There is a new guy renting the house 2 doors down from me who did not realize that we have leesh laws here. So for the past couple days I've been doing yard work with an old fire poker, steel bar, spade or some other item by my side as their doverman seems to like to wander onto my property. As soon as my 2 dogs start barking I look around and sure enough...there it is...every time. I still say a dog or 2 or more combined with weapons of convenience are a good choice.

I understand what you are getting at and trying to ask, but it still boils down to [" He/she with the best toys wins"] for what it takes, go get your P.A.L., or keep a very low profile..A very good bluff is a bear banger. It goes bang like a gun and might by you some time to get out of dodge.....

Yes traveller is 100% CORRECT those with the better toys will win, sad but true reality.

For home defense i have my trusty mossberg (pistol grip with folding stock & 18.5" barrel) good for CQB type scenario which i feel very confident would defend my family and our home base from an intruder. I also have a few other weapons including sidearms and assault rifles which will help me and my family when SHTF! I also recommend practicing at a range on a regular basis too so your familiar with your firearms and improve your accuracy.

*IMPORTANT* - But before any individual decides to touch a firearm i suggest getting your PAL and the course is very affordable and gives you a lot of knowledge and even more respect for firearms! I suggest getting both your restricted and non-restricted so your options for buying firearms remain open.

For the preppers out there that are not firearm certified, what weapons are you considering or currently using in case you are forced to defend your family?

For us, we have long considered crossbows as an effective weapon for hunting and protection. Allows you to catch game without having to "engage" the target, but also if push ever came to shove, you could protect your family in the event that you were forced to.

What other options do you consider "effective" - Long bows? Hatchets? etc.

Just looking for some thoughts on this - again, from a perspective of not wanting to get a firearms license.

~Make it a great day!

Just my 2 cents. Crossbows are fine in a very limited capacity. Yes they are quiet and can kill... but the range is EXTREMELY limited. The kill usually by bloodloss NOT from hydrostatic shock. Also they are not made for skulking about the house in the case where someone got inside. Unwieldy comes to mind. Anyone with a firearm could easily stand off well out of range of your crossbow and most hunting calibers will penetrate the average house construction of siding or brick veneer over 2x4 or 2x6 and drywall. Not telling you what to do or how to think... but I believe you should be on equal terms with any adversary.

There is no substitute for a firearm in trained hands when it comes to defense. That being said your crossbow does have infinite ammo lol

..A very good bluff is a bear banger. It goes bang like a gun and might by you some time to get out of dodge.....

I like this idea. We have been trying to decide upon with a home defense tool that lies in between hitting someone with a frying pan or blowing their head off with a shot gun.
Neither of these options is really that good. We bought some bear spray and small cans of dog spray. I downloaded the plans for a homebuilt taser but we really wanted something else. I think this bear banger is just the ticket. Thanks.

I think we should pick up a couple.

Yes traveller is 100% CORRECT those with the better toys will win, sad but true reality.

For home defense i have my trusty mossberg (pistol grip with folding stock & 18.5" barrel) .

I'm envious. We would love a Mossberg but all we have for a shotgun is our old single shot Cooey 12 guage that we picked up at ProLine for $95.

.......*IMPORTANT* - But before any individual decides to touch a firearm i suggest getting your PAL and the course is very affordable and gives you a lot of knowledge and even more respect for firearms! I suggest getting both your restricted and non-restricted so your options for buying firearms remain open

Too true. The PAL is Pain in the Ass Legislation but unfotunately it's something we have to deal with so do it. It's not that difficult and once it's done, it's done. With that minor hurdle out of the way you have a bit of freedom of action. Plus as 403-Orig said the course/test is valuable in and of itself.

I'd like to point out the obvious open secret that everyone is aware of but no one talks about. Anybody who wants an illegal firearm can buy one and I'm not referring to some drug dealer's Mach 11 machine pistol or a .25 Baretta or something. I'm referring to a garden variety, run-of-the-mill hunting rifle or shotgun. I absolutely warn against it because the penalites are signifigant. I'm just saying it's possible and not difficult. Now, as easy as it is I haven't bothered because it simply isn't necessary. Once a person gets their PAL they're ready to roll so why bother going illegal?

It has always been the position of The Canadian Preppers Network that firearms should be owned, stored, and used legally!
Yes, it is true that there are countless unregistered firearms out there that can be illegally obtained, but as it has been pointed out, the risk is not worth the consequences of being caught.

Well, I second everyone else that ideally, you should get your pal and consider having some legal firearms in your house. Having said that, in the non-firearm area for us, we currently have High Qaulity air powered BB, crossbow's, regular bows, hunting slingshots, swords, heavy armed old fashioned poles, Spiked Ball on chain, Native War club wth steel pin added stopping power, We do have bear bangers but that is for when we are out in bear country, bear spray, hard wooden staff's and maybe a few other tricks like bear traps/Wasp Spray etc that could be brought into play in different ways..

In regards to home protection a dog might not be such a good idea , I have one but all they will do is warn you of company ,and let someone know there is someone living at the residence. Not being noticed is the best defense . Use. Bear or hornet spray ,shoots 30ft, yes bows are a option I have several the long bow preferred ,faster shooting than the crossbow or compound .but make no mistake a firearm is best,a shotgun is best for a newbie, shorter learning curve,and you just point and shoot .in my opinion. Shotgun , rifle and Pistol combos would be best .good luck .

Having said that, in the non-firearm area for us, crossbow's, regular bows, swords, heavy armed old fashioned poles, Spiked Ball on chain, Native War club wth steel pin added stopping power, hard wooden staff's and maybe a few other tricks that could be brought into play in different ways..

Farmgal,

I luv it. You go barbarian all over their ass!!!! 😆 Anyone found trespassing at Farmgal's at night will be found in the morning. (Probably at the end of a pike pole!!!) Or whatever other tricks await the deserving. 😈

Cheers,

Mountainman.

ya theres nothing like the sound of a shotgun shell being racked into a barrel to make someone stop and think mabe i wont go there after all. when it comes to protecting your family in this day and age a bat or crossbow is great at close range but if the bad guy has a gun your screwed. the playing feild aint gonna be fair. one of the best weapons for protecting and feeding your family is a 22 caliber repeater rifle, with hollow point shells. or grab your 9 iron that works to.

The only thing that would make sense about a .22 would be for the safety of my neighbors as the odds of it penetrating walls are low and that's only if i miss my target. But the downside is if the intruders are packing a .45 or a sawed off shotgun you're in BIG TROUBLE!!

Again i would stick to using a pistol grip short barrel shotgun good for close quarters easy maneuvering also with a super bright led flashlight mounted to turn on when u approach the intruder leaving them blinded while u pump some 00 buckshot into them!

but then again a 45 or sawed of shotgun good only for short range. your not going to do any damage at a hundred yards with eather. a 22 will kill a deer at a hundred yards . your super bright led flash light would give the intruder something to aim for if you miss. but if you were close that shouldn"t happen. i do a lot of hunting and a lot plinking with my 22 . give me a ruger rifle with a 50 shot clip over a short barrel shotgun anytime . the short barrel shotgun is good for home defense and thats about it. kind of useless in a shtf senerio.oh unless the intruder is going to stand 20 feet away from you and not move.