Fellow hunters advice needed

Had a very strange thing happen in my neighborhood the day after I got home from Elk hunting (sadly no luck). I live in an A-typical sub-division that backs up to Federal Wet lands and small sections of farm land and a busy hwy about 50 yards behind my house that wraps around the sub- division. All of a sudden I hear gun fire in the neighborhood. 3 distinct shots as if they came from the house next door. It isn't long before I hear another single shot. I call the police and they tend to think it is the Duck hunters club a few miles away which I new better but didn't argue.

My wife comes home from work a short while later and notices two guys behind our house kneeling down working on something. By the way they were acting my hunch was they were dressing out a deer and sure enough it wasn't long and one stood up knife in hand covered in blood. Keep in mind that this is just 30 feet back from a tract of over 150 homes (read suberbanites) in a city of about 25,000. At this point we are video taping it and I think I have just caught myself some reckless poachers. I call the police again and this time they show up and take it serious.

After about 20 minutes they intercept the hunters as they are proceeding with dragging the buck up to the highway. Ends up it was three of them and it isn't long before they head back down to retrieve the deer and the police drive away. We get a call back from the police who said they had tags, license and verified permission from the land owner to hunt his land. Nothing they can do, perfectly legal, case closed.

Now I am a Deer and Elk hunter, firearms enthusiast, CCW holder, retired USMC, etc. but I am beyond WTF dismayed. I may be no expert but I know enough to realize that any or all of those 4 shots could have gone into my neighborhood or across the hwy and into a car, cyclist, or jogger. The fact it took them 4 shots at that close distance doesn't inspire my confidence as to their shooting prowess either. My point is that given that close proximity to so many obvious no fire hazzards this may be legal but it is beyond comprehension stupid given the potential if not guarantee for rounds landing were they have no business ever going.

I'm thinking what if one of the 400 kids in my neighborhood gets shot off of thier swing set or my wife while she waters her plants on the back deck. I'm no hero but if that happens there will be 2 shootings. I'm ticked and want to do somthing about this beyond going to the land owner and giving him a good verbal beating or looking into his left ear to see if I can see light at the other end of the tunnel or not. He is taking a huge risk to save a few acres of crops from some tame deer. Has to be another way.

I can only imagine if one of the countless soccer moms had heard and seen that instead of someone like me. She would have freaked out big time. Oh, and kids go down and play in that area all the time too. Probably not supposed to but boys will be boys and I know I would of been down there every chance I got at that age. There is a small crick after all. My thought is to go to our home owners association to see if we can't get a petition put together to have a no fire or safety zone mandated for that area. I want to make sure this never happens again because next time somone stands a good chance of getting killed or hurt. What do you all think?

Tuefelhunden

Where I am in NY, you're not supposed to shoot within 500 feet of a dwelling without the owner's permission. Where I grew up, we backed up on some state land as well as a lot of undeveloped but privately owned woodlands. It was just kind of expected that you didn't play in the woods during deer season.

I'd be more concerned whether the hunters were smart enough to know where their missed shots were going. Where they shot the deer wouldn't bother me as much.

I agree and hear what you are saying Kev. But regarding hunting season I doubt in this state, in this neighborhood half the people even know what deer hunting is and I am fairly certain that I am the only one in the neighborhood that now knows what was sold to us as "wildlife refuge" is in fact a free fire hunting zone and you can expect to see a deer killed and gutted next to your swing set or barbeque grill. Were those missed shots went is the concern and if it happened once and we got lucky it could happen again and maybe next time we won't be so lucky. So I feel compelled to try and do something about it is all.

Legal or not I don't think I could go into an area where there are houses..Especially a lot of them. I have read reports of people using something like a 308 to hunt and being closer to where people live and the missed shot going a good distance and hurting someone or worse. Whenever I was in the woods looking for food I would think about things like this. Where will a missed shot go? Is there anyone around that can be hurt or killed. I can understand that the law is the law but at some point one has to say "Sure it's legal..but is it real bright?"

The idea that it to so much to get the animal down being where you say they are hunting is a little disturbing. It isn't real smart but they have the law on their side People are going to do it. It's legal to call some guys wife a bitch while the two are walking down the street. I don't think I would want to just do that all willy nilly either.

Where I grew up, we were close to state owned land. However the rule of thumb was you had to be far enough away that a shotgun shell held up was larger than a house door.
They also didn't allow rifles, it was all shotguns and occasionally muzzleloaders.

One more reason why I don't hunt any more; people who can't hit their target and don't care what's beyond. I recall one deer season where I had a bead on a running buck, but didn't take the shot because I knew there were other hunters sitting up the hill that would have been my back stop if I missed.

Then after being a step or two away from being shot myself while hunting, I gave it up for the "safety" of the shooting range.

Thanks guys. Guess I just needed a little affirmation I am not over reacting. This falls under one of those just because you can do something doesn't mean you necessarily should. I will be going the home owners association route and see what we can get done. Not typically a big fan of such associations but for an issue like this they may actually be of some value. I am kind of surprised that the city police were not more concerned about it from a public safety stand point but I guess they have bigger fish to fry.

Well, in anything you are going to have those that appear uneducated or just plain too stupid. Sad but these are the ones that get in the paper and get the people in the government all riled up.

Negative. Unless you're way out in the sticks and have a safe area to shoot towards, PLUS have the concurrance of neaby neighbors, hunting should be kept away from populated areas. There's just too many ding dongs that only know how to point/shoot, and wouldn't even consider having only one round in the magazine.

Just the other day me and my bud were setting up my climber, and about 200 yds away, 3 shots within 10sec, and #2 came tearing through the trees within 50ft of us, followed by a yearling who was pushing the sound barrier. Pissed as we were, we started hollering to let the guy know where we were. When we got to him, we discovered a stereotypical upstater, all geared out like he was modeling for Cabellas. He came down from NY to stay with his buddy and hunt for a week. Nice fella, just reckless. He apologized for the salvo, which missed it's mark after a quick spoor check.

If I can't feel safe out in the sticks, no way in hell would I tolerate near the burbs.

I love to hunt but have not hunted in 10 years. In the county I live in you have to be 8 foot off the ground to hunt with a rifle. The dog runnere get by this law by mounting seats on top of their dog boxes and riding thre road. (they still shoot from the trucks across highways the seat mostly for looks). The deer hunters are crazy as loons around here and I am just scared I'll get shot. I do still rabbit hunt after deer season on my own land with a 22lr and hunt those darn beavers with a .223. Dog hunting just is not a real hunt to me but I understand thats why I choose not to hunt deer anymore. Thanks for a place to vent.

When I went through hunters ed they taught the 3-2-1 rule. 300 yds from dwellings, 200 yds from out buildings and 100 yds from roadways.

^^ for some odd reason all of the numbers you posted seem to be missing a digit to me...

Tuefulhunden, I fully agree with your sentiment and desire to do something about it. It might be legal but it's clearly going beyond common sense.

unfortunately common sense is hard to enforce. Just about the only thing I think you can do is go through you HOA and make the issue known, see where you can take it from there. maybe you can get a general agreement from the owners to not give permission to hunters. that way anyone doing it is at least in the wrong. Good luck