Gentlemen-
I have never run into a situation like this before. My wife, who is a lawyer, was in disbelief. Any advice would be great, here's the situation:
I have a 900 yard range that we shoot at on family land which is positioned in the middle of a wheat field. The land has been in our family for over 80 years. There is a caretaker of the farmstead that the family gave five acres to build his own house. His 5 acre lot is almost a quarter mile from where were are shooting. The next closest house is two miles away. We shoot facing two more miles of wheat fields. No houses in that direction. We go out there about once a month at the very most due to work restraints. Usually we are out there for less than two hours.
Today we are out there for 15 minutes and the sherif drives up and literally says, "pack up your shit you can't shoot here any more." No lie. That sentence is verbatim.....
Needless to say that did not sit well with me. I began to question him, and his reasoning was that a round could ricochet and go off course and kill someone.... I'm dead serious..
He told me that I can't guarantee him where those bullets were going. I asked if hunting was legal in the area (which I knew it was) and he said yes. I informed him that those hunters can no more guarantee where their bullets were going more than I could.
I was informed that if he caught me shooting out there again he would, "haul my ass to jail." When I asked why, he said for, "failure to comply." "Comply with what?" I said. He told me he didn't have to answer my question and that I was being rude to my neighbor. (the caretaker)
I find out that the caretaker called him because he didn't think we should shoot out there. It's the craziest thing. My folks and grand-folks agree to give him 5 acres to build a house and now he's calling the sherif.
I have permission to shoot out there and have been doing so for the past 5 years. When I talked with the caretaker he told me he was worried about a stray bullet killing someone........ Two miles away...... 3 o'clock from the direction we were shooting..... He was also concerned about his six cows that are 9 o'clock from the direction we shoot over a quarter mile away.
The sad part is I can't get rid of him. The contract for his land states he can live there until death then after his death the land will go back to our family. He also told me he will continue to call the sherif if I show up again.
My father (the trustee of the land after the grand-folks death) called me today to tell me he's coming down so we can shoot trap out there together next week....
The sherif was insanely rude, wouldn't answer questions, or tell me what I was doing wrong. The last thing I need is trouble with the law but at the same rate I'm not going lay-down and give up.
Sorry for the long story. I wish there was a cliff-notes version. Any thoughts?
I have never run into a situation like this before. My wife, who is a lawyer, was in disbelief. Any advice would be great, here's the situation:
I have a 900 yard range that we shoot at on family land which is positioned in the middle of a wheat field. The land has been in our family for over 80 years. There is a caretaker of the farmstead that the family gave five acres to build his own house. His 5 acre lot is almost a quarter mile from where were are shooting. The next closest house is two miles away. We shoot facing two more miles of wheat fields. No houses in that direction. We go out there about once a month at the very most due to work restraints. Usually we are out there for less than two hours.
Today we are out there for 15 minutes and the sherif drives up and literally says, "pack up your shit you can't shoot here any more." No lie. That sentence is verbatim.....
Needless to say that did not sit well with me. I began to question him, and his reasoning was that a round could ricochet and go off course and kill someone.... I'm dead serious..
He told me that I can't guarantee him where those bullets were going. I asked if hunting was legal in the area (which I knew it was) and he said yes. I informed him that those hunters can no more guarantee where their bullets were going more than I could.
I was informed that if he caught me shooting out there again he would, "haul my ass to jail." When I asked why, he said for, "failure to comply." "Comply with what?" I said. He told me he didn't have to answer my question and that I was being rude to my neighbor. (the caretaker)
I find out that the caretaker called him because he didn't think we should shoot out there. It's the craziest thing. My folks and grand-folks agree to give him 5 acres to build a house and now he's calling the sherif.
I have permission to shoot out there and have been doing so for the past 5 years. When I talked with the caretaker he told me he was worried about a stray bullet killing someone........ Two miles away...... 3 o'clock from the direction we were shooting..... He was also concerned about his six cows that are 9 o'clock from the direction we shoot over a quarter mile away.
The sad part is I can't get rid of him. The contract for his land states he can live there until death then after his death the land will go back to our family. He also told me he will continue to call the sherif if I show up again.
My father (the trustee of the land after the grand-folks death) called me today to tell me he's coming down so we can shoot trap out there together next week....
The sherif was insanely rude, wouldn't answer questions, or tell me what I was doing wrong. The last thing I need is trouble with the law but at the same rate I'm not going lay-down and give up.
Sorry for the long story. I wish there was a cliff-notes version. Any thoughts?