what do you use to protect your livestock?

[lloveless]

I used to have 70 Shetland sheep and 20 Rheas. A kuvasz/pyrenees cross and a llama protected them. "Paco" loved his guard dog companion and they slept back to back. If I had to go, a Ruger Mark 2 with 5.5 inch barrel and a spotlight came along too. Llamas blow like a deer and chase dogs with their long necks low. My neighbors had 4 llamas and continually complained about having to remove dead canids from the pasture.
ll

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I live on 185 acres in the woods in Arkansas. My experience is you go with what you got --you can run into a varmit any time you're outdoors. I've shot more feral dogs with a .22 pistol or rifle than anything else, closely followed by a .45 Colt.

However, when I'm hunting coyotes or feral dogs, I use a Kimber M82 in .22 Hornet.

 

[wrs840]

My go-to pasture-truck and tractor-cab rifle is still a well-worn early-1970's Marlin 336 in 30-30 with Williams peep-sights. I have a couple All-weather Ranch Mini-14s that I like a lot too for utility farm-use, but I haven't found a scabbard yet that fits it to mount in my tractor-cabs, so it's still the 336 95% of the time. Yes, the "rainbow-trajectory" of the 30-30 is a challenge, but I'm accustomed to it now, so it's fairly tolerable.

 

[foghornl]

Don't live on a farm or ranch, but I remember "Pops" {Grandfather} had a Savage/Stevens Mdl 94B single-shot 16-Ga propped up by the back door. Took down many a critter after the chickens with that gun

 

[Walking Dead]

Nice rifles guys but I think Gregg has you beat on the reliability front.

 

[jmorris]

Its hard to beat a pissed off Jack donkey, and if he is in a place with no Jenny he has nothing to do but mess everyone else's day or night up.

 

[shiftyer1]

And make all kinds of racket all at the same time!!! Pyranees and donkeys are very popular around here. Keep in mind that if you use a donkey to make sure to spend some time with it every now and then, maybe a carrot when you come to feed stock. Otherwise you may have a hard time getting in your pasture.

I mostly use a .22mag these days, although until 6 months ago I used .22lr for most work. I also keep a lever 30-30 in the truck for bigger critters. I also have a marlin 357 I like alot for varmint control.

 

[TwoEyedJack]

We have a small herd of horses and now I hear that there is a pack of Canadian gray wolves living about 12 mi. away. They killed a full-grown cow less than 5 mi. from here. I keep an AR-15, A3 format, with a magazine full of handloads featuring 52 gr. Sierra BTHP match. I have a 3-12 scope mounted. It is 300 yards from my deck to the back of the pasture and heaven help the critter that messes with my horses.

 

[jmorris]

I have a 3-12 scope mounted. It is 300 yards from my deck to the back of the pasture and heaven help the critter that messes with my horses.

What if they eat in the dark like most critters?

 

[451 Detonics]

We had some coyotes coming up into the horse barn at night. A couple of nights up on the roof of the barn with my 300 Whisper ended that problem nicely.

 

[TwoEyedJack]

What if they eat in the dark like most critters?

I normally keep the horses in a corral next to the house at night and I am a light sleeper. The dog kennel is right next to the corral. Not fool proof, but close.

 

[TreeDoc]

SKS, by the door in the barn.

 

[KSDeputy]

My neighbor, who owns all of the land around me, and raises cattle uses a .22lr. He shoots any animal that disturbs his cattle. I used to raise sheep, and coyotes and pumas were the problem. I never saw the pumas, however. I hung several coyotes on the fence. I used my AR-15.

 

[treg]

Used to carry my Buckmark or Blackhawk all the time, now it's a Taurus PT101 on my hip. .22 rifle in the barn or truck too, but been thinking about an "upgrade" there. Mostly possum, coons, skunks and feral cats with an occasional coyote or dog around here. Bear and ML becoming more common but still rare and no problems reported yet.

LGD / donkey / llama is the way to go. As things progress that's the direction I intend to go.

 

[K1500]

I have used a Ruger Ranch Rifle, a Winchester 94, AR-15, and anything else I had handy. I used the Ruger the most.