Question for hunters: complaint about neighbor's target practice

[chickenannie]

I'm sorry, I just have to say that if my neighbors want to go hunting, fine. But for the weeks prior to hunting practice I have to listen to them firing their weapons all darn day long and I don't like it. They are about 800 hundred feet away, on the next farm, and (mostly) fire away from the barns, but they start at 7 a.m. and go on for hours and hours. Every single rifle shot makes me jump.

It makes me worry that they will hit one of my free-ranging turkeys or barn cats, or god forbid, my friend biking down the farm lane (accidentally of course). This area is full of farms, suburban developments and houses along the roads -- it's not an area where you are "out in the middle of nowhere". Personally I would like if they would go do target practice somewhere MUCH farther away from other people's properties!

They are "somewhat" respectful, but last year, their high-powered elk-hunting rifle bullets were landing 20 feet from MY barn and I had to discuss it with them and they denied it despite the fact that I was with several friends who were all witnesses at the time. (they travel to Montana to hunt the elk).

This year, buckshot was twice fired so close to my house that it landed 10 feet from my home and about 3 feet from my cat who freaked out.

They are of the opinion that they have the right to do this, but honestly, it angers me that they are so inconsiderate. They invite other hunters and friends to come shoot on their farm as well and these other people are not careful about which way they are hunting. I have no hunting signs posted on my property, btw.

I would like to hear from the hunters out there what your opinions are on this (please, in a nice way).

 

[speckledhen]

I have no hunting signs posted on my property, btw.

I would suggest you replace those with "No Trespassing" signs. No Hunting signs just say to them, "There are deer here, but I dont want you to shoot them." That may just be an open invitation to someone who really doesnt care what you think about hunting.
As far as the guns firing all the time, I get that at times, but almost always after dark for some ridiculous reason. A gunshot 200 ft from your house at 11 p.m. is rather disconcerting. There have been cases of people shot in their own backyards and the suggestion was made that they should have been wearing a vest, IN THEIR OWN FENCED BACKYARDS. Poppycock. Anyone firing near homes might just get whatever they deserve someday. I dont want hunting on my property because I dont want guns throwing bullets around my house and on my trails where I walk. Its not about hunting, just my own enjoyment of my private property and the safety of anyone on it.​

 

[purr]

someone in the next town was practicing in his yard and shot his neighbor. A 50 yr old woman who was walking her dog. It shattered her forearm, and she had to have surgery. He has been charged with:

assault with a deadly weapon
discharging a firearm withing 500 ft of a dwelling
possession of a firearm without a license

 

[Chicken Boo]

FYI - I remember a case back in the 1990's that I am pretty sure was in Pennsylvania. A hunter accidentally shot a woman while she was hanging her laundry in her own back yard. He thought he was shooting at a deer. He was not charged with anything. The last time I checked, even when wearing brown, I do not look like a deer.

You may want to find out what the local ordinances are. Around here, you can start making as much noise as you want at 7 AM. However, you may not fire a weapon within a certain number of yard of a residence. You may have leverage.

Good Luck

 

[purr]

find out the laws in your state they may be breaking them and then it would just take a call to the cops.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
That was the case I was referring to. Made me so angry then.

 

[WriterofWords]

Here the fired ammunition cannot leave your property. If the slug or buckshot, or what you're using, leaves your propert it's not only trespassing it's endangerment. If they keep it up, file a complaint and have them come out and photograph the evidence.

 

[Rosalind]

Check your state regulations about how far away from houses they must be by law, but since you're in PA...don't hope for much. PA is Hunter Heaven.

Personally, if someone was shooting such that bullets were hitting the ground in my yard and that close to my house, I would be calling the cops screaming that a strange crazy person with a gun was shooting at me. Failing that, I'd be loading my own shotgun with rock salt and aiming right back at them. When I was an obnoxious teenager growing up in PA, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, anyone caught shooting at people or houses had to expect that the people would shoot right back.

And yes, my family hunts, we have guns, I make a wicked good PA Dutch venison sauerbraten. There's such a thing as basic gun safety though, and it pretty much starts with Whatever You Do, Don't Shoot At People! Knowing that there are about a ZILLION places to target shoot and dial in rifle sights in PA, and about a GAJILLION hunting & fishing clubs there, they really have no excuse for not going to someplace designated for target practice.

 

[chickenannie]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, folks.

Here's some more info...

I agree with the above statement that many in Pennsylvania just don't care where they hunt.
The previous tenants here were hunters themselves, so it was all gun friendly here in the past. I don't think anyone prior to me ever complained.

The farms here are small -- from 40 to 100 acres in size. Personally I don't think that is enough space for elk rifles.

I have lots of reasons why I need to maintain good relations with my farm neighbors who are generally hard-working, religious folks, and we help each other out occassionally, so I have to be careful about calling the cops.

When I have complained, they have consistently and persistently denied that they are shoot toward my property. They seem to think I'm making it up!

But I think when they or their friends are out walking in a cornfield, or shooting at geese, I'm sure their guns are following the flight path and they WILL shoot my way, thinking "oh it's not too close to her house".

I will look up the ordinances and get those facts in hand.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

yes, they do have the right to do it because they r on their own property not within a town ordanance(unless urs has one). but if u can prove they r purposely fireing towards ur home, barn or other buildings, people or animals u can call the state police to complain but there is a chance they will do nothing about it.

ur better off to be nice about it and talk to them, most hunters r very understandable and reasonble but if u freak on them they will probably do it to anoy u more. suggest mabe they shoot between hours of 10 and 5pm(those r hours our clubs shooting range time is). i think asking for them to hang a loud bell to ring or large metal pot to bang, or beep a horn several times 5 min prior to a hunting party ready to fire as a warning is not unreasonable to ask or to ask for a set hours to shoot. that way others around know prior to fires it's what we have to do at the range it is about a 150 ft from the neighbers house we target practice at and that is what is asked of us by the neighbers for the club to do.

hunters in general r willing to cooperate but there is always a few bad apples out there that give us good hunters a bad name. pa law states 75 yards or 150ft i think it is from a dwelling but that is actual hunting in the field not on ur own property. they should be practiceing with something solid behind what they r shooting. according to the new laws we r allowed to shoot before daylight hours in the field not sure if it's on ur own land but it changes in the book every day it has a schedule of times.