CITY SLICKERS

[Possum Head]

For the second time this week I've read where fellow Gangers have had issues with local ordinances on backyard practicing.I fully understand the inherent dangers of archery but had no idea so many towns imposed strict laws.I recently moved from a city where shooting was'nt a problem.What kind of troubles have you all encountered?

[Gray Buffalo]

Some twenty years ago a friend was shooting along side his house and as he shot his son came running around the house and the arrow hit him about 1” above the eyes in the center of his fore head. Luckily the arrow went between the folds of the Childs brain and only caused some minor damage. Shortly afterwards the laws were changed to no shooting of single projectile weapons in the city limits.

[LongStick64]

It's real bad here. If I get caught, bye bye bow, bye bye arrows, hello  iron bars. Way too much to risk taking anything more than a ten yard shot. I have six foot high fence and trees surrounding my property so I can shoot without being seen, but my neighbours know. I also use my shed as a backdrop. I'll probably get caught when I get tempted to take a shot at the millions of geese flying overhead.

[rascal]

Little town north of where I grew up enacted an ordinance prohibiting the discharge of all firearms, including BB and pellet guns as well as archery gear within the city limits.  Shortly after getting that passed they moved the city limit signs as to encompass the lake on the edge of town thereby shutting the lake down for hunting waterfowl. Of course a variance could be had for archery and BB/Pellet guns by going to the local sherrifs office, well it "could" be had if you were well connected.

Sad part of it all was it was never about having an issue with people discharging firearms in town or about issues caused by a back yard archery range it was simply an effort to keep waterfowl hunters off of the lake after several lake front property owners got on the township board and got it passed.  The next year they asked the state for help with the issue of geese fouling their docks and lawns and porches, the state declined and suggested hunting might be a solution.  Next they asked the good folks in town to provide funds to take care of this little problem for them, they too declined and suggested hunting as a solution.  Seems no one wanted to help out the wealthy lake front property owners after they made it clear they felt they should control what activities were appropriate on THEIR lake.

Thankfully that was many years ago and the sherrif that the lake association had in their pocket is no longer in office and permits are merely a formality to be had for the asking.  The lake however looks and smells awful as all the geese know it is a safe haven.  

Ironically the only people willing to step up and help the poor lake association members were hunters who gladly offered their services but OOPS there was that pesky law!  Enjoy your poop filled lawns!

[bucksbuouy]

rascal- its so typical. serves em right!

[Ydanny]

rascal,  That right there is a case of people getting what they deserve.

[Al Dente]

Within NYC and Nassau county, shooting your bow outside of your house or at a range is considered discharge of a firearm.  No backyards and no open garagres.  Also, carrying a broadhead tipped arrow not in a case or quiver violates the 4" knife law.  The ENTIRE arrow, from nock to tip is measured, and is therefore illegal.

[mountain trapper]

I'm all for building the Trex fence from Jurassic Park around the citys to keep the city folks from moving out to the stick where I live and screwing things up out here!

[Recurve50 LBS]

Originally posted by mountain trapper:
I'm all for building the Trex fence from Jurassic Park around the citys to keep the city folks from moving out to the stick where I live and screwing things up out here!

Oh heck yea! Now if we could only "de-port" the City Slickers from the sticks and move them back into the cities where they can hug all the trees and bunnies in Central Park they want we could have more space to hunt and shoot and manage our wild life the way it should be done.

[Shakes.602]

I have about a 15 Yard Archery Range set up Directly Against the Back of My Garage. I live in a Pretty Active part of my 'Burg,  BUT  I do take care and watch for "Wild Childs", and My Neighbors have  NO  Complaints about My Shooting.
     I have Waved at Several Police-Persons, and even stopped to talk to one Officer that wanted to see My Bow!! He Bought One afterwards, and brought it by to  Show Off!!        
     SO , I would say, if there  IS  an Ordinance, Someone would have got me by Now!! I am quite sure that if I did not  HAVE  a  SOLID  Back-Stop, somebody would have a Problem, and if I Didnt have the Stop I  DO , I wouldnt Shoot.        
That  1st  tale about the father Hitting his Son almost made  ME  Sick!!      

[Paul/KS]

It is a standard municipal ordinance on the books here in Kansass. No shooting of anything inside city/town limits.
Fortunately, I live out in the country so we have the 4H archery range set up at my place for the town kids to practice at...  

[Buxndiverdux]

I live in the city, and I had new neighbors move in. They had a high school aged son and he stopped by to chat one afternoon as I was fletching arrows in my shop. He asked all kinds of questions and I had him shooting in about 10 minutes. My neighbors never say crap about my shooting.    I was ahead of the curve on that deal.

[SteveB]

There have been several threads here and other sites about arrows in refrigerators, water tanks, roofs, pools, cars, etc. Proof of the best intended shots can and do go astray. If a shooter is not willing to have their backstop against the wall to their house, they have no business shooting in a populated area.

[wood carver 2]

When I shoot at home, I shoot in the basement. I have 10 yards of clear space to shoot in but I have to be careful about the beam above me. I broke the upper nock on my bow and sent the arrow into a wall.    
If I could shoot in the yard, I would have 30 yards, but I'm pretty sure the neighbors wouldn't like it.
Dave.

[Jakeemt]

St Louis county is bookends up into many municipalities. The one I am currently moving too is called Manchester firearms and archery/pellet rifles ect are prohibited from being discharged except archery so long as you have a safe backdrop and you arrow remains on you property for it's entire flight.

[LittleBen]

Thats one thing I don't miss about NY Al ... having the politicians holding everyones hand. I lived in suffolk, I would shoot in my backyard all the time. there is a 500ft mandatory distance from a building you dont own but frankly I didnt care. I figured the onyl person who really cared was Cuomo

[Angus]

We feel truly sorry for you guys in NY. Here in Washington(state), lots of places have a "no firearm discharge" ordinance, but if you bother to read the law, it doesn't apply to shotguns, bows, and all rimfire stuff.  Twits from Seattle come here all the time since it's a "destination" town.  They see how beautiful it is, surrounded with snow-covered peaks, forest everywhere, buy some property, then learn what real life is here.  Usually, it upsets them, but state law preempts, so they can't do squat about it.  We stump shoot all the time in the national forest behind my house-my fence is the boundary line-and several weeks ago, some women were running their dogs all over the place, letting them chase the deer and such.  We encountered them on a trail right after one of their dogs had chased three does past us at full-throttle.  They saw us with our bows & stuff and promptly told us we couldn't shoot here, that this was a "park".  I told them this is National Forest, pointed out the yellow boundary marker, and let the ladies know that if we caught their dogs chasing deer again, we'd shoot the dog-which is perfectly legal here.  I thought they were gonna cry!!  I'm sure they called law enforcement, were told 1)it's perfectly legal to shoot-including firearms-there, and 2)that yes, their dogs could really be shot and there wasn't a lot they could do about it.  End of problem.