If one has a garden or chickens you won't have them long if you don't protect it. I agree that shooting the critters is not a prime choice. Loud noises rocks or even an air gun can be pretty effective.Excaliber wrote: I confess I kinda wonder about folks who feel a need to run outside and chase every raccoon, skunk and armadillo out of their yards with gun in hand, or blast 'em to protect their turf. I enjoy watching the little critters myself.
The trick here is in being right every time about the source of the noise. The time you think it's a raccoon and go out to do the night ninja thing on your own and run into an armed burglar, you could try saying "oops!" and ask for a do-over, but I wouldn't put any money on a positive outcome.
If One were afraid to go out into their own back yard after dark, because of a noise, I would assume its even more dangerous to venture away from our own property at night. I just think it is a sad condition if one becomes this afraid of the dark. I don't believe stepping into ones yard are going out into the evening is being a night ninja, I call it living a normal healthy life. I heard noises in back yard all the time, and I never felt like I was in danger, and just as important, I never put anyone else in danger that didn't need to be.
Maybe There are boggymen out in my back yard, but If they keep me so afraid that I can't even v enture out into own backyard, thaenb they have already killed a little piece of me.