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Post by subzero350 on Dec 5, 2015 21:56:09 GMT -5
So there I am minding my own business in my tree stand hunting my dad's swamp and woods today when I hear someone start target shooting down a hill about 200 yards behind me from across the road, with what sounds like a powerful hand gun. I didn't think too much of it until, by about the 4th or 5th shot, I hear something cutting thru the dried up leaves of an oak tree about 10' to left of where I'm sitting. Then it happened again, just as I heard the report from the gun. It didn't take too long for me to realize whatever it was had enough mass and velocity it was probably bullets or parts of bullets from that gun. I immediately prepared myself for the 15' jump to the ground out of the tree stand if I couldn't get the guy to stop shooting. I yelled as loud as I could to CEASE FIRE and thankfully he must have heard me, because he stopped.
I got down and walked over to the road atop the hill and saw the shooter. I proceeded to give him a thorough butt chewing, saying something to the effect he needed to quit shooting because either his bullets were deflecting off the cold ground that made up the hillside, or whatever his bullets were hitting on or in that hillside were being thrown my direction with enough energy to cause serious damage if they hit me.
Needless to say my blood pressure went a little high and my hunt got cut short today. I just thank the Lord for watching over me today.
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Post by beehunter on Dec 5, 2015 22:36:44 GMT -5
I had that happen once too except I was fishing in a boat and we could hear the bullets whizzing over our heads.
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Post by majyang on Dec 5, 2015 23:23:17 GMT -5
Glad everything turned out "ok". Happened to me once too. During archery season some idiots came out to public land to drink and target practice on their glass bottles after they emptied them. We about came to blows... wanted to call the sherif but had no signal. They left but it could of gotten real ugly.
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Post by Genesis 27:3 on Dec 5, 2015 23:43:02 GMT -5
Glad you didn't get hit
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Post by nfalls116 on Dec 6, 2015 1:30:27 GMT -5
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Post by drs on Dec 6, 2015 5:32:10 GMT -5
 = +2
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Post by Woody Williams on Dec 6, 2015 6:47:41 GMT -5
Wow!! That was scary. Glad you are OK and maybe the shooter learned a lesson..
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Post by firstwd on Dec 6, 2015 7:03:21 GMT -5
Glad to hear you are alright. Unfortunately this kind of thing seems to happen far too often.
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Post by parson on Dec 6, 2015 8:43:42 GMT -5
Good reminder for everyone to be SURE of backstop when shooting!
Glad you're OK.
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Post by gillgrabber on Dec 6, 2015 14:29:32 GMT -5
I wouldn't be surprised if alcohol was involved. Some people are stupid & crazy enough as is. Alcohol makes it much worse. Glad you're OK and didn't have to make that jump.
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Post by squirrelhunter on Dec 6, 2015 14:32:52 GMT -5
Reminds me of the time I was in a tree stand during firearms season and I hear someone shoot a shotgun behind me and then I hear the slugs flying through the trees about 10 yards to my left.... Glad you're ok.
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Post by subzero350 on Dec 6, 2015 16:11:38 GMT -5
Cold, hard dirt is NOT a suitable backstop.
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dfa
Junior Member
Posts: 27 
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Post by dfa on Dec 6, 2015 17:35:18 GMT -5
Happened to me in early November. Shooters were in their yard and I was on my lease - Franklin Co. After the second bullet went by I put 3 9mm rounds into the hillside as fast as I could pull the trigger on the LC9. They promptly started shooting with the muzle in a different direction. Of course this happened at 530pm and I had been in my tree since 6am on an all day sit in a climber. I went to the house when I got down and no one answered the door. Proceeded to the neighbors and told them next time the police would be involved and to pass it along. Sounded like a 223, crazy loud when the muzzle is in your direction at under 300 yards on a cold calm day.
Disconcerting to say the least.
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Post by dadfsr on Dec 6, 2015 20:41:35 GMT -5
I can NOT understand why the LEO's weren't called on any of these incidents!!! Why confront anyone who is obviously armed and not thinking straight!!! Get the LEO's involved, get reports made out and establish that history of stupidity bordering on unlawfulness so that they don't just get they're hands slapped when something "unfortunate" DOES happen!!!
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Post by johnc911 on Dec 7, 2015 1:02:49 GMT -5
No laws unfortunately against being stupid. Not much law enforcement could have done !!
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Post by subzero350 on Dec 7, 2015 1:21:21 GMT -5
I did contact both the DNR and the county sheriff's dept. A county sheriff's deputy came out and inspected the "hill" the guy was using as a backstop and noted it was NOT a proper or "legal" backstop for a shooting range. It is my understanding the officer was going to make contact with the property owner and inform him that he would be required by law to install a proper backstop if he was going to continue to use (or the allow the use of) his back yard as a shooting range.
I don't like getting people in trouble for things they are doing that are unintentional. I'm sure the guy had no idea I was up there hunting. I'm sure he thought the hillside was a sufficient back stop. That's why I think having law enforcement contact him and talk to him about the situation was the proper thing to do in this case. Also, I wanted them to come out and make contact with me so I could explain the situation and the fact I yelled at the guy while standing on the top of the hill holding my muzzle-loader. The last thing I wanted was to get a call from the sheriff the next day saying the target shooter was accusing me of threatening his life while holding a firearm.
Now that I've had time to reflect on the situation, I honestly think the target shooter probably thought I was just making it up about his projectiles flying thru the tree not far from my head. I can imagine how he probably thought I didn't like him target shooting close by (scaring all the deer away) because I was there hunting. I could see how someone would think that, given the situation. But I know what I heard and I'll never forget that sound.
To be honest, the deer in the area don't care. A few weeks ago I was sitting in the same stand and someone on the next property over took a few shots at deer they saw and I still had deer walk right by my stand some 30 minutes later. So I would say the deer are used to all the shooting going on this time of year. The target shooting didn't concern me too much until something from that direction started whizzing by my head with enough velocity I'm sure it could have seriously hurt me if it struck me.
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Post by bartiks on Dec 7, 2015 2:32:32 GMT -5
One thing that I make it a point of doing when I go out to my lake property I always drive down the road and then get in contact with the neighbors on the phone to see if anyone is out there walking around what have you before I start firing. And my neighbors do the same when it comes to them going out there to check out their land.
Scary stuff about how far a round will travel if not stopped by a proper back stop. One thing I use is an old piece of coal mining belt that I have cut and sandwiched together about 2 inches thick. It will stop anything that I have fired at it. Fired my .223 at it around 3 feet or so and it only went about 1/2 inch into it.
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Post by dadfsr on Dec 7, 2015 6:19:54 GMT -5
No laws unfortunately against being stupid. Not much law enforcement could have done !! People are stupid everyday getting drunk and driving, texting while driving, speeding....etc. -yes there are laws to DEAL with stupid people!!! Just like there are laws against endangering other people-call the LEO's and let them sort it out!!!! |
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Post by jimstc on Dec 7, 2015 17:41:05 GMT -5
Interesting thread. I am teaching my 15 year old grandson to hunt deer. I have been teaching him gun safety since he was 11. I always focus on where the bullet will go if he misses. Back stop is primary part of his training. I use active examples when I won't take a shot. He gets it and I am proud of him. Again, 15 years old. Some folks will never get it as evidenced above........
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Post by madcityhoosier on Dec 7, 2015 19:07:30 GMT -5
I cringe every time I drive by a makeshift shooting "range" set up in the back of someone's yard or field. The scenario is usually the same... a bench or picnic table, a box or something holding a paper plate with a black dot drawn on it and just empty space beyond the paper target. I can't count how many folks round here think 'them trees off yonder' make an appropriate backstop.
I'm glad you weren't hurt. I had to dodge a barage of .22lr bullets one day. The neighbor decided to function test a couple of mags full of .22 out of his Ruger Mark2 by rapid firing out of his side yard right at the property line fence.
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