nerve racking moment

[McBrideGuns]

Two nights ago i was awaken by two mens voices talking outside my bedroom window. I laid there listening for a minute and then they disapeared. Figureing it was just somone passing by on the road outside I went back to sleep> About 30 minutes later i was awaken again this time by my dog barking and a loud thump on the roof. I get up and get my .410 which is loaded with a slug and go to my front door and look out I see nothing but then I suddently hear a noise from the front of the house I yell "who's out there" the noise stops for a moment. I figure who or what ever it is is going to run off to my suprise it begins comming toward me. I take aim and apparently something scares who or what ever it is because it takes about 4 steps and stops. Then turns and runs the other direction i sit for a moment to see if i can see a shadow or anything but never see anything. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me and i hope the last. I never called the police or anything but I had woke up my wife and told her if she heard anything while I was out of the room to call them I went out the next morning looking around but there were no tracks of any sort.

[DanV1317]

Something similar happened to me a few weeks ago. Prowler spotted in my neighbor's yard which is very close to my house.

It's just a reminder to you, lock those windows you usually open and close but never lock, leave some more lights on at night, let your neighbor's know to keep a look out (some neighbors are up later than others), and most of all, keep a flashlight and your firepower nearby.

If you're house is not well lit outside at night, there are alot of windows w/o curtains, and you have alot of schrubs immediatly around the foundation for your house, it makes it look more appealing. People can hide in/behind the schrubs so neighbors can't see them and you can't see them.

[jcims]

To second what Dan said, get yourself a flashlight. Quality pays dividends, but if you are going to spend a lot of time debating the purchase of a $70+ SureFire, stop by Wal-Mart and pick up one of their $20 Brinkman LED jobs while you mull it over. You can never have too many.

And for the TFL of flashlights: http://candlepowerforums.com

[markj]

a loud thump on the roof

Did you look on the roof? later? might have thrown something up there.

Install a good outside flood lite, maybe more for this purpose.

[AZGunLover]

"get my .410 which is loaded with a slug" A slug as in one? I would upgrade to a 12 gauge pump or semi that holds a few more than "one" and ditch the slugs if you have neighbors. Buck shot should be plenty for most applications and won't penetrate as much as "a slug."

[Supertac]

"...who or whatever it was..."

haha I thought I was listening to "Coast to Coast" with George Nori for a minute.

Seriously, get a good flashlight. C2 centurion by surefire was the best $100 I've ever spent.

[OuTcAsT]

Not trying to bash your response but a couple of things about your reaction concern me a bit.

Two nights ago i was awaken by two mens voices talking outside my bedroom window

I don't know what kind of neighborhood you live in but this would have me at condition orange.

i was awaken again this time by my dog barking and a loud thump on the roof. I get up and get my .410 which is loaded with a slug and go to my front door and look out

I am assuming the door was open as your next action was...

I see nothing

and...

I take aim

I Highlited those to say this, First, You had already established that there was the possibility of more than one person outside your home. Later, when you hear the noise you take what seems to be a single shot shotgun, go to your front door, open it, and "take aim" at nothing. Now while I am glad things went well I see some things you might consider. Situational awareness should have told you that you were possibly outnumbered as you had heard more than one voice earlier. It should have also told you that with a single shot weapon you were also possibly out-gunned. Opening the door especially under those circumstances put you, and your wife at great risk. and "taking aim" at nothing? you might want to read up on the basic rules of firearms safety. I think, had I been in your shoes I would have secured myself and loved ones in an interior room, called LE, and protected from that position. just my .02

[DesertShooter]

Personally, I think that you should have called the police....at least the SECOND time you heard voices and a thump on your roof! I can understand why you didn't call after the first time, but not the second incident! What the heck, whoever it was MIGHT have come back a third time....and may do so sometime in the future!

By calling the police and having them respond, they would at least be aware of the incident and where you live. If you needed to call the police again, then they'd be able to, perhaps, respond a bit faster AND that a previous incident had taken place there.

Illumination! Outdoors, indoors AND a good high intensity flashlight! The night-time "varmints" use the darkness to their advantage, but you can take away at least a part of that by good lighting.

Believe it or not, but a loud, shrill scream will often work! It might even work if you yell something like, "Get off my property! I have a gun, and I've called the police!"

[Lurper]

Not meaning to monday morning quarterback or flame you, but you may want to reconsider your course of action if it happens again. In the final analysis, noone had to die or get injured so you achieved the desired outcome.

The best course of action is to retreat to a safe room and call the police. Investigating noises is asking for trouble. Particularly ones that are outside of the house. There is too great a risk of biting off more than you can chew (being outgunned or outnumbered), or shooting someone who you weren't legally justified to. The first thing you need to do is develop a plan, think it through in your mind, discuss it in detail with whoever stays with you (allow contingencies for guests) and practice it. There may be times when you are forced to clear your house, but in general you are better served to take a defensive mindset. One good idea is to keep your cell phone charger next to your bed and put your cell phone in it every night. That way it is within reach when you wake up. Also, keep your weapons stored in the same place and in the same condition all the time.
In your case, I would recommend calling the police when you heard the voices. I would've called back for the noise on the roof as well. Also, know what information to give the police like who and how many of you are in the house, what you are wearing, where in the house you are located, that you are armed and what you are armed with. Let them do the clearing for you , it is what they get paid and are trained to do.

Another thing to keep in mind about calling the police is: sure you may have scared them off, but had the police found them, it may have taken some career criminals off the street.

[OBIWAN]

Good advice there....

For all you knew someone was trying to lure you outside...you might have walked into an ambush

Another advantage to calling the police is that you are then on record as being in fear for your life/safety

Which can help if you are forced to defend yourself

[Daniel BOON]

when my Rottweiler barks, people listen. I live in a Vegas suburb; the apt complex I live in is large. almost every day/nite a pick up gets stolen. I have been here 2 yrs, and have never heard of an apt burglary in this complex; why? because most people here have some sort of dog. many have BIG dogs; I know of a single female that has 2 large dogs, never a problem. go get a big nasty Rottweiler, when he barks, people will listen. I gurantee it.