Homestead Security
One of the lesser mentioned reasons homesteading is continuing to grow in popularity and the “prepper” movement has taken hold is that of security of private property and the lives of families across the globe. Whether you are homesteading in the US or homesteading in Australia, you need to learn about homestead security!
Crime statistics are not decreasing and the number of home invasions is on the rise in many larger metropolitan areas. Identifying this need, many states have enacted laws that allow individuals to protect themselves in their homes using deadly force when warranted.
Now we delve into a very controversial topic – that of security for your homestead and the best way to protect that which is yours. We will start with basic homestead security – a few common sense ideas that will hopefully keep your property and your families safe.
Hard-Wired Lighting:
Depending upon the availability of electricity and the abundance therein, outdoor lighting can act as a very effective deterrent to crime.
Criminals like to lurk in the dark, lights on around your domicile creates a problem for them. Outdoor lighting used to be exceedingly expensive as well, however, one of the incredible things about technology is that today, even the low wattage bulbs produce a lot of light. Your electricity usage may not be as bad as you may think.
Solar Powered Motion Lights:
The only cost you will have is that of purchase and installation. Motion detecting lighting not only lights up important areas of your homestead, the give the impression that someone is home and watching – even if you’re not.
One thing to note, however, is that use of motion detecting lighting is rendered ineffective if it’s installed close to your livestock areas. The movement of your livestock will have the lights flickering all night long.
Locks:
Another item from the “profound grasp of the obvious file” to be sure, however, a simple lock can protect your homestead from invasion for the most part. Locking tools, expensive equipment and your home with the use of heavy duty locks will, at the very least, slow down the would-be criminal because rarely will the criminal element carry bolt cutters in their glove compartment.
The sad truth is that if a bad guy is determined to break into your home and steal your property, there is very little that can or will stop him or her. The objective with locks is to at least frustrate and slow them down.
Firearms (home protection):
As controversial as it may be, there is nothing that will put the fear of the Almighty in the hearts and minds of criminals than the sound of a pump action shotgun racking a shell. It is a universally known sound that says, “If you’re willing to come here, be willing to die for what you’re going to steal.”
Shotguns can take a bit of getting used to because of the aggressive recoil. Before a shotgun is used – as is the case with every firearm, take it to the range and throw some lead and familiarize yourself with the feel, the weight and the sound of the shotgun.
Note: Urban homesteaders must first check with local authorities and learn what the requirements are for the possession and use of firearms. Every municipality is different, therefore it’s better to be safe than sorry later.
Predators:
Coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions can be considered “nuisance animals.” In many states, these nuisance animals earn their title because of the damage they do to livestock. Before taking down any predators, check with your state wildlife department and find out the regulations therein because they vary greatly from state to state, country to country.
A shotgun, also, is not a good firearm to take these predators. A shotgun has a very short range and is ineffective. On the other hand, a rifle with an inexpensive scope, chambered with at a very minimum .223 round, will take down a coyote, a bobcat or even a mountain lion at 75 yards with ease. Of course, urban homesteaders rarely have to worry about such predators, neither will they have livestock roaming around the back yard.
There are, however, non-lethal methods of predator elimination. For example, most predators such as bobcats and coyotes, are terrified of human scent. Drag your freshly used bath towel around behind you as you circle the outside boundaries of your property. For the truly brave and adventurous, human urine has a very distinct scent and lasts well after the scent becomes undetectable by the human olfactory sense.
Remember those solar powered motion-activated lights we discussed a few paragraphs ago? Those too can be used to deter predation to your livestock if installed at the perimeters of your livestock pens. This is not a long-term fix, because many predators will get used to that type of stimuli and not be effected by it at all. The best way to use these non-lethal means is to move them to different areas frequently so as to change how the predator sees or senses the deterrent.
Protecting your investment, your commitment to self-sufficiently sadly include the need to protect you and yours. It is truly unfortunate that the conversation must exist as to making a decision to use deadly force to protect you and yours. We live in trying times and as mentioned previously, one of the reasons so many people desire to live off the proverbial grid and become self-sufficient is because of the dangers lurking in every corner of the globe.
- Read more on our urban homestead blog
Originally posted 2020-07-30 21:33:03.
