety as possible to a place that would make them come through a doorway to get to me. Hopefully there would be enough ambient light to at least get a silhouette. Then I'd tell them I had a gun and was plenty willing to shoot if they didn't start making some sense in a hurry.

Well, seeing as how I'm in an excellent tactical situation, including the cover of darkness, more familiarity with the layout of the house than my opponent, heavy armament (with me it wouldn't be a SxS 16, it'd be a short 5/5-shot pump 12 with #4 buck, #00 buck, and slugs available), and the fact that he has just stupidly given up the element of surprise without making me pay...I'd simply dive for cover without a word, make like a hole in the air, and spend some time doing a little more reconnaissance.

I am quite a ways from having enough information to make a shoot/no shoot decision, but that information will start coming thick and fast, I think, once the possible bad guy knows I'm somewhere near but doesn't know where, probably doesn't know whether or how I'm armed, may not even know whether I'm adult or child, male or female.

DigitalDan:
I don't know what to do. The man indoors can be handled. From your present position, you can't effectively engage that fellow outdoors with a load of number 6 shot. Your report has given me a lot to think about.

Tough call...

Assuming this faceless voice is coming from inside my residence and it's definitely not a Tv, Radio, etc., or one of the "talking/moving toys" we have here for our grandkids, depending on my gut feeling at the time, I might shoot in the general direction of the voice or might first try a bluff. Maybe something like, "bet this Pitbull standing beside me sees you!" in hopes of shaking his confidence enough to show his self.

Yes... I'm happy you began this thread, Digital Dan. I am really interested in seeing what everyone says. Thinking carefully about things like this beforehand may help to save someone's life someday.

B'sW

"As you prepare to turn on a light"

Turn on the light to see who it is.

Are we playing Keystone Kops?

I side with introducing lumens,to the equation...................

suddenly that $100 Surefire is lookin like a real attractive thing to hold in the hand that does not have a .45 in it.

a very large and territorial dog would be a nice addition too.

since I don't have the surefire (yet) and probably would not have a flashlight, and the little rat-like little thing my daughter thinks is a dog would probably still be asleep.... if I had the cellphone in the left hand and could, I'd dial 911 (again, in this hypothetical (for me) situation, I've already dialed "1911" with my right hand), I'd announce in a loud voice that I had 911 on the phone and I had a gun and to leave the area immediately

Poole

Well, to avoid that sort of circumstance, we keep our dog in the house at night. He sleeps out in the front room. I keep ample firepower/flashlights within arms reach of where I'm sleeping.

Hard to beat a dog for early warning.

My dad keeps a dog outside, and another one in the house. Early warning, and outside early warning. Works very well.

Where you been? All is GOOD,I hope.

In a rural setting,it's about impossible to beat a Watch Goose,but a dog ain't a bad move,anywhere..................

The first priority is to protect life. Protection of property is secondary. Even the life of the lowest scum sucker in town is worth more than anything I own.

It's a good question. What did you actually do?

Good argument for a pump 12 ga with a flashlight taped to the barrel... the birdshot goes to wherever you point the light.

Yeah, a goose. I got my azz kicked by a goose when I was young. Territorial bastids!

All is the best here. I've been laying kinda low here, a little more active on the 'hide.

I've been plowing more time/$$ into improvements here. Still supporting the timber industry...grin. Continuing our wrap-around patio build. Finished front, back, and finishing first end. The cost of this project could put a half-dozen new GAPs in the closet....LOL. We're making it pretty bomb-proof though. Had a good lightning storm this evening, gusting up to 60s, hardly felt it.

Been thinking of a next rifle, kinda leanin' toward 8mm....grin

Good to hear all is well.

Been coasting here,spending my time-off with Momma and the kids and that's better than good.

Does Boots cut a .323" tube?

Laffin' here................

I think I would say somthing like I really do not need to see you now, don't think I can miss by much with this then loudly cock the hammers. If they can see you even in profile they can see the outlines of a shot gun moving back or carefully changing position would be a good idea also

Yes... I'm happy you began this thread, Digital Dan. I am really interested in seeing what everyone says. Thinking carefully about things like this beforehand may help to save someone's life someday.

B'sW [/quote]

Barak's better half brings up an excellent point when it comes to potentially nasty situations. Thinking beforehand. To wit: There was a cop somewhere who got into a particularly nasty gunfight in which the odds were not in his favor. It was his first gunfight. He made quick work of the bad guy(s). When asked how he performed so well in his first gunfight with the odds stacked against him, he said although it was his first gunfight, he's been in thousands of gunfights in his mind.

Somebody has the drop on you, move...fast. Makes them go through the whole process of finding you, deciding what to do and acting on that thought. That process is called the "udda/uuda" loop or something like that. Don't remember what it stands for, but that is the crux of it.
Justin

Well there's a surefire flashlight or two right next to Momma's handgun in the bedroom, which is right next to the little trapper .357.

Never know for sure, but am thinking it'd pizz me off to no end to have someone spout that chit off at me in MY home.

Maybe I've grown up some, mebbe not, it might happen that I'd shoot once about head high and say "I don't need to see you to kill you, I gots lots of ammo." And then pop of a couple of more rounds, the front door needs refinished and drywall repair ain't that hard. I'm calling Service Master if there's blood to clean up.

My friends I believe know better than to pull any stupid chit like that. If they don't Darwin was prolly gonna get them anyway.

But it's a moot point for me, I've got the early warning system times 3, you can ask ironbender what racket my dogs make when a new smell shows up. (grin)

They came unnutted when I went upstairs while ago, maybe trying to impress me to buy more dog food, crazy furry bastids.

I figure it's my house I can decide to shoot inside it anytime I want, [bleep] the moron that decides to enter my house uninvited, and then say some stupid stuff like he did.

I can like the idea of mind rehearsal, Momma knows anything goes bump in the night, when I'm not home, grab the Glock and surefire, turn on the laser, cover it with your finger, grab the cell and put it in a pocket or in her bra or wherever, dial 911 on the regular phone, put a couple of rounds in the ceiling, you got 15 to spend, and sit quiet behind the dumbell weight rack.

If I ever have to fix the ceiling it'll just be a good laugh, don't care what the reason was.

good thread, but the best part of it IMO is it brought Shane outa the woodwork. You been missed son. Have always enjoyed your shared knowledge and thoughts. Kind of you to catch us up. (sides he's got a sweeeeet little .22)

So DD, you got dead bodies to clean up, a door to replace?

I hope you didn't use your one phone call to get dial up to 24 hour campfire! (grin)

Fill us in podner.

Have always thought the Crimson Trace red dot from Miss T's revolver (Taurus 85Ti) would be a pretty effective way of making someone "see the light."