While setting up to shoot at my private range, I looked across the field toward the road and saw someone waving their arms over their head. It's a couple hundred yards out to the road so I rode out on my Mule and it's an older woman.
"Hi, how are ya?" I asked. And the old gal blew into a rage."you're not going to do any shooting are you?!" she yelled. "Well, yes maam, in a few minutes." I replied. The idea was just too much for her.
"If I hear just one shot, I'm calling the Sheriff!"she yelled.
Now, I tried to explain that in my line of work, fireing guns is part of my job. She wasn't having any of that either. Finally told her to do whatever makes her happy.
In a couple hours a deputy pulled up to my house. He's a regular around my shop and he knows everything is in good order. He describes this woman as a "NUT CASE". And tells me to just try to get along and ignore her rants.
Ear protection really helps sometimes.

Been there saw that, done that, and have the headache's to prove it!! :)
I am on my way to AL to start my new place and one of the first orders of the day is to set up my range. ;)

Your private range?

Is it on your property?

Is it approved by the DEP?

Does it have a approved backstop?

Do you have posted signs on your property?

If you follow all the rules and are out of the safety zone of your neighbors and the range is on your property and she is comming on your property - then tell her to go ***** * ****.

If it is just some old field that a farmer owned 100 years ago or a coal mine and you cannot prodive proof that you are allowed to be there. Then I would be worried that your good times are going to come to a end really soon.

Chineese proverb, The stuipdest man on earth can as a question that the greatest man can not answer.

All it takes is for them to go to a township meeting or file a complaint with the wrong government office and your days of shooting will come to a end really quick.

It isn't the person with a .22 rifle and a box of 50 shells that gets you in trouble.

It's the person with the AK 47 or the UZI or the SKS and a box of 10,000 that will ruin it for everybody.

1 or 2 shots from a BMG 50 caliber will make definate enemys out of the best of friends.

On the other hand, if you can't shoot your AK or your 50 BMG, you are being cowed into defacto regulation of your activities by having to placate irrational people. It's a little like reaching a compromise with terrorists on the number of heads they can cut off, and the agreed upon number is something other than zero.

As long as you follow regulations and the local law feels the old lady is a fruitcake, you are probably pretty safe. Set a good safety example with the AK and the 50, and you are doing an educational service.

Here are some of my neighbors, they ain't much for conversation but they don't complain about anything either! :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/markkw/neighbors1.jpg

Mark,
We nearly bought in north FL. Made offers on three different parcels from 120 acres to 40 acres but none worked out, primarily because of 'firearms use' restrictions. If you don't mine me asking, what county are you in?? :(

Rifleman,
I have never lived in a place where 'township' was anything other than part of a legal description on a deed!!
And what you said above is why I never will! :(

Mark,
We nearly bought in north FL. Made offers on three different parcels from 120 acres to 40 acres but none worked out, primarily because of 'firearms use' restrictions. If you don't mine me asking, what county are you in?? :(


South Sumter - still far enough away from the yank invasion ... at least for now!

I'm that deputy here. I wish I had kept up with how many calls I've had like this in the last 10 years. We don't have any ordnances against shooting and as long as it's done safely I usually just shoot the breeze with the shooter and wish then a nice day. As for the complaintant, after they tell me that "things are done differant where we're from" I just explain that this ain't where they're from. Then I end it with "Ya'll have a nice day, now."

Legally I'm in good shape. The licenses and permits are up to date. Local PD evaporated last year. They quit and now have a new sheriff but a couple of the deputies came back to work. They all are friendly.
I did do a copy of aerial photos showing distances from my location to all the neighbors property. Terraserver had good picts with a distance scale. Might come in handy if I have to prove any distance disputes. I'm well inside what's required.
Also I'm taking a camcorder each sesson. I already have several security cams but they don't cover the range yet. Besides, I get some nice wildlife pictures too.
I'll add that since the Sheriff's office checked out the noise complaint, my shooting sessons have gone uninterrupted.

Some of the early property developers were building & selling improvements on 1.5 acre to 5 acre lots in the rural areas of calif. Many years ago I drove by a home that had a lot of very large concrete culverts in the backyard that had damage in their joints looked to be 6 foot in diameter but they're not there anymore.Thru a friend I heard about an underground lighted and vented range with access via a stairway in the garage .The owner could fire rifles and handguns,neat idea never having to leave home to shoot.Before he undertook the project he advised the neighbors and they said it wouldn't bother them since it was under his property and well insulated..

Let the Sheriff shoot with you and see what they say then
Dave

Let the Sheriff shoot with you and see what they say then
Dave
Good idea. They've been out to play with the airsoft before. They liked the idea of getting to shoot each other! The deputies even discussed the idea of training with them.
When this weather breaks, I'll talk to them about coming out to shoot. I've still got some work to do. I've got to put up a shelter for shade. Might have to check with my insurance to see if I need more coverage.

DBox,
Where is 'here'? :confused:
I had several AH neighbors in CO who would call every time I shot. I knew all the Deputies who came out to investigate this (I was an 'infamous' city cop) and invited them to shoot. One did come out off duty and we zeroed his patrol and hunting rifles. :)
I put a stop to this by discussing this with one of the SO Sgts and ask him why they did not inform those who call that if they continued to call in what they knew now was legal behavior on my part they would file 'false reporting to a peace office' charges. He agreed and informed them of this, he also said they would take a complaint form me for 'harassment' if they continued to call when I was shooting. That stooped it! :cool:

South Sumter - still far enough away from the yank invasion ... at least for now!

You are close to me. I live in Inverness.

Frank

I can understand both sides, but I also lived 1/2 a mile from a gun club. When I shoot around here, private land, I use subsonic .22 ammo. If I plan on larger calibers I let the neighbors know. Some have livestock that gets spooked, so we have a peaceful arrangement. Of the 6 Houses on my side of the road, 5 will join me in shooting. I do visit a friend up north to really open up with the dreaded AK, AR, and big stuff. If you have the land, and have a safe zone, try talking to your neighbor. Bring her some game next time you go out. A little neighborly action goes a long way. As kids we had a couple of "retired" nuns move in about a mile away, they gave us lots of grief, but when we started to drop fish and game off to them, their attitude changed 360 degrees. A couple of fish, a few cotton tails and everything changed. You may be surprised at the response a small gift may make.
Even if you have every right, they are still your neighbors. Jim

You are close to me. I live in Inverness.

Frank


Just south of Bushnell. Short on time now but I'll send you an email later or drop me one mark@fire-iron.biz

Some of the early property developers were building & selling improvements on 1.5 acre to 5 acre lots in the rural areas of calif. Many years ago I drove by a home that had a lot of very large concrete culverts in the backyard that had damage in their joints looked to be 6 foot in diameter but they're not there anymore.Thru a friend I heard about an underground lighted and vented range with access via a stairway in the garage .The owner could fire rifles and handguns,neat idea never having to leave home to shoot.Before he undertook the project he advised the neighbors and they said it wouldn't bother them since it was under his property and well insulated..

I've had plans for exctly that purpose for years. Just have to buy the property & build the house.

Nice side bennie if done right... it becomes a Bug-Out tunnel if your house is under seige.

Just have an out building at the far end of the tunnel with an access hatch covered by a bolted-to-the-floor and locked from the inside steel Job-Box. Good place to keep your lawnmower and a fully fueled dirt bike or two...

I built an above ground muffler for a fellow in PA. Frame was steel pipe, muffler itself was 11R22.5 tire casings screwed together. Rifle end had a plywood cover screwed to the first tire with about a 10" round opening cut into it for the muzzle of the rifle to go through. Made the center line of the tires high enough for him to shoot offhand through it then built a raised bench rest that moved out of position on set of inverted "V" tracks anchored on a concrete slab. The whole shooting end was covered and semi-enclosed so he could shoot in the rain or snow.

1" drain hole cut into the bottom of each tire & hinged cover on each end to keep stuff out when it wasn't in-use. Shooter's side was painted flat black but the rest was done in pure white till his wife griped enough about it sticking out like a wart, then it changed to dark green. (Paint keeps the UV off the tires so they don't rot)

It worked out really well, even the big magnums were toned down to a dull "poink" sound. Only disadvantage was the shooter could not readily see if anyone or any of his critters walked into the line of fire. He cured this by installing a 6' chainlink fence around the entire 250 yard range.

Yep, guy had money and lived in the middle of no-where, closest neighbor was about a mile away. Noise control was only to keep the wife happy.

As I stated in prior posts I am lucky that I have friend in my old homestead village of Fairfield Center. He owns hundreds of acres. We grew up together and although he would never touch a firearm he understands my old job as cop. He says you can take the man out of the cop uniform but he is always a cop so he understands that I like shooting.

I was neighborly in that I sold two small house lots to him that united all his fields together. My shooting on his property never came up at the time as I was shooting at a pit 10 miles further up the road. But the pit got too hard to get into because of all the ruts caused by rain.

I called up one night and asked if I could shoot in his fields. His livestock are in fields across the road so these fields are only used for hay and other crops. He told me I could shoot anywhere I wanted in these fields and I assured him I would pick a spot where casings that I can't see and pick up wouldn't harm his equipment. He drove by on his tractor one day and I invited him to shoot a few rounds and he said: " I really don't want to Jean as it's too loud for me" He may be a woose but he's a good friend!

Hey jpattersonnh: that's where we will be shooting when you come over!

Jean

Amen Jean! :)
The why I tell people is "I was not born a cop, but I will die a cop"! ;)

I shoot out my front door against an embankment 200 yds away.got a complaint dep shiriff stopped by asked what we were shottin told him ak 47,he look at my range said ok and that was the end.every one here has a gun.I am glad I moved south.sc you all.I have 90 acres,field+timber

I'm in Lafayette County, Mississippi. That's home of ole Miss in Oxford. I don't look for it to stay this way forever. there are high dollar subdivisions , student apartments, and retirement communities popping up everywhere.

THought you guys would enjoy this as it sorta on topic.

I shoot in my backyard range, but I like your bench!
Looks like the ultimate fog tester for scopes.
So where is your range groupie?

I shoot in my backyard range, but I like your bench!
Looks like the ultimate fog tester for scopes.
So where is your range groupie?

she's out of view...keeping the ammo warm.

THought you guys would enjoy this as it sorta on topic.
I told my wife I'd build a fire under one of the cattle watering tanks on our lease but she didn't go for it. That's a sweet set-up

My brother from Montana sent that a couple of weeks ago and ask if that is how I planned on hunting in AL when the house is done, and I said "You betsha"! ;)

I had a neighbor in PA that didn't want me to allow hunting out in the back of our property and I told her, "No, it's my land and they aren't being unsafe." Well, a couple of days later she calls the local cops and tells them a man had killed a deer and was dragging it to his truck. The cops told her, "Hopefully, half the hunters in PA are doing the same thing so people wont have to hit so many of 'em with cars." She was irate for months.

I had a neighbor in PA that didn't want me to allow hunting out in the back of our property and I told her, "No, it's my land and they aren't being unsafe." Well, a couple of days later she calls the local cops and tells them a man had killed a deer and was dragging it to his truck. The cops told her, "Hopefully, half the hunters in PA are doing the same thing so people wont have to hit so many of 'em with cars." She was irate for months.

Man you have it right. I was a Civil War reenactor for ten years and went to PA almost every year to do Gettysburg. Actually it was in Fairfield, PA and I was from Fairfield, ME. I never saw so many small, underfed, mangy deer in my life. I also never saw so many deer road kills! Why don't they make the bag limits unlimited until they can thin out the herds in PA. In Maine we have fat little bas****s running around in smaller herds.