Target Shooting in the woods during hunting season - Good or Bad

[Kirk Goins]

I haven't hunted in years. Then it was for deer only a couple times with friends. I would like to spend some time off range with my shotgun and rifles shooting a few targets. How do you regular hunters feel about target shooters this time a year?

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[JRuby]

you asked if it is somewhere i am trying to hunt I am going to be pissed

 

[mjbskwim]

Deer run across rifle ranges all the time. Any near a regular shooting pit won't be effected.
What I have noticed that effects deer is stepping off the road or just stopping the vehicle.
Wouldn't bother me cause the shooting pit usually has easy access,which means too many people anyway.
I wouldn't be hunting there

 

[uscsoldier]

Deer run across rifle ranges all the time. Any near a regular shooting pit won't be effected.

We even had deer walk on and extremely near the Gun range during a full auto machine gun shoot, there were in excess of 20 guns shooting. Hell there were even BMG 50s shooting. This was at ARPC. I'd be more worried about getting shot or shot at buy a hunter

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

wait until the season is closed for safety reasons. you have as much business as the next guy being out there but if it were me i wouldnt wanna get hit by a hunters bullet if he shot in your direction at a deer

 

[JRuby]

I agree shooting in a rifle range good going into the middle of s forest during season and creating a lot of firrarm noise is not going to help those trying to hunt. At Douglas Ridge it was not uncommon to see deer come onto the firing line but those drer are around that noise all the time and rarely if ever do they get shot. Most deer arent going to hang around loud noises if they are unfamiliar with it.

 

[Member 5605]

Reminds me of one of the shooting cardinal rules:

• KNOW your target and what is BEYOND it.

When there are chances or remote possibilities of people in the woods behind your shooting area... no thank you. Never ever do I or will I shoot in the woods during hunting season.

 

[Mistman]

I live in hunting country, shooting doesn't bother animals too much. Might make them a little wary initially but if it continues they get on with things. My dad killed one of his biggest bucks bedded down w/in sight of an active logging show while they were yarding logs in. They adapt quickly to things not considered a threat. I've actually seen a doe come to check out what was going on after shooting a buck. I also shot one of 3 bucks one time, the other 2 moved off a ways and watched me gut it. Ended up getting the other 2 within a few days (other members of the family). On the other hand, they might blow out of the country from a twig snapping, just depends on what they consider a threat.

 

[edslhead]

I agree, you'll piss off the hunters not the deer. Had to wait for this one to move out from behind my target last summer

 

[HuckleberryFun]

I agree, you'll piss off the hunters not the deer. Had to wait for this one to move out from behind my target last summer

View attachment 319687

Maybe he figured he was in no danger?
Kidding!

 

[Quartermaster]

To the original post, I shoot suppressed. No one knows I'm there anyway.

 

[edslhead]

Maybe he figured he was in no danger?
Kidding!

Thats the truth!!

 

[easy-e]

Had a buck wander down into the Issaquah Sportsman's Club when I was younger. Just wanted to eat the grass out near the 100 yard targets. Took the adults 20 minutes to try to shoo it away. Pushing didn't even help. It eventually got bored of us and wandered off.

 

[Koda]

go to an area that is well known and well established for target shooting, like the new shooting lanes on Wolf Creek, and dont go out to some random spot in the woods where hunters are... and you will be fine.

 

[P7M13]

I think it's good manners to go to a known shooting area. I understand there are a few up in HNF.
I go hunting in areas where I don't see many people - far from the road, hafta hike to get into. Simple reasons why, deer and elk hear a car and get gone. Plenty of violators in the off season teach them that. Other reason why is it seems the really obnoxious ones stay close to the road, too lazy to head in.

I've encountered guys shooting in the area on opening day - target shooting from camp, methinks they were too hung over to get out. A friend has complained to me about encountering it too. In truth, it doesn't bother me, it's a free world. If I encounter a hunter in the woods, I GTF out and move to another area - we live in a big, beautiful state. The one time that really pissed me off was some jackass drawing a bead on me. On that, @v0lcom13sn0w is right - make sure you're somewhere you won't get shot at.

 

[Silver Hand]

Find some place to go shoot if you want to.
There are a lot of woods out there. Just make sure you are positive of your back stop and that is forever! Not just during hunting season.
Silver Hand

 

[clearconscience]

I wouldn't really care.

I think deer are more scared of someone quietly sneaking through the woods like a predator than people shooting making noise.

Heck maybe you'll scare them to me.

As long as you shooting smart and have a good back stop, do what you please.

 

[eldbillbo]

This reminds me of a story a friend of mine went to zero rifles for hunting season with a friend. They went to a gravel pit that was known for people to go shooting at Aka the Elk pit . Just so happened it was archery season . Now keep in mind they are hunting need a gravel pit commonly used for shooting . They came up and told my friend and his friend that they were hunting and to shoot somewhere else. Well they all got a little hot headed about and my friend ended up shooting any way.

At that time there was only one road in and out of the gravel pit and the 2 angry archery guys decided to cut down a tree over the road trapping them in the gravel pit.

So one of them had to walk all the way back to the main road to hitch a ride back to his place to get a chainsaw to cut there way out.

 

[clearconscience]

Hell you go around some of these places and there's so many shots going off people might as well be target shooting.

Last year elk hunting we were eating lunch and heard like 12 shots in a row. We assumed they were target shooting until we heard the guys friend talking in the store on the way out of the area. I guess he just kept shooting at an elk and kept missing until he ran out of ammo!

 

[41Slinger]

Be careful about where you go during hunting seasons to shoot as the regulations require you to have a tag for the game that is legal at the time.