Dogs in the Woods.

Born to Run...(saw the HWY 9)

looks like there is recreational complex nearby.
It needs to brought to someone's attention.

Hey look on the bright side, it wasn't a pack of 160 lb wolves.

I would recommend a 9mm concealed pistol, with rat shot. If you are worried about penetration, shoot a 3/4" sheet of plywood with it. It won't kill the dog, but pepper them enough that they will want to be somewhere else and you greatly increase your odds of hitting moving targets with the rat shot. They make it in .45 ACP also, but toting a 1911 or Springfield XD can be heavy while they make small conceal carry 9mm's that are quite light.

Load up two rounds in the magazine of rat shot, then put some crowd pleasing JHP behind that, just in case you need a little more umph.

Entirely appropriate. You're fortunate they were distracted with a meal. Next time...

I was out doing the same thing with my hounds few years back. We'd hiked about five miles up a valley and the dogs were having a ball chasing ground squirrels and ptarmigan. With no warning at all, wolves started howling all around us. We were completely surrounded by the pack. They kept their distance. It was everything I could do to keep my male mastiff from going after them, which is exactly what they wanted. He'd have been dead before he knew what hit him. Stray dogs are on their menu. A 120 pound mastiff doesn't stand much of a chance against a 160 pound wolf. All I had was a .22. Slinked out of there with our tails tucked tight between our legs. Now I carry something a little bigger when we go walkabout.

:good:

Thru the years in rural and isolated areas, dog packs get too large acting aggressive and attempt to change the natural order of things and a thinning becomes necessary, especially when they turn their appetites toward pets and humans.

It has happened a few times here when they started by eyeing newborn calves and smaller dogs. I once caught them digging thru my yard for rabbits that have had yearly bunny crops and once one caved in the underpinning of the house trying to catch a local cat.

I read in the latest local paper that the nearby town of 8k was catching an average of 45 strays a month.

There have been two rainless days in the last 3 weeks and the packs have been relentless in their pursuit of a meal and the neighboring yard dogs have been growling and barking throughout the nights.

Once you have made up your mind what you want to do with them, don't spare the lead if you want them gone. Don't wound or let them suffer.

Some areas will gladly send out the animal control and round them up. Locally in this livestock area it is a property owners right to tend to the matter how they want.

:beer:

> Locally in this livestock area it is a property owners right to tend to the matter how they want.

It is a sad state of affairs, but it requires human intervention to keep the feral population in check. I am all for "preemptive" action when it comes to thinning the numbers. Why wait until they go after your animals and livestock, or you or your family for that matter?

I will say there is a big difference between the stray pups that wander up on your porch after a thunderstorm and a pack of seven or eight well seasoned predators.

Nobody probably likes the task, but it is necessary.

I was attacked by a large dog when I lived in Georgia. I put three 9mm into his chest before he turned and ran away. My favorite carry now is a .357 with a 7 1/2 inch barrel. It will drop most black bears and any dog I've ever seen. The noise alone will run off any critter with sense...

> I was attacked by a large dog when I lived in Georgia. I put three 9mm into his chest before he turned and ran away.

Are you positive you hit him in the chest with all 3 shots? Was it a long haired dog?
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I'm not bragging, but I can't say I have been truly scared very many times in my life. I was raised to believe that I could do anything.

Recently I had an encounter that made me feel scared and helpless. The feeling only lasted a couple minutes, but I REALLY hated that feeling.
It was enough,that I made up my mind to never be in that position again.

I completely understand the question. My job at the time was 'Special Weapons Instructor' at the Infantry School.
This was a short haired bull dog of some sort. I was calm enough to mentally walk through the shot sequence. Without being graphic it was obvious I was on target.
Hand guns of that period were more of a trade-off than today. You got lots of knock-down or lots of rounds. That experience sent me to the other camp and I've never left...

I'm getting a CCW permit this year. Not having anything suitable for that purpose has me shopping.

9mm has never been on my list, but in the situation I mentioned above, it would have reduced the feeling of helplessness.

Having experience with a double action revolver, I feel comfortable with having reduced capacity in order to enhance concealment/comfort as long as it's a practical instrument. I'm leaning towards the 1911 frame.

I can't wrap my head around black plastic just yet.

If you are going to draw a firearm and shoot, don't mess around with something less than lethal. If you are only shooting to wound or scare, you shouldn't be shooting in the first place.

"black plastic"

> I can't wrap my head around black plastic just yet.

I felt the same way, especially when it came to paying for it...

But it really is all good, especially if you're accustomed to a large revolver. There's a lot less wrist fatigue and you're pattern will probably improve. My SW .40cal M&P is a sweet pistol.

"black plastic"

> I felt the same way, especially when it came to paying for it...
>
> But it really is all good, especially if you're accustomed to a large revolver. There's a lot less wrist fatigue and you're pattern will probably improve. My SW .40cal M&P is a sweet pistol.

I feel very comfortable with my 686 plus (.357, 6"). It is a quality gun in all aspects. However it is fairly heavy and bulky.

I have a friend that has the S&W 40 Cal.? (Prior to the M&P). It is very reliable if you don't switch up the diet. However it has a horrendous trigger pull that causes him to shoot 6" low every time. I have to concentrate a little bit to shoot it accurately. The front sight fell off - turns out it was plastic and was just glue'd on. I don't think it even has a dovetail for something better.

Prior to getting the 686, I was contemplating getting a Springfield XD. I spoke with a local Sherriff, who told me the range reports for the XD were un-favorable. The officers would much rather be issued Glocks.

Last year,I tried out a friends S&W 1911'ish style, alloy frame, .45. It had a terrific trigger pull from the factory and shot really well. I don't recall exactly what controls/trigger it had, but I really didn't have to think much, I just grabbed it and shot it well immediately.

It was something I could get attached to quickly.

The most I've ever carried at work was a 24in machete and a 48in lath and for those heavy days a ditchbank blade

Should I ever make an upgrade to firepower it would be a Kimber 1911

They look awesome

A lot of folks bash the 1911 for daily carry. It can be practical if you select a good carry system. Think real hard before investing in the small frame 45. They can be painful to shoot. I prefer something with heft myself. It's easier to steady up for most folks.
My primary concerns are black bear and morons. Get something that addresses your concerns but above all choose one you can safely handle. Get 'fitted' by the oldest guy in the oldest gun store you can find.
Good luck..

> If you are going to draw a firearm and shoot, don't mess around with something less than lethal. If you are only shooting to wound or scare, you shouldn't be shooting in the first place.

You're absolutely wrong in oh so many cases. However, in this case, I stand by my statements. Have you ever shot at a pack of coyotes with a pistol? It'd be the same as a pack of dogs. Damn difficult to hit and adrenaline is flowing rapidly. You're not going to get the opportunity for the proper weaver stance and good trigger control. Better increase your odds with more projectiles.

I was walking Jameson in his stroller one day when a big German Shepherd got away from its owner and came bounding towards me barking loudly. I can't out run him so hopefully he just wants to say hello. I stop, face him and let him sniff, etc. his owner had a hard time corralling him but other than the barking he didn't do anything more threatening. Fortunately I didn't have Duke the crazy Dachshund with me because he would've gone Ape Shiite and escalated the situation.

This week's project is at the former site of a Nike radar installation at the southwest corner of Lambie Rd/Goose Haven Road southeast of Travis AFB. The missile were on the other side of Lambie Road. We found one USACE control mon (3-1/2" disk in concrete) with a concrete nail azimuth mark on the radar pad.

Looking at this as objectively as possible, your advice simply doesn't fit.
Shooting any weapon into a pack of anything is pointless and unethical unless you are actively being threatened. Thinning the ranks of coyotes is a good thing but shooting to make suffer is plain wrong. Not sure that is what you are advocating or if you are just being hypothetical. In any event, dogs are a much greater and more common threat than coyotes. There have been less than 50 coyote on human attacks in the last 15 years with only 2 fatalities in the last 25.
9mm rat shot will not penetrate paper beyond 5 to 10 yards (depending on load). The soft report and lack of penetration is not much of a deterrent. If you have a group of animals that close you better make every effort count. A dog can cover that distance faster than most can draw a pistol.
Given my druthers I would have a shotgun. In that respect I agree with you. A scatter gun is definitely better but it has to has some umph. It also bears mention that most parks and public areas frown on open carry of shotguns...