Ever Lost an Arrow... in the NEIGHBOR'S yard?

[mrpenguin]

Just curious if anyone has been practicing away and for whatever reason the arrow goes right through that minute split between the hay bails and ends up in a neighbor's yard.  

[Ragnarok Forge]

Tricia shot one right over the target and then fence into the neighbors yard.  He just happens to be a county sherrifs deputy.  He was nice about it.  She no longer shoots in the yard.

[brinkwolf]

This is why I compress the bail together now with a ratcheting strap. Keeps them tighter and less chance of shooting thru. Plus I stack them were the wide part is up so there is more hay to penetrate than wide side toward me.

[Andy Cooper]

When I was young, I broke the rule about shooting into the air...as far as I know, that arrow is still stuck in the roof of the house 3 doors down.  

[mrpenguin]

I am not ADMITTING I did... just kinda curious... I did shoot one into my own house once... ugh.  Sometimes you just cannot control the ricochet...

[KentuckyTJ]

Haha, just blame it on the kids.

[Curveman]

Oh yeah, I've richocheted one off a tree like that. I apologized to my neighbor who only replied: "Oh please, forget it!-with all the golf balls I've sliced into your yard; I'm surprised you still have windows!    

[brinkwolf]

Originally posted by Curveman:
Oh yeah, I've richocheted one off a tree like that. I apologized to my neighbor who only replied: "Oh please, with all the golf balls I've sliced into your yard; I'm surprised you still have windows!      

Hey idea, get some flu flu arrows and shoot the golf balls as they come over the fence.  

[McDave]

I have a target against the neighbor's fence, with his knowledge and permission.  I always check to see that nobody is in his backyard when I shoot.  One day I was shooting and an arrow happened to go through the fence between the boards.  I looked over the fence, and it was only a few feet away from the fence.  I thought I could get it with my rake, so I went to my garage and came back with my rake.  When I leaned over the fence with my rake, it got the neighbor's dog's attention, so he came over and ran off with the arrow.  I take care of the neighbor's dog when they are gone, so I felt okay about going into their backyard to get my arrow back from the dog.  But the dog had hidden the arrow, and I couldn't find it anywhere.

The next morning, the arrow was on top of my newspaper in my driveway.  Fortunately, my neighbor is also a hunter, and had good humor about the situation.  But I wouldn't imagine that his good humor would last if he found too many of my arrows in his backyard.

Now I have a piece of old carpet hung on my side of the fence, which hopefully will keep the arrows on my side of the fence.  Of course, none of my arrows should ever miss by so much that they should even hit the fence, but shoot enough arrows, and I'm sure it will happen again.

[Ron+dog]

had one go though the bale, between the slats of the fence and land about 2 feet from the neighbors cat. needless to say they were pissed and i had to build a better back stop, now i have 6 bales and mud flaps w/ carpet on the fence. ive made up with the neighbor and the old man is talking about buying a bow i dont think he likes his wifes cat much either

[brinkwolf]

Long time ago I did shoot over the back stop and figures the arrow went right between the slits in the 6'wooden fence. I quickly retrieved the arrow before the neighbor got home(lucky he had no dogs).

[Reggie Catfish]

Can't say that I have, but had two consumed by the basement block wall last night.  Just goes to show what a lack of concentration will result in.

[reddogge]

I've had two skitter into the street.  One was over 25 years ago when I lived in a developement and I missed the bale and it went through the fence and wound up in the street.

The second last fall and I missed a bag target hung in the woods and the arrow skittered across a country road.

[Curveman]

Originally posted by brinkwolf:
 

Originally posted by Curveman:
Oh yeah, I've richocheted one off a tree like that. I apologized to my neighbor who only replied: "Oh please, with all the golf balls I've sliced into your yard; I'm surprised you still have windows!      

Hey idea, get some flu flu arrows and shoot the golf balls as they come over the fence.    [/b]

Love it! Byron will retire at some point and I need to be ready!  

[Shooty1]

Having done it more than once while living in a neighborhood, I've since become an advocate of using your own house as the backstop. No questions that way.
One of the few constants in archery I've learned is that when you shoot toward other people's property, you'll eventually hit it. If it's embarrassing enough, you won't do it again.

[rabbit_buster]

when my wife shot a compound she shot the neighbors house...... Thanks God it was my sisters house. she no longer would shoot in the yard either. "PREMATURE RELEASE"

[Jerry Jeffer]

This is no laughing matter. There is a reason there is a safe distance to shoot from an inhabited dwelling. I made that mistake in my youth and I know of others that have had some close calls that I won't even mention here. I suggest if you live in a populated area to find a better place to shoot.        

[HATCHCHASER]

Yup.  I had a running battle with the crowes in my neighbor's back yard.  They are very, very sneaky.  I always shoot in a safe direction.  Can't say I ever shot one over there by accident.  

[artifaker1]

Probably not a good idea to shoot in the back yard when living very near other homes. Is the convenience worth the risk of the worst case scenarios? Felonies, people, dogs even children getting stuck with arrows???
What happens when the neighbor who has never hunted gets some kind of bow or projectile launcher and copies you, only he has no common sense or safety training? on and on.

[mrpenguin]

Generally speaking, a person choosing to practice archery on their own property is their business either way.  It is the responsibility of the archer to choose a safe place to shoot and take into consideration what is behind the target.  In my case I have hay bales set up, a plywood board and a throughway with a stone wall dividing my property from my neighbor's.  I've made the mistake of sending arrows or riccocheting them into the throughway.  That said I never shoot in the direction of people in their yards.  Ever.  And I usually aim down (my house is on a slight hill).  I think practicing in one's own yard is perfectly OK and leagal.  We just need to be responsible, which most of us are.  I was just curious if folks have lost and arrow and what they did about it.  I doubt if anyone would fire a bow in the direction of kids in a backyard playing regardless of what barriers would stop the arrow.  Just plain risky and irresponsible.  My sessions have been ended early a number of times for that reason.  All that being said I always feel better shooting at the range, but can't always get there...