Valley Ranchers Taking Up High-Powered Rifles to Protect Land

Posted: Jan 20, 2012 6:30 PM
Updated: Jan 20, 2012 6:41 PM

STARR COUNTY - Valley ranchers say they are arming themselves with high-powered rifles to protect their property.

Ranchers say handguns aren't enough anymore. They need more firepower. An AK-47 semiautomatic assault rifle holds 30 rounds. It protects this ranch in Starr County, hundreds of acres.

"It does have fire power and it's reliable," says the rancher.

Barbed wire fencing doesn't keep illegal immigrants off the property anymore. This rancher doesn't care about the illegals. He worries about the smugglers protecting their loads.

"I don't think they would have any conscience of taking someone's life," the rancher says.

He saw that will to kill firsthand. A smuggler shot at him on his own land.

"One round was fired at me, and it missed my head by about two feet," says the rancher.

He says there's only way to react.

"Fire all the rounds you have, reload, and do it again," says the rancher.

That's why he carries an assault rifle. He's not the only one.

Erick Kruger owns the armory gun store in McAllen. He says AK-47 and AR15 assault rifles are always popular weapons. He says spillover violence in the Valley is propelling assault rifle business.

"Countless people have come in here and said, ‘Man, they broke into my house' or ‘we've had a home invasion. We want to get a gun,'" says Kruger.

"It gives you a better sense of security," says the rancher.

The rancher says that security only goes so far.

"No matter how well armed you are, these cartels, Zetas, whoever, they're going to have you outgunned anyway," says the rancher.

He says all he can do is load his gun and hope he never needs to fire it again. That rancher says smuggling activity on his land slowed during hunting season. He says that happens every year. He expects it to pick back up in the next couple of weeks.

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