Target practice along a road.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by Trochu

Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I don't think you can break the laws in the Wildlife Act, throw out a casual "I wasn't hunting", and walk away.

Yes, pretty sure it says no discharge of firearms within 200m...not no hunting within 200m.

[urban rednek]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

The 200 yard rule is for hunting, does not apply to target shooting.

The rule does not distinguish between hunting or target shooting; it clearly states no person shall discharge a weapon, or cause a projectile to pass within 200 yards of any occupied building. Unless they are the owner or occupant, or have permission from the owner or occupant.
You can shoot from the porch if the owner says it's OK. This is an important distinction when you are sitting next to the neighbours house while shooting varmints in the field.

Firearms around buildings
52(1) No person shall
(a) discharge a weapon, or
(b) cause a projectile from a weapon to pass
within 200 yards of any occupied building.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to
(a) the owner or occupant of, or the person having immediate
possession or control of, the land on which the building is
situated, or
(b) a person authorized to perform the activity by a person
referred to in clause (a).

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

The rule does not distinguish between hunting or target shooting; it clearly states no person shall discharge a weapon, or cause a projectile to pass within 200 yards of any occupied building. Unless they are the owner or occupant, or have permission from the owner or occupant.
You can shoot from the porch if the owner says it's OK. This is an important distinction when you are sitting next to the neighbours house while shooting varmints in the field.

This X2, I shoot gophers for lots of farmers and ranchers around the country and lot's of them have gophers digging in their yards or on their lawns, they want me to shoot them and I do, huge difference.

[Nyksta]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

The rule does not distinguish between hunting or target shooting; it clearly states no person shall discharge a weapon, or cause a projectile to pass within 200 yards of any occupied building. Unless they are the owner or occupant, or have permission from the owner or occupant.
You can shoot from the porch if the owner says it's OK. This is an important distinction when you are sitting next to the neighbours house while shooting varmints in the field.

That is under Part 4 of the wildlife act, titled "general rules for hunting". If this was a firearms in general rule, it would be in the firearms act. There may be a bylaw in effect for shooting within a certain area, but the wildlife act rule for 200 yards from a non-permitting occupied building, applies to when hunting wildlife.

[urban rednek]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

That is under Part 4 of the wildlife act, titled "general rules for hunting". If this was a firearms in general rule, it would be in the firearms act. There may be a bylaw in effect for shooting within a certain area, but the wildlife act rule for 200 yards from a non-permitting occupied building, applies to when hunting wildlife.

Does your line of reasoning apply to the other rules in the Wildlife Act?
For example Rules 51 and 53?

Firearms on roads
51(1) A person shall not discharge a firearm from, or cause a
projectile from a firearm to pass along or across,
(a) a highway designated as a provincial highway under the
Highways Development and Protection Act, or
(b) any other road that is paved, oiled, graded or regularly
maintained in a municipal district or prescribed area.
(2) In subsection (1), “highway” or “road” includes, as well as the
travelled portion of it, a width of land on either side of the travelled
portion, including the inner 2 sides of a divided highway, that
extends,
(a) if there is a fence parallelling the travelled portion that
separates the adjacent lands from the travelled portion, to
the fence,
(b) if there is an identifiable ditch alongside the travelled
portion and there is no fence separating the travelled
portion from the adjacent lands, to the edge of the ditch
that is further from the travelled portion, or
(c) if there is no such fence or ditch, to a distance of 20 feet
from the edge of the travelled portion,
and also includes the whole of the remaining area between the 2
travelled portions of a divided highway at any location where the
distance between the 2 nearest points on the innermost edges of the
2 travelled portions is less than 200 yards.
(3) Subsection (1)(b) does not apply to a person hunting game
birds with a shotgun under the authority of a licence authorizing the
hunting of game birds.
(4) Subsection (1) does not apply with respect to a road that is on
privately owned land and that is maintained for the private use of
the owner or occupant or a road held under any active disposition
under the Public Lands Act or under an order under the Surface
Rights Act.
(5) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person engaged in a wildlife
depredation control program authorized in writing by the Minister.
RSA 2000 cW-10 s51;2004 cH-8.5 s77

Discharge of firearm at night
53 Except at a lawfully established and operated shooting range, a
person shall not discharge a firearm during the period referred to in
section 28.
1996 c33 s39

Disregard these rules at your peril; it will eventually end badly for you.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

That is under Part 4 of the wildlife act, titled "general rules for hunting". If this was a firearms in general rule, it would be in the firearms act. There may be a bylaw in effect for shooting within a certain area, but the wildlife act rule for 200 yards from a non-permitting occupied building, applies to when hunting wildlife.

Unless the actual regulation specifies hunting only, it applies at all times, that goes for shooting over occupied land, near occupied buildings,across highways, in or on motor vehicles, and the legal hours to discharge a firearm. These are all provincial regulations that apply in addition to the federal regulations.

[Nyksta]

It does make sense to apply to all shooting. I will err on the side of caution with this and agree. But it really should be in a more firearms specific act if it is not just for hunting.

[Yaha Tinda]

I think your description of their activities is intentionally misleading.

[JULIUS]

From what I can gather from the posts it sounds like "dangerous use of a firearm" under the Criminal code and not a fish and wildlife matter. If these shots are crossing the road and near a house regardless of any 200 yd rule I would contact the responsible person and ask then to stop. If that is not possible then call the authorities. Don't wait till an accident occurs.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by JULIUS

From what I can gather from the posts it sounds like "dangerous use of a firearm" under the Criminal code and not a fish and wildlife matter. If these shots are crossing the road and near a house regardless of any 200 yd rule I would contact the responsible person and ask then to stop. If that is not possible then call the authorities. Don't wait till an accident occurs.

Unfortunately, careless use of a firearm comes down to a judgment call, by the authorities to lay charges, then by a judge to get a conviction. We don't know if any bullets are crossing the road, and we don't know if the backstop is adequate. As for the distance to a house, just being close to a house doesn't mean a criminal act is being committed. It's a lot easier to prove a violation under Wildlife Act, where a specific distance constitutes a violation.

[Gifted Intuitive]

Originally Posted by Kim473

A neighbor across the road from someone I know has set up a target about 50 yards from the road. This target is on a little hill for a backstop . They shoot along the road to the target, maybe slightly towards the road. about 1/4 mile down the road is 2 farm houses, one on each side of the road and close to the road. My friends house is right across the road from where they are shooting from and the house is about 25 yards or less off the road.

My question is , is this legal or not ?

The regs are a little fuzzy on this to me. Conflicting statements in them. Can't shoot along a road but yet you can with the the proper distance from the road. Can't shoot within 200 yards of a occupied building.

We are concerned about a bullet hitting a rock and traveling across the road possibly hitting a car or even a person walking on the road. there are horses across the road and down a little ways also.

Your friends house is right across the road from where they are shooting from ... they should be aiming 90 degrees or perpendicular to your friends house and parallel to the road you mention. How can this harm your friend ?
Your not saying your friend is across the road from the backstop.
Your saying that there is a house on the same side the road as the backstop about 400 yards from where they shoot from. The occupants of that residence should certainly know the shooting is occurring and they must not have a concern about the shooting activity.
If while shooting they see a vehicle or whatever in the vicinity of the backstop then don't shoot.

[Kim473]

Originally Posted by Trochu

I gotta say, this seems like a very strange situation.

A buddy's neighbor, seems like they are getting upset but don't even know if the neighbor is doing anything wrong/illegal, won't go and chat with them due to a 20 year feud, details are a little off/contradictory, etc.?

You say "...along a road", think you mean perpendicular to a road? Regardless, if "My friends house is right across the road from where they are shooting from and the house is about 25 yards or less off the road and "..this target is only about 10 yards from the fence line and at most 20 from the the road", unless that road is 155 yards wide, it would seem they are breaking the law and shooting within 200 yards of a occupied dwelling.

I'd bust out a range finder/measure on Google Earth and see if it is indeed within 200 yards. If so, I'd tell you buddy to suck it up and go and chat with them if it bothers him, and inform them that what they are doing is illegal. I'm likely not getting involved with a buddies feud with his neighbor.

Alberta Wildlife Act:

Firearms around buildings

52(1) No person shall

(a) discharge a weapon, or
(b) cause a projectile from a weapon to pass

within 200 yards of any occupied building.

The road thing is a bit more confusing, but it looks like you can shoot within 20 ft from the edge of the traveled portion of a roadway but can't shoot across roads.

All your facts apply here. Might I say , with the high powered rifle. And the projectile will cross the road about 400 yards down with an occupied house about 1/4 mile down the road in line of site . The projectile would have to be shot a little high and through a few trees.

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by Kim473

All your facts apply here. Might I say , with the high powered rifle. And the projectile will cross the road about 400 yards down with an occupied house about 1/4 mile down the road in line of site . The projectile would have to be shot a little high and through a few trees.

And I thot my partner was terrible at responding....!

[Savage Bacon]

So what was the outcome?

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

[-JR-]

If you go talk to him and he flips you the finger in a matter of talking ,then you go call the cops ,he will know its you . Its like putting wood on a fire.
Best to call the cops and let them look after it ,then he will not know it was you .

[Smoky buck]

Go talk to them and try to reach an understanding. At least make a realistic attempt at being the bigger person and try to work out the issue

If you can’t do this you will continue to have problems with this person and many others you cross paths with in the future

[spoiledsaskhunter]

do you think it would be appropriate to get involved? sounds to me like it is your friend's problem, not yours. if i'm wrong...sorry. if i'm right, maybe you are sticking your nose into something that really doesn't concern you. let your friend decide what to do with their problem.