Neighbors called the sheriff Dept. tonight while i was shooting

[iChokePeople]

Go talk to the guy. Go from there.

+1. But start with trying to understand HIS position before trying to get him to understand yours. Try to understand what it is about your shooting that bothers him, then try to address those concerns, if they're reasonable. If they're not, or if he's already decided that you're going to have an adversarial relationship, so be it, but a little honey might just smooth the whole thing out and make the rest of your time there a little more pleasant.

Edited to remove the part about the fence and YOUR concerns -- I wouldn't even go there until you establish that there's just no way to work out a happy place.

 

[jgreiner]

But you still have the problem of the horses. If he tears down the fence and the horse gets out on the road and kills someone, are you going to indemnify and hold him harmless for following your advice?

My posted stated to tell him to fix it or you tear it down, if it's on your property. His horses are his liability. As is maintaining HIS fence on HIS property. I would give warning first.

With that said, my FIRST round would be to go over and discuss all this with him, to find out what his beef is. Might be he has a legitimate concern. It ALSO might be that he might like to shoot as well. You just never know.

 

[jgreiner]

+1. But start with trying to understand HIS position before trying to get him to understand yours. Try to understand what it is about your shooting that bothers him, then try to address those concerns, if they're reasonable. If they're not, or if he's already decided that you're going to have an adversarial relationship, so be it, but a little honey might just smooth the whole thing out and make the rest of your time there a little more pleasant.

Well said.

 

[Rookie]

I expected more from INGO members on this post. 12 pages and only two people have suggested to go talk to the neighbor and see what the problem was. Instead people are saying get lawyers, tear down fences, etc etc

Epic fail IMO.

Go talk to the guy. Let him know about your set-up. Let him know your concerns about the fence. Go from there.

You must have missed the part where he introduced himself and told the husband his intentions.

Reading comprehension fail.

 

[iChokePeople]

You must have missed the part where he introduced himself and told the husband his intentions.

Reading comprehension fail.

I know this wasn't at me, but I'm of the same opinion -- from my (possibly incorrect) reading of the incident, it wasn't done very well. Maybe it was bad enough to poison any future attempts, but we only have one side of the story. I kin reed purty gud, and my reaction to that first meeting was something like, "Well, THAT probably wasn't the best initial approach..."

ETA: One of the things that nags at me -- why, after 8 months of shooting, did the neighbor decide to call? The OP said he's been shooting for 8 months with no issues... what changed?

 

[BoilerWes]

I introduced myself the first day I moved in, told them what i did in the army and that I was trained in firearms safety and have been shooting for several years the guy just kinda shrugged his shoulders and walked away. my wife has lived here for a few years before we got married and she has had problems with them before about them wanting her to pay to put up a fence in between theirs and our property on our side of the electric fence. I dont like to cause problems and usually stick to myself which is why I havent made a fuss about the electric fence.

{Quote} just kinda sucks Ive been shooting out back for about 8 months now, and all of a sudden they wanna start issues. I'll keep a cool head though, because getting upset and starting trouble just makes me look like the bad guy. I must be a noobie what is the NFA fund? {Quote}

My reading comprehension is excellent. The guy introduced himself when he moved in. In another post he stated he had been shooting at his home for 8 months without a problem. He has had made no contact with the neighbor since the incident. Where is my reading comprehension fail?

Carry on with your lawyers, fence tearing down, tool antenas etc

 

[Rookie]

I wouldn't mess with the neighbors. They had their opportunity to voice their concerns and they chose to call the police instead. I don't need them to feel all warm and fuzzy in order for me to do something which is perfectly legal. I need them to mind their own business.

 

[IndianaSigma]

I'd just continue to shoot your guns. If the neighbor calls the police again, then be sure to either refuse to answer the door or video record the conversation. Let the officer and the neighbors know that you have researched it and what you are doing is perfectly legal. Then politely tell them to get off of your property unless they have a warrant. Keep the fence issue separate. Deal with that after you deal with the shooting issue.

 

[dom1104]

????? Are you referring to the danger from the electric fence? Um, they're not that dangerous. I grew up around them. My kids grew up around them. We've all been shocked on occasion. Not really a big deal.



People might do something bad or stupid. WE NEED MORE LAWS!!!

So what would be a safe distance in your mind? I guess there should be no shooting if the shooting area doesn't exceed the maximum range that any projectile can travel by half.

Tell ya what, next IDPA or steel challenge match we have, we will set you up in a lawn chair two acres downrange. Sound like a fun time?

If someone was firing a weapon, in the direction of my house, within visual line of sight, less than 2 acres away, we would be having a talk.

Period.

Guns are dangerous. People do not have perfect control. There are areas that are safe to use as firing ranges, and areas that are not.

This should not be a difficult concept to understand.



I have never understood how people who fly off the handle when "empty" guns are muzzling them at gun shows, dont have an issue with guns being fired in their direction?

makes zero sense.

 

[1911 DeadHead]

Huh? Where did you get that from? Untrue on both counts.

Yea really. DNR has nothing to do with that situation at all.

DNR is a very active SAFET group...news here - The RadioReference.com Forums

Here is some discussion over that issue. People stating that DNR is in fact Federal. They can even write a speeding ticket. None of my input is credible, these are just things I hear.

 

[dom1104]

As far as a safe distance, I have a large 80+ acre backyard, and could without legal issue shoot on it.

Guess what? I dont.

If I can see the houses, I can hit the houses.

I am not going to take the chances, that something could go wrong, and someone could get killed.

I drive, to find a place, that is safe to shoot.

Because I am a thinking, rational human being, who actually spends a moment to think about the safety of others.

Some of us, on the slightest HINT of our rights being infringed, throw safety out the WINDOW, and are proponents of "everything is ok".

Well, being SAFE, is the gun owners responsibility. It is the PRIMARY responsibility.


Repeat after me.

JUST BECAUSE ITS LEGAL, DOESNT MEAN ITS WISE.

Be the better man. Stop endangering others.

If your neighbor can shoot you with his camera, you can shoot him with your gun.

Become a member of a local shooting range. Or build a better backstop.

 

[Jack Burton]

Learn the art of compromise. Don't tear down the fence and don't stop shooting. Just change your target and shoot down the fence.

 

[ssgjason]

As far as a safe distance, I have a large 80+ acre backyard, and could legally and without legal issue shoot on it.

Guess what? I dont.

If I can see the houses, I can hit the houses.

I am not going to take the chances, that something could go wrong, and someone could get killed.

I drive, to find a place, that is safe to shoot.

Because I am a thinking, rational human being, who actually spends a moment to think about the safety of others.

Some of us, on the slightest HINT of our rights being infringed, throw safety out the WINDOW, and are proponents of "everything is ok".

Well, being SAFE, is the gun owners responsibility. It is the PRIMARY responsibility.


Repeat after me.

JUST BECAUSE ITS LEGAL, DOESNT MEAN ITS WISE.

Be the better man. Stop endangering others.

If your neighbor can shoot you with his camera, you can shoot him with your gun.

Become a member of a local shooting range. Or build a better backstop.

Guns are dangerous. People are stupid. Gun owners are people. Fix the stupid.

I can not fathom that you and I share even the slightest iota of commanality. I will do whatever is perfectly legal on my property. I see you as another lib pushing your agenda. Be the better man? Holy sheet.
Guns are dangerous? I can not wait to see what you say next. How bad do you want more laws?

 

[686 Shooter]

Several years ago there was a concern that the lead from shooting ranges was leaching in to the public waterways, therefore polluting them. Maybe that is why Barney mentioned the DNR. If DNR suspects that runoff from your land contains lead, they can and will shut down your shooting range

 

[dom1104]

I can not fathom that you and I share even the slightest iota of commanality. I will do whatever is perfectly legal on my property. I see you as another lib pushing your agenda. Be the better man? Holy sheet.
Guns are dangerous? I can not wait to see what you say next. How bad do you want more laws?

You are very wrong in your judgement of my motive.

We dont need more LAWS.

We need people to act like they have a brain in their head.

LEGAL does not mean wise. or safe.

If you are going to shoot on your property, is is your responsibility to make that shooting range SAFE. For the sake of your neighbors.

This isnt a law, its acting like a decent neighbor.

BUILD A BETTER BACKSTOP. problem solved.

The only LAW that is being broken here is Jeff Coopers 4th law of gun safety. Be sure of your target and whats behind it.

And that is one LAW, that we would all be better off to keep in mind.

 

[armedindy]

il stand out back of the shooting range....im within range, im in the direction the guns are firing at, but im perfectly safe...huh?

 

[Beau]

Tell ya what, next IDPA or steel challenge match we have, we will set you up in a lawn chair two acres downrange. Sound like a fun time?

If someone was firing a weapon, in the direction of my house, within visual line of sight, less than 2 acres away, we would be having a talk.

Period.

Guns are dangerous. People do not have perfect control. There are areas that are safe to use as firing ranges, and areas that are not.

This should not be a difficult concept to understand.



I have never understood how people who fly off the handle when "empty" guns are muzzling them at gun shows, dont have an issue with guns being fired in their direction?

makes zero sense.

Tell ya what, next IDPA or steel challenge match we have, we will set you up in a lawn chair two acres downrange. Sound like a fun time?

As long as I'm sitting behind a backstop I'm okay with that.

Another concept not difficult to understand is an adequate backstop which he seems to have. He offered to have the officer that made contact come and inspect it. The officer refused.

OP stated he has been shooting at this location for eight months without incident. Yet all of a sudden there is an issue. Seems to me if they were worried about stray bullets this would have come up 7 months and 30 days ago. (Assuming the first month had 31 days in it.)

No people do not have perfect control. Not just in firearms use either. When was the last time you walked through a parking lot, drove a car or any other number of activities in which you must have trust that the other person knows what they are doing?

I'm not saying your concern isn't valid. The way you initially came across though is that he shouldn't be shooting on his land due to space constraints. With a proper range design though space isn't an issue. Every uspsa match I've shot has, at some point, a competitor who must fire directly toward a member or members of another squad. This is perfectly safe though. Why? Well because there is a big mound of dirt between them silly.

 

[indytechnerd]

Folks, let's keep in mind that an acre is a measure of AREA, meaning length of plot times width of plot. For all we know, this guy's plot is 10yds wide by 480yds long (rounded for ease of math = 4800sq yds, an acre = 4840 sq yds). "About 2 acres away" doesn't have much meaning, really, depending on which side of the rectangle you're standing.

He has also stated that he was firing into a berm, a low berm, but a berm none-the-less. It's not like he was hanging pop bottles from the clothes-line.

(you weren't were you???)

 

[dom1104]

As long as I'm sitting behind a backstop I'm okay with that.

Another concept not difficult to understand is an adequate backstop which he seems to have. He offered to have the officer that made contact come and inspect it. The officer refused.

OP stated he has been shooting at this location for eight months without incident. Yet all of a sudden there is an issue. Seems to me if they were worried about stray bullets this would have come up 7 months and 30 days ago. (Assuming the first month had 31 days in it.)

No people do not have perfect control. Not just in firearms use either. When was the last time you walked through a parking lot, drove a car or any other number of activities in which you must have trust that the other person knows what they are doing?

I'm not saying your concern isn't valid. The way you initially came across though is that he shouldn't be shooting on his land due to space constraints. With a proper range design though space isn't an issue. Every uspsa match I've shot has, at some point, a competitor who must fire directly toward a member or members of another squad. This is perfectly safe though. Why? Well because there is a big mound of dirt between them silly.

Your a funny guy

OF COURSE if there is a huge mound of dirt there isnt a problem, but that isnt the case here as far as I understand it. The neighbor can SEE him. over his backstop.

My ONLY issue with this case is the insufficient backstop.

Again, if he can take a picture of him with his camera, than he can be shot.

My issue, is with the backstop.

 

[Hornett]

I too would like to know the name of the deputy involved.
A PM will work.
This is too close to home for me to be ambivilant.

Regarding guns being dangerous.
I think the deputy had a responsibility to go and actually see the shooting area and backstop like the OP offered.
If the deputy had done that I could have more sympathy for the unwise shooting argument.
We tend to get off track on splitting hairs here and I can see where shooting on a couple of acres can be dangerous to the neighbors
BUT
Here is part of the original post:

I answered politely and was greeted by a captain of the sheriffs dept. who informed me Im not aloud to shoot on my property and that if i did i would be fined, I then asked if he would like to go out on my property and see my range, he informed me he didnt need to see it because the neighbors had already told him about my set up. He was very rude and when i enformed him that Im a military police officer and that I know firearms safety, he laughed and said so your one of those guys, told me if I shoot again the DNR would be called and I would receive a hefty fine and got in his car and left,

The deputy did not cite what code was being violated.
He did not offer to help the OP in any way whatsoever.
IMHO and if the OP was fairly factual, it was just intimidation.
Officer Authoritah on the job.