Question for hunters: complaint about neighbor's target practice

[Beekissed]

I was wondering why folks who target practice with guns don't put a couple of sand bags behind their targets? Of course, they would then have to HIT the targets for this to be effective...

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Quote:
That's what I think you should do. If they won't listen to you, they'll probably listen to the law. All the cops have to do is pick up the bullet on your property and match it to their gun. It's forensic science.

Then they'll be in a lot of trouble.

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
most responsible hunters do

 

[Beekissed]

When we target practice with bows, the target is either in front of a bank of earth, or the haybales have a rubber shield behind them to stop the arrows.

I know folks do this repeated shooting to site in scopes but just how many shots does that take?

 

[Rosalind]

Quote:
Depends on how good a shot you are, the quality of the gun, quality of the scope. Mainly how good a shot you are and whether or not you practice enough to be able to get the dialing-in bit right in a few tries. Still, you're always guesstimating it to some extent because you're not going to do it in the exact field where you'll be using it--that's where being a good marksman is important, you have to account for terrain and stuff. DH and my family are of the opinion that if it takes you hours to dial in a sight, then either the sight/gun is crummy or you're the most elementary beginner who should stick to a .22. Just sayin'.

 

[Beekissed]

I actually prefer an open sight to a scope any day!

 

[KellyHM]

As a responsible hunter I do take part in target practicing (aka sighting in my guns), but always shooting away from buildings, etc. and with a mound of sand behind the target so that the bullets are stopped after they impact the target. I think 7 am is a little ridiculous, and I would hope that they would hear you out if you're nice to them. However, I don't know what kind of people they are, and if you are confrontational, chances are that things will get worse before they get better since they have probably been hunting and target practicing on that land long before everyone else moved in. Nothing is more aggravating to a hunter than having a new neighbor come in and try to tell them what they can and can't do when their family has been there for hundreds of years. That being said, they should NEVER be shooting towards houses, barns, etc. Just my thoughts...

 

[debilorrah]

I just have to wonder why these neighbors don't have enough manners to keep in their yard. 40 acres!!!! Oh fer cryin out loud - that is plenty of room for practice without infringing on your property. We are on 1 acre and can do target practice without hitting the neighbors yard!

 

[chickenannie]

Thanks folks. It makes me glad to know that there are responsible hunters out there.

BTW, these neighbors are very nice, very neat, very religious, typically keep-to-themselves types.

However, another bit of history: Two year's ago the neighbor's 12-yr old son and his young friend walked into my barn to "shoot at pigeons". I was home, and thought, who the heck is shooting out behind the barn, ran up there, and saw them at the barn door with their guns. At any rate, I was furious and freaked out on them, gave them a good yelling at, and went and talked to their father, who came over the following week and repaired the holes in our barn roof and apologized for them. Needless to say the boy is still afraid of me (good). He said he and his friend were "shooting rabbits" out in the field and got carried away and thought I'd like it if they shot the pigeons in the haymow. Obviously they had crossed the line in a major way, but after I calmed down, I chalked it up to stupid things boys do when young, and I know they'll NEVER do it again. I wasn't going to press charges and try to get the boy jailed or something.

I'm mentioning that, because I feel like the farm families around here, though good intentioned, have a very casual relationship with their rifles, and are NOT considerate to those living in the area.

I think one reason they set up elk-rifle target practice toward my place (they were far away, but not far enough) is because they were AVOIDING shooting in the direction of their own farm and the highway in the other direction, and they "assumed" the bullets wouldn't reach as far as my place. (Wrong).

They always tell me "we are acting safely" and "we are NOT shooting at your house". Like I said they go into denial.

If they shoot 99 times in the other direction, and just 1 bullet heads towards my barn and livestock they seem convinced that they are not doing anything wrong. Me walking up with their bullet still doesn't seem to be convincing.

It's a major problem for me too, because on those days that I can hear gunshots from their property I am not comfortable walking out to check my pasture fencelines, visiting the creek, bicycling out the lane, or any number of activities.

Anyways, I will certainly have more "ammunition" to deal with anything that happens this fall with knowing the regulations. I may just discuss it with them prior.

 

[All about the EGG]

Lets be real here folks...if she thought their lives were REALLY in danger, why would she post here? Call the cops. Heck, if I had bullets on my property, I would DEFINATELY get law enforcement involved. Shooters always need to make sure whats behind the target. Remember, this is an area that "clings to religion and guns."

Oh yeah, I love guns, shooting and hamburgers.