Farm Dreams

Homesteading, Organic Gardening, How to Farm, Preparedness, Self-Reliance

So I just had to defend myself, and our animals from a feral doberman. Not a fun morning!!!

Feral Dogs:

At around 8:45 this morning I get a knock on our door. Someone driving buy letting me know that one of our alpaca’s had gotten out. I threw shoes on and ran outside. Looking in the field I only see one alpaca running around (we have 2). But I see a medium short haired type dog and at large one what looks to be a cross between a great dane and a doberman chasing the other one. As I run toward the filed I grap the nearest tool I can find, a pitch fork.

As I enter the filed the doberman charges me with teeth bared. He lunges at me once and I manage to keep him away with the pitch fork end. The next time I jab with the pitchfork he manages to dart inside…. thank goodness for bo staff training… instinct and training kicks in and I mange to transform my jab to a reverse upward strike with the handle that clocks him full in the head and knocks him back. WAY TO CLOSE! I really dont want to go through rabies treatment!

At this point, I back off and go grab the air rifle hoping I can encourage them to leave from a distance. But I need to do it quick, I’ve still got a alpaca running around the city and I really hope she is ok!

I take 5 shots from a distance and all 5 seam to hit. 2 into the smaller dog and he rus away, the last 3 go into the doberman. At this point the doberman limps away quickly and goes to the far corner of the field. The remaning aplaca seems to be able to keep away from him just fine so I hop in my car and go looking for our run away girl.

Long winded story short, she made it about a mile away and was very freaked out. With the help of a local sheriff we managed to catch her before he got hit by a car and I walked her home very slowly (did I mention she was freaked out?).

When I got her home finally the doberman was dead. Evidentially one of my shots was particularly effective.

Is there a take away from this? Every homesteader, even us, who live in suburbia, and just happen to have a few acres in the middle of it need some wild animal defense. A projectile weapon of some sort, not matter how peaceful you are is very handy. Or as my wife put it “yay for ninja skills”