Shooting on your property when a neighbor doesn't like it

[Ferryman]

Years ago, coming back from the supermarket, my wife encounters a sheriff's deputy parked at the beginning of our private road. She inquires as why he might be there. Deputy says they received reports of gun shots in the area.

My wife goes off! Well all have five acres or more, we're allowed to shoot on our own land, this is America dang it, I'll shoot my guns anytime I want to! Etc.

Neighbor saw the exchange, said it was funny as hell.

Cop took off and we've never had a problem since...

 

[ORhutner]

I'm all about private rural property and the right to shoot on one's own property. However using large or numerous quantities of tannerite within an essentially urban area (55 or more trailer homes right close) on days other than the 4th of July seems an abuse of the right. We had a guy a few years back that moved in about a half mile away. He built a moto-cross track on his property as he was a semi-pro rider. Fine. He rode a few hours a day or less. Soon all his friends and their friends showed up. Most days (especially good days) it was all day. Dawn to dusk. While he had the right to do what he wanted on his property as long as he didn't violate noise standards, he really had no right to essentially open his property up for others to the detriment of everyone within a mile or so. The pressure of his neighbors (me included, and I had a scooter and had been riding since I was 13 years old) caused him to move. Abuse of rights leads to losing rights in my opinion. Oh right, I've lived in rural Clackamas County for 40 or so years. And have had a Deputy show up a time or two. I'll merely mention it's not a good thing to piss off your neighbors. A person might need them a time or two.

I would call this common courtesy and it is a two way street. Both parties have to be reasonable and have reasonable expectations. Life is much more enjoyable when you are on good terms with your neighbors.

 

[gmerkt]

The areas where rural shooting may be done are constantly shrinking. From the demands of development. There is a great, big desert in California called the Mojave. Used to be, it was a wide-open shooting area, for the most part. These days, the places in it where you may legally shoot are greatly reduced. Every once in a while, I see a property advertised that states, "private shooting range." I find the location of the property, then I look at the map of San Bernardino County that shows the checkerboard of no shooting zones. Invariably, the property for sale is very close to a no shooting zone. My interpretation, the seller is looking ahead to the future and anticipating that his land will eventually be folded into the no shooting zone. In places north of Barstow, for instance. Where few people used to go. These days, at night there are bright lights all across the desert in such places.

 

[Bobbygun]

we live in an area full of logging families with explosive permits
they ignite 1/4 sticks of dynamite for entertainment

My dad was a logger, but he used a chainsaw.

Seriously though, I'm not sure how a 1/4 stick of dynamite compares to one of those large containers of Tannerite. I bought a fairly large (5" tall, round, about 6" diameter) Tannerite target at Cabela's years ago, only to find out it's not legal to shoot them in the National Forest. So, I've just hung onto it for when the zombie apocalypse hits. I was at a local gravel pit doing some shooting and some other guys had some small Tannerite targets. They were loud, but not that loud. But, I figure it would take about ten or more of those targets to equal the one I bought. Would a 1/4 stick of dynamite blow that away? (yes, pun intended)

 

[DunRanull]

I remember many years ago having some friends that had a house north of Bend, OR and their back yard bordered the RR track. Other than a chain link fence that was it.

So I am over there one day at a BBQ and the train whizzes by and my friend just keeps talking to me like nothing was happening.

He told me later after a short amount of time living there they never really noticed it anymore.

Shades of the "El" scene in "The Blues Brothers"...

 

[DunRanull]

The areas where rural shooting may be done are constantly shrinking. From the demands of development. There is a great, big desert in California called the Mojave. Used to be, it was a wide-open shooting area, for the most part. These days, the places in it where you may legally shoot are greatly reduced. Every once in a while, I see a property advertised that states, "private shooting range." I find the location of the property, then I look at the map of San Bernardino County that shows the checkerboard of no shooting zones. Invariably, the property for sale is very close to a no shooting zone. My interpretation, the seller is looking ahead to the future and anticipating that his land will eventually be folded into the no shooting zone. In places north of Barstow, for instance. Where few people used to go. These days, at night there are bright lights all across the desert in such places.

It sux, don't it, can't even get some freedom in the dad-blamed desert anymore ferchissake.. Having similar issues in Colorado, often involving Cali escapees..

 

[DunRanull]

It's a Florida man, what would you expect?

One might expect a sound suppressed firearm at the least! If my neighbors were shooting and ricochets came flying my way, well.. two can play that game (and I have in the past)... can we say "suppressive fire"?

 

[gmerkt]

It sux, don't it, can't even get some freedom in the dad-blamed desert anymore ferchissake.. Having similar issues in Colorado, often involving Cali escapees..

Some city people dream of moving "out to the country." Where they can find space, peace and quiet. Some bring city ideas. Next thing you know, "the country" is not longer thus. But some also move to more remote areas because that's what they can afford; others are retirees. My observation is that people who desire to make these moves are willing to relocate to ever more remote places.

Monroe, Washington used to be "out in the country," comparatively speaking, around here. Not so much these days. Full of cars and newer houses. They keep building further out to the east. The river bottom flood plain is covered up with apartments and cheek-by-jowl homes. Lots of people from "the city" moved out there and filled it up. Now it takes a half hour just to drive from one end of town to the other on weekends, if you're lucky. Lots of former Monroe townies saw it coming, moved over to Idaho and western Montana. Areas that are now under some pressure from internal immigration from western city dwellers who want to escape.

When I used to fly on commercial air, I might look out the window over the west. I'd see all those vacant mountain tops and think, "There's plenty of room left." Now I think someday, we might look out the window at a mountain top and somebody will be right there, perched on the peak, waving at us as we pass by.

When these formerly empty places get filled up with people, more rules and regulations follow along.

 

[pharmseller]

Does shooting into the dark count as a backstop?

 

[Cerberus Group]

This seems to be a more and more common issue in WA as more anti-gunners move to the county.

Depends on where in Washington one lives...

 

[arakboss]

Rent a mini-excavator for a day, should run you around $250/day and will burn less than $60 in diesel running the full 8-hours on the meter you get. The amount of dirt you can move and progress you can make in a single day is well worth the dollars. With proper planning you should be able to dig your range and berm in a single day with some time left on the meter for other projects around the property. If you have never run one, you can get up, running and reasonable proficient within the first two hours of use. You aren't doing anything that requires finesse so all the easier to get up and running if you don't have experience and no worries about hurting/damaging anything.

I'll look into it but unless they deliver it and pick it up for that $250, it probably ain't going to happen.

 

[rjmt]

Depends on where in Washington one lives...

our property is zoned R-5
Rural - 5 - meaning 5 acres in an unincorporated area
there are no restrictions in this zoning for shooting on your own property

we had one new neighbor who was anti gun when they moved out here 15 years ago
then predators took their ducks, chickens and even their little dog
they then asked their neighbors what firearm they needed and asked for instruction in shooting
when a pack of coyotes takes your beloved little dog out of your yard, one tends to change their opinion on firearms in rural areas

 

[rjmt]

I'll look into it but unless they deliver it and pick it up for that $250, it probably ain't going to happen.

before we got our Kubota, we did rent one from Home Depot
it depends on the distance they had to drive, but back then, we did get a mini front loader delivered for $250/day

today, from the Vancouver store, it's $329/day

but if you live on rural property, you really need a sub compact tractor, we use ours every other day

 

[rjmt]

before we got our Kubota, we did rent one from Home Depot
it depends on the distance they had to drive, but back then, we did get a mini front loader delivered for $250/day

today, from the Vancouver store, it's $329/day

but if you live on rural property, you really need a sub compact tractor, we use ours every other day

forgot the photo

 

[ColeInOregon]

I'll look into it but unless they deliver it and pick it up for that $250, it probably ain't going to happen.

Lots of rental places are closed on the weekends, if you have delivery scheduled for Friday on a 24 hr. rental it wont be picked up until Monday, three day rental for the price of one day.

 

[rjmt]

Lots of rental places are closed on the weekends, if you have delivery scheduled for Friday on a 24 hr. rental it wont be picked up until Monday, three day rental for the price of one day.

not Home Depot
if your close enough to a Home Depot for delivery

 

[ColeInOregon]

not Home Depot
if your close enough to a Home Depot for delivery

I've never rented from home depot, I use ERS locally and have used others like CAT in WY and CO, but I am not surprised.

 

[rjmt]

I've never rented from home depot, I use ERS locally and have used others like CAT in WY and CO, but I am not surprised.

once you have your own tractor, you will be surprised how much you use it
we bought a set of bolt on pallet tines - rips out blackberries like you wouldn't believe
move brush piles, level out gravel roads, move gravel, hay bales, till gardens, move pallets of container plants
and working a slash burn - compact a pile of burning wood without burning your boots and gloves
once you get to be 72, you really appreciate a tractor

 

[PESCOBAR]

.

 

[slimmer13]

I find it odd that people who can't afford any real property, act like they live on 1000 acres. Sorry, your home isn't your castle when you need fire, police, water, electricity, schools, welfare, disability, food stamps, etc. If you want to shoot your guns, do it in a place where you don't bug other people. You choose to have neighbors, start acting like one.

I find it odd that people who can't afford any real property, act like they live on 1000 acres and expect to not hear their neighbors.

Not sure how you figure how you can tell anyone that they cant legally shoot on their own property.