What would you have done?

[Daryl (deceased)]

About a week ago, I got a call from my mother. She told me that someone had just sprayed the north end of her house with a shotgun, and had narrowly missed also spraying her with the shot as well (she'd been out hanging laundry on the clothes line that's located at the north end of her house.
 
She wasn't sure who it was, but was sure the shot had come from the far side of an orchard that's just north of her house.
 
That would put the offender on a guy's property named Bob, who's a friend of her parents, who live on the south side of mom's property. Most folks don't care much for Bob, but he's maintained a friendship with my grandparents.
 
Well, I told her she needed to call dispatch and report it. I knew they wouldn't be able to cite anyone, since no one would admit to doing it, but I wanted the neighbors to be aware that it had happened so that whoever did it would be more careful in the future.
 
The LEO talked with the neighbors, but Bob's driveway is from another road, so they didn't bother talking with him.
 
Ok, so fast forward to yesterday evening. My wife and I were giving mom a hand with a few things when someone shot from the same location as before...twice. The shots came from about 100-150 yards north of mom's house, so I went over to find out who was shooting.
 
Bob was there driving a Kawasaki Mule, shooting jackrabbits with a shotgun.
 
I approached him, and told him while I wasn't making any accusations, that someone had shot from this same place about a week ago, and had peppered mom's house with the shot, narrowly missing my mother.
 
He got very defensive, and said "It wasn't ME! I just got back about 2 hours ago. Besides, this 9 shot won't travel that far." He also said that he only shot at jackrabbits because they ate too much of his grass, so he wasn't shooting into the air.
 
I assured him that his #9 shot WOULD travel that far, and that I'd appreciate it if he'd make double sure he didn't shoot towards mom's house.
 
At that, he started in again on the defensive, stating that he'd been in law enforcement for 30 years, and that he was very knowledgeable about ballistics, and that there was no way his shot could have traveled that far. He stated that mom's house was something like 460 feet away, and that there's just no way his shot could possibly travel that far. I personally don't think it's that far, but I'll give him the benefit of a doubt.
 
At that, I said that I wasn't going to argue the point. I told him that I enjoyed shooting as much as the next person, and respected his right to do it more than others probably did. I said again that I wasn't making accusations (even though I'm almost positive it was Bob, since he doesn't allow anyone else to hunt on his land), but asked that he make double sure of the direction he was shooting before he shot.
 
He agreed, and then went over to my grandparents place to complain to my grandfather about me. When he returned to his property, he shot again. I'm pretty sure the last shot was for spite, but it was a lot more muffled than the previous two shots. I'm fairly sure this was because his shotgun was pointed AWAY from us, instead of being aimed more in our direction.
 
Mostly I wanted this idiot to know that he'd shot the side of mom's house, and that he needed to be more careful. My grandfather might be a little ticked at me (my grandparents think Bob can do no wrong for some reason), but I'd rather have that than some idiot shooting at my mother, thinking that somehow his shot won't travel far enough to hit her.
 
I keep wondering now if I should have done something differently, but I sure can't think of anything. Mom did call the law again to report the incident, and they said they'd make contact. Problem is, until he hurts someone they can't/won't do anything.
 
I figure now he's aware of the problem, so if it continues then it's willful negligence (or perhaps reckless endangerment?). Hopefully that won't happen.
 
Daryl

[rockinbbar]

Nope, you handled it right, Daryl.

Although he may not be willing to ADMIT he was the one that peppered her house, he KNOWS he was & will probably be more careful in the future.

[RatherBHuntin]

Nope, you handled it right, Daryl.
 
Although he may not be willing to ADMIT he was the one that peppered her house, he KNOWS he was & will probably be more careful in the future.

Ditto
 
You could always ask him if he would let you take a shot at him with #9 at 460 feet, see just how sure he is about those ballistics.

[Daryl (deceased)]

Ditto
 
You could always ask him if he would let you take a shot at him with #9 at 460 feet, see just how sure he is about those ballistics.

Actually, I mentioned that same thing to my wife after we were back at mom's.
 
If I'd just thought of it a little sooner...
 

 
Daryl

[davidlt89]

Well handled Daryl, in my opinion. God Bless.
 
I do like Glenn's suggestion though:biggthumpup:

[buckshot roberts]

Ya done right, an hope this put's an end to it.. Ron

[Sandhills Guru]

In our state there is a season on Jack Rabbits and it sure isn't this time of year.

[Daryl (deceased)]

In our state there is a season on Jack Rabbits and it sure isn't this time of year.

Sandhills,
 
In Arizona there's a season on jackrabbits, too.  It runs from July 1st through June 31st.
 
No closed season, and no limits; however, you legally are supposed to be 1/4 mile from any occupied structure when shooting at any game animals or varmints.  He wasn't even close.
 
There hasn't been any more shooting that I've heard about, but I don't care if he does...as long as he does it in a direction that's not towards mom's place.
 
:)
 
Daryl

[bowhunter 51]

Sometimes, ya do what you gotta do...You may have damaged a relation-
ship with a neighbor and/or a friend, forever...but,...protecting your
family is foremost, in my opinion...his background in law enforcement,
don't mean nothing, nor his interpretation of ballistics...Ain't sure I would
of handled it the same way, but you handled it...let him know that he
done it and didn't sway from how you felt about it...He got the picture...
Ya got thru it without smack'n him around, anyway...that's good...BH51..

[Alboy]

The only thing I can think of as an armchair quaterback is was your granddaddy aware that his baby girl had been put in danger? What would be his suggestion. My view here is if you start taking grief from your gandpa.
 
As for Bob, I think you stayed reasonably calm and handled that situation just fine as long as he quits shooting "AT" your moms house. All the bluster and expert knowledge of ballistics is the defense of somebody caught being stupid and unable to admit it. If he is a good neighbor it is done, if not then the fun has just begun.

[Daryl (deceased)]

Well Alboy...
 
I stopped by my granddad's place the other day, and he didn't even mention it.
 
That might change when my grandMOTHER gets back into town, but I'm not sure.
 
Mom mentioned that someone has shot at her house from north of the orchard, and her mom's response was "Oh, I don't think Bob would do that."  Mom never mentioned Bob's name.
 
If she says anything to me about "Bob wouldn't do that", then I'm going to tell her something like "Yeah, and if he does it again, he's going to have a problem."
 
I really don't see Bob causing problems between me and my grandparents.  They may or may not get in a huff, but down deep they know dang good and well that I'm looking out for the safety of my mother (not to mention her property).
 
If Bob wants to be mad at someone, I'd rather it be me anyway.  I don't live there, so it really doesn't matter.  
 
What amazes me is that mom's husband didn't do anything when the first shots happened.  If someone narrowly missed my wife with a shotgun, and/or actually hit my house with it, I'd be all over them (obviously, since I did the same thing for my mother).  Mom's husband just says, "If they do that again, and hit my car...!"
 
Oh well, I'm ranting, so there's really no point.  I think the problem is most likely over now, anyway.  Bob's aware that he messed up, and should be more careful in the future.  
 
Which is all I really want.
 
Daryl

[Paul Hoskins]

 Daryl, I doubt I would have been as nice as you were if I had been in the same situation. Bob, being a former law enforcing officer, wouldn't get any hassel from any other law enforcing officer. That's the way law enforcment is. They stick up for their kind regardless. As for his knowledge of shotgun ballistics, it is obvious he doesn't know a thing about ballistics or is just trying to cover his sorry butt. I don't have the ballistics at hand for diffrent size shot but I'm sure #9 shot will travel 900 feet. Best I recollect, oo buck travels 326 yards. Smaller sizes vary according to weight with smaller weights dropping faster but really not by much.    ...........Paul H

[Daryl (deceased)]

Daryl, I doubt I would have been as nice as you were if I had been in the same situation. Bob, being a former law enforcing officer, wouldn't get any hassel from any other law enforcing officer. That's the way law enforcment is. They stick up for their kind regardless. As for his knowledge of shotgun ballistics, it is obvious he doesn't know a thing about ballistics or is just trying to cover his sorry butt. I don't have the ballistics at hand for diffrent size shot but I'm sure #9 shot will travel 900 feet. Best I recollect, oo buck travels 326 yards. Smaller sizes vary according to weight with smaller weights dropping faster but really not by much. ...........Paul H

I agree, Paul.  Bob is ex-law enforcement, for sure.  Not sure what agency he worked with.  I know he spent a lot of time flying back and forth to DC with his job, so probably federal.
 
Even so, he knows little of shotgun ballistics.  IF he was indeed using #9 shot, it still hit the house.  There's also a house nearer to him, in the orchard, that he needs to concern himself with.  I've been shooting shotguns since I was about 8 years old, and I wouldn't even consider shooting where he was.  
 
Most shooters I know are far more knowledgeable than most law enforcement officers about ballistics.  After all, I doubt they do much law enforcement work using #9 shot.
 
Daryl

[Clueless]

This very same thing happened to me Daryl several years ago.  Heard  a shotgun blast and shot rained on my house.
I called the Sheriff and he said "Shoot back at em!"
As it happened when I was talking to him on the phone another shot was fired.
And he hung up the phone and was at the house in 5minutes with a deputy.
 
They went into the woods with their shotguns.  About 30minutes they came out of the woods and said "ya won't have this problem ever again".
 
And I haven't!!!
 
To this day I don't know who was doing the shooting but must have been someone who lived near by since it's never happened again.

[RatherBHuntin]

And you aint shooting jacks with #9