my stump shooting adventure

[RobinHood1389]

So I have never gone stump shooting before. I was telling a few friends about it and they decided lets go try it. So sunday morning we head out to a 50+ acre plot of woods with lots of trails through it. I knew of this spot by stumbling upon it walking the dog.
All goes well all morning. We had a blast stump shooting. On or way back to the car, a squad car pulls up and the officer steps out.
Now we weren't set up for hunting, weren't dressed for hunting, and were way too loud laughing to be hunting. So I wasn't sure what the cop wanted with us.
Turns out we were still in city limits and we aren't allows to fire any projectiles within city limits. Now I'm worried.
The officer takes our ids, tells us to stand in front of the car, and be quiet.
A minute later, 4 other squad cars arrive. They search our vehicle, and grill us pretty good.
I explain we were just stump shooting and went on to explain what stump shooting is. The female cod interrupts me and says ”I know what stump shooting is. I shoot as well.”
Bingo! I have an ”in.” I stay talking about shooting, and ask her what she shoots. She explains her set-up ( parker compound and other fancy stuff).  
My friend jake starts his sentence to the cop and insults compound shooting. Not wise since we are thinking we were in deep poo.
I interrupt him quickly and compliment her set-up. She threatened to impound the car, confiscate or bows, fine each of us, and send us walking.
Then she said ” its the holidays. Get the h*** outta here and don't let me catch you again!”
Needless to say, I was kinda scared. But hey, makes a great story and we are laughing at it already. Lol
merry christmas every one, and shoot where legal  hahaha

[Cryogenic]

Good thing they sent 4 cars out!

Are you sure you were just stump shooting?  Sure you weren't selling drugs, kidnapping children, or robbing banks?

[ronp]

Well, next time get out of the city limits!  Don't let the misadventure stop you all from stump shooting.

[RobinHood1389]

Without a doubt e week be out of city limits next time. That was a blast stump shooting!

[RobinHood1389]

Oops.....we will be out of city limits next time........auto text on phone acted up. Sorry

[Jerry Bellmyer]

It just amazing though how cops can be....Are you fricken kidding me...in the woods stumping and they got to act all "barney fife" with humilation.

[meathead]

So they have solved every other crime in town.  They are down to outlaw stumpers now.

[ChuckC]

Kyle, was your weapon equipped with one of those high capacity magazines ?

ChuckC

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Kyle, Glad you guys ddint get fined.  rules are rules and apply to all, even trad shooters.

I had a parking cop last week get in my face about not paying for my spot. I explained to him that he was in my way and I was trying to get to the meter.  he threatened to have me arrested and tow the vehicle.  He didn't care what my story was or that I had just pulled in and was en route to the meter. the fact remained I was parked illegally and could have faced consequences.  Some cops are jerks, some not.

Glad the ones you ran into were too lazy to follow up with court.

[RobinHood1389]

honestly guys the experience sucked. I was nrevous. I understand we were in city limits which i didnt at the time know was illegal. the big thing that bugs me looking back was the mass of cops arriving for three guys enjoying their time in the woods.
5 squad cars was highly unnecessary. all that needed to be done was tellling us what we were doing is not allowed in city limits and to please go home.
but whatever. we had a great time and will stumping again next weekend at a state hunting location.
anyways, merry christmas all. thanks for reading.

[RobinHood1389]

oh and chuck, my bow was set-up fully automatic with a 16 arrow clip and capable of firing all 16 in 3/4 of a second. lol
they clearly had nothing better to do

[emt137]

I'm going to take this the other way. Ignorance of local ordinances really isnt an excuse. Look at it from the police officers perspective, not just yours.  Strictly speaking you and your friends were armed. That first responding officer was dealing with several potential threats. And before you laugh at me I personally know several Illinois game wardens that dont wear ballistic vests because they wont stop arrows out of bows. It might also be their departments standing policy that if other officers are free they respond to each others calls to support them. Crazy happens everyday.

Please have empathy for the otherside of the encounter. A vast majority of officers are good decent people and work hard. They will treat you decent until they are given a reason not to.

Here in Illinois you can not stump shoot on public land. You have to hold a valid hunting license and there has to be an open season running. Luckily for us coyotes are in season year round so that makes it easy.

For your friends without licenses your best bet would probably be private land. If you or they know someone.  Ive meant everything in a kind and helpful manner. In todays day and age it is imperative that all sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts portray the most respectful and positive face that we can.

[dirtguy]

I've got to go with emt 137 here.  I also know a lot of COs and cops and they don't have an easy job and have to anticipate that there might be trouble. No disrespect meant to you, but it does help to try to see thiings from their perspective.

[nineworlds9]

This story makes me sick.  I'm sorry to say boys, this behavior is typical of today's generation of law enforcement.  I'm a FF and I have friends and acquaintances who are officers and sorry to say for every few guys who are 'normal'/calm, there will be one who loves the power, who loves confrontation.  Today's cops just don't get enough training in deescalation or good PR...it's rely on your spray or your taser to do the talking and "everyone's a perp."  

Yeah sure, they all had bows etc. "multiple armed folks" but COME ON, sure I get the call for back up, that's just good preparedness, but the Gestapo like "papers please" and the 'line up' in front of the cruiser..insulting.  That first responding officer and that female officer could have handled the situation better.  There's your PR out the window.  We firefighters get PR drilled into our heads from the first day through the academy, cops probably too, but I think for a lot of them the concept of PR gets thrown out the window once they hit the street and can hide behind their badge, spray, taser and gun.  Thankfully, I have been witness to the exact opposite, among the new generation and the old school, there are some officers who with a smile on their face and empty hands can command the respect of their citizens and command the situation without ZERO aggression or confrontation.  Free-est country on earth, yes in many ways, but this story happens everywhere around our nation in different guises, this one just happened to involve bowhunting/stump shooting.  I hope you and your friends have better luck in the future.  Don't think less of law enforcement, like already mentioned, 'most' of them are the good guys, but take it from a FF who rubs shoulders with plenty, there are plenty of bad eggs or ones who could use a review of PEOPLE SKILLS.

Just do as I do because I have to keep my badge-- always research the laws before venturing out into the world to hunt and have a good time with your bow, to avoid uncomfortable and regrettable situations like this.

[gringol]

Those cops were way out of line.  They definitely should have water-boarded the lot of you!  Playing with sticks in the woods! The nerve!

[Possum Head]

They weren't just sticks they were assault sticks!

[durp]

i like girl cop's...had one stop me a few years ago to ask if i had seen the stop sign laying in the weeds!!!!!!...nope i sure didn't...then she starts asking me questions like...what do you do for a living...lived here long...oh ya she's 30 years younger than me.

she finally decided to let me go (must have been my age) she needed to report the downed sign to the public works department...why now???

i was waiting for a ticket so i could have some fun with it in court...owell i guess she had her fun...no harm no foul.

[Sam McMichael]

I can see that you were upset at the number of squad cars sent to your scene, but you could be mountain climbing over a molehill on this one. Think for a moment what the cop may have seen - several guys with potentially lethal weapons. Yes, I would have called for plenty of backup, too.

You are all good guys, but unfortunately, not everybody a cop deals with is so good. Perhaps, they were just being overly cautious. At least you were not arrested, and the fact that you were not may well have been a violation by the officer of the deparment's policy.

Besides, by the time you tell this story around next year's deer camp fire after a couple of beers, it may actually seem funny.Or it could simply be that you had killed over the limit on stumps, and as you know, stumps are on the endangered list in some municipalities.

At least you didn't have one jump out of the car and with no explanation cock a Model 19 Smith & Wesson revolver about a foot from your nose.It took several beers a round the camp fire before that one became funny.

[SELFBOW19953]

Not long ago, a teacher/professor was shot in the head with an arrow by his son during class.  What would your response have been if people had been shot with arrows and the cops had seen the "perps" and released them because they were "only stump shooting"?

[Keb]

Not all cops are like that, do you live in a small town.