4D as a club
Had occassion this evening to use my 4D as a club. I had gone out to bring the goats back up to the house and and had the dogs (1 Dobie/German Shep and 1 Austrailian Shep/Coyote?) with me as usual. We have to walk down a dark trail so I carry the light, although I usually don't turn it on. The dogs were scouting about and the Dobie was out of sight on a side trail, he made fierce sounds and tore into something, the other dog was obliged to assist. When I got there they were fighting a fairly good sized raccoon (thankfully it wasn't a polecat - the dobie got one of those a couple of weeks ago). There was all kinds of battle sounds from the three animals and several of pain from the Austrailian Shep. Yelled at the dogs and they backed off for a second and then dove back in.
I was carrying the mag light with little finger of left hand nearest the lens as discussed earlier in this thread. I first whacked the big dog on the butt and got his attention and he sat and stayed. I whacked the little dog on the butt and he let go the 'coon, but the 'coon didn't let go of him. The 'coon was on it's back and had a hold of the dogs face and it weren't lettin' go. So I whacked it on the head twice and it let go and the little dog backed off to sit and stay. The racoon wandered into the blackberry thickets to think about life for a bit.
Observation: when you swing the mag little using the grip I had your taget is suddenly in the dark and as the butt of the light nears the target the light is pointing at your face!
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Took the dogs to the house and had the wife tend the little dogs face. Got the .22 rifle and went back out. I could see the eyes in the trees (7 year old Doug Firs) and blackberry thickets, but I couldn't see the rest of the critter well enough to be certain it wasn't one of our many cats (several of which are gray w/ black tiger strips) so I didn't shoot it.
I was wearing my Ka-bar the whole time and thought to draw against the raccoon to end the fight but really didn't want my hand in there with all those teeth and claws. The lenght and weight of the mag light seemed a better choice - except for the above observation.
Had occassion this evening to use my 4D as a club. I had gone out to bring the goats back up to the house and and had the dogs (1 Dobie/German Shep and 1 Austrailian Shep/Coyote?) with me as usual. We have to walk down a dark trail so I carry the light, although I usually don't turn it on. The dogs were scouting about and the Dobie was out of sight on a side trail, he made fierce sounds and tore into something, the other dog was obliged to assist. When I got there they were fighting a fairly good sized raccoon (thankfully it wasn't a polecat - the dobie got one of those a couple of weeks ago). There was all kinds of battle sounds from the three animals and several of pain from the Austrailian Shep. Yelled at the dogs and they backed off for a second and then dove back in.
I was carrying the mag light with little finger of left hand nearest the lens as discussed earlier in this thread. I first whacked the big dog on the butt and got his attention and he sat and stayed. I whacked the little dog on the butt and he let go the 'coon, but the 'coon didn't let go of him. The 'coon was on it's back and had a hold of the dogs face and it weren't lettin' go. So I whacked it on the head twice and it let go and the little dog backed off to sit and stay. The racoon wandered into the blackberry thickets to think about life for a bit.
Observation: when you swing the mag little using the grip I had your taget is suddenly in the dark and as the butt of the light nears the target the light is pointing at your face!
--
Took the dogs to the house and had the wife tend the little dogs face. Got the .22 rifle and went back out. I could see the eyes in the trees (7 year old Doug Firs) and blackberry thickets, but I couldn't see the rest of the critter well enough to be certain it wasn't one of our many cats (several of which are gray w/ black tiger strips) so I didn't shoot it.
I was wearing my Ka-bar the whole time and thought to draw against the raccoon to end the fight but really didn't want my hand in there with all those teeth and claws. The lenght and weight of the mag light seemed a better choice - except for the above observation.