OK, gents with more experience and wisdom, here's one for you:

Nearest indoor range to shoot is approximately 10 miles away.

Nearest outdoor range, if it's still open, that I know of is about 5-8 miles away. Not too bad at all.

I'd like to shoot in my back yard but we live in a neighborhood and I'm surrounded w/ houses. No one else shoots. Behind and beside us are families with young children.

The way our house is designed, I believe I could set up a 3D target in one area. But the distance would not be great, there is no elevation unless I used a ladder (and brought attention to myself) and I run the risk of flubbing a shot and sending an arrow through my daughter's bedroom window.


Suggestions?


Additionally, I'm in Madison County. Anyone out here in Hampton Cove with an area to shoot, or who knows of a public range, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

Thank you.

It's too dangerous Alan. Not worth the risk.
What if your release breaks in mid-draw, or you inadvertantly release an arrow?

Find a safer place.

Well, that's what I was thinking as well and why I don't shoot now. But I was being optimistic.

Move to Gurley

I'm 5 miles from there so that's a good option.

Moving definitely sounds like your best option.

That's on my agenda in about 8-10 years.

You'll be too old to draw a bow in 8-10 years.

Hell, there may not be any place to hunt in 8-10 years even though we'll have 18-point rackmonsterdaddywallhangers running around everywhere because of the 3-buck limit and all this edukashun about whitetails.

I'll just shoot my crossgun and thutty-thutty by then.

Two rules for shooting in the backyard -

You may never shoot at a distance you may EVER even hit even near the edge of the target.

And you have to actually wrap your fingers around the string when you draw.

Come on over.

I shoot in my backyard and off the deck for elevation. I have been lucky and never lost an arrow. I actually never thought about it until now. I guess I will have to shoot at Dad's, he is only a couple of blocks away and he has plenty of room.

i'm so glad i live out in the country

You need to appreciate it, young man.

If you don't then you deserve a whooping.

Alan you've seen my house, although I live in a subdivision, I have an 800 acre backyard. That was one of the reasons I bought this house. My warden wanted the house across the street, but it had no back yard and backed up to other houses.

I said, "hell no, I can't shoot my bow back there, we're getting this one".

Yep, your yard is a good one.

Maybe a vacant football field or something

I have the same situation. I built a vary large backstop so that I am covered if I pull a shot off of my target. I tested with my Katera and am satisfied that my backstop will stop any arrow, from any bow, at up to point blank distance. The downside is that if I do hit the backstop, I will have to take some tension off of the stack to retrieve the arrow, and use some very fine steel wool to clean the debris off. A bit of auto wax makes removal and cleanup easier, but it is enough that you don't want to use this thing as a target, but it works great as a backstop.

Are you sure the conversation went like that???????



Ricky

Yes it did ... but she got a new car the next week. :rolleyes:

I thought that was what the new powerline behind our neighborhoods was for!

I did like Outback, with an unused piece of a park back there.

I wouldn't shoot over five yards and at a huge target if I didn't have a 90 degree safety zone. Richochets WILL happen sooner or later.

If your neighbors have any fathonable reason to be concerned, you have to be the one to do whatever it takes to make them unconcerned. Few things make us look bad like those stories of folks shooting toward houses over adjacent backyards.

i can shoot in the back yard and nothing but pasture but the elevation on the front porch calls to me... i never shoot if any neighbors are out and about... if i miss the arrow will stick in the ground... not likely that you could get an arrow past the trees but it is possible... probably shot off the porch 100 times and dont think the neighbors know...

Clem.......here�s suggestion, hang a target in your garage or junk room to shoot at. The Rob has a bag target above his garage to shoot at when the weather doesn�t allow outdoor shooting. Now the Rob can only get about a 7 yard shot up there, but it�s great for working on form issues and keeping those shooting muscles in shape. It�s great to have a place to shoot when it�s raining or when it�s to dark to shoot outside.

Hey Rob!!! Long time, no see. I talked to the "inlaws" a couple weeks ago at Double Springs. I'll look for you at the deer expo. I'll be there Sunday afternoon.

Come to my house Clem, I'll start shooting here next month, shoot off my back porch into the woods.

I need to come visit you anyway. I have an old bow I may want you to convert for me.

We need to get doc on the water, too.

Yes we do, I'm leaving for LA tomorrow for a week but we'll see about hooking up after that. After this month things will start slowing down for me.

I live in a neighborhood and I shoot in my driveway. If I did miss the target, I have a steep back yard grade that goes straight down hill with a lot of buffer between me and the next yard. Its not the safest situation, but no one has ever complained. I actually have to stand the street to get a 30 yard shot! I just make sure all kids and dogs are put up when I shoot.

For the previous guy, I just got back from LA. That is one long frigin flight! Take a lot of stuff to do including a few movies unless you want to pay for them on the plane.

My scariest moment in hunting came when I was 16 and accidentally discharged a rifle, while surrounded by friends, that I thought was on safety.

My second scariest moment came last year (about 20 years after the above incident) when I was shooting arrows in my yard and my bowstring broke. To this day I have no idea where the arrow went to. There are little kids 2 doors down and I was petrified that an errant arrow hit one of them. I ended up sneaking around different yards at dusk looking for my arrow. I was the only one in the neighborhood who carried a bow around and I knew if someone found a loose arrow, they'd know who to go looking for. I literally watched the news that night just to see if there were reports of some kid or car or... that got hit by an arrow.

So thats where that arrow came from!!! If I pull the arrow out, will you S S Suck out the poison??? :p