November 14, 2012
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Disappointed in Police Response UPDATED
UPDATE:
Still ,no reply from the game warden or
Turn in a Poacher (TIP) hotline which was called.I did not make the situation clear,
these were people driving a truck , they were spotting and shooting
the deer in our neighbors field ,facing our houses from the truck.
The property is posted for no hunting.
There were quite a few laws broken which caused us concern. 1.They were hunting on private property without permission.
The field they were shooting in is posted "No Hunting"
(we called the neighbor to ask about it before we called the police)2.They were driving around in a truck at night spotting and shooting at deer
.
from their truck3.It is illegal to hunt deer on Sunday in PA
4. Legal hunting hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.
Sunset right now is around 5:00 PM5. The dispatcher was wrong about deer season being open,
it was out of season to hunt deer with a firearm on Nov 11,
not only because it was Sunday
but because it was just plain out of season on that day.DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4C, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D:
Nov. 26-Dec. 8.
DEER (Antlered Only) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E:
Nov. 26-30.
DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D, 4E:
Dec. 1-8.
DEER, ANTLERLESS (Statewide):
Oct. 18-20.
DEER, ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER (Statewide):
Oct. 13-20.
DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide):
Dec. 26-Jan. 12.
DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (WMUs 2B, 5C, 5D):
Dec. 26-Jan. 26.
DEER, Antlerless (WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D):
Dec. 26-Jan. 26.
READ MORE HEREWe support and aid hunters on our farmland
and want them to be able to hunt safely.
We have no problem with legal hunting whatsoever.Someone was spotting and shooting deer from their trucks
at 9:30 on Sunday eve
in the neighbors field behind our house,
there is nothing between the field and the houses.
My nephew called the police and the response was
that there's nothing they can do because...
A It's hunting season
B. It was not our propertySo therefore I assume that you can hunt day or night if it is hunting season
and you can only report a crime if it happens on your property?If it wasn't their job to deal with this you would think they could offer a number of someone who could help.
There are five children in the house closest to where they were shooting
and a cow and horse pasture but....
it is not a concern to the Local or State police.Edit: We did call the game warden and
got a recording and left a message, no reply as of yet.
Comments (59)
I hate deer season for this very reason. They used to hunt on my grandma's property too. But I've found since moving back here, saying you don't like deer season in Michigan is about as blasphemous as saying you don't like Bob Seger lol
Sadly, this doesn't surprise me at all. I think most cops have lost sight of that "protect and serve" idea that is supposed to be the basis of their job.
Did you make the homeowners aware of this situation? Because then it could warrant police involvement.
@Thatslifekid - there are only three homes here on two farms and we all were aware of it.
Umm are you kidding me? I would feel my life was quite possibly at risk. I am glad everybody was okay in the end.
We had a lot of trouble with that back where I grew up. There are perks to living in the countryside, but hunting season can be a headache!
Well, the police really can't respond to a situation like this, but....Did your son try to call the Fish and Game Warden? I'm sure there is an office for wildlife hunting....Those are the people to call in a situation like this....And you don't need to be the owner of the property, just in the area, and saw for yourself what was happening.....
Times like these it's okay to take out your shot gun and do a little shooting of your own. Beth goes Berserk!! Type that on xanga news.
i agree with calling the game warden. you should always have their number ready. they will respond. i don't know about there but here in ME it is not legal to hunt at 9:30 at night. i think its 1/2 hour b/4 dawn to 1/2 hour after dusk. and we don't have hunting on sunday. check what your laws are there.--karen
That's ridiculous.
I am sorry that this happened to you. I agree with @ellie1945 - you have to call the Fish and Game Warden.
@Erika_Steele - @lifeontheWink -
@ellie1945 -Thank you ...we did call them, there was a recorded message and we left a message.
That would be a lil bit scary if I lived there and had children.
Cops idea to 'protect and serve', doesn't include protecting and serving when a shooter is hunting?
And very possibly putting other humans at risk?
I hope and pray it doesn't become dire for you to get the assistance you need.
So deer hunting season trumps public safety? I'd be furious, and I think I'd report it to the police chief as soon as he was available.
What the police told you was wrong. Hunting is not allowed within so many miles of an ares where there are houses. We are surrounded by woods and when they were in there hunting a couple of months ago the sheriff came and arrested them for being in a no hunting zone to close to where people live. they were about 1/2 mile from us.
Really surprising! But is it so much ?
Love
Michel
Wow! Make sure you have a record of their reaction (or non-reaction). If someone gets shot or property is damaged....time to sue!
I don't think it's legal to hunt after dark, either, but then, this is Texas, you can probably shoot anything at anytime!
Time for the air horns! Maybe big sirens mounted on a few poles! When the shooting starts - crank up the sirens!
Always something to waste money on!
Did I ever tell you about the 6 foot alligator that showed up in my sister's back yard years ago - in the city.
The police did not want to come then, either.
Was the alligator doing something illegal? No?
I guess you have to wait for it to eat one of your kids!
oh my, makes me think that everyone y'all talked to knew what was going on and it was a friend or relative so they didn't do anything.
Wow, Americans think police resources are unlimited and endless. I am incredulous. All this, over LEGAL hunting? The police were right to respond as they did. They exist TO UPHOLD THE LAW, not to respond to every little Tom, Dick and Harry's little whinefest.
I wouldn't care if there were deer involved or not! I would call the police and say, 'there is a man in the field next door and he is shooting at my house! I have small children here, do I have the right to defend myself or are you going to send someone out?' and just see how fast those squad cars roll! LOL
Load up the trebuchet and start flinging heavy stuff at them. They'll hurry off in no time.
If you have a lawyer friend, maybe that can call the police and "persuade" them to do their job. Did you get anyone's badge number? A particular officer needs to be held accountable.
That is just crazy you would think that they would be concerned about the children ...I would ask if it was ok to go hunt in their backyards
Such a shame. This is the reason people get shot during hunting season.
when it' dove season I wear my orange hoodie.
it's all in how you word it.
next time, call and say that there is someone shooting at a house in your "neighborhood". that's what they were doing, right? that is a police matter.
i got a response during squirrel season with that approach, anyways.
@CanuckFascist
Legal hunting hours for all small and big game in Pennsylvania are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. There are exceptions, but deer are not one of them.
9:30 at night is WAY past the one-half hour after sunset.
Beth was clearly describing ILLEGAL hunting in PA.
Beth - Legal hunting hours for all small and big game in Pennsylvania are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. There are exceptions - but deer are not among the listed exceptions.
PA Hunting Hours
Ugh!
The law in Pennsylvania is a hunter can't discharge a firearm with 150 yards of a house, cabin, barn, commercial bldg, etc. It's called a Safety Zone. The Game Commission don't have the authority to enforce trespassing laws, but will respond and investigate reports of hunting and trapping in Safety Zones. They don't allow hunting on Sunday's here, that will be a poaching report. Again, this must be reported to the Game Commission. The Police will not help with that, but it's shameful they didn't direct you to someone who could help. I would ask my neighbor to Post the land "No Hunting and Safety Zone" because you fear for the safety of the children.
I would post signs saying on this side of the sign is a No Hunting and safety zone. In addition you could have trip devices that make a loud horn noise.
Wearing bright colored clothes is a must during hunting season. Some dairymen have to hide their cows to prevent them from being shot.
Usually some people want deer to be "harvested" because they do damage plants.
So if it was hunting season and someone got shot on the adjacent property, there was nothing they can do? Sounds like Dick Cheney's line of expertise to me !
I cringe at stories like this. People are injured and occassionally killed during hunting season.
this basically tells me that the police probably knew who was hunting. it might have been the chief.
what did the neighbors say about it?
That is awful!! All the hunters I know follow all the rules - and look with outright hatred on anyone that doesn't. There is a growing problem due to the economy of poaching to put food on their families tables. I hope all are safe and your conservation officer takes care of the problem!
Now in Texas, I can tell you how I would have handled this call in my dispatch comm center. It would have been handled the exact same way. It's not illegal to hunt at that hour and the problem they had with you not being the property owner, is those out hunting might have permission to hunt there. NOTHING ILLEGAL. Now if you take spinner_mom's advice and stated they were shooting at your residence just to get an officer, now you are making a false report on a recorded phone line (a criminal offense in TX). On our part, when you continued to ask questions about the situation, we would have offered to have a game warden call you back, that night yet. My suggestion would be to pick you up a pamphlet of deer season hunting rules & regulations. You should be able to find a copy whereever hunting licenses are sold.
I'm sorry you were frightened for your family's safety and felt the police let you down. You migh consider talking with the owner of that piece of property and see their thoughts and plans for hunters this season. Maybe they could give you a heads up of hunters abound so you could best protect your family.
@Parker_Texas - Thank you for the comment. I updated the post addressing the illegal issues.
Just a thought... you could post a petition on http://www.change.org/petition and ask your local friends/neighbors, etc to sign (and ask them to pass it onto to other locals for you) and then present it to your local city/county government stating that all hunting should take place at least 1 mile (or other comfortable distance as determined by you) away from residential homes to prevent the possibility of bullets entering the home or striking humans within range by accident... If you have video/photos it always adds to your case (and draws attention to others who may also be willing to sign your petition).
I guess you will have to put up signs that say No Hunting Private Property
@Texasjillcarmel - It is posted!
I hope you were able to get the truck tag.
@seedsower - well, those bad boys! they could kill someone.
When your first or second attempt doesn't work, climb the ladder. Who is over the Police Dispatcher? Who is responsible for Game/Warden? If all else fails, call the Mayor, the Council Member, the head of the PTO... I donno... just keep calling and making sure they take notes and tell them it's so there is a record of their lack of response when the law suits start. Call the paper. Take video. Document! We had the same problem when I was growing up and hunters shot over our land even though it was posted and young children were outside. My mother went out, found trucks, wrote down licence plate numbers, left a note on their windshield, and continued to harass them until they went some place "easier". Hunters have responsibilites as well as rights!
@chronic_masticator - I love that idea!
Not a very good response, actually not any response at all. Are this police not there to protect the people?.
To apply the law? Not good. I hope something could be done against this hunters.
i hopped in my car and chased some hunters down who had been shooting partridge from their truck. i heard the gunshots while my daughter was up getting the mail. they said, yes they saw her and they were shooting the other way. i told them that if they did it again i was going to notify the authorities, they replied "your not from around here are you" they know the authorities don't want to be bothered with this stuff and the game wardens are overworked-esp. in november. --karen
I thought it was illegal in most states to hunt from a motor vehicle. I'm not a hunter but that is what i had always heard.
Regardless there are more then enough laws being broken to justify a visit from the police. All it would take is one officer to stop by and if where you live is anything like almost the entire rest of the country, there are always some on-duty cops lounging around in the station or at a restaurant doing nothing, not to mention the ones out sleeping by the side of the road, whoops, i mean 'catching speeders'.
Furthermore, I'd be willing to bet almost anything that if you or the neighbor were to go outside and start shooting back at the hunters then you'd really quickly find yourself surrounded and being hauled away by at least a dozen cops, all of whom would probably not pay any attention to the hunters except possibly to take a "statement" from them.
I am so sorry... I did not read the fact they were shooting from their trucks. That completely changes the picture (even in Texas where deer season has started). Officers would have been dispatched here - road is public domain. Illegal to hunt from or in pubic domain. Notifying a game warden would have been warranted.
@seedsower - I also have a flame thrower that I'm more than happy to lend to you. It could be very entertaining.
This is more than annoying. They were clearly breaking the law, as well as putting people in danger!
I hope they catch the poachers.
It's a holiday weekend.
And they were shooting with the wrong kind of weapon??
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When I lived in Mullica Hill, NJ it was in a farming area and I had to call the state troopers because of guys with the big spotlights on their truck illegally shooting deer. The light woke me up at 1 in the morning. I don't think they got anything but it is dangerous, not to mention showing no respect for the law and a lazy way to get a deer!
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