Defending your home and property should be on your mind these days. No matter where you fall on the political divide, you have to admit we live in uncertain and tumultuous times.
And I’ve got some bad news for you: no one is coming to save you. Not in time, anyway. Just like everything else we are responsible for in life, our safety and the safety of our family is in our hands. Don’t think for one second that you are free from danger just because you live way out in the country on a rural homestead.
The trick is understanding how to better protect and fortify your farm or homestead. It’s a little different from living in the city, but I’m here to help with a list of 10 proven strategies for doing just that. Grab your toolbox, and we will get right into it.
Install Defensive Landscaping
One of my favorite methods for beefing up home security on a rural property is to plant big bushes or hedges of thorny, nasty plants around the perimeter of the home and strategically under windows.
The idea is that they work just like living barbed wire, but they look a whole lot nicer. Roses, acacia, crown of thorns, and other plants are suitable for nearly any biome and aesthetic preference. You’ll have to spend a little time getting them started and tending to them, but once established, they are easy to maintain.
Conceal Your Property Using Trees, Shrubs, and Terrain
Speaking of using plants to protect the homestead: you can hide your home, barn, outbuildings, and other concerns from prying eyes and potentially stay off criminals’ radars. This is especially valid if you’re willing to play the long game when it comes to property improvements.
Keeping your property behind hills, stands of trees, or even tall and wild bushes near the road can completely conceal buildings and possessions. If you have a simple, unimproved driveway and no mailbox, so much the better…
Obviously, terrain dictates effectiveness here. If you live on a flat-as-a-pancake parcel with no substantial foliage, you’ll have to plant it and be patient.
Build Strong Fences and Gates
I think every homesteader understands the value of good fences, but in this case, we aren’t talking about controlling livestock and keeping neighbors on their patch…
The right kind of fencing can serve as an actual defensive measure. For starters, it legally informs would-be trespassers in most states that they are, in fact, encroaching on someone else’s property. Tall or sturdy fences topped with barbed wire serve as an actual obstacle to those who would cross them regardless.
You’ll be smart to install sturdy gates at every vehicular access point, too. You don’t have to go fancy with an automated system if you don’t want to or would rather not spend the money; even something like a manually locked metal gate can be a significant impediment to vehicles.
Dig Ditches at Strategic Points
Here’s a defensive measure I’ve used with good success in the past. A gate doesn’t do much good if a vehicle can just drive around it or, for bold criminals, simply plow through a flimsy fence.
But you know what will stop a vehicle? A wide, steep ditch. Think it through: if someone would otherwise drive onto your property and load up a trailer full of loot or just steal your trailer and other equipment, they’ve got to be able to get away with it.
Strategically located ditches can prevent that entirely. Think of it like putting a moat around a castle: the drawbridge is the only way in and easy to defend!
Set Up Motion Lighting and Sensors
No surprise here: sensors are just as valuable on rural properties and serve the same purposes they do for suburban and urban ones.
Most criminals do their deeds under cover of darkness, and taking away that darkness makes them less confident, which means they are less likely to act or follow through in the first place.
You’ll want to light up the most likely access points on your property but also likely hiding places and any other spot where a criminal might get the jump on you or your family. Tying these lights and motion sensors to a security system that will notify you, wherever you happen to be, is a good idea.
Use DIY Security or Trail Cams
Surveillance capability is a core component of any smart defensive plan. Luckily, self-contained, user-installable cameras are more available and more affordable than they have ever been. They are also found in a dizzying array of styles and types!
Consider installing Wi-Fi or hardwired security cameras around your home, barn, workshop, and other buildings and protect your grounds with a few strategically placed, wirelessly accessible trail cameras.
Have a Large Property? A Drone is a Must
Let’s be honest: not all of us live on a modest property of five or six acres. Some of us are fortunate enough to have a sprawling estate consisting of dozens or even hundreds of acres!
While it might seem impossible to properly surveil such a large property and protect it from trespassers, there’s a solution for this, too: drones.
Don’t laugh! A good drone is like your own personal recon plane, complete with high-definition cameras and sometimes fancy technology like thermal vision, which can easily spot someone from hundreds of feet in the air. Fast, power-efficient, and way easier to operate than you might be thinking.
If you’ve got a large parcel you want to keep an eye on without wasting time riding or hiking all over the place, a good drone is your new best friend.
Get a Good Dog or Two
You just knew that a canine companion was going to appear on this list, didn’t you? And that’s for good reason. A good, trusty dog is one of the best home defense elements you have.
All dogs have senses far superior to humans, and if you train yours for alertness, they can hear or smell trouble coming long before you do, especially at night. Going the extra mile, by getting a security-trained hound can do wonders for your peace of mind.
Reinforce All Doors and Windows
The last tip on our list is elementary but no less important: do not neglect reinforcement of all entry points into your home or other important buildings.
Screw and hinge hardware should be updated with heavy-duty security versions complete with long, high-grade screws. Windows can be reinforced with “hurricane” film that will prevent them from shattering, even when struck by tools.
Installing anti-kick devices on doors will stop the all-too-common smash-and-grab home invasion that increasingly occurs during daytime hours.
The great thing about these upgrades is that they are easy for any DIY-savvy homesteader to accomplish and also cost-effective.
Tom Marlowe practically grew up with a gun in his hand, and has held all kinds of jobs in the gun industry: range safety, sales, instruction and consulting, Tom has the experience to help civilian shooters figure out what will work best for them.