OT - Bullets from hunters in my yard?

[riu girl]

Our house faces a body of water that a lot of geese hunters (in canoes) frequent. We have been in our house 13 years and up until this year the hunters have seemed to keep their distance. This year we have had bullets landing behind our house (therefore they have shot from the water and the bullets have passed our front lawn , house, back yard and have landed in the woods behind our house).

I have spoken to the conservation officer for our area and he said there is nothing he can do since they are shooting from the water and not our property. He said that there have been a huge increase of complaints not because there are more hunters this year but a lot more geese.

I have two young kids who spend hours playing outside and when I hear the shots I tell them to simply go into our backyard and play. But now that I am hearing shots land in the woods BEHIND my house I now make them come inside when I hear shots.

Doea anybody have any advice as to what I can do? The conservation officer was very nice on the phone but obviously can't do any more for me. He assured me that the hunters shoot up towards the sky and once the bullets fall into my yard they are not any more danegrous then sleet hitting someone but I am still worried. Its a shame. We live in such a beautiful part of Ontario and the view from our house is simply breath taking. In the 13 years we have lived here, this is the first time we have ever had any issues with anything whatsoever.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you
Suzy V

 

[tone.def]

I'd gather up the bullets, get in a canoe and paddle out in the water and give them back to the hunters saying you have children and these have been littering your yard. You're afraid of an accident and kindly ask them to refrain from this area. Chances are good they'll take you seriously.

If this doesn't help, I'd go over the conservation officer's head and go to Parks Canada and file a complaint with The Minister of the Environment - Stéphane Dion. They could lose their hunting licenses.

 

[sammi]

I think I would be calling the local police and asking them for advice.That's terrible especially when you have children who play in your yard!

 

[Figment's friends]

Holy cow! I'd be putting up Children crossing signs all over!

 

[RoyalCanadian]

If this doesn't help, I'd go over the conservation officer's head and go to Parks Canada and file a complaint with The Minister of the Environment - Stéphane Dion. They could lose their hunting licenses.

FYI -- Parks Canada has nothing to do with hunting licenses. They are a part of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The federal Ministry of the Environment has nothing to do with hunting licenses either. I'm not sure where you ever got that idea. Hunting is a provincially regulated activity ultimately governed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (or whatever its current name is) in the province of Ontario.

It is obvious the OP is not finding bullets from rifles (which can kill when coming down) but spent shot pellets from shotguns. So long as the hunters are following all federal gun regulations and all provincial hunting regulations (sounds like the OP needs to read up on these to find something to help out in her particular situation) there is probably nothing the Conservation Officer can do.

 

[tone.def]

FYI -- Parks Canada has nothing to do with hunting licenses. They are a part of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The federal Ministry of the Environment has nothing to do with hunting licenses either. I'm not sure where you ever got that idea.

Sorry was 2 separate thoughts:
1.) that if they had hunting licenses they should lose them.

2.) when I go the Parks Canada website, the message from the minister is the Minister of the Environment - Dion, not Frulla - Heritage minister. Also under About Parks Canada - there is yet another message from the minister - again Dion. There have been some gov't responsiblility shuffles, I believe last summer when ministers were appointed. Must have changed hands then.


Rui Girl - try your Provincial MP's office.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

2.) when I go the Parks Canada website, the message from the minister is the Minister of the Environment - Dion, not Frulla - Heritage minister. Also under About Parks Canada - there is yet another message from the minister - again Dion. There have been some gov't responsiblility shuffles, I believe last summer when ministers were appointed. Must have changed hands then.

Sounds like they have changed government responsibility for Parks Canada again to Environment from Canadian Heritage -- my mistake, mea culpa.

Name changes and responsibility changes are all a part of Parks Canada. When I started working for them in 1989 they were Parks Canada. Soon our uniforms said Environment Canada - Parks Services. Then we worked for the Canadian Parks Service. Now they are, once again, Parks Canada.

I worked in the National Historic Sites section and there was always a certain amount of tension between the historic sites folks and the natural sites folks (whom we affectionately called "bog trotters.") Even within the historic sites section there was tension between the visitor activities section and the maintenance section which seemed intent on portraying the site as something akin to an early 19th century golf course.

 

[CharlesTD]

FYI -- Parks Canada has nothing to do with hunting licenses. They are a part of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The federal Ministry of the Environment has nothing to do with hunting licenses either. I'm not sure where you ever got that idea. Hunting is a provincially regulated activity ultimately governed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (or whatever its current name is) in the province of Ontario.

It is obvious the OP is not finding bullets from rifles (which can kill when coming down) but spent shot pellets from shotguns. So long as the hunters are following all federal gun regulations and all provincial hunting regulations (sounds like the OP needs to read up on these to find something to help out in her particular situation) there is probably nothing the Conservation Officer can do.

I am guessing it is bird shot from a 10 or 12 gage shotgun as I don't know anyone hunting birds with any other type of firearm not even a .22. Regardless it is not something I want to be finding in my yard either.

 

[albianne]

Personally I would be furious. I would start by putting up any kind of contraption that scares away the geese (hoping that no geese-no hunters), also like the idea of signs warning of children playing. I would also definitely go to your local TV News, there is nothing like seeing the story on the news to get some action.