Range Invaders

[GotRDid]

Not my image, but it happens more than I suspected, particularly out West.

 

[jimmymac]

I go to the local public range. I see turtles. Ninja Turtles. EVERY time

SGL in Wexford?

 

[OMW57]

A FEW YEARS BACK, DURING A 100 YD BR MATCH AT MY CLUB, AFTER FINISHING MY SCORING SHOTS & LOOKING THROUGH THE SCOPE TO DOUBLE CHECK TARGET, I NOTICED A GRASSHOPPER WORKING HIS WAY UP THE TARGET, HAD TO WAIT FOR HIM TO GET ABOVE THE TARGET BEFORE I COULD SHOOT, WITH SECONDS LEFT ON THE TIMER I SHOOT HIM ON THE TARGET BACKER! I WAS PROUDER OF THAT GRASSHOPPER THAT DAY THAN THE 250 POINT MATCH!
THE MATCH DIRECTOR TOLD ME AFTER THE SCORING WAS COMPLETE, HE SHOULD DISQUALIFY ME FOR SHOOTING WILDLIFE ON THE RANGE! WE ALL HAD A BIG LAUGH! FUN DAY FOR SURE

 

[m1jeff]

Camp Blanding, FL, a rattlesnake came out of his hole just in front of the 600 line during our string. Pretty exciting when we’re immobilized in our sling shooter bondage gear.

Alligators several times on the old St. Lucie shooting club range in Okeechobee. And a huge snake coming down the impact berm, we all watched it through our spotting scopes. Guys in the pits never saw it.

And of course, huge flocks of seagulls at Camp Perry. If they take off and you hit one, too bad. You just lost ten points.

 

[Steve K]

On more than one occasion we had to stop firing during high power matches because deer were walking across the range. I guess they were so used to hear gun fire it was part of their day.

 

[LiveFire]

I sometimes shoot at a DNR range on state land. Its not manned or anything. Just a couple benches, a big berm and some osb nailed up with post for the backer. Theres a small dirt parking lot and a dead end road. Get a lot of squirrels, some deer occasionally, birds, etc. One visit I noticed 3 cars including my own but only 1 guy down shooting and myself. After about 35-40min of shooting, two women, one carrying a baby in one of those harnesses popped out of the thick brush right out on to the lanes of the range. The brush and trees on both sides of the lane is so thick I have no idea how they walked through it. Thats the biggest "oh poop" moment I have ever had at that range. They said they thought the hiking trails started there because of the parking lot.

 

[swd]

I was shooting the Alaska State trap championships one year and we had to stop for about 20 minutes for a cow moose and her calf to meander through.

 

[LiveFire]

On more than one occasion we had to stop firing during high power matches because deer were walking across the range. I guess they were so used to hear gun fire it was part of their day.

But yet they mysteriously cannot be found on opening day haha.

 

[scasa]

My backyard range when I lived in the texas hill country

 

[ohlongarm]

What wildlife have you seen on your rifle range? Pictures are preferred (but I don’t have any). Two days ago while shooting on a 600 yd range, first we saw a feral hog that ran toward us for about 400 yds before my friend finally got its attention and it turned into the adjacent woods. About 15 minutes later two coyotes ran across the range about 150 yds from us. A few years back while shooting about 800 yds at the Austin Gun Club (central Texas), I couldn’t fire when my spotter told me to send it, because there was an 8-pt whitetail standing broadside right in front of my target. The deer get pretty bold when it’s not hunting season. What wildlife have you seen at the range?

Good topic, this summer while sighting in my 17 hornet initially at the 50 yard range two huge groundhogs dug in against the bullet backstop, I dropped both of them. It was early Sunday morning and no spectators. just recently at the 100 yard range tuning up the hornet with a different bullet weight I disintegrated a starling, absolutely nothing left.

 

[Ccrider]

I started to call Mike and tell him his wind flags were not working:

 

[SShooterZ]

Bristol, WI range. Turkeys and deer, both in the middle of live fire like it was no concern of theirs.

 

[dryhumor]

I have or had two skunks living in my range/pasture. I’ve had to step out of the truck and make good noise to move them along from my target stand area.

One was out in the pasture one day when I was shooting. Every time I shot, that tail went up.

It’s pretty comical, but I can’t imagine how bad it would be to get sprayed and have to drive back to the house to clean up.

 

[Kittitas George]

Lots of ground squirrels and a few jack rabbits at the Fort Ord, Calif. ranges. They were on the sand dune back stops. We never stopped shooting. Some times I'd shoot at them between the targets.

 

[NC/Br Shooter]

we shoot in a pasture. Crows always land in the valley

 

[swglenn]

The cows got loose and one was standing on the 800 yd shooting berm during a 1000 yd match. When she raised her head her earhole was right on the X ring. I let her lower her head so I could see the target and shot. The 284 bullet cleared her head by nearly 5-1/2 feet even with her head raised. She never flinched.

 

[30378]

Deer, Hogs, Snakes, and an occasional Aligator.

 

[LAH]

Deer, turkey, & bear mostly & there's always the rabbits.

 

[perazziguy]

The deer like to play on my 200 yard berm behind our house. They play hide and seek. I need to set up and get some photos. Occasionally, a red fox will saunter on by. Several years ago at a registered trap shoot, a tom turkey flew from behind the shooting line. He ended up landing out in front of the trap line where the targets were falling. Jonathan Taylor

 

[Adam in WI]

I cant let a hog or coyote walk no matter where they are

As an FO shooter, don't quite understand that? When you drop 'em at the matches I go to, you loose 10 points per animal!!

Guess BR is difrunt?

I believe they count as sighters