Trad Gang

I have been shooting where I rent for 2.5 years and have never had a problem. Tonight I was out shooting my recurve and the village cop stops me and tells me I have to quit and that I can not shoot anymore due to village rules. What I don't get is in the 2.5 years, I have waved to many cops as they drove by and I was holding onto my bow. So now I have to drive 6 miles if I want to shoot my bow. Man this sucks a small village in northern Wisconsin and you can't shoot a bow. What would you do?

Check the village regs first.  Get any new neighbors lately?  Someone probably saw you shooting and complained.  Or, perhaps the cop just felt like exerting some authority.

Do you have a basement?  I've been shooting in the basement of an apartment complex that is in the middle of a busy northeast town for the last 3 years.  I would guess that I am breaking all kinds of rules, but better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

1st thing I would do is go to city hall. It might not change anything but I'd suggest you explain yourself, your history, and your safety record there.

Good luck!!

God bless,Mudd

I would request a copy of the town/village ordinance stating you cannot fire your bow.  As a small town cop, I can tell you that at least in the south, most town ordinances specifically state that you cannot fire a gun/firearm withing the town/city/village limits.  Then go speak with the Chief of Police on the matter.

Sorry, had to edit...left out a few words! LOL

I would request to see the city/village ordinances. If they are telling you that you cannot shoot a short range weapon, PS: if you do make sure what it specifies WEAPON or FIREARM. Abow is not a firearm. just my 2cents

Tell Barney Fife to suck it.He is probably new and trying to show authority.

Not unusual, most communities do not allow firing a projectile with in city limits. Not to say it does not happen! In most cases the cops just tell you this is against the law or the ordinance and as yourself we have to find some place else to shoot.

Most likely the law will say something about discharge of a weapon. Unfortunaltly a bow is a weapon. I had that happen to me. The cop just told me to get behind a fence- out of sight out of mind.
SL

He's either new or there was a complaint called in. See if you can tell when his beat is. Then you could shoot at other times. If a different cop comes by, someone complained.

He was driving by saw me kept driving 50 more yards then backed up.  I have talked to all the neighbors to let them know what I am doing and when I am shooting so that we are all on the same page.  He is not new, he works the 7-3 shift I think but today was driving around at 6 pm.  I am guessing he picked up a shift or something.

Who do I talk to to get a copy of the law?

wow... that sort of thing is simply beyond my comprehension....   :eek:

Do you guys have a City/Town/Village Hall or some other type of municipal building that houses your governing body?  There or the police department should have copies of the ordinances on hand.

Go down to City hall.  Ask for a copy of the firearms and any other weapons ordinances for the village.  Make sure to ask for the documents that define what a weapon is under the ordinace.  You will want to check with the City Attorneys Office for these documents.  Read them and then ask specific questions about what they really mean.  Do not tell them what you are doing.  If it says firearms in the ordinace then you can shoot the bow they are not a firearm.  If it says weapons you need to know if a bow is defined as such.  Not to knocks cops here but a some of them don't have a clue what the law really says in a lot of cases.  I work with them all the time at the City I work for.  Some of them are totally out of touch with the ordinaces they are enforcing.  Most are fully informed and are awesome at their jobs.

If you can shoot the bow, have a copy of the ordinance at the house.  If an officer stops to chat again, politely show him the ordinace and definitions and he will then leave you alone.  Never be rude to a man with a gun, much less one with a badge.  Save any arguments you may have for the judge.  They make all the decisions.  The officer is just doing a job just like you do yours every day.

In my township your not allowed to have those little open fire pits that everyone has now for their decks and patios including myself i was wondering if they were legal to have or not since they are open burning .One of the local cops said he wouldnt purposely stop and cite someone ,but if a neighbor called in a complaint,he would be obligated to enforce the law.

Sounds like the cop was bored. Sometimes they have to drum up something to do.

If it is like a lot of laws, they don't enforce it until someone complains.

Bisch

in my town I cannot shoot at a park or from or over a town or village maintained path or road.  It says nothing about my back yard or driveway!

So far a few concerned neighbors but no police.  Good luck WI Teacher.

PS you can shoot at the rib mt bowmen if you are close. I got my archery merit badge there.   :thumbsup:

It is against the law where I live too.....fortunately there is a lot of tree cover and no neighbours nearby.

Put up a real tall fence around your yard and continue shooting.

You moderators need to look at some of these replies!!!

There are reasons for the law and shooting bows might be safe in our hands but in someone younger a arrow can be dangerous and travel a long ways.

Do some homework as these guys have suggested i had the same issue with a neighbor so I respectfully stopped shooting walked to city hall asked if there was an ordinance against such acts and then proceeded to call the county deputy's office to check with them(which town ordinances trump any and all except for state laws) and after I knew i wasa covered I proceeded to shoot and the neighbor again threatened to call the police and did so.  When they arrived I explained that I had done all necessary prep work and I knew I was allowed to shoot and they agreed and went on their way.

As said by several already, many cities have adopted broad language which bans bb guns, bows, air-soft type guns, along with regular guns.  I have a decent sized garage that if I shoot diagonally can get up to 15 yrds.  Can always give that a try.

One possibility for you; a lot of cities have county jurisdiction within the city-pockets where the city ordinances don't apply.  Does your 'village' have forced annexation of county areas as it expands?  If not, just find the nearest chunk of county property and if needed, talk to the landowner and you have a nice, legal, hopefully close to home range.  Good luck

Jeremy

P.S.  As for those who don't like/get irritated with the cops, the reality is the folks elected in by the majority make the city ordinances that the cops are obligated to try and enforce.  If someone else knows it's illegal and watches the police drive right on by, guess who starts getting complaints...?

Sometimes these laws don't make any sense. Where I hunt in small town Wisconsin it is illegal to target practice with a bow within the city limits unless it is at an approved range, but you are allowed to bow hunt within the same area as long as season is open.

Well you got some good information to follow up on.  The cop bashing is out of line and needs to stop.

stik&string-

Perhaps more trust is put into hunters who have had to take safety courses vs. the possibly untrained person target shooting?  Either way, I can see your frustration...  Would be nice to get an ammendment to practice if you hold a valid archery permit?

Jeremy

QuoteOriginally posted by stik&string:
Sometimes these laws don't make any sense. Where I hunt in small town Wisconsin it is illegal to target practice with a bow within the city limits unless it is at an approved range, but you are allowed to bow hunt within the same area as long as season is open.

Simply Unbelievable!!!    

I can see having laws in a suburban area where homes are close together.  The laws are there to protect us from the few idiots and unfortunately can keep some of us who would take proper precautions from being able to shoot our bows.

By the way, maybe the posts were pulled, but I haven't seen any bashing of police officers.  Maybe a small knock in saying he was just bored.

Matthew,

Officers are sworn to enforce the law, even if they themselves don't think it makes sense (been there, done that).

If city law says "No discharge of a weapon" then bows, paintball guns and even beany-flips apply.

The officer probably could have written you a ticket, or even arrested you.

Sit out front of the house and wave him down next time you see him. Appologize (and mean it!) for having possibly committed a violation and ask if he knows of any place close to practice. He may bowhunt himself and have a great place to shoot. At worse you still have to make a 5 min. drive to practice and you stay in the "good guy" column with him.

He backed up because he decided he couldn't let it go. If by some freaky accident you did some sort of damage or, Lord forfend, hurt someone, what is he supposed to say? "Yep, saw him doing that but I figured he was okay."

If there is a law and you don't like it, get enough folks together and change it. If the law says it's OK only at an approved range, get some folks together and have the city designate a range.

The guy was just doing his job. If he had over-looked something that you didn't want your neighbor doing (and it was against the law) the shoe would be on the other foot... so to speak.

OkKeith

I was just looking for that myself and couldn't find it. Anyway... I also live in an area where it is against a city ordinance to fire a projectile weapon. Not even slingshots. I have also had conversations with three different cops while shooting my bow and none said a word about stopping. Good for me! I guess to do it right I would take the formal road and go through all the hoops and red tape. Having said that, I think I will shoot tomorrow. Good luck!

While all you cop haters are at it, maybe he should get loaded before  he drives there, itll be fun shooting cock eyed.He "Probably" wont run anyone over, only a slight chance.And why not shoot clear across the street? As long as he doesnt see anyone coming he "Should" be fine.Not bashing you Wis Teacher but some of these replies are offensive.If the cop was wrong let him know but its your responsibility to check your local ordinances.If hes correct thats the way it goes and your lucky he didnt cite you. and take your bow.Not too many police have the extra time nowadays to flex their muscles just to show that they have more authority than the rest of us.

After reading this I am Glad I live in a area that allows me to shoot in my Yard without worrying about it. I feel for you and everyone else that can not shoot in your own Yard. Packing up just to fling a arrow Takes Practice to a more dedicated Level.

Whew, Glad I don't have to travel to shoot.

Read my signature.

When I lived in Seattle Washington area I had to stop shooting in my back yard when a new neighbor moved in and complained. But now I live in rule Alabama and I can even shoot my muzzleloaders in the back yard, now that's what I'm talking about. Just move to a better area......stabow

I'm lucky where I live - have an open farm field behind my house.  I'm in the county, but the house to the south and the houses across the street are inside the city limits where shooting any projectile is banned by city ordnance.

I work for the State Patrol (Communications)and while not a sworn officer, the disrespect towards law enforcement bothers me.  For some reason - even the word 'cop' tends to raise my hackles.  More often than not those calling in and using that term - usually get a lecture from me.  Anyway, good luck - I know how nice it is to be able to step out the back door to shoot a few arrows.
Craig

I am lucky enough to have a prived fenced and secluted home where I can practice everytime I want.Otherwise up here could be a problem since you must obtain a permission to have a shooting range for archery,checked by the Police and Fire Dep.To fire some rifles you have to go in certified shooting lanes only.

Yep we lived in a golf community a few years ago and I was shooting in my backyard.  Got a letter from the city asking me to stop or I'd get in trouble.  It was funny because the neighbors hit golf balls across the road too each others yard.  I hit my target, they hit everything.  LOL

Oh well, I can shoot anything here now.  It's the price we pay to live where we want too.  If the ordinance is no discharge, it's no discharge.

Give the officer a break, he was doing his job.

Mike

Been there!!!! Archery is such of an important part of my life that I moved to where I could shoot uniterrupted. Maybe that's taking it to the extreme, but I am relieved.

I'm no lawyer but they have to specifically define what a weapon is or the law holds no water. Also check your state game regs about distance from an occupied dwelling that you can discharge a bow. Dot your I's and cross your T's before you proceed.

I have dealt with this very problem as the COP responding to a complaint from a neighbor.  Our ordinace states it must be at an "approved range" but does not stipulate what an approved range is.  Our particular municipality has interpreted an "approved range" as an adequate target or backstop, 3D, foam block, haybales ect... As long as it stops the arrow. Get a copy of the village ordinance and talk to the Police Chief or attend a council meeting and discuss a possible solution with council members.  Most small town and village councils will work with their residents to solve a problem.
On a side note I took a call one time because some idiots were shooting their bows and buried an arrow in their neighbor's siding. Most laws are in place for the idiots of our society and a few ruin it for the many.  Sometimes a little respectful education to your local leaders may be all that is needed to get the wording changed in the ordinace.

One piece of advice about dealing with an Officer is be nice and be polite.  The street is not the place to fight your battle because it will not turn out in your favor. Good luck!

Sorry, but being a cop, my advice is to just drop it and find some where else to shoot. As Izzy said, if the cop  truly had nothing better to do, he could have confiscated your strung bow, which would have been left strung, and put in the evidence/property closet....strung.....in a hot basement..... and issued you an appearance ticket.

If an arrow did happen to get away for one reason or another, and did cause property damage or physical injury to another, it could have been the cops @$$ as much as it was yours for not acting.

Wow, I can't believe this continues.  Wiscdonsinteacher's post sounds suspect to me.  Maybe he was upset and embellished a bit. Police Officers do not enforce rules, they enforce statutes, laws or ordinances.  As a citizen  of a community , it is your resposibility to be aware of those laws.  Were you shooting in your front yard when you saw the officer back up a Village street 1/2 the length of a football field to come back and speak with you.  The "cop bashing" is out of line.  Someone's post stated he didn't see it.  How about "Town Clowns", "Tell Barney Fife to suck it" to name a couple. You experienced what is called a "Stop and Talk" with no citation or consequences.  If there is an ordinance in that Village, you should consider yourself lucky for a verbal warning.  Aren't the rules here "expect to be respected".  This sort of thing kinda brings this website down a notch or two.

I've worried about the same thing. My village has a n ordinance against shooting spring, air or gas propelled firearms. Not really sure if that covers a bow. Most likely an officer can find something wrong with what I'm doing if he/she was in the mood.
Sure it helps though that I'm a decent guy and don't cause problems either.
haven't had a problem doing it yet.
I do shoot into a large hill for a backdrop. Also, There isn't a house in that direction for a couple miles.

Some of these responses are incredible. Wi Teacher, no offense to you meant in any of the following.
First off, if it is a law, it is our responsibility to know it. Ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law.
Secondly, cops have the job of enforcing laws, even if they disagree or find them pointless. They also put themselves inbetween the public(us) and danger whenever it takes place. That is part of their job too...

After all of the threeads on here about ethics, sportsmanship, etc, I am simply stunned by some of these responses...
Total disregard for the laws, or those that enforce them, is not something I am willing to accept, or to teach my kids. If you are unhappy with them, there are ways to change them.

I understand this thread didnt start as a LE bashing thread, but it seems to have turned into one. Not to mention the countless posts on how to get away with it. To me, that is a sad representation of the type of people here.

Wow,

I am suprised to hear the responses to all the " Cop Bashing " in this thread.  

I reread this entire thread and did not see anyone bashing the police. In my post I described what I deal with on an almost daily basis.  As I stated most officers are informed and awesome at their jobs.  There are always a few who are not.  I hear a lot of the complaints about those less informed officers on a regular basis.  

It seems there are some people who see any disagreement with the actions of, or doubts of the knowledge of any officer as offensive.  Each citizen has a right to question and hold an officer accountable.  Each and everyone of you is a public servant.  More importantly you are an armed and authorized to use lethal force public servant.  I was held to incredibly high standards while serving in the military, and one of them was respecting others rights to voice their opinions.  Including all the anti war protester who spat on my uniform, called me murderer, etc... etc...  Being pulled over or talked by the police is tramatic to most people.  Being grumpy when a person voices an opinion creates a bigger divide between the police and the public.

While I can understand your not liking a different opinion, I have to say here.  We live in America.  That means an officer of the law not only enforces the specific statutes / ordinances of their municipality. Your oath also binds you to the people, and constitution.  Freedom of speech is our first protected right and shall not be infringed!  No one has a right to infringe on another mans freedom of speech even if you don't like that opinion.

Having said that, I am friends with County Sherrifs, State Police offices, I have lived across the street from a senior city policeman for 20 years.  A County Sherrif's deputy lives behind me. They are all great guys and really good at their jobs.  I know a couple of local officers that I won't speak or associate with at all. They simply are not nice people at all.

Officers of the law may not like the word "Cop".  Most of us use it affectionately.  I know I do.

Ragnarok-

I agree with most everything you've said, 1st post included.  However, I can see how some would draw a "cop bashing" type conclusion when terms like "Town Clowns", "Tell Barney Fife to suck it" are used.

You couldn't be more right that being in America means folks have the right to say what's on their mind, but I think what most are referring to here is being respectful in our disagreements.  I've got no problem with folks having other/differing opinions than I do, but this is a site we have to join to be a part of and there are parameters set up to be a member.  I've read posts on this site that showed how people can disagree and still be very polite and respectful about it.  Nothing wrong with a little disagreement with each other or officers for that matter-I think some are just saying lets do it respectfully (as most do, most of the time).

I also agree that in any profession, there are great folks and not so great-I appreciate your balanced view on it.  Just my 2 cents.


Jeremy

Luckily for me, here in Norway that is not a problem. Regulations say as long as you bahave in a safe, thought-thru manner, you can shoot anywhere you like.. Even out in the street!

@ Ragnarok : Just to add a fun trivia, people from the north of Norway are said to be allowed to call the police "horsed***s" because swearing is such a normal part if their regional dialect^^

I disagree, This does not bring the "website down a notch or two." If anything this post is educating people about why the cop stopped, and what the proper way to handle the situation is. Yes, the crude comments are not needed but without people speaking there minds we cannot come to a better understanding.  At first, I thought why would the officer bother this archer, but after reading this post I get it.  Nobody wants to be told what to do in there own backyard but it is a slippery slope. To quote the riddler "Don't kill him! If you kill him, he won't learn nothin'! "
Josh

QuoteOriginally posted by Hooked:
By the way, maybe the posts were pulled, but I haven't seen any bashing of police officers.  Maybe a small knock in saying he was just bored.

That was me. I have law enforcement experience on my resume. And it's the truth. Ha.  :)

QuoteOriginally posted by Joshua Lee:
I disagree, This does not bring the "website down a notch or two." If anything this post is educating people about why the cop stopped, and what the proper way to handle the situation is. Yes, the crude comments are not needed but without people speaking there minds we cannot come to a better understanding.  At first, I thought why would the officer bother this archer, but after reading this post I get it.  Nobody wants to be told what to do in there own backyard but it is a slippery slope. To quote the riddler "Don't kill him! If you kill him, he won't learn nothin'! "
Josh

I tend to agree with Josh for the most part.  Some of the comments here were certainly not called for, however this thread has probably opened the eyes of some and educated others.  There are laws that govern us, and we must abide by them, and there are proper ways of handling these things.

What is the matter with COP?  It stands for Constable On Patrol, is something wrong with that?  If that bothers ya maybe you're too thin skinned for such a position.

Our village is on a "case-by-case" basis. The town chief comes to your residence and makes sure that you have a safe shooting zone and proper backstops.

He then either approves or not approves it and puts your name at the office in case anyone calls the station to complain.

I feel that is a fair way to handle things instead of a blanket "no shooting a bow in town" rule.

Tim

OK, my last response was kinda flippant. Seriously, I used to be a cop. The cop was right to stop if archery at home isn't allowed. If he drove by and someone was shot, he'd be in trouble. Sometimes cops do get bored and look for things to do. I could tell you some stories. You may have been caught on a slow day. Cops see violations all the time, but if it's small, and they're going to a call, they ignore it. The best thing to do is what everyone says about checking into it and trying to comply.

As others have said, ordinances like this are because of people who do not think or do not care. If your child got shot by one of these careless  people out shooting a bow, would you say "it's OK I'm an archer too?" The cop doesn't know that you are responsible he was just doing his job.

I see some of you agree with me regarding the crude comments.  Nowhere does wisconsinteacher bash the officer.  His issues obviously lie with the ordinance, law or statute.  The simple remedy is to go down to the municipal building and look it up.

My point on bringing this website down a notch or two is not the discussion of the laws governing shooting a bow, and the discussion on the topic.  It is the people, no matter how few,  who have seized the oppourtunity to bash police officers. It makes me wonder about their past history with "the cops". Doesn't the old saying go "Dont shoot the messenger".  Discussion regarding knowledge and changing laws is fine, name calling and bashing is not acceptable.

First and formost, I would never bash an officer.  I work at an alternative school and work with some great ones and bad ones, but I have a lot of respect for everyone that wears a badge.  The reason for starting my post was because I have never heard of this.  I have lived in different towns all over the state and have shot in everyone with no issues.  I will not shoot and try to get away with it, I am just looking for advice on how to handle the situation and if there was a way to work with a village board to get my range approved.  I shoot with a safe background (an 80 acre field) and only shoot when no one is around.  If someone comes by, I always take my gear inside until they are finished doing what they are doing.  As far as using the work cop, that is what I have called them.  I see it as saying soda or pop, both mean the same thing.  I am sorry if I upset anyone or if anyone feels any disrespect from me.

Matthew I don't see where anything you did or said was disrespectful.

The comments about law enforcement don't really bother me all that much, they put up with a lot more crap than that on an everyday basis. It just rolls off like everything else. You either have respect for officers or not.

What bothers me more is the idea that someone should ignore a LAW just because it is inconvenient.

Perhaps we should ignore when seasons start and stop. I sure would like to hunt turkeys two weeks earlier. Fact is no one would ever know. I wouldn't be hurting anyone. How can it be against the law if I can't see any need for it? Season dates are arbitrarily set anyway? Right?

There are more deer on my hunting property than all the other places around me. Who's gonna care if I shoot a few extra. I'm not affecting anyone else. What's the big deal?

Odd how it is OK to flaunt the law when it's convenient for us, but we give compound shooters no end of grief for using a legal (IN EVERY STATE) means of killing game for being slobs and unethical. Pitiful.

OkKeith

When in Rome...


I (heart) police.

Man there are some ruffled feathers here. I just have to make an observation that may continue this topic that has gotten out of hand.  First off, I obey the law and respect officers of the law for the fine work they do.  However, not every law is righteous, and we should question laws and the motives behind them.  In this case, I think not shooting in town may or may not be reasonable.  But I often wonder why is there a seat belt law but not a helmet law for motorcycles.  The best reason I can figure is that if you wreck in a car without a seat belt you often survive but badly injured... insurance company pays you a bunch of money for your injuries (hence seatbelt law).. and if you wreck on a motorcycle without a helmet your dead.. no cost to insurance companies (so no helmet law).

So just cause there is a Law doesn't make it right is my point, and we should obey but question Laws. Or soon there will be a law to keep a clean garage for safety and I will go straight to Jail.
Josh

Well, I'm either complying with the law or the Police in my small town don't mind me shooting in my yard.  I live right across the road from the police station and wave at them all day long while they come and go.  My backstop is the gable end of my brick house, so maybe that's considered safe enough.  Been there 18 years,  never had a problem.  I guess I'll be thankful for as long as I am allowed.  I can max out at a nice 25 yds,  would hate to have to pack up the vehicle every night to shoot somewhere else.

QuoteOriginally posted by Orion:
Check the village regs first.

Matt,

Would you be leagal carp shooting in the river in town?
I would just go out to some of the county and state land that surronds town and roam and stump shoot. Kind of a pain but a solution.

Living in City Limits YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SHOOT A BOW. Just like shooting a handgun or rifle or shotgun. No shooting loaded weapons within City Limits! Plus check the Regulations Not allowed to shoot within 150 Yards  of an occupied building. It's considered a loaded Weapon.I would never do that.   :saywhat:    :goldtooth:    :archer2:

Personally if a neighbor is within worst case bow shot range, I do not want him shooting in his yard. I would do the same. It only takes one weird glance off to make a very bad day for several people.

That stinks Matt! I would look into it a little bit to see exactly what the rules are.

If this is the law or ordinance, in fact, good reason to start a club, and get the other "Shooters" together. Who knows what my spawn!

If lemons, make lemonade! In reality, if your shooting in your home, basement, garage, still Illegal! He Told you the rules, seems like a decent Person to me! I understand your "What, and Whys". Wisconsin, a state with a steep heritage of Hunting, Archery and such.

I also wonder, haw many cities have such ordinances, and there is an archery shop, or club in the city limits, who have shoots....illegally.

Oh teacher, maybe the rule just came into effect?
Post the regulation, please.

WOW, this is bull!!!  I would raise holly **** to be honest.  I don't like a lot of our governments laws, and to be frank, a lot of Maryland law enforcement officers are wrong!  For example the DNR officer that asked me what the regs where because he wasn't sure, he wanted to write me a ticket for the trout I had on the stringer.  He told me he had to go back up to his truck to check the regs, and if everything was fine he would honk his horn and be gone.  Two mins later he honked his horn and was gone.  The worst part about it all is that there is a sign on the tree RIGHT next to where the officer was parked stating the regulations for that part of the river, DOIGH!!

Dad drives interstate 70 everyday.  He knows the state troopers by there numbers.  Why is it okay to drive 80 miles an hour to get to headquarters?  Because they are cops??  I don't mean to be disrespectful to any law enforcement officers but here in MD the enforcement part is so sketchy.  I followed a trooper yesterday that was driving like a drunk because he was using his lap top.  I understand that the computer is a big part of their job, but dang pull over, especially when you are hitting the rumble strip on the median.

Listen, Mr. Teacher, all of the solid advice above is good.  If that don't work I would raise more ruccus, heck I would go as far as the local media, saying the law violates the right to bear arms??  Truthfully the officer is probably wrong!  Don't know until you look!

But I don't know if stump shooting is a viable option, it is illegal in my state on public ground, "it is unlawful to target shoot on state owned lands unless otherwise designated as a target shooting area"!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THIS IS THE TYPE OF BULL I AM TALKING ABOUT< MD sucks, I am moving, lol  

FYI for those that say if you don't like cops call a hippie, I don't need cops I have a 12 gauge hanging above my bed   :)  .

Exactly why I've never lived in any "city limits".


 I think anyone should be allowed to shoot their bow in their yard.....as long as you shoot towards your own house.   :readit:

I was told a few years back that archery equipment would be taken by the police if used in the city limits. So, I go to the archery range to shoot. One is about 5 miles from me and the other is 14 miles away.  Jim

Where I live, the city has an ordiance.  No shooting of firearms or weapons, a bow and arrow is considered a weapon.  I have a back stop in my backyard and a target.  I have had the city police walk by my target, and drive by when I  had my bow in my hand.  Until someone says something I am going to keep doing what I am doing.  There are no houses only  a corn feild in the direction I am shooting.

Is it illegal? it maybe. But, so is parking downtown on city streets after 2am, and I do that all the time.

QuoteFYI for those that say if you don't like cops call a hippie, I don't need cops I have a 12 gauge hanging above my bed  

??????

here in  melbourne Australia it is illegal to use a bow at home after three years ago a young fella shot an arrow , missed his target , glancing off one fence , travelling through another paling fence to bounce off a caravan door , kiling the poor gentleman inside of it. Now if i got caught using my bow in town i'd face serious criminal charges and would instantly lose my firearms licence.
Sound unfair ?
Perhaps rather than me flinging cedar across my backgarden with my longbow , imagine some over zealous 14 year old with a scoped  200# crossbow. is there a difference ?

Perhaps coomon sense should be applied to both sides of the arguement.

Ben

Exactly the reason I do not live within a city limits. Too many people with their noses in others business. One sourpuss for a neighbor and you cant live your life as you please in your own yard. I have a 3D range in my backyard, and shoot bows and guns regularly.

I sit at a table in my front yard and shoot up to 90 yds into my backyard to sight my muzzleloader. I can go across the road to my neighbors hay field and shoot aerials.

As Toby Keith song goes, I live out on the backroads where I walk my country mile, if its so good in the city why dont anybody smile?

I hesitate to write this and keep the thread going, but what is there to raise "holly" hell about?  An officer who gave a verbal warning instead of a citation and a confiscated bow?  Or a law (ordinance) created to protect people due to proximity?  If the ordinance should be changed then work to change it, and raising hell won't get that done.  

And I'm not certain I understand the point of your Maryland Warden story... Are you upset that the Warden wasn't 100% certain on the regulations, so he went to his truck and checked it out to make sure he did his job properly, and then acknowledged that you were right and left you alone without taking any enforcent action?  I'd think that's what we'd all want him to do if he wasn't positive about a regulation...

If you decide to speak with the Officer, think about how you would like someone to speak to you in your profession, and speak to him in that same manner.   I'm sure the Officer would be happy to point you in the right direction and give you some information that may help you if you show him the same respect.

Hope you come up with a good solution!

people r to funny bla bla bla .... hey ive got an idea why dont we talk about a socalist president who want to take ALL  rights away. than we will all have something to cry about. i forget who said it " dont sweat the small stuff ". didnt see any cop bashing either . but than im not that sennsitive either .  :banghead:

A couple of years ago a kid put an arrow dent in the side of garage that had a hole in the roof big enough to drop a flying cow through it.  The city manager and a local cop decided that was all they needed to give me a big mouth and a warning with a print off of the town rules. Problem was according to those rules shooting on ones own yard safely is perfectly legal. The other problem was that two of my archer friends are also cops, they were not told of this at all.  It is a very hefty law suit to create a law for just one person out of thin air. It seems that creating things out of thin air for the prejudice or benefit of only certain persons or individual groups is going on a lot these days.  I am still shooting in my yard. No one has ever been in danger from our shooting other than my own structures/backstop. There are just too many rules that serve no purpose other than subjugating the population.

QuoteOriginally posted by pavan:
There are just too many rules that serve no purpose other than subjugating the population.

I could not agree more.

A bow is not a toy and should be treated like the deadly weapon it is. I know far too many people that shoot in their yards etc and are unsafe when doing it. So you have to drive six miles to shoot safely so what thats far better than wounding of killing someone. I love to shoot my bows and guns but I go to an appropriate area to do it. Frank

Not all law enforcement people are up to date on the laws. I had an MP at Ft. Stewart, Ga. pull me over one day and try to write me a ticket because I had a strung bow in my vehicle. I had a heck of a time trying to explain to him that I couldn't unstring a compound bow and that it was legal to transport them strung.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am enjoying this thread immensely.  It is a great representation of the cross section of people in our sport.  Lots of I do it anyways, some are you nuts it's a law obey it, some cop frustration and some cop love.  I think we all agree that everyone who is shooting should do so safely and I would bet that 99% of us do. The wife accidentally fired a shot into the neighbors yard right after she got her first longbow.  He is my County Sherriff neighbor.  He came out and hollered over the fence, Hey that is dangerous. Then threw her arrow back. I apologized and explained what happened.  He laughed and life moved on.  Lessons learned. I have a great neighbor, and don't let the wife shoot her new longbow anywhere but at a range!  I have never missed the target in my yard and have a large backstop.  We both quit shooting in the yard. I moved the target into my garage and now shoot it for form in bad weather.  The only thing I will hit if I miss now is my tackle boxes.

You have to balance the good and the bad, calculate the risks and then decide for your self if the situation is safe.  For me,  shooting in the yard is totally safe.  By now it would be for the wife as well.  We just choose to go to the local archery shop or club range instead.

QuoteOriginally posted by TimRadke:
I hesitate to write this and keep the thread going, but what is there to raise "holly" hell about?  An officer who gave a verbal warning instead of a citation and a confiscated bow?  Or a law (ordinance) created to protect people due to proximity?  If the ordinance should be changed then work to change it, and raising hell won't get that done.  

And I'm not certain I understand the point of your Maryland Warden story... Are you upset that the Warden wasn't 100% certain on the regulations, so he went to his truck and checked it out to make sure he did his job properly, and then acknowledged that you were right and left you alone without taking any enforcent action?  I'd think that's what we'd all want him to do if he wasn't positive about a regulation...

:biglaugh:

just my 2 cents: get involved in local government or move to someplace more agreeable. Sadly, I used to live in a town where by law, every homeowner is supposed to keep a firearm in their house, but I was warned about "brandishing a weapon"(shooting or even carrying my bow in the back yard) I was in a position to move to the next county and did. Its a shame thier arent more community ranges like they used to have 40 or so years ago.

easy fix.  move out of the city

Wow...

We are all still missing the point of why a lot of this thread is so hypocritical!

I'm sure Matthew will find out if it is OK for him to shoot in his yard or not. That's not my concern. What still bothers me is how some folks still continue to have an "I'll do what I want, even if it IS against the law" attitude.

It has nothing to do with questioning odd ordinances, personal property rights or living where life is freer. If we want to claim the moral high ground on things such as what kind of bows we shoot, how far we shoot them and how we hunt (all legal means even if we don't like them) ; shouldn't we stay away from the idea of violating laws, even if we don't like them?

We choose to hunt with a tool that limits our effective range. We choose to hunt farther in, farther up or farther out because there are fewer people there. We use wood arrows or at least real feathers because of the greater challenge. We hunt on the ground or in a tree but get as close as we can because it is more difficult. As archers we hold ourselves to a "code". We purposefully choose the more difficult path that is traditional archery.

Then we whine because we can't practice without putting out any effort. We cry about having to follow the rules like everybody else. We decide we shouldn't have to be held to the same minimum standards as other hunters. We tell guys to never mind the laws, they shouldn't apply to us, we are better than all the others.

I'm gonna find me the fastest compound I can; shoot the lightest arrows in existence with the funkiest mechanical broad-head available; and kill a deer at 60 yards over a one ton pile of corn from a tree stand with air conditioning built in. I don't want to hear a single word about ethics and all that crap because it is all legal. Unlike shooting a bow in the city limits where I live.

OkKeith

TO me this is really a simple matter!  Laid out in front of our eyes a simple statement is made within one of the greatest documents known to man.  The Declaration of Independence says everyman is created equal.  We each were born with civil rights or liberties, one of those liberties and probably the most important one is the "pursuit of happiness".  From a legal standpoint, this innocent teacher from Wisconsin is just shooting his traditional bow in his backyard.  Something I would assume brings great joy to his life . . .

:biglaugh:  I swear I should be a lawyer, lol.  Got a bit carried away.  HOWEVER in all seriousness, isn't it our civil duties to make sure the federal and state governments are not treating us unjustly. What type of country is this if a guy can't shoot a bow in his backyard as long as it is done in a safe and reasonable manner.  Last time I checked the founding fathers granted us the right to bear arms, probably due to the way the British acted after the battle of Lexington(the searched for the militias arms storage, to disarm the opposing forces).  I really don't want to get all second amendmenty on you guys, but really the second amendment is set in place for American citizens to keep themselves in practice in case the time comes that this country should have to defend itself against opposition.  So the real question is this, do you guys think the colonists said to themselves, "you know what, I probably shouldn't be dumping this tea into the harbor?"  No they just did it.  I know, I know its only a bow, but all restrictions upon our freedoms start somewhere, and it sure ain't gonna start big, its gonna start small, with a school teacher who likes to shoot in his backyard.  

{insert flag waving gremlin here(lol)}

Why is it, that when someone wants to make a point that their personal view should be shared by everyone else, they invoke the Declaration of Independence? My personal point of view is that doing this cheapens a monumental effort to throw off the weight of despotism and the effort to create a new kind of life for individuals that fought every day just to live.

What the document says is that there are,
"...certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

It doesn't say that every time we don't like a law we wave the document around in an effort to get our way.

It goes on to say,
"That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

Most people don't shoot bows in their yard. Most people want to feel safe in their homes. I think it would be great to shoot bows in my yard; I would LOVE to shoot my guns in the yard. Should I be able to do that just because the Declaration of Independence says I have a right to be happy? Does my right to be happy trump all my neighbor's rights to be happy and feel safe?

Here is another quote from the document that seems to be wielded like a club so often,
"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;"

Maybe I'm getting too wound up in this. The poor guy was simply perplexed about what the deal was with being able to shoot in his yard one day, but not the next. I'm just disappointed in the direction this post has gone and only wanted folks to recognize the dichotomy in what has been said before and is being said now. Those that get it, get it; those that don't won't.

OkKeith

QuoteOriginally posted by OkKeith:

What the document says is that there are,
"...certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

It doesn't say that every time we don't like a law we wave the document around in an effort to get our way.

Actually thats kinda funny, the Declaration says almost exactly that-

. . ." while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

I already know why I am fired up, been watching "America the story of us", lol

Chris,

I don't want this to devolve into one of those threads that gets pulled and everyone is ashamed to have been a part of.

Do you really think not being able to shoot a bow in the city limits is "...absolute Despotism," really?

The point I was trying to make was that there are lots of posts on this site claiming that one thing or another is "unethical", even if it is legal. But, it seems to be OK to break the law, or at least claim ignorance of it, when it doesn't suit us. It has nothing to do with righteous civil disobedience or railing against tyranny.  To imply that it does, cheapens the real issues, but that's just my own opinion.

The world is full of people looking out for their own happiness at the cost of everyone else's. When these people are in positions of power, THAT is despotism. You are free to pursue your happiness, but if attaining that happiness puts others at risk or is simply in violation of the law, you're out of luck. You are also free to pursue the changing of laws, but when it doesn't go your way (and in this issue, I'm betting it won't) throwing a fit and waving the Declaration or the Constitution like a club is not only unseemly, it makes the rest of us look bad. Then again, that's just more of my opinion.

OkKeith

I just found out that if I go all the way to my neighbors swing set I can get a point on distance to my target, that is 54 yards. As long as I am not shooting on or across city property and my neighbor doesn't mind my trespassing, it is perfectly legal.  Is it safe? Not if he drags his bow out and wants to shoot with me. Even though my back stop is a tall two stall garage he could get a funny deflection if he lands ten yards short of the target. Actually the only person I have ever seen shooting without a good back stop is our local head police officer.  I heard that he actually lost an arrow in his neighbors grass. As always it is not so much the act as to just how one is doing it. Throwing a blanket over everyone just because of one person that gets reckless, is socialistic tyranny.
  Last night a twenty foot chunk from the top of one my poplars broke off. It may have hit my other neighbors garage and landed in the middle of the drive, thirty feet away from the tree. There is no damage, but what does that say about the reckless use of trees.

I think that we should all use common sense here. If it could be unsafe, we shouldn't do it. If it seems safe, discuss it with the city, and act accordingly. If they're insistent on their position, have to find a range. No reason to start a Revolution over it.  :)

Got the answer here,
Wait till Wife leaves to go shopping ,open all doors throughout the house then set up targets and have all the fun you want...Make sure you keep wall patch,extra light switchs and cover plates and paint to match each room just in case you miss the target....Oh almost forgot one important thing here...Men make sure wife calls home at least 10 min. before she returns so you can have all the toys put away before she comes in the door...   :laughing:

QuoteOriginally posted by OkKeith:
The world is full of people looking out for their own happiness at the cost of everyone else's. When these people are in positions of power, THAT is despotism.

Here is where it gets interesting.  Whomever made this ordinance probably didn't do it for the well being of everyone else, it was probably for their own happiness. Despotism?  that is a reach, it would be the same exact thing in the opposite direction.  Such as the Maryland proposal to make the maximum yardage from a structure to be 300 yards instead of 150!  Who does that make happy?  

To me a simple solution would be for the state of Wisconsin to make a shooter qualification type deal, like a gun registration, and then anyone with that safety card would be able to shoot in their backyard.  But for everyone to just not be allowed, thats bull!

Lawmakers I tell ya, they never think outside the box, it seems that there is no gray area.  It is always you can or can not do something.  Drives me crazy

Keith,

Yeoow! I'm not sure I could clean my mess up that fast. I have bad visions of alum. arrows in wall sockets. Her finding me passed out, laying on the carpet, my hair smoking and the melted plastic nock dripping on the floor.

Sounds like it might work though.

OkKeith

Tonight I was out shooting my recurve and the village cop stops me and tells me I have to quit and that I can not shoot anymore due to village rules.  
 What would you do?
Go ask respectfully to see the "village rules". If they have changed, see what can be done, using the system, to change them to where you can shoot.
If that doesn't work, take over the village and make your own rules!  Just kidding, of course, on the last sentence.   :)  
Good posts and good debate!

I can shoot in my yard. I can even hunt there. Cops never bothered me. In fact one of them stops and takes a few shots. He's a wheelbow shooter and gets a kick out of shooting trad. He also stinks at it btw. LOL.

Sometimes if there is an ordinance, it is not enforced until someone complains. Not necessarily a neighbor, btw, but could be somewhere else in town. Then the ordinance becomes a fairness issue and if they enforce it on first street they also have to enforce it on 10th street. Or maybe they had a problem, someone shooting outside of his property. Or maybe the cop's boss came down on him for not enforcing some other statute like burning and now he has to be careful to enforce them all. If there is a valid statute, just because you were lucky and it was not enforced, at some point it will be. Which is why I like living outside of the town proper.

Suggestion made to set up a range in your garage or basement is a great one. In the winter or on a rainy day it's awfully nice to pick up the bow and fling a few in your slippers. The fence idea is also good, but you can hear arrows hit the target so that may be a lot of trouble for nothing. Also you are now deliberately trying to avoid the law. Another possibility is shooting thru an open window, (which I have to confess I have done - desperation), but you have the noise issue there too. I used an old lazy boy on a roller and it was pretty quiet however. I'd wheel it outside and shoot. Weird some things we do isn't it?

I had an old trailer in town once which I used to reload and shoot in. I took down the bedroom partition and shot one end to the other. 66' range. Not bad. Straw bales up the wall for a backstop.

Gets weirder the longer you go. The more laws they pass the weirder people get.

You could also go to town and see if you can get permission or a change to the statute. Get other shooters together and try. Where do they shoot? Bet one has a range.

Good luck
Sad day I would say.

sam

Unfortunately, "common sense" is becoming less common everyday.

I am fortunate that I am able to shoot firearms and bows in my yard.(a bow and a firearm are classified the same) The law requires 150 yards
(450') from an occupied dwelling. This distance was doubled from 150' about ten years ago. Whats to say, that suddenly "someone" decides that this minimum distance is no longer safe? Suddenly, the law says I must be 500 yards away to be safe. Nothing has changed, except the law...for WHATEVER reason. Do I just accept the fact, that I can no longer step into my yard and shoot at dandelions with my bow? Suddenly it is ILLEGAL for me to shoot at my 3-D deer from my deck? I have done NOTHING wrong, but now part of my lifestyle has become illegal. With all due respect to law enforcement, I`m gonna keep shooting dandelions.

Question some laws?...you bet!!!

Chances are, wisconsinteacher is going to find that it is indeed, illegal, for him to shoot his bow, safely, quietly, and happily in his backyard.   :archer2:

:laughing:   some of the replies.. I bet our forefathers are laughing their hair (PC word) off.

Heres some food for thought.  We have so many laws that even the police selectively enforce them.  Perhaps we need less laws!  The level of beauraucracy we live under is pendulous and ridiculous!  The government is trying to save everyone from themselves.  How about instead we just hold everyone accountable for their actions instead.  

It is every citizens right to choose to disobey the law.  It is the right of a law enforcement office to site you for it, and the judge and two attorneys to help decide who is right. That is how the system works.

Anyone here drive?  Anyone of you wants to tell me you have never driven faster than the speed limit? We all have!  We all selectively break laws when we find them inconvenient. To me there is no difference between speeding which kills way more people than all weapons combined in this country and shooting a bow in your back yard when the law says you can't. With the exception that your speeding is way more dangerous to you and a lot more people than shooting your bow.  

When enough people break a law often enough, they eventually become useless and either go away or become totally unenforced.  For example the speed limit in Washington State is now 70 mph on major highways.  Used to be 55 mph.  Guess what.  Everyone didn't give a rats *** about that law and the state looked at it and decided it was better to raise the speed limit and enhance traffic movement while reducing the lawsuits and complaints from the citizens.

Passive disobedience is quite simply the singly most American act a citizen can perform with voting, and military service a very close second and, nonpassive disobedience close behind that.  Note : Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War are good examples of non-passive disobedience to a sovereign government.  They are why we exist as a nation  

Some folks toe the line, others don't.  You may not like it, but if they are not damaging others then they have the right to do so.  Each individual chooses what is ethical for them and no one else can force their views on them.  Welcome to living in a free country.  You don't have to like it, but you do have to accept it. Doing otherwise is forcing your views on others and taking away their rights.  That way leads to despotism and in this world communism. Having seen both a close range on the back side of a gun.  Neither one is a good option for people in general.

I can break the law, it is my right.  The government has the right to punish me when caught violating those laws.  It it part and parcel of being American.  I tend to obey the law.  I also tend to forget and speed once in a while.  I am not a horrible citizen, but also not a perfect one. Just like freedom of speech includes the right to speak, freedom to keep and bear arms includes the rightful use and practice with those arms.  If you don't like hearing the constitution then move to a communist country they don't have one.  It is the basis of every law, rule, and regulation we have.  Without it we would be just like the rest of the world and having seen a lot of it personally, I can comfortably sat that would suck!

Americans seem to have forgotten that a law being enacted without a vote of the full people is only a law if the people choose to obey it.  Government agencys make all sorts of "laws" without a vote.  They are called ordinances, statutes, etc... Guess what, a good lawyer can beat all or most of them depending on the municipality.  You know why.  They are not laws!  They were not enacted by the people, but by bureucrats who do not have the publics best interest in mind. I have quite a bit of experience in this having worked for a City for several years now.  We have a Pot Bellied Pig law.  No one had a pot bellied pig, no one has a pot bellied pig, no records of their every being a pot bellied pig here.  Yet for no apparent reason we have a pot bellied pig law.  We just implimented a chicken and no roosters ordinance.  It is causing great amusement among the citizens and city hall employees and is very hard to explain with a straight face.  Stupid law?  Yep, silly? Yep, implimented by bearucrats? yep.

Ragnarok Forge...A LONG,LOUD,...AMEN!!!

On the whole our police force is fairly objective, some of the town controllers not so.  But anyway, a few years back we had a large annoying skunk coming into town. The chief of police said,"you got a 22? Shoot him."  I said "a 22 in town? what if if miss and get a ricochet?" He said "Well then use your 410." I said okay to that.  Then later a racoon was coming in and getting in garbage I was asked to get it if I could. I said "It is two a.m. someone will complain", the cop on duty said "If we get a complaint I'll explain it to them."  Safety first for certain, but who can tell me what is safe when they do not have a clue what being safe is in the first place.  I prefer to think for myself, when someone else does it for me, I lose.

Check the law - seems hard but is actually easy.  If there is a law against shooting your bow go to the mayor, city council, whoever and voice your dissaproval.  It you don't get a favorable response - show up to their meetings and state your dissatisfaction.  

You may not get anything done (and then you just might) but either way you will feel better for having taken action.  It is vindicating and satisfying to take part in the affairs of your own governance.  Make some noise, be heard, get it off your chest.  If it don't work out at least you'll have closure on the matter instead of it festering in your mind.  JMHO and exactly what I would do in your situation.

As for cops, police, etc.  There are good and bad in every barrel.  Individually I could defend them but not as a whole, neither could I defend everyone in my profession.  I have beneffited and suffered as a result of law officer's discretion. Only one time did I feel "lucky" (using a term that has been used here ad-nauseum) when I did not receive a citation and that was an occasion when I was unequivocally wrong.