Living in more rural areas

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are!

...unless you're the piggy. LOL.

The amount of future therapy bills will depend if you're re-enacting the mountain man or the squealer.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by OtoPA

Daytime, it's nice to have large windows...take advantage of view. At night we have shutters and drapes in bedroom so the crack of dawn isn't so annoying. driveway doorbell and multiple webcams linked to cell lets me know when visitors, delivery or animals come down 100yd driveway or around house when home or away. Appropriate caliber presentation available anytime there's a question.

Haha, nice. However, I think it's silly to believe that every home defender or heck reg person w CC on the street will be ready 24/7. They always forgot the element of surprise and smart criminals will use that to their advantage.

If I lived in the boonies, all my windows will be filmed to make them shatterproof to give me more response time.

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by tranquility

...unless you're the piggy. LOL.

The amount of future therapy bills will depend if you're re-enacting the mountain man or the squealer.

Geez! I was just thinking of the banjo and guitar!!!

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by Watching The World Burn

"Appropriate caliber presentation available anytime there's a question."


'Murica!

Ah, sometimes I think I'd like to live there, but then mostly not. Can't figure out if it is the snakes, or the two legged animals that I worry about most. Guess it sometimes depends on the news cycle.

I feel way more concerned about the two legged animals in our FL home than I do our NC home. I don't even go on Nextdoor anymore for our FL home. It's just crime, bitching and whining.

It makes sense to me. If you're a criminal would you rather go somewhere where you can have 100 victims all lined up in a nice row or somewhere where you have to walk 1/2 a mile to get to anyone and then hope they aren't just waiting for you to show up so they can introduce your to their friends Mr Smith and Mr Wesson.

[OtoPA]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Haha, nice. However, I think it's silly to believe that every home defender or heck reg person w CC on the street will be ready 24/7. They always forgot the element of surprise and smart criminals will use that to their advantage.

If I lived in the boonies, all my windows will be filmed to make them shatterproof to give me more response time.

While there is no absolute way to prevent being surprised, the fact that you're aware that there's a risk potential increases your odds. Perhaps it's as simple as choosing not to be in that situation/place. The CC is simply a tool. it does not make one invulnerable and certainly should not encourage stupid behavior. You're already ahead for example, by considering what you'd do to mitigate your ingress exposure.

[OtoPA]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I feel way more concerned about the two legged animals in our FL home than I do our NC home. I don't even go on Nextdoor anymore for our FL home. It's just crime, bitching and whining.

It makes sense to me. If you're a criminal would you rather go somewhere where you can have 100 victims all lined up in a nice row or somewhere where you have to walk 1/2 a mile to get to anyone and then hope they aren't just waiting for you to show up so they can introduce your to their friends Mr Smith and Mr Wesson.

When we lived in FL, A series of burglaries was done by a kid with an ankle monitor, hopping fences while remaining in his 'geo-fence' limits.

[Car-Addicted]

Rural Burglar Alarm = Dog
Rural police response time = the 30 seconds it takes me to grab one of the guns I keep available.

Yes Snakes are a big problem, When I was working in New England I encountered a number of snakes.
Was robbed at gun point once in MA
Had 4 day old Saab 900 Turbo stolen in NYC
Had house broken into twice in CT

Rural Traffic jam

[spazzyfry123]

I've done heart of the city, suburbs, lake, small town, mountains, and middle of nowhere. They each have their perks, but I'm done with keepin' up with the Joneses and the hyper-stimulus of city life. I currently live in a small, picturesque town buried in the North Georgia mountains. I get the amenities of walking to restaurants and the like, but a very slow pace and I can be in the sticks within a couple minutes' drive. It's a nice balance; as others, I don't care too much for people, but all the people here are like-minded and keep to themselves despite everyone knowing each other. I finish each day on the front porch in my rocking chair watching locals and the occassional tourist walk by.

On the other hand, I have acreage a bit east of here in the foothills that I might hear the infrequent hobby plane fly over and gunshots from neighbors target practicing. We watch the deer, turkey, snakes, hawks, etc. roam. Septic and well are required, but we've somehow talked the county into piping in electric AND fiber to the property. It's on a dead-end gravel road that your head snaps if you hear tires on gravel with plenty of time to "prep." I've gotten to the point now where the town of very few I live in day-to-day is becoming too much hustle and bustle.

I thought this came with age...I'm not that old!

[jmack]

17 acres in eastern TN. Despite being up in the Smokey Mountains I have fiber internet, city water, sewer, and natural gas. Closest "grocery" store is Dollar General about 5 min away, Walmart and Food City about 20min, Krogers 30min.

Despite my family being yankee transplants, neighbors have been amazingly kind offering all kinds of help when we first moved in. I never experienced anything like that up north. We have chickens and goats, neighbors have huge gardens and cattle, so we swap eggs, milk, and produce all the time.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by OtoPA

... as to caliber, I've found .22 used more frequently than 5.56.

My Dad was a cattle rancher on 230 acres with plenty of wildlife (and plenty of pests of one kind of another) for 30 years and used a .22 rifle that he'd owned since the 1930s. I knew he'd been interested in a Winchester Model 94 level-action rifle for many years and gave him one for his birthday. He was appropriately grateful for the gift, yet virtually never used it, trusting to his old .22.

I would need to be convinced that a 5.56 is useful for anything when you don't wear a uniform.

[OtoPA]

Originally Posted by Llarry

My Dad was a cattle rancher on 230 acres with plenty of wildlife (and plenty of pests of one kind of another) for 30 years and used a .22 rifle that he'd owned since the 1930s. I knew he'd been interested in a Winchester Model 94 level-action rifle for many years and gave him one for his birthday. He was appropriately grateful for the gift, yet virtually never used it, trusting to his old .22.

I would need to be convinced that a 5.56 is useful for anything when you don't wear a uniform.

I've realized that it's a fool's errand to try to convince anyone about their choice of gun. I do agree that my .22 rifle and pistol has been a lot more 'useful' day to day. Hardly ever shoot my 30-30 either.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

Geez! I was just thinking of the banjo and guitar!!!

Riiiiiiight

[Watching The World Burn]

So question to those rural - wasn't joking when I said I do worry about snakes - if you have poisonous ones around you, do you keep anti venom at the house given help is a little ways away (by the sounds of it), or do you rely on being able to make it in time?

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I feel way more concerned about the two legged animals in our FL home than I do our NC home. I don't even go on Nextdoor anymore for our FL home. It's just crime, bitching and whining.

It makes sense to me. If you're a criminal would you rather go somewhere where you can have 100 victims all lined up in a nice row or somewhere where you have to walk 1/2 a mile to get to anyone and then hope they aren't just waiting for you to show up so they can introduce your to their friends Mr Smith and Mr Wesson.

You make a good point. I suppose the counterpoint is that if someone is willing to kill in order to steal whatever it is you have, just because they are a psychopath, I would think their preferred target is somewhere quiet and remote so less chance someone will hear / delayed police response.

I see benefits to both I guess. I do like more space though than not.

[erickonphoenix]

I live in a city now but I'm from rural East Texas. Work needs brought me into urban life and altho I miss the country I don't miss a few things.

• Snakes, you need to learn to ID them. DO NOT kill them all, most are important.
• Keep your important pets inside, coyotes will take them even during the day.
• Big storms mean no power for hours so you need a robust generator.
• Trips to the grocery store are for the month not the week, so you need appropriate storage.
• Transients or what they call "homeless" in the cities do exist in the country. They can surprise you if you're walking your property after dark. A robust fencing system helps but won't completely stop them from trespassing. You'll still find the trash they leave behind.
• Not really an issue for locals that grew up there but the community will be curious about new residents and will want to know your business.

Other than those things for me, rural life is golden. Quiet, low pace and generally you have more control over your day. If you have a career that can support it I say go for it.

[tranquility]

Maybe I should start a new thread but this topic and just my experiences and reading ppl's anecdotes made me choose to be condo-for-life. I'm not particularly fond of ppl but sometimes they're useful if you run into any emergencies. Also, knock wood, I don't think there are as many random violent break-ins vs other home-types (if you're targeted, nothing matters then).

I'd also hate to constantly stress over/argue w crappy neighbors and passersby re dog #2, messing w my trash, porch pirates, trespassing, etc.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Maybe I should start a new thread but this topic and just my experiences and reading ppl's anecdotes made me choose to be condo-for-life.

Different strokes for different folks. Whatever works for you is good.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by OtoPA

as to caliber, I've found .22 used more frequently than 5.56.

I'm sure that I posted about my experience at our lakeside tree farm in SC last year. I was walking an excavation contractor and his assistant through the tree line and into the woods, to point out the marker posts that I put in for them to cut a 300' temporary driveway. An ~8 foot snake slithered across the path a few feet in front of me, and kept moving away. As a courtesy, I did a calm "snake" callout and pointed at it as I continued walking. The good ol' boy assistant screamed, and went running back to their truck to grab his AR-15. (The thing looked like a Picatinny Christmas tree.)

When he came back and caught up with us, I told him to put that thing away before he shot his own foot off! Imagine a "city slicker yankee" having to educate a southerner that the proper weapon for snakes in close quarters is a .22 pistol with snake shot cartridges. Of course I didn't have one with me in SC, because NY State's CCW law has no reciprocity anywhere else in the country...ironically including NYC.....

[Our03z4]

I've lived in a rural area my entire life, same for my wife. I'm about 5 mins from a grocery and gas station and a few small restaurants. Anything I could ever want is about 15mins away and a large city is 40mins. Perfect mix for me. My brother lives in the city and always says how he misses being able to immediately drive country roads.

Security isn't an issue, cameras and lights are plenty of deterrents. Like others have said most perps want to go to the easy pickings in subdivisions. I commonly leave keys in my cars on accident but I know it will be there when I wake up.

We have public water, 1gb internet, overhead utilities (I prefer that, no need to have anything marked when digging) and a septic system (which I also prefer).

Another nice thing about the country is that neighbors don't care about what you have they care more about if you keep your word. People legitimately have your back in the country, no matter what. Just know that sometimes it will feel "clickish" at first, but country people are just careful, once you're in you're in for life. If something ever feels off about something going on at your house you'll get a call.

Taxes are incredibly low, some will say that comes with bad schools but not in our area...top rated in the state.

We have no zoning restrictions! I can do whatever I want whenever I want to...mind your business kinda of deal.

Some will say hospitals are an issue but I can be at a level 1 trauma center in 15mins. Light traffic for the win. There are some subdivisions that I work in that you couldn't even make it there that quickly.

I go to cities quite often and I still don't understand why people want to live in them. Even the air feels oppressive. Way too closed in, loud, dirty, annoying people, horrible parking, bad drivers and way too expensive.

I will NEVER live anywhere but in the country and in an 1800s home as well.

Good luck!!

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by Watching The World Burn

So question to those rural - wasn't joking when I said I do worry about snakes - if you have poisonous ones around you, do you keep anti venom at the house given help is a little ways away (by the sounds of it), or do you rely on being able to make it in time?
...

I don’t worry about them. There are only 4 venomous species in TN (where I live) and right around me I haven’t seen any (I did see snakes in FL, and while rattlesnakes were common I never saw one). Several species are great for keeping rodents at bay, as are foxes (we have a family nearby).

I would not keep anitvenom because I really wouldn’t know what to do with it; better to get to the clinic and call ahead. There is plenty of time with most USA snakes.

My real fear is brown recluse spiders. Small, hide in dark places (like boots in the garage, gloves), and have a nasty bite that can be very bad. Most spiders are beneficial, but those little buggers go too far. They are in cities and rural, so there is no avoiding them in the region, although again kind of rarely seen.

There are FB pages on snakes in FL and in TN and I suspect other states. Helps to identify them, learn about them, and find re-locators who can remove them if you need that.

[Car-Addicted]

I assume we are talking about Central Eastern United States. Generally if you have no standing water and no rock piles you will seldom find snakes on your property. Also I never met a dog that didn't go straight to snakes, hidden or sunning. That said, erickonphoenix is very correct, you need to learn to identify them. Copper heads, water moccasin's are IMO to be avoided as I have found them aggressive. Eastern Diamondback's can be territorial but don't want human contact. I have spent millions of hours on a farm, hunting, back packing and mountain biking and I honestly don't remember more that 10 encounters with venomous snakes. A couple hundred black snakes and quite a number of water snakes. A snake bite kit is reasonable but there is a lot of home work on what kit and shelf life.
For a real kick I have been to this once and IMO these folks are nutz.

Rattlesnake Round-up returns with traditional event


https://www.tiogapublishing.com/the_...ae06a5051.html

[Alfisti]

Being australian you guys make me laugh a bit worrying about snakes, I think a rattlesnake wouldn't make our top 10 in terms of nastiness/risk. You just learn not to fuck about in long grass and don't leave junk on your property that snakes like to hide in. I was once in a small shed with an Eastern Brown between me and door, i was frozen for while until it moved on because it is a "bite first, ask questions later" personality.

To the topic at hand, I grew up semi-rural, on 5 acres and as an adult have lived a suburban life. As I age i want more space but not how some of you describe, like properly rural so far from amenities. I'd ideally move on the outskirts of a medium sized town, so ideally still city utilities but at least an acre for space but not too far away from city based services.

[floridaorange]

@Alfisti - Outskirts of a medium sized town is the right way to put it. (also not bothered at all by snakes)

Some extremely good insight and responses very thought provoking and funny at times.

Really appreciate the nuanced response erickonphoenix good stuff to consider!

My wife grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains near the coast, and we are not moving there, but somewhere near the beach here in FL where there is land and she can have some animals - that is coming in the next year or so, she's excited. One thing staying out in the country in Kanab showed us is how much we like the peacefulness. I have only ever lived in the suburbs of San Diego and a city in Cntrl FL my whole life. But we do have a mountain house in NC (seen more snakes there then here, moccasins, zero concern) and have family who are real deal big time ranchers. So some of the comments I already familiar with, but other comments have a good dose or reality to them, and that is what I am looking for.

So thank you all!

A 22 is the weapon of choice by my farmer cousins as well when it comes to day to day around the property, but they also keep several rifles in their truck because you never know. They are extremely good shots.