Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Of Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs   on April 21, 2014

Barn-1

Most of us in the Second Amendment community are familiar with the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs analogy.
For those of us in parts of the country where wild dogs, coyotes, and wolves live, that analogy can become all too real very quickly, as Texas Governor Rick Perry can personally attest.

Small unit tactics trainer, author, and veteran of both the British and American armies Max Velocity just had that analogy become very real and very personal for him. A pair of wolf-like huskies began slaughtering livestock on his hobby farm. Max was in his pajamas when he was forced to take lethal action as the dogs charged towards his wife:
There was a knock on the door and it was a neighbor from the housing estate round the back, whose house sort of looks out at our barn area. He is a good guy who has always been helpful. He said there were dogs worrying out chickens in their coop down next to the barn. I was in my pajamas and I threw some boots on, grabbed my Glock 23 in a butt pack, and we all walked down to the barn.
As we approached the barn, we saw a sheep dead in a paddock. Bear in mind the sheep had been locked in a small stall in the barn, behind a country-style metal gate. Then we saw Buddy dead in the corner of the same paddock. We walked into the barn. The horses were out in the fields. Another sheep was dead in the stall. As we walked out the other side of the barn my wife was ahead of me to the right and the neighbor was behind me to the left. We had heard some  barking in the distance and my wife had said she saw the horses charging across a far field, across the other side of our pond.
Suddenly there were two Husky style dogs racing in towards my wife, looking like wolves. She shouted and I stepped left, drew the Glock from the butt pack, and at about 10 yards put the first one down with one shot, point shooting. The second veered around a pile of stumps and I spun and hit him with a first and then second shot, still shooting instinctively. He was then moving diagonally across. I went for  a third shot and pulled it, missing. He stopped. I had a stoppage. I racked  the slide, clearing it,  and lined up for a proper aimed shot, striking him in the flank at about 15 yards. He ran. I went back to the first dog, who was thrashing on the ground. I shot him in the head.
The second predator got away carrying three bullets, and was not tracked down. Local law enforcement and animal control officers responded to the scene and took statements. Neither dog had a collar, and the dead dog was not micro-chipped.
Max’s family was shaken up, having lost three sheep to the dogs, and they were lucky that Max was able to bring his gun to bear and stop them before they were able to sink their fangs into the horses, his wife, or their children.
One thing is certain: when bad things happen, they happen fast, and you don’t get much time to think about shooting. When its done, it’s done. Sheep and dogs are dead, none are coming back.
Sheep cannot take care of themselves. Unless he is prepared, the shepherd can’t protect the rest of his flock and his family either.
Fortunately, Max was prepared.
Are you?
STORY

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