Comments (21)

• 5

  John AdamaStaff - June 12, 2020

  Seems like that shotgun picture was staged with law books, but it seems like that setup wouldn’t even work 🤦‍♂️

   
• 6

  lemur - June 12, 2020

  Thanks for the article. Some years back I went through the mental exercise of determining whether it would be legal, or safe and came up with the same answer you did. I did the mental exercise out of curiosity after seeing some preppers on TV or some forum describing their booby trap setup. I immediately thought “is this legal?” and went down the same road you did.

  The most important issue for me is the risk of hurting innocent people. I’d never forgive myself if an accident happened.

   
• 6

  Rich DCContributor - June 12, 2020

  This is admittedly a mild “string the pot” question – but it makes me wonder where [guard] dogs fall into the equation.  Specifically I mean well trained, properly fed, humanely treated guard dogs – not a stereotypically neglected/abused “junk yard dog.”  Legally I imagine its still somewhat dubious (if your dog mauls someone else when unprovoked, I assume you’re still on the hook) but I’ve also read stories of even “family dogs” reacting to (usually non-human threats) and not seeming to get in any trouble.  Do dogs/animals get justifiable “self defense” when acting in response to a provocation from a third party aggressor?

  To be clear: I’m pro treating dogs well as pets and anti-abusing them/training them for violence.  This is strictly a “thinking out loud” question.

   
  • 2

    Kelsey DonkContributor - June 15, 2020

    Thanks so much for the question, Rich! I’m not sure what the answer is, but we’ll have to look into that with help from some lawyers. 

     
  • 8

    Hazard Awareness - June 16, 2020

    I don’t know the legal answer, but I did read an AMA (Ask-Me-Anything) by someone identifying as a former burglar, and they said anytime they encountered a dog they would give the animal a piece of rawhide or jerky and the dog no longer considered them a threat. I don’t know if that works on “professionally trained” animals.

     
  • 1

    Laydey Jea - November 18, 2021

    No Sir. A well trained guard dog will not take from anyone’s hand. Not even his owners. Only what is provided in his bowl by his owner which is never located where others have access to it. I  sealed frozen dog repellent in small wax capsules that easily break when chewed and placed in beef tips and given by people that are strangers to the dog and myself as well to discourage begging. I also would leave a nice big plate of my dinner on the table with the surprise when I went to work and would in the trash as well if I ever needed to. But there are several, quick, easy humane ways this training can be accomplished and I’m surprised at how little this training is utilized among protection animals.

     
  • 3

    Josh CentersContributor - June 17, 2020

    It’s a good question, and it might be worth its own article. My hunch is that if your dog mauled someone illegally breaking into your house, it’d be seen as very different than a booby trap.

     
  • 2

    Laydey Jea - November 18, 2021

    At least here I know you can be held liable if you have a beware of dog sign or a sign of that nature and it did attack because the sign admits that you knew it was vicious and failed to take precautions to avoid any harm or keep adequate control of that animal. Believe it or not.😮

     
  • 2

    Paul - November 27, 2021

    Hi Josh, I’m new to the sight but have been prepping for some time.  In reference to the dog attacking someone breaking onto your house.  I had a good friend that didn’t put up with any crap from anyone.  Old Marine!  He had an Akita that was his guard dog and unfortunately he had some nefarious neighbors that liked to keep things interesting in the neighborhood.  One day while he was out, one of the little angels tried getting into his house through a back window, when he returned he discovered the dog covered in blood and a trail going out the rear window.  The next day he saw one of the little angels across the street with his arm all bandaged up!  As with most criminals, they don’t report these types of injuries, as they would then be admitting to a crime themselves.  Never had any problems with those upstanding neighbors after that, unfortunately he died from complications due to injuries he sustained after being run down by a park ranger who was late for work, she just hit him and kept going.  Good article!

     
• 6

  TraceContributor - June 13, 2020

  But I bet if you guys were to offer a class on how-to make booby traps (to be used in a collapse scenario only, of course), it’d be a sell-out! 🙂

   
  • 4

    Josh CentersContributor - June 17, 2020

    We could do animal trapping for sure.

     
• 6

  squidvicious - June 17, 2020

  Is this the sane prepping I heard about?  You know, if the Briney house were truly abandoned, and not just a place to store antique fruit jars, they could’ve demo’d the whole thing for a couple grand.

   
• 3

  Yellow Woodstock - October 10, 2020

  Thanks for the article. Very interesting. I was wondering what the legality would be if you have animal traps in your yard that happen to catch or hurt trespassers (like for example toothed leg hold traps)? 

   
  • 1

    The Stranger - January 25, 2022

    If it was intended for an animal, then likely you won’t have to worry about it, provided that if you get sued, you can show what your intent actually was.

     
• 5

  tommyd46 - October 18, 2020

  Dogs would likely not constitue a booby trap.  There are however municipal ordinances and state statutes that few deal with dogs that have vicious or dangerous propensities

   
• 2

  Laydey Jea - November 18, 2021

  What’s your thoughts on any legalities that might arise from the use of traps that hold or contain without harm verses pain caused only if they were to struggle. Quite literally, traps that just trap

   
  • 2

    Robert LarsonContributor - November 19, 2021

    I’d avoid that one as well. While they won’t be physically harmed and won’t be suing you for that, they can maybe sue you for imprisonment, kidnapping, and things like that. 

    I’d say the best thing you can do it create some kind of trap or deterrent that scares people away more than harming or holding.

     
• 1

  Kevin Jackson - May 13, 2022

  What about non-lethal booby traps?
  Glitter bombs, tasers, mace, is there any legal way to protect ourselves from theft?

   
  • 1

    JB - May 13, 2022

    Definitely are safer legally than those options that cause bodily harm or death. Electric fences are often used to protect locations and if properly labeled are safe legally I imagine.

    They have motion sensing lights, air horns, and even sprinklers which probably are even safer than tasers or mace, legally speaking. Pair that with a good security camera and plenty of signage to deter theft and you should be good from a majority of attacks.

     
• 1

  AScannerDarklyish - May 8, 2023

  If you didn’t use something like a firearm, could it possibly be considered “trapping”? For instance, setting a foothold trap of less than 5 3/4″ on your personal property is legal (at least in New York). Couldn’t you just line the area around your house with them and claim you were hunting squirrels, beavers, foxes, coyotes, etc.?

  It is non-lethal (no teeth allowed, in this state at least), but it would probably hurt like crazy and send a pretty strong warning.

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• 1

  Nate - 3 weeks ago

  There is a warning: No trespassing.

  Also, quite obviously, the life of a criminal is less valuable than property.