# Target shooting on public parks and areas



## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

I always wondered about this ,I guess it depends place to place what have your experiences been with that, do people freak out if they see you target shooting at a catch box in a public park for example or would they react like they do when people are playing horse shows or ball just ignore you no big deal

I probably should add if your are being responsible place catch box in a safe place on public land or park.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

I have set up at the lake a time or two. Most of the time, "What are you doing?" turns into, "Can I try it?"

The only time a cop stopped to see what I was doing, he told me to keep shooting toward the lake and... "Can I try it?"


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

I probably should add if your are being responsible place catch box in a safe place on public land or park


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

Do that in California your going to get your slingshot takin away and go to jail.

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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Cjw said:


> Do that in California your going to get your slingshot takin away and go to jail.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Cali is a funny place slingshots in a park jail mean while you get homeless guy going to the bathroom on a tree and shooting up drugs and nobody does a,thing lol


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

You have to remember Calif. is run by libs. Who are anti shooting of anything.

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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

Our nearest town is Ft. Smith. There rules are that if it shoots over 200fps it's a fire arm. You go to jail.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Cjw said:


> You have to remember Calif. is run by libs. Who are anti shooting of anything.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yep times are changing the other day . I saw 2 young guys with beards and all tattooed up holding hands . Never seen that when I was a kid decades ago .


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## Chesapeake Inuit (Jul 14, 2016)

I just usually go off the trail a bit and set up. No point in attracting attention. In Maryland State Parks a slingshot would be considered a weapon although the rangers would prob just tell you to put it away if you were an adult.

My view is what they do not know won't bother them.

In the smaller community parks shooting in plain view would not go over well. Maryland has too many sheeple lol


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Slingshots are illegal in a public park...... if I am still current with what I read, at least in Georgia.

As noted by other individuals, law involvement/prosecution will depend on the area, the law enforcer and whether one is being, Uhh STUPID, lacking good judgement, etc.


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

Illegal in public parks here in Canada too, at least in Winnipeg.


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## jazz (May 15, 2012)

shooting in public places only brings intention and curious looks, sometimes bad looks, which simply makes me nervous and obstructs my shooting

so I prefer quiet places, out of sight - even if shooting slingshot would be considered perfectly legal.

cheers,

jazz


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

I wouldn't do it. I have shot in parks but always inconspicuously. A catch box will freak out a certain percentage of people no matter what you do to console them. I'd take it up a dirt road somewhere if you need to catch the ammo. Normally I would ditch the catchbox and waste a bit of ammo shooting carefully and, again, inconspicuously.

winnie


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Winnie said:


> I wouldn't do it. I have shot in parks but always inconspicuously. A catch box will freak out a certain percentage of people no matter what you do to console them. I'd take it up a dirt road somewhere if you need to catch the ammo. Normally I would ditch the catchbox and waste a bit of ammo shooting carefully and, again, inconspicuously.
> winnie


Yea that's basically what I do stump shooting off the beaten path .


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## Chesapeake Inuit (Jul 14, 2016)

What ever you do....don't shoot fly fisherman in the backside at quarter draw. They really have no sense of humor. :angrymod:


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## honorary pie (Feb 12, 2015)

yur right,, the rest of us would have a much better sense of the situational humor... the comedy would be surely not be found in the tragedy of having your brains kicked in. which I for one, would find a suppressed chuckle as I watched.


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## SonoftheRepublic (Jul 3, 2011)

Perhaps finding ways to shoot (safely) but un-noticed and with stealth . . . can be curiously satisfying and part of the fun?


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Check your city bylaws before shooting on their land. Here is what mine says. The Corporation is the City.

"No person shall use, shoot, fire or discharge any bow and arrow, crossbow,
slingshot, catapult, blow-gun or other similar device designed or
capable of firing projectiles and that are designed for or capable of use
in, hunting or target shooting on, over, across or onto any property of
the Corporation."


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Northerner said:


> Check your city bylaws before shooting on their land. Here is what mine says. The Corporation is the City.
> 
> "No person shall use, shoot, fire or discharge any bow and arrow, crossbow,
> slingshot, catapult, blow-gun or other similar device designed or
> ...


Interesting


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Makes it hard for guys that shoot coins out of the air where you can find a safe place to practice that if most parks are off limits


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

Winnipeg Manitoba Canada By-Law states you can't even possess one in a park. Other major cities (I'm guessing all Canadian cities) are the same. A quick check shows that Calgary carries a $10k maximum fine and court appearance.

I'm just happy my neighbors haven't complained or made me stop. I shoot at the side of my house, giant catchbox, 6' fence, out of site.

*THROWING STONES:*

6. No person shall throw a stone, or other missile, or have in his possession or use any slingshot, catapult or other similar weapon within a public park.


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## Alfred E.M. (Jul 5, 2014)

SonoftheRepublic said:


> Perhaps finding ways to shoot (safely) but un-noticed and with stealth . . . can be curiously satisfying and part of the fun?


*There's a large crowded park within bike distance of me where I go most weekends for 'guerrilla stumpin'. I have several secret spots where I can get off some fairly long distance shots ... and yeah, I become a grinning hooligan. Safety first of course, but I need to quit it - my luck won't last forever. *

*@ Brucered - $10,000 maximum fine? Wow, just wow. They need to assess those astronomical numbers for DUI's, not slingshots in the park.*


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

seems like those are laws that only get inforced if you do something stupid 
Anyway I will keep my shooting in private locations just to be safe.


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## Grandpa Pete (May 2, 2013)

When I was a college student, many moons ago, we used to go to the town dump and shoot rats with slingshots and blowguns.....and the, so guy with a .22 came and the next thing the police came and the dump was off limits.

GP


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## Leo (May 17, 2017)

We're fortunate to have a public archery range where I used to shoot when into that sport. I've gone there a couple of times with slingshot - not shooting at the official target butts but against an embankment at the side of the range, which also gets occasional use by archers who prefer to shoot to the ground. More in proximity to the range for me though, are railway lands and fist time for me shooting there in plain sight of rail workers went without a hitch but even being on their lands can be hit and miss depending on who might happen to come by.


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## Buckskin Dave (Apr 4, 2018)

Ibojoe said:


> Our nearest town is Ft. Smith. There rules are that if it shoots over 200fps it's a fire arm. You go to jail.


So do the cops carry a chronograph or what? At what draw length? Talk about a ridicules law waiting to be challenged.


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

Why would you want to shoot in a public park and bring attention to yourself. That's just asking for trouble. People think your shooting at birds or animals in a public park and it's on.

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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Cjw said:


> Why would you want to shoot in a public park and bring attention to yourself. That's just asking for trouble. People think your shooting at birds or animals in a public park and it's on.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


That can be legal depends where you live


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

romanljc said:


> Cjw said:
> 
> 
> > Why would you want to shoot in a public park and bring attention to yourself. That's just asking for trouble. People think your shooting at birds or animals in a public park and it's on.
> ...


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

There's no place I've ever lived where it's ok to hunt in a public park. To many people and kids around. You accidentally hit someone while your shooting and you'll get slingshots legislated away. Most cities in California you can't even shoot airguns in your own back yard because of this. You shoot and hunt in the woods away from people.

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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Cjw said:


> There's no place I've ever lived where it's ok to hunt in a public park. To many people and kids around. You accidentally hit someone while your shooting and you'll get slingshots legislated away. Most cities in California you can't even shoot airguns in your own back yard because of this. You shoot and hunt in the woods away from people.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Public land or park can be anything like a wild life management area where hunting is allowed depends what state or country you are in. You are thinking of something different just because a place is called a park does not mean it is in a city.


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

Even in the big national parks here signs say no hunting. There are designated hunting areas and seasons and you have to have a hunting license.

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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Cjw said:


> Even in the big national parks here signs say no hunting. There are designated hunting areas and seasons and you have to have a hunting license.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


For example

Wrangell-St. Elias, Alaska (8,323,146.48 acres) ...Gates of the Arctic, Alaska (7,423,897.45 acres) ...Denali, Alaska (4,740,911.16 acres) ...Katmai, Alaska (3,674,529.33 acres) ...Death Valley, California (3,373,063.14 acres)
These are all parks

And the question was about target shooting not hunting anyway


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Cjw said:


> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Well first off that's in San Francisco
That's a beach area camping site 
so what do you expect
You can't even play ball in places like that


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

All I can say is take your slingshots to a state park or camp ground and take your chances. Their your slingshots. But I wouldn't take any expensive customs cause that will hurt a lot more when they take them away.

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## Ordo (Feb 11, 2018)

It's a weapon, not a toy. Even a bounce can seriously damage someone.


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## SkullT (Jan 6, 2018)

I shoot in public areas but not so as anyone can see what I am doing. These public areas/country walks border woodlands that have a large population of game birds breed for shooting by the local landowner and syndicate shooter. The only thing you really have to worry about is the gamekeeper getting your vehicle registration number and working out that you are a dead shot with a sling... and boy does it makes shooting fun...


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

Grandpa Pete said:


> When I was a college student, many moons ago, we used to go to the town dump and shoot rats with slingshots and blowguns.....and the, so guy with a .22 came and the next thing the police came and the dump was off limits.
> 
> GP


this reminds me of when I was a kid 3 or 4 decades ago in Yuma AZ,we would ride our dirt bikes out to the dump and shoot rats with 22's and the cops were more concerned with us riding on the streets than having rifles strapped to the handlebars,times do change,but rats are still fun to shoot with a slingshot now


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

In TN most city parks are off limits, but a few wilderness area are good. My Leave No Trace lifestyle means I use clay or natural stones... maybe steel or ceramic shot. But no lead unless hunting on private property with permission. And it has been a long piece of time since I have hunted.

Mostly I like not being disturbed and not disturbing others so I plink in my apartment or use beans with a bb shooter in the woods around the property.


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

MakoPat said:


> In TN most city parks are off limits, but a few wilderness area are good. My Leave No Trace lifestyle means I use clay or natural stones... maybe steel or ceramic shot. But no lead unless hunting on private property with permission. And it has been a long piece of time since I have hunted.
> Mostly I like not being disturbed and not disturbing others so I plink in my apartment or use beans with a bb shooter in the woods around the property.


For legal purposes I was wrong, only permitted on ranges! I did not know.


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Buckskin Dave said:


> Ibojoe said:
> 
> 
> > Our nearest town is Ft. Smith. There rules are that if it shoots over 200fps it's a fire arm. You go to jail.
> ...


I always figured that if a cop came and asked about my slingshot I sure wouldn't show him how I shoot butterfly. I'm thinking that my butterfly band will probably shoot around 100 fps if I shoot it from the chin. He wouldn't know the difference.

I would never use a catch box in a park only because it would make it obvious what I am doing. Instead, I would walk around and shoot the occasional knot or leaf on a tree etc. Since I shoot instinctively I can get a shot off very quickly and It would be pretty hard to get seen unless I was being careless.

Put a natural in your pocket and if anyone does see you and confront you start talking slingshots. If they show any interest give them the natural and point out a leaf to them. I say this because, as I have mentioned in the past in other posts, I have given more than a hundred slingshots away through the years and some of them have been in somewhat similar circumstances to this. I can think of several instances where people approached me irritated and by the time I was done they were shooting next to me.

winnie


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