neighbors call cops on me for shooting on my property

[Lanceam24]

From the beginning:

Bought my gf a little .380 pocket pistol a few months ago for home protection and because she rides her motorcycle alone sometimes. We go out and shoot on her mothers 7-8 acres a few times a week(about 6 acres clear the rest consists of small trees shrubbery. I instantly find a new hobby and fall in love with guns.

Fast forward a few weeks later and I get a 9mm and do the same thing and go out and shoot quite often (always away from houses towards vacant land). I guess that wasnt enough for me so I go out and buy an AK.
I want to shoot it as often as I can which is maybe once or twice a week so I do.

Everything goes smooth for the first two or so weeks. I go shoot my gun, nobody bothers me, everything is cool. Well yesterday, I go out and shoot again. Let off 10 or so rounds go in the house and start cleaning my gun. A little while later a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff knocks on the door, I go out and talk to him and supposedly someone called and complained. He said they didnt mind the "little guns" they heard but this sounds like a "big gun" now and thats a problem. He proceeds to tell me they probably called because they just put a trailer about 200 yards behind their house which is parallel to my gfs moms house which is about 150 yards or so across from where I shoot. The officer NEVER tells me to stop shooting but repeatedly asks me to "help him out" and even suggests we just move further away from where their house is along a road which leads to the back of our property. The cop was cool, but I really would like to get some more opinions. (no offense to LEOs, I just know every one doesnt know every law)

I already know I am somewhat in the wrong for not building a berm or a dirt pile to stop the bullets so I guess that is in the works for the near future. Is there a law or something which states how far I have to be away from a neighbor on my own land to shoot my gun and not get in trouble? Also, what would be best in this situation to avoid conflict and ensure everyone is safe?


BTW, we found 2 camo tents on the property in our shrubbery a few months back... We proceeded to post no tresspassing signs and remove the tents... All of this happens in Tangi parish outside of Hammond city limits in Natalbany in a rural area...

 

[BenCarp27]

If your shooting without a backstop, you have no idea where your rounds are going. You should stop immediately. If your neighbors are concerned, they have a right to call the police.
The cop sounded like he was being pretty nice to deal with according to what you've written.
I always make it a point to let my neighbors know when I'll be shooting. If one of them says they'd rather me not on a certain day, then I don't. But I've got a good relationship with my neighbors.

 

[homeslice]

If your shooting without a backstop, you have no idea where your rounds are going. You should stop immediately. If your neighbors are concerned, they have a right to call the police.
The cop sounded like he was being pretty nice to deal with according to what you've written.
I always make it a point to let my neighbors know when I'll be shooting. If one of them says they'd rather me not on a certain day, then I don't. But I've got a good relationship with my neighbors.

Nothing more need be said. Well put sir.

 

[jasonj5313]

I test fire my builds at a buddies house in Livingston Parish his property is 6 acres and his neighbors is the same. So there is approx 5-6 acres of dense woods in between the houses. We fire towards the back of the property where there aren't any houses. (I think it is a lease, google earth is a good tool there is nothing around him for miles except the one neighbor.)

His neighbor called the police, although, we were bump firing 1 ar-15 and 2 ak47 at the same time so I guess it was rightful. The neighbor thought there was a shootout is what the sheriff told us. After some gun talk with the sheriff he started bump firing our guns because he never tried it. (Didn't even have the courtesy to pony up some ammo money, he probably shot 200 rds. LOL) To be totally transparent this particular ar-15 was my personal rifle, I do not bump fire or shoot large amounts of ammo through the guns I sell. Usually 2-3 rds

 

[Russo]

If your shooting without a backstop, you have no idea where your rounds are going. You should stop immediately. If your neighbors are concerned, they have a right to call the police.
The cop sounded like he was being pretty nice to deal with according to what you've written.
I always make it a point to let my neighbors know when I'll be shooting. If one of them says they'd rather me not on a certain day, then I don't. But I've got a good relationship with my neighbors.

+2

 

[Lanceam24]

I was polite to the cop as he was to me. I dont understand why the neighbor didnt call us or drive over and talk to me personally. We speak to eachother all the time and both sides seem to be friendly. Sent his son over the other day to see what I was shooting. I guess he'd rather send his son than to come over himself. Even when I do build my backstop, is there a specific distance as to how far it needs to be?

 

[homeslice]

I was polite to the cop as he was to me. I dont understand why the neighbor didnt call us or drive over and talk to me personally. We speak to eachother all the time and both sides seem to be friendly. Sent his son over the other day to see what I was shooting. I guess he'd rather send his son than to come over himself. Even when I do build my backstop, is there a specific distance as to how far it needs to be?

Depends on the parish, really. Mine is 300 yards.

 

[jmcrawf1]

Dense woods is not a backstop...

 

[kcinnick]

Visit TDH for a can demo.

It is not hard nor expensive to make an effective backstop, just a little work.

 

[littlebob]

I don't know the exact answer to question. You should probably call the Sheriff's office as they would be the one enforcing any violation. Even if your out of the city limits, you should make sure you have a backstop that you can see.

 

[Defender]

I am not sure about this, but a game warden once told me you could not legaly discharge a firearm within 300 yards of a residence. When I shoot, I kind or use that as a general guide as to where I shoot. Don't have time to research, so just "throwing it out there".

 

[Lanceam24]

I am building a back stop as stated in my first post, just gathering info before I start so I know what I'm getting myself into. They don't bother the neighbors on the other side who shoot into a 2 ft high pile of dirt...

 

[deafdave3]

When I first moved out here, I shot in the back often, if not every day. The neighbor who lives about 200 yards from me didn't like it, so they call the cops. Cops came four different times. Each time, they see nothing wrong and then tell me they don't mind my shooting. So, nutty neighbor eventually stops calling cops. However, my step-children tell me that they can hear the old lady yelling when I shoot. I never heard anything (naturally). Well, over the Christmas holidays, my kids are visiting me from Louisiana and I take them out back to shoot. This time all the children tell me that the hear the same old lady yelling profanity. So, when I'm done shooting, I decide to call the cops and tell them what my children heard. Deputy came, I tell him what happened, he leaves to go talk to the neighbors, I go inside my house and go about my own business. About 15 or 20 minutes later I look out the window just to see if deputy still there. To my surprise, I see several cop cars, one of which is marked, "narcotics".

I never heard from the neighbors again.

 

[homeslice]

When I first moved out here, I shot in the back often, if not every day. The neighbor who lives about 200 yards from me didn't like it, so they call the cops. Cops came four different times. Each time, they see nothing wrong and then tell me they don't mind my shooting. So, nutty neighbor eventually stops calling cops. However, my step-children tell me that they can hear the old lady yelling when I shoot. I never heard anything (naturally). Well, over the Christmas holidays, my kids are visiting me from Louisiana and I take them out back to shoot. This time all the children tell me that the hear the same old lady yelling profanity. So, when I'm done shooting, I decide to call the cops and tell them what my children heard. Deputy came, I tell him what happened, he leaves to go talk to the neighbors, I go inside my house and go about my own business. About 15 or 20 minutes later I look out the window just to see if deputy still there. To my surprise, I see several cop cars, one of which is marked, "narcotics".

I never heard from the neighbors again.

That's a W.

 

[deafdave3]

That's a W.

I had NO idea who they were, what they were doing or what they had. No idea.

I just wanted that old lady to stop yelling profanity to where my kids could hear. She can yell at me all she wants.

 

[Bookum]

This is from and old fourm i found.

My father in law and I built a box type bullet trap a year or so ago. We built the frame from 2x10s and covered front and back with 3/4" plywood. We then filled it with rock dust (he's general foreman at the local quarry so we have an unending supply). Rock dust is a bit coarser than sand. We built a stand for the box and put a ring of logs behind the box with a dirt berm behind that. We've yet to have a round penetrate the 10" of rock dust. It's also coarse enough that you don't have to replace your plywood so often. It doesn't leak out of the holes until you shoot a big hole out of the center out of the plywood. I've shot everything up to .454 Casull 300 gr JHP's and .30-06 180 gr. JSP's. Deepest penetration has been about 8 inches.

I have built one like it and workd fine. Split a sheet of plywood in half 4'X4' gives you a large back stop to shoot at.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Wolfgang1952]

W
I never heard from the neighbors again.

Proberly the reason you haven’t heard from your neighbor their sitting in JAIL

 

[buttanic]

Check the parish ordinances if any regarding firearms.
This is St Johns.

It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge any rifle, pistol, shotgun, which discharges pellets larger in size than the commonly referred to as No. 6 Shot, or pellet gun within 2,000 feet of any residence within the parish, except in the lawful defense of life or property. It shall be unlawful to discharge a shotgun within 300 feet of any residence within the parish except in the lawful defense of life or property.

(b)

Local, state and federal peace officers are exempted from the provisions of this section while acting in the discharge of their official duties.

 

[jimdana1942]

Sounds like yall do alot of shootin' and the neighbors are worried. Bullets can travel quite far and richochet more than people think. Perhaps the smaller caliber 380's don't make enough noise to disturb your neighbors.

Personally, unless your neighbors are really far away I think you will continue to have problems.

 

[Lanceam24]

So I should call the cops when they shoot also? What about the neighbors on the other side shooting yesterday? So it looks like backstop or not there OS no way to legally shoot whenever I want