almost got shot

[CD1]

Yesterday was opening day of Teal season. Three of us were strung out in a line along the lake shore concealed in the weeds. About an hour before sunset we watched a truck pull up on the boat ramp about four hundred yards in front of us. The guy in the truck sat there for a few minutes, when nobody else was on the ramp with him, he took a shot with a .22 caliber rifle that richocheted off the water about six feet from my hunting partner. I have to assume that he was shooting at a crane or something else but he damned near shot a man because he was being foolish. First - he passed all the trucks parked at the ramp so he knew hunters were in the area, second - the only season open is duck season so he knew people would be hunting on the water, third - best case is he was shooting at a protected bird in MS, fourth - he didn't ever consider what was behind his target. This is the kind of crap that gets people killed. I'll think twice before hunting public land again, too many fools. Sorry for the long post, I just had to blow some steam.

[deanf]

So did anyone say "Hey MoFo, we're over here!"?

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"Anyone feel like saluting the flag which the strutting ATF and FBI gleefully raised over the smoldering crematorium of Waco, back in April of ‘93?" -Vin Suprynowicz

[CD1]

Yeah, I jumped up and started waving my arm back and forth, we yelled, and as soon as he saw us he hauled a$$ out of there. In addition the place he shot from is designated no hunting or target shooting.

[Jay Baker]

CD1, that kind of numbskull, along with possible bandits, is precisely why I always carry three rifled slugs hidden away in my hunting jacket, when I go waterfowl hunting. And I know where they hit, from my 12 ga.,up to 150 yards, too.)

(Yeah, I know it's illegal, but, I'll take my chances.)

FWIW. J.B.

[CD1]

Jay,

That is good advice. My initial thought was to bring my 7mm Mag every time, but slugs for the 12 ga. would be much more efficient. Im still mad about the whole thing.

[Cosmoline]

Why would rifled slugs be illegal?? I've heard of limiting capacity and banning lead shot for the act of hunting, but why would that preclude using rifled slugs for protection?

[rr41mag]

I carry my .45 when I go hunting. why? because I usually go by myself and drive about 200 miles to get there. Also you can't snatch a rifle out of a hard/latched case if someone decides they are going to give you some crap.

[Dagny]

Instead of slugs for a reply. When I've been downrange of some idiot's shot, I've used #9 birdshot to get his attention. A high elevation shot results in just a pitter patter of little raindrops on his head. "Oh, were you over there?, I'm so very sorry

The above is for field game. For waterfowl you're stuck with steel shot. #7 does the trick, but I'd rather use #8 if I could find it.

[Jay Baker]

GHR, in many states, the Dept. of Fish and Game, has regulations that a person hunting waterfowl, can not carry slugs, or shells with shot larger than BBs. Depends on the state F&G. Check your hunting regs. Your state might not have that regulation.

J.B.

[BadMedicine]

That wouldake me madder than &$%@!!! I always carry my mark II ruger .22 pistol, and I think I'd send a couple ricocheting off the water in his direction. What an Illigitimate son of a rotton dog, he deserves to get shot at if he's disregarding other peoples safety by just shooting into the brush.

[dongun]

Wait a minute! Are all of you saying that it is okay to take a shot at this guy because he dumbed up and broke safety rules? What he did accidently, you plan to do on purpose. Your suggestions for getting him back are a worse violation than his. This kind of knee jerk reaction is what gives the antis fuel for their fire. Sorry for the flame, but this ain't right.

[CD1]

Dongun,

Cooler heads always prevail. I think everyone is just angry that people act without thinking. Having been there I thought "man I wish I had something to fire back with", I also know that I would NOT have fired back even if I did have a weapon that would reach. My initial thought was that he might be TRYING to hit one of us. I almost didnt get up and wave him off b/c frankly I didnt want to give him something else to shoot at. In retrospect it is obvious that he wasnt shooting to hit one of us. However that does not excuse the fact that he very well could have killed a good man b/c he was being stupid with a gun. I think it is up to all of us as gun owners to police our own. If you see somebody doing something stupid with a firearm, tell them about it. It could be shooting without a proper backstop, breaking the 180 at the firind line, not clearing a weapon when they hand it to you, any number of violations. If we all take responsibility for safety we can reduce the number of times this happens.

[Jay Baker]

Dongun, I take your point, but if some idiot shoots at/near me, in the field, and when I scream and shout at the idiot to stop shooting, IF, I say again, IF, he fires at me AGAIN, then I can only believe he is trying to kill me. At that point, the rifled slugs take the place of my #8s. I have passed up shots at waterfowl, quail/pheasants, and one deer, simply because I thought there might be someone within an unsafe distance of my shot. I fully expect ANYONE else to practice the same safety habits.

As for the other reason I carry the slugs while using a shotgun, bandits, you'd better believe there are bad guys out in the woods, fields, forests, and mountains. I've run into them in the boonies, and I haven't the faintest intention of allowing them to hurt me, my family, or my hunting partners, without my trying to fight back.

I do not advocate just "capping rounds" because some idiot makes a stupid mistake... but if he continues shooting my way when I've wraned him, then all bets are off and anti-gun morons be damned! (They intend to disarm us no matter what, anyway.)

FWIW. J.B.

[BadMedicine]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>then all bets are off and anti-gun morons be damned[/quote]

Yep. I wouldn't personally shoot somebody for this idiotic mistake but I would send a few rounds in the air, or skipping across the lake, to let the boy know I'm there.

[Al Thompson]

OK - firing back at someone who made a mistake is a very poor idea. Firing back at someone who gives you cause to believe that they are firing at you (or yours) is self-defense. That can be a damn fine line.

The bottom line is that two wrongs do not make a right.

There are other factors to consider, one of which is that you alone are responsible for your bullets. I have read a report on skips that was done for the Army using 5.56/7.62 and .50 caliber projectiles. The rounds were tracked with a millimeter-wave radar and the results were astounding. You cannot predict where a round will go all of the time when it has a collision with a hard surface. Skipping a round back can end up with someone dead.

I pinned a guy down on my property many years ago with a .22. I had no idea he was trespassing. I could not hear him as I had hearing protection on. After the 4th or 5th magazine load sent down range, I could see his arm waving. What if he had returned fire?

Giz

[Ron Ankeny]

Hunter's version of road rage and you all know how we feel about irresponsible gun owners who confront folks and end up in a gun fight over being cut off or passed in a no passing zone.

[BadMedicine]

They have no passing zones?!!???!?

[Field-dressed]

BadMedicine, when I commuted into Los Anchorage, the passing lane was that middle lane through the red lights during snowstorms.
CD1, glad you weren't shot by that moron. I also carry slugs while waterfowling but mainly for defense against critters bigger than me. I agree that yelling or even shooting into the air would be the first thing I'd do. Hate to blast a guy over a stupid accident. Why put yourself in a position where your life may be trashed in the courts and media because you've killed an idiot? If he kept it up and I was in fear for our lives, yeah I'd probably shoot him.

[jtduncan]

Next time get his plate number and call him in for POACHING.

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The Seattle SharpShooter - TFL/GT/UGW/PCT/KTOG

[posigian]

Yes, public land can be unsafe! This is why I am a firm believer in policing our own and why I now have no one to hunt with. The few people I have hunted with over the years felt it was ok to kill little birds, take geese out of season, and shot at trees for no reason. I spoke my piece that led them to not hunt with me no more. But that is ok because I don’t like stupid people and if I see you screwing off in my neck of the woods with a firearm you will hear about it. I take firearm safety & respect for the wild seriously.

I had a guy who was about 20 years old or so shot at my friend from 150 yards across the field onto our property. First he had no reason to be shooting onto my property. Second, how hard is it to see a man in an orange jump suit especially when he knew we were hunting in that area. After the shot when off and hit the tree next to friend, he jumped up and shouted at the guy, we then walked up to him, took his gun from him, and turned over to his Dad. Now I probably wouldn’t be so gutsy with someone I don’t know but I will speak my piece and if the offense is too bad I will and have called for a Game Warden.

Stupid people get no play time in my woods!



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Posigian
[email protected]
I AM THE NRA

[BadMedicine]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>felt it was ok to kill little birds, ......and shot at trees for no reason[/quote]

Hmmm, I guess I'm just an idiot. I shoot little birds, and have been known to shoot a tree in my day too. Guess I just have no right owning a firearm.

Yeah, I've been through hunter, and firearm safety, I must have missed the day when they said that you couldn't do the above. It's kinda funny how the game regs say that there is no closed-season, and no limit on starlings, and sparrows. I guess the game commisions are just idiots too, who also have no right to own guns. I think if this qualifies you as "irresponsible" there are not many people who aren't. Trees don't feel the bullets, and they make good back stops, so they don't go on to hit something actually important, like a farmhouse, or a kid. As long as you dont go fully-auto on them, it wont hurt them a bit, just a piece of lead. woohoo!

[Art Eatman]

Bad Medicine, I think he's talking about non-game or protected birds, not pestiferous types like starlings or grackles; and lots of folks don't like their trees shot up. My uncle got all over my case when I was a kid, with my first '06. "Leave my #$&@ trees alone! There's plenty of rocks!"

, Art

[Covert Mission]

I, too, carry a backup weapon when I hunt, for dealing with predators or idiots. Usually my Glock or 1911. My new hunting buddy seemed surprised to see me packing the sidearm...guess he figures his rifle is enough. Not if it's unloaded and in the back of the truck!

Stay safe.

[Will Beararms]

Have you not heard of the Beararms first axiom for public hunting land? "When on public ground if your Duck hole is easy to access, you will have company."

If you are on the water any later than 5:00 am just to motor in to the spot, you're too late and others will be there too.

Spend the afternoons anchored somewhere watching the flights of Ducks to get a reference point. From there find a place that no one will want to go to the hassle of getting to and you will be alone.

Typically, I am on the water an enroute around 4:30 AM when I am lucky enough to get to hunt.

Good luck this year. I have heard good things from MN and ND about our Duck population this year. Let's hope we get a BUNCH of water between now and November.

[muleshoe]

BM, Shooting at this guy is NOT the way to deal with this kind stupid act. When you put a bullet across the water you have absolutely no guarantee which way it's going. The idiot was wrong for shooting across the water without being sure of what lies beyond. You would be purposely shooting at this same idiot, who's the bigger idiot? Your macho crap may seem like the thing to do at the time, but you kill the idiot on the other side of the lake (or some other poor guy that you didn't see) and you'll probably have a few years to think about how macho it is to be shooting at idiots. How macho you gonna feel waking up to Bubba breathing down your neck?

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bullet placement is gun control