Free: Contests & Raffles.
I would pursue the hunter harrassment law but you'll need a buddy with you. The video mentioned would be a good idea also.
So exactly what I've found as well. A little more detail. I am hunting a field with many ditches and small ponds in it. This field is approx. 500+ acres. This field is surrounded by houses for half of the perimeter I have made my own personal rule to not shoot if I am within 200 yards of any home. The main ditch that I walk puts me well outside of 500 yards from the nearest structure and as far as 1000 yards. When walking in along the ditch, anything I jump forces me to shoot towards homes, but again, I am 500-1000 yards away from said homes. Twice I have had run ins with this guy yelling at me about hitting his house with shot when its physically impossible that my shot traveled that far, especially from my 20 ga. Yesterday evening, he not only yelled, but called the cops and came out and cornered me in the field and told me once again that I had hit his house with shot, when I was over 700 yards away. He also told me that I was not allowed to shoot that close to homes AND this field was closed to hunting, despite the fact its public land. I tried to have a reasonable conversation with the guy but he was irate. He called the cops again and told them that he was having a standoff with a guy with a loaded weapon that had just shot his house, and I was threatening his safety, which of course was a blatant lie. I yelled loud enough for the dispatcher to hear me say, "there is no standoff, I am hunting so of course I have a loaded weapon, but I will unload it and lay it down to eliminate any confusion." He went on and on about how I was in deep *censored* and he was going to nail me to the wall and he is sick of my *censored* doing this daily (when I haven't hunted this area in over a month, but obviously other people are).Long story short, the cops showed up at his house and talked with his neighbor, who called the guy to let them know they were there. He told him to tell the cops that he had me "contained" and that they could come on down. The cops looked at the situation and said, there is no issue here and left without even coming down into the field. Once I knew they were gone, I picked up my gun, my ducks, wished him a good evening and headed back down the trail. The guy flat out told me that it wasn't over and that if he saw me out there again he would come right back out and ruin my hunt. Now, I can sympathize with the guy on one level. A shotgun blast aimed in the general direction of a home 700 yards away is still very loud. I can hear them at my house 2 miles from this area. And given the nature of ducks and duck hunting, much of this shooting is bound to happen early in the morning, and around dinner time. But to make blatantly false claims and threaten me and my right to hunt public land is unacceptable. People have hunted this place since before his home was built, so he moved into it. I'm considering filing a complaint of hunter harassment but haven't decided whether to pursue it this time around, maybe next time when he follows through with his threat to ruin my hunt. Any thoughts?
Two questions. I have done my research and am confident I know the answers to these questions, just looking for more opinions. After I do a little more research on a third part of the issue, I will let you know why I am asking. 1: I shoot a 20 ga with 3" shell and #4 steel. What is the approximate maximum distance you feel this shot will carry?2: What is the buffer zone you are required to keep between you and buildings while discharging a firearm? I use to work at Kenmore range. If I remember right the distance was 300 yards buffer for shotguns but that was for trap load. Had a run in yesterday with a guy accusing me of 2 things regarding these questions I feel I am completely in the right on.
Just hunt the land with a friend. Don't let these "A" holes run you off. I deal with people like that all the time on Lopez island hunting the public lands. The Cops get called and have came out many times over the passed 15 years. All they have to say. (have a nice day) I even have old ladies say that they managed the DNR land and hunting was not allowed. I called Bull Sh-t and said read the sign at the trail head. Hippies Just Piss Me Off
