A-Hunting We Will Go!
An innocent person comes awake to a bump in the night. Holy crap, there is someone in their house! “Hand me the gun, Mable, and stand aside!”
Wrong response, actually.
Dear reader, do you hunt? Wake up before the dawn during hunting season to venture forth into the frigid night, just so you can harvest some game?
There are a variety of ways to get a trophy, but most can be divided into two categories. These are the ambush, and the stalk.
Stalking is considered by many to be the most fun. The hunter does what he can to minimize the chance that the game will notice this big killer ape wandering around, and then they try to creep up upon the unsuspecting animals.
Exciting stuff! So exciting that I always find myself having to go pee at the most inopportune moments. But learning to endure such discomfort is part of the process.
The other way is to scout where you are going to hunt long, long before hunting season comes around. A place to wait is prepared, usually near where the game passes or gathers. A seat can be nailed to a tree, or a box shelter of some kind can be left in the woods so the animals will lose their fear of it over time. When hunting season arrives, the hunter need only go to his place, stay still and quiet, and wait.
(Hmmm. Seems Dr. Who is a duck hunter!)
This is the ambush method. The game comes to the hunter, who makes the kill all unseen.
So which one is more efficient?
Seek out the old hunters, the ones who brought home the game when times were lean and it was the only way to feed their families. The storehouses of lore, knowledge, and experience.
They will say the same thing every time with boring regularity. The ambush beats the stalk!
When discussing home invasions with my students, I like to give the lecture above. No one likes the idea of an intruder inside their home, but I have always said that it is foolish to gear up and go on the hunt. If a desperado gains entry, the bad guy is going to be hopped up and skittish as an alert cat. It isn’t as if they don’t know that they don’t belong inside the house, and that someone might just be looking to punch their ticket in order to protect themselves and their family.
The smart strategy is to bunker down, wait ‘em out. Use a cell phone to yell for help, get the cops moving with their sirens wailing and lights glaring, and sit still behind cover with a gun in hand. Yell out so the intruder knows they are facing someone who is armed, let them know the police were called, and hopefully they will beat a hasty retreat without anyone getting hurt. Particularly the innocent people who belong there.
That all changes if someone goes on the hunt. Suddenly it is the bad guy who has all the advantages. They decide where the confrontation is going to take place. They choose the killing ground. They are the ones who have the superior position that comes with surprise.
But few of my students wanted to listen. They still wanted to talk about how to clear a house, all alone, and without backup. Big heavy sigh!
tgace is a serving law enforcement officer, and he has a post that is worth reading. Although written for the police officer who might have to enter a house and confront a criminal, it certainly has some lessons we can all take to heart.
Notice, if you will, that last part. “Is someone in danger?” That is the only reason why anyone would ever want to move around when they know some intruder has gotten inside their castle. If there are no innocent lives that need rescue, then they should hole up and wait for the cavalry.
Click on over and read what tgace has to say. Worth your time.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:39 pm
I’ve often thought that people who want to engage in house-clearing should get trained in doing so. The training should involve simunition, and the student should be made to wear a thin t-shirt so that he can feel the sting of failure. As many times as it takes to disavow him of the temptation to engage in house-clearing.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Overall its true that you should not try to clear your house. However, how long will it take for the cops to get there? How many bad guys are in your house? What happens if the cops cant get there for a long time? What if the bad guys are really drugged up and dont worry about the cops coming? What if your kids rooms are in another part of the house? Too many variables to consider. If nothing else the ability (with much practice) to clear your house would be handy if needed.
February 1st, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Your points and those of the quoted LEO resonate with common sense, James. The cowboy method sounds like a quick route to the OK corral, and the good guys don’t always walk away.
I gotta say, though, that the Dr. Who Duck-O-Matic always inspires a vision of a deer absentmindedly sticking a letter to Aunt Bambi in the slot on his way to the bowling alley. Gary Larsen has a lot to answer for…
February 1st, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Here’s another vote for “let ‘em come to you.” In military theory, an attacking force needs a large advantage in numbers to overcome a defensive force. This works in your home also.
If you gotta rescue the kids or granny, maybe. Other than that stay put and let the professionals clear the house.
February 1st, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Dang - you hit all the points I was going to bring up. Holing pu in your bedroom, in concealment, with a line of demarcation already decided upon (we have decided on the bedroom door), and with a cell phone in your hand and the police on the line is probably the best way to treat a home-invader situation. Sure, you know your terrain better than they do, but they probably have the element of surprise on you (unless your entire home is set up with cameras) and your stuff simply is not worth enough to warrant risking your life over.
That said, if you have children, the situation gets more complex, and one has to plan accordingly, as you mentioned.
Some of the training I received in the Navy was regarding clearing the ship from invaders, and even knowing the boat as well as we did, that is still something I would very much relish not doing, ever. At least there, though, the walls provide some actual cover, as opposed to drywall, which does jack.
February 1st, 2010 at 10:23 pm
@jerry greer
How long will it takes the cops to get there?
Irrelevant, the longer it takes the police to arrive is just the longer you will stay your safe room (i.e. bedroom).
How many bad guys in the house?
Well, if they are a hit team coming after you. You are likely screwed. Otherwise they are looking to burgle and not to confront. In any case, your safe room comes purpose built with, what we called in the Army, the Fatal Funnel. Only one person can effectively cross the threshold, giving you the advantage over multiple hostiles.
What if the bad guys are really drugged up and don’t worry about the cops coming?
Either the police will deal with them when they do arrive or they will still have to cross your Fatal Funnel.
What if your kids rooms are in another part of the house?
Either quickly retrieve them or designate their room (or one of their rooms) as the safe room and rally there.
Without another’s life being at risk, I would never attempt to clear a building solo. You leave yourself dangerously exposed as it would be difficult/impossible to cover all possible angles of fire as you cleared each room. Hell, just to clear a half wall properly requires two and staircases are a nightmare.
Think of it this way, as opposed to the ambush analogy (which is quite apt), think of it as assault/defense. A successful frontal assault generally require 3:1 odds, therefore, staying put is the best bet.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:19 pm
[...] James on Feb.01, 2010, under Personal James Rummel over at Hell and a Handbasket wrote a very good post on the benefits/risks of staying put in the case of a home invasion or going [...]