waterfowl hunting near homes

[Bomber52]

I've been searching online on WDFW for the minimum distance allowed hunting waterfowl near a residental area and can't seem to find anything about it. Basically I just move to a lake house and want to know if i can hunt on the lake. There is a large area of the lake with no houses on it, about 1000 feet on each side where I'd like to hunt. Thanks for the help

[Special T]

If you can set up 200 yards from any home your good to go. I think a lot of it has to do with not shooting in a direction that the pellets can rain on anyone ...

[JJD]

I'd check with the local WDFW game officer.   
In some areas (not all), the county sheriffs dept is not very helpful.  Because they have to deal with calls from irate residents, they don't want you hunting anywhere within ear shot of any gun fire. 
Unless I missed something, it's more of a local jurisdiction issue.
To my knowledge, there is no state rule regarding distance to a residence.  If there is, please post where the rule is listed.

[pianoman9701]

You may also consider talking with your neighbors and letting them know what you'll be doing, that you'll be shooting out toward the water, and that the pellets only carry so far.

[h2ofowlr]

Even 200 yards away from a home, they shots will sound like they are being aimed directly at the home.  You may end up with some confrontational neighbors.   

[birddogdad]

so I think you are looking for the LAW vs peoples opinions on this... WDFW is not clear. However, you will have county ordinances to follow, or town if in side limits.. you need to research that direction. The state hunting laws don't cover these potentially more stringent local restrictions. Even talking to a Sherriff, they tend to just off the cuff respond (in my interactions) unless you have the local or state RCW in hand to discuss directly.

We have gone around this circle in the forum on a similar topic of how close to the road and shooting on property (size) questions before

be very ready for a visit, when you start waking up those in the close homes, they will call you in.....

[Brad Harshman]

Birddogdad is correct.

If you can swing it, look into the shotgun silencers.  It will cut down on alot of your potential issues.  They're expensive and pretty big though.

[moocher97]

I've looked into this too and haven't found anything but i think certain counties have different distances. but i think its 200 yards (600)ft. 200 yards seems really close though to hunt. easy way to solve it is use a range finder.

[Bill W]

There's no set shooting distance from houses.  What you need to check into is whether there's any county ordnances prohibiting hunting or shooting for that area.

[seaduckhunter]

Id check with the county.   Lake Cassidy has an end with no houses and it is in a non shooting zone that was put in place by the Snohomish county after petitioned by neighbors.   Deer Lagoon island county something happened.

[Bomber52]

Yeah I've looked on Thurston Co. website and the City of Yelm's website. No clear cut answers, I figure I'll call the sheriffs office and see If I can get any info. I highlighted the area where I plan to hunt. Thanks for the help guys!!

[moocher97]

Helpful hint is not to show the name of the lake. People might go and check that out.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[pianoman9701]

Looks like a great area. See you there! 

[CP]

Thanks, I needed a new honey hole. 

Can I camp in your yard?

[JBG]

I would bet that even if you were within legal distances from houses that if you started hunting/shooting there it would become a "no shooting" zone very quickly.

[gilroym]

Yeah I've looked on Thurston Co. website and the City of Yelm's website. No clear cut answers, I figure I'll call the sheriffs office and see If I can get any info. I highlighted the area where I plan to hunt. Thanks for the help guys!!

If you call the sheriff make sure to get what codes they reference. I did this in Puyallup when the sheriffs office said I couldn't shoot my bow in unincorporated pierce county. The County code they referenced was no shooting in rec. parks they had no idea what the actual legality was of shooting in my back yard.

[Bill W]

Another way would be to duck hunt there on the opener.  I'm sure you would have the answer in about 30 minutes after the first shot.

[Badhabit]

Make sure you take the shortest barreled 3.5" shotgun you own and shoot 3.5" shells. I don't think a shotgun can give a report any louder that 24" barrel. Bell ringer if you ask me.

[Curly]

Yeah I've looked on Thurston Co. website and the City of Yelm's website. No clear cut answers, I figure I'll call the sheriffs office and see If I can get any info. I highlighted the area where I plan to hunt. Thanks for the help guys!!

That is a no shooting zone.  http://www.geodata.org/website/cadastral/viewer.htm

Turn on the "No Shooting Zone" layer and you'll see all of the lake is listed as no shooting.

Zone name =LAWRENCE LAKE   Established date=10-07-1980       No Shooting Areas - No Exceptions   10.04.240

[WSU]

Easy answer: no shooting zone.

http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/sheriff/docs/ShootingZones20090818.pdf

[BigGoonTuna]

a little helpful hint, every "major"(aka accessable by the public) lake in thurston county is in a no shooting zone(well, except alder if you can count that).

i live in rainier, and i've looked into it.  i hear lots of blasting away from my place in town, almost every day.  lots of little lakes outside the no shooting zones, but most are on ft lewis or private land and aren't accessible.  thurston county isn't very friendly to hunting overall.

[h2ofowlr]

Easy answer: no shooting zone.

http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/sheriff/docs/ShootingZones20090818.pdf

Page 32 shows this as a no shooting all around the shores of the lake.  Looks like your out of luck on this one unless archery falls outside the written shooting restrictions they have.

[Bomber52]

Thanks for the info guys looks like I'm out of luck hunting on Lawrence I guess i'll just have to hunt on JBLM.

[BigGoonTuna]

took the boat out to lawrence the other day to do some fishing, past a guy with a brand new looking duck boat coming out of the parking lot without any water dripping off, looks like he must have saw the "no shooting" sign that was posted down at the launch.

bummer deal, tons of birds flying out there.

[sakoshooter]

I heard the rule concerning shooting near "occupied dwellings" from a judge in a court room a few years back. He read - ' Shooting toward an occupied dwelling within 500' was illegal. Occupied includes people or domestic animals inside.' Pretty stupid rule if you consider rifles are included in this rule.