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....."What would you do?"

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
How should this situation best be handled. This is a memo from me to my neighbor 2 doors down. The neighbor in between us is shooting irresponsibly. I lack an easy fix here. Suggestions?



"Good afternoon Alexis,
I signed a contract with Wayne Homes yesterday to build a new home. The build is contingent upon selling my current home. Hopefully later this summer I may become your new neighbor.

Speaking of neighbors…..Have you any knowledge of Bob's bullet backstop or lack thereof? I’m a little concerned regarding neighborhood safety.

I approached Bob last fall after I was working by my pond. I was greeted with fragmented and ricocheting bullets bouncing off the trees throughout the woods. Some bullets still had plenty of velocity to be lethal. I went over to visit with Bob to voice my concern and review his bullet backstop. He didn’t have a back stop. He told me I shouldn’t be worried about it, things were safe, and he gave me the impression to keep out of his business. Due to my previous discussion with Bob I’m a slightly apprehensive to “rock the boat” again.

In recent days the safety concern is happening again. I go back to the pond area and hear fragmented bullets hitting trees and flying throughout the woods within 30 yards of where I’m working. I’m fearful of my safety and my children’s safety when I’m out there while he’s shooting. I’m all for firearms and safe shooting but there does lie some proper responsibility in doing so.

Currently there is a safety concern out there until this is properly addressed and remedied. My goal is to handle this with minimal interruption to Bob’s shooting but lay the ground work for a safe and responsible shooting. The benefit would be for your kids, my kids, and anyone back wandering our properties off the back road. I have seen kids back there playing amongst the woods like most kids should. We don’t need a neighborhood accident. I know you had mentioned your husband works for the sheriff’s office. I really wanted to keep the peace and not raise the issue to the Sheriff level unless I have too. Could you discuss this with Don and offer me any suggestions of how to best handle our neighborly situation? Thank you for your inputs and advice."
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
Supporting Member
9,358
133
Hardin County
How do you think a "Hey i'm just giving you one more friendly warning before I go to law enforcement" type talk go for you? If that goes nowhere I would have no problem going to the law, especially when there are kids playing in the area.
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
Supporting Member
9,358
133
Hardin County
Or what about maybe going to him and suggesting that you guys get together and build some sort of mutual area to shoot at, with a safe backstop?
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Don't wait any longer, just go to proper law enforcement. Flying bullets are much too important to let go any longer IMO. It sounds as if this guy is irresponsible, so no matter what you tell him it won't be enough to change his mind.

You might save somebody's life.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I would have thought a friendly conversation voicing your concern the first time would have been plenty sufficient for him to remedy this. I hear people shooting all the time. I know of three within half mile of my property that shoot regularly. They all have backstops.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Tell Bob

You know Bob, It would be unfortunate if a stray bullet hit and killed someone because you don't have a backstop... Just like It would be unfortunate if a gas can landed in your living room because you were being an ass... Tons of unfortunate things happen to good people everyday... I try to be a good person Bob, and I'm sure you do to..... Nobody wants to get shot Bob, just like nobody want's their house to burn down.. So lets be good people here Bob and not have unfortunate things happen.. I'm sure it will work out better that way for everyone. Do you need help building a backstop bob?
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
Fire a couple warning shots across the bow next time your down at the pond and you hear bullets screaming past your head. What a dick. I bet he will think about a backstop when he is doing life for killing somebody back there.

It's people like him that give the rest of us good hunters/shooters a bad rap.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Ben, you have more patience than I do.

That's exactly what I was thinking. If I were you, there'd be no letters being sent out to anybody... Bob would be getting chewed out for being a complete dumbass, and if he didn't agree with my thoughts, the authorities would be called immediately. All it takes is ONE fragment... just ONE... to kill someone. Is it really worth waiting around to see if dumbass Bob is going to do what's right? In my opinion, if he's that stupid, to be shooting irresponsibly in a neighborhood, there's nothing you can say that's going to change his mind. The letter is well-written and well-thought... but I think you should toss it out and just go smack Bob upside the fuggin head.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
ummmm yea,

I definately would be ripping this guy a new one if I already asked him nicely once. Especially if you have kids running around and your in that close of proximity to the point of your hearing bullets hit trees. I wouldnt be standing for that at all.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
I'd just shoot back.

Hell, I did that with Hoyt this spring coming out of the woods. It was noon after and we were coming out of the woods turkey hunting. People were shooting, close. You could hear the shot raining through the woods. I just started shooting. Waited until there was a break in the action and yelled "HEY" BOOM into the ground in from of me. The ole 870 quieted 'em down.

Turns out they were further away then we thought, but still. Some things you just don't mess around with.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Tell Bob

You know Bob, It would be unfortunate if a stray bullet hit and killed someone because you don't have a backstop... Just like It would be unfortunate if a gas can landed in your living room because you were being an ass... Tons of unfortunate things happen to good people everyday... I try to be a good person Bob, and I'm sure you do to..... Nobody wants to get shot Bob, just like nobody want's their house to burn down.. So lets be good people here Bob and not have unfortunate things happen.. I'm sure it will work out better that way for everyone. Do you need help building a backstop bob?

Fuggin' cajuns are people persons aren't they?!? LOL!!! :smiley_crocodile:

I like the approach you are going with right now Ben. See what you can dig up, maybe it will help. If it doesn't, then I think its time to invite the law out one day while he is shooting and show them up close and personal what is going on. Make them the bad guys so you don't have any problems in the future. You can always play it off like they were there for something else and his dumbass brought it on himself...