Bump in the Night

Pretty much once every two or three nights.

I always check.

Usually with a Colt Gov't model.

The house is pretty remote from anything but is right on a road.

I've lived in this house for 10+ years and, so far, I've never found anything.

The house was built in 1921 and has a lot of quirks.

My wife swears it's haunted.

W
 
how many times annually have you walked through your house after having thought you were down for the night to investigate the bump in the night with a firearm in hand?
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LOL, never. I have a 4 legged alarm and attack dog :) folks just seem to leave me alone, or "I am so poor crooks leave stuff at my door" :) dont know why but the motion sensored lights, 5 dogs outside, one dog inside, 45 in the pocket.....

Saw a feral cat the othr nite....

I sure do feel for those live in places where this is a needed. We all cant live at my place, but you can make your place safer and harder for folks to just walk into and surprise you. Beats getting up at nite just to look around...
 
I have yet to be awakened by the proverbial "bump in the night" in the manner the OP described. But I did have a weird experience a while back.

I was home with my 22 year old daughter and we were on the couch watching TV. My wife was out of the house and not expected back for a while longer and my other daughter was at work.

So we're sitting there and all of a sudden there's a knock ("knock-knock-knock") that sounded exactly like someone had knocked on one of the widows at the back of the house or the side of the house in the living room where we were sitting. It sounded quite close, and we both looked at each other with a surprised look. Mind you, this was about 9:30 at night. Our house backs up to woods, and no one we know (or anyone, really) would or should ever come to the back of our house and knock on the window. Our first thought was maybe my nephew who lives nearby was out there (he cuts our grass and does other stuff for us), but we were pretty sure he was not.

Now I'm starting to think this could be someone up to no good, maybe trying to see if anybody is home. So I quickly retrieved my Glock 23 from its hiding place in my bedroom and started going around to doors and widows and peeking out to see if I could see anyone. I never did see anyone or any signs that someone had been out there.

After we were pretty sure nobody was outside our house, we tried having someone go out and knock on several windows to see if the sound was the same as what we heard. Oddly, the windows that were actually accessible did not make the same sound, but when I knocked on a window that is high up near the ceiling (and at a height of maybe 12 to 14 feet about the ground outside), it sounded just like what we heard.

I guess it will remain a mystery. I suppose it could have been a bird or something, but the weird thing is it wasn't just one knock or two knocks, but three evenly spaced knocks just the way a person would knock.

DogoDon
 
Maybe 3-4 X in 11 yrs in our current residence. This is a suburban environment, with a low crime rate.
However, in a prior nearby neighborhood (also a low crime rate area) our next door neighbor was stabbed to death in her home. Crime never solved. Afterward, while we lived there I usually checked all unusual sounds with a S&W model 13 or 12 ga.
 
I would say at least once a month my wife will wake me up or I will wake up to a noise, always check the house, yard, roof and street.

I live in a nice housing estate that's is a no through road that's out of town a little. But it's in a medium size country town with I big drug and alcohol problem. So never too careful.
 
I don't usually go through the whole house but I do have 2 Indoor Pit Bullies that are obedience and Security trained, so not too much worried about any indoor intruders.
I do get up and check every now and then if they bark, and I have another 2 outside, and they will help me clear the property if I do have to go outside gun in hand.
In general after dark my door is regularly answered with gun in hand if there is a knock or noise on the porch but mostly the dogs would alert and most people are smart enough to either ring the intercom or call out a "hello" as they approach.
 
When i lived in the Valley of the sun I checked a couple of times a week. We lived next to a section of state land. "Transients" often camped in the natural area and would trespass.

Since moving to the mountains 18 months ago I have an event maybe once a month.

I did have an interesting event Oct of 2011. We were scheduled to be on vacation and some friends from the Valley were scheduled to watch the animals and house sit. The friend has been feuding with the Pinal County Sheriff. We thought it would be a chance for him to get away and let the feud cool off.

Plans fell through. About 300am my wife woke me and we observed a Laser moving around the room we hit the floor. We thought it might be one of our neighbors playing with his Laser.

The next morning I woke up about 300am flipped on the lights, looked up and a red laser was about 18 inches over my head. I flipped off the lights hit the floor.

The next morning the same thing happened.

I called my friend, an exmarine sniper and discussed the issue, the ballistics, and the scope adjustments for my 338 win Mag at 800yds. I had an idea as to the location of the hide. I also had contacted my neighbor who claimed not to have used a laser.

After the phone call the lasers stopped.

My friend came up and we tracked a two man sniper team to their hide.

I contacted the local sheriff and the FBI. Of course I recieved no feedback but the incident has not reoccurred.

I'm not a member of the "black helicopter" crowd but it was strange.
 
how many times annually have you walked through your house after having thought you were down for the night to investigate the bump in the night with a firearm in hand?
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None, since I thought about it enough to realize that my firearm did absolutely nothing to prevent my being ambushed.

Before that...a couple of times over a number of years. Fortunately, there was no one in the house.

The technology is now available to enable one to find that out without getting up at all.
 
I investigated bumps in the night twice this past year. I thought it was appropriate to carry my .45 because of the dogs' insistence that it was something important. I didn't feel silly at all, as there is some crime in our neighborhood. There are also deer and raccoons in our neighborhood and I'm guessing that's what set the dogs off.

One night a few months ago, however, my wife heard a bump in the night and woke me. I was surprised I missed it and uncharacteristically dismissed it, and fell back to sleep, since the dogs didn't seem concernced. When I awoke in the morning, the mirror in the adjacent bathroom was smashed all over the floor. The 70 year old adhesive on the back simply let go and there were mirror shards everywhere.

It could just as easily have been a window being broken. I missed it. I dismissed it. Thankfully it wasn't an intruder. I chastised myself for not taking it seriously and, potentially, putting us in danger.
 
I agree with YoungGun....I sleep heavy too and if a bump or thud wakes me I'm up until satisfied that I'm the only one up in my house. My 11 yr old, 100 lb. dog is probably not going to be much help. This happens about once a month to me. I've usually got the XDm9 or MP9c with me.
 
not to stir things up but I'm surprised how many people take the "clear the house" route...

I personally take the "sit and wait" method. I hear something loud enough to wake me up maybe 4 or 5 times a year, however I'm of the mindset that they can take what's outside my bedroom door and it can be replaced and a police report can be filed, however if they come in the bedroom after me or my wife I've got 3 rounds (yeah I might need something a bit more capacity maybe...) of 12 gauge 00 buckshot from my Winchester Model 12 and 32 rounds of 9mm (13 in the well and a high cap 19 round mag to reload) from my XDM9C and a blinding 220 luman strobe from my Olight T20 flashlight by my bed for them.
So I'll sit up for a while to make sure I don't hear anything else after the initial "startle" but have always ended up just going back to sleep and going downstairs the next morning to an un-disrupted house. When we have kids I'll probably take the extra step of moving the kids to our bedroom while I wait it out for any other signs of disturbance but otherwise will stay put and let them come to me if that's what it comes to.

Phillip
 
Whenever my dawg "Marley" goes bonkers in tha middle of the nite. Btw I have cleared my place 3ti es this month. Its maybe a weekly thing in my part of the world. I too take every "weird" noise seriously. Id rather take the extra couple minutes to protect my family than be a lazy azz n because of my laziness have my family,dog or me suffer the consequences. Btw-with my wifes help ("whatta driver wheww") made my first "middle of the nite" ARREST. Not only did he break into and rob two of my fellow neighbors but tried on us. Luckily my dog alerted and me in my nite shorts n all (my glock19,handcuffs,badge/id) went out tha door chasin this "felon" and boy seein my wife packin my .45 zoomin by me in our car was a nice site considerin my but-azz neked self. Haha. How does one describe " Im armed,off duty, have one in custody,need uniformed officer-oh and im the neked one" lolol. Too funny. Well anywhoo-We gott him. Come to find out he was an Illegal,undocumented,theiving,liar that needed catching and his time was up. Good job BBDoll (If u ever read this). So,whats to be learned?
You never know and thats exactly why i check out each n every noise i hear that is unknown to me. I GOT MY FAMILIES SIX-DO U???
People. We own firearms for a reason-well unless u only like to target shoot. Anywhoo. U get the jist. We need to protect one n other. Ourselves,our families, our neighbors,our community,OUR CONTRY. I AM TIRED OF CRIME. Go steal from your own dam family n not mine. Things r tough a as it is in my house. Yet,I dont go to your n jack your crap. Quit trying to jack my moms purse at knife/gun point and you wont get shot at. Quit coming illegally to commit crimes and get sent back when there is a right way to come here and get what u want "Work for it". I am-My family is-Our country is TIRED OF CRIME. GET THA HINT.


Sent by iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
not to stir things up but I'm surprised how many people take the "clear the house" route...I personally take the "sit and wait" method....

...When we have kids...
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I think you answered your own question.

I have 5 kids scattered over two floors (ground level and basement) and when I get up to check on "bumps in the night" they are what I am checking on. Number 1, making sure they are safe from any outside threat, and number 2, making sure they are not up doing some thing they should not be doing in the middle of the night...The dogs will not typically react if one of the kids is up for some reason so if the dog alerts I need to know why. I have no intention of "sitting and waiting" while someone is pulling an "Elizabeth Smart" on one of my kids. A little less sleep once or twice a month is price a I will gladly pay for the peace of mind of knowing the kids are safe in their beds.
 
I think you answered your own question.

I have 5 kids scattered over two floors (ground level and basement) and when I get up to check on "bumps in the night" they are what I am checking on. Number 1, making sure they are safe from any outside threat, and number 2, making sure they are not up doing some thing they should not be doing in the middle of the night...The dogs will not typically react if one of the kids is up for some reason so if the dog alerts I need to know why. I have no intention of "sitting and waiting" while someone is pulling an "Elizabeth Smart" on one of my kids. A little less sleep once or twice a month is price a I will gladly pay for the peace of mind of knowing the kids are safe in their beds.
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I think you misquoted me there in regards to kids, or maybe I was unclear... When I have kids my first priority will be to get to them and get them safe with me, but after that I don't plan on searching the rest of the house. I guess we're fortunate that the layout of our house keeps all bedrooms on the same floor (2nd) and in the same general area. I don't intend on "sitting and waiting" without my kids either (nor would I expect anyone else to).

Phillip
 
Nice work, Tacticool1

I kind of have to pity the poor robber, getting chased down by an armed, naked guy. I mean, armed, sure, comes with the territory. You have to expect that eventually when you go in for robbing people.

But naked? Dang. He'll be a long time living that one down.

Glad you got him and you're ok. And nice work, dog, sounding the alert.
 
I'm 47 & I guess only a couple of times have I investigated a "bump in the night" with firearm in hand, but interestingly the last time was only a week ago.
I woke at 3am "bright awake" hearing the creaking of my security door. I was sort of aware that in my half sleep sometime before , I had heard something in my place.
The closest firearm was a .22 revolver, which I searched my home with, but nothing was found.
The next day a close buddy of mine rang to say he was on his way to work at 3am (trying to get work out of the way before Christmas), & stopped at an all night gas station to refuel his Ford F250 Diesel. He accidentally locked the keys in his car with engine running.
My place was closer to walk to than his home, & he new I had a spare key to his truck, & he new where I hid a spare key to my place.
I guess the motto to the story is "be careful when investigating bumps in the night".
 
sometimes it's not so easy

I had one main incident in which I did a sort of houseclear (not in the house we currently live in) with a noise coming from the garage. Checked with shotgun in hand, almost shot my car when confronted by the startled racoon checking out the trash can in the garage whose door I had forgotten to close.

My current situation is different. We have moved my mother into our house because of her advancing memory problems. She has started to sundown - wander around the house at 3 - 4 AM with a spooky look in her eyes and claiming that our son (fast asleep in his room) is outside crying. So I don't respond to night racket by running out of the bedroom with 1911 or 12 ga in hand anymore. Now I keep a discrete .380 in my pocket, but know that the noise is far more likely to be my mother "exploring" than a random home invasion. And for those inclined to give advice: yes we have locks out of her reach and alarms on the doors, no - I will not put her in a nursing home until we no longer have the ability to care for her here.
 
this is a most interesting thread, and very real. Most houses have a wood frame, especially the roof. While wood has a very low 'coeficent of expansion', in the hot summer, the roof especially gets hot enough to produce slight expansion of the wooden rafters. Then at night, when it gets cool, slight contraction will occur, and spots with a few less nails may move producing an audible 'pop' sound which can be heard in the house below.
I've decided a number of times during the summer especially that the 'Bump in the Night' is the result of the nose from the roof.
Another case was when the gas water heater in the garage got old and would turn on with a loud poof sounding like something falling. Finally found that out and replaced the water heater!
Nevertheless, I do check the house and doors to be sure.
A noise coming from outside is a whole different thing and like those posting here, it's wise to check things out with a firearm in hand.
Mine is a S&W snub with night sights loaded with .357mag!
Ignorance are those that reject the Second Ammendment. The 'Bump' might get them!!
og

(for those with lots of very real "Bumps", sleep with some long pajama pants on so you don't get caught bare az chasing the perp! :)
 
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