What really stinks most about this kind of carelessness and outright vandalism is that it typically makes it harder and more difficult for those who are careful and conscientious.
Like they always say, it only takes a few people to spoil it (whatever 'it' happens to be, in this case - SHOOTING SPORTS) FOR EVERYONE!
Whenever I see a highway or road sign riddled with bullets, and/or shotgun holes, I always shake my head and think about how some careless person - possibly drunk and/or high on something, or just plain stupid - would actually shoot at the sign, either from a moving vehicle, or they walked up and did it - perhaps a hunter coming out of the woods.
I read an article in American Rifleman magazine a few decades ago and they were saying that the average speed limit sign may last so many years (let's say ten years for purposes of argument). Think how many people see the damage caused by a bullet, bullets and/or shotgun shell(s).
I remember seeing a "regular" at the range (the kind of person who knows everything about everything - or at least he thinks he does). I remember bringing up this topic as he was angry at a new metal roof they had installed just months prior over the benches and there were already several .22 holes in the metal roofing. When I mentioned how many people would observe a sign that has been riddled, his reaction was "highway and street signs don't last that long, there wouldn't be THAT MANY PEOPLE SEEING THE DAMAGE!"
I almost fell off the range bench when he said that as one sign in particular had been shot at at least 20 times. It was a sign that looked like it was fairly new when the shooting happened and now was literally shredded to the point where you could barely make out what it said (it was a Speed Limit 25 sign). And, may I add that that particular sign was in that same location, all shot up like that for at least 10 years! I believed the road crews decided to keep it up to prove a point, and the point, in my mind, was well-made!
Last summer, they replaced expressway signs with all new ones. The old ones were about 30 years old. The new ones already have several bullet holes in a section of them and several look like someone stood about 30 feet away with a 12 gauge full choke and shot the sign with 6 shot, a nice hole blown through the huge green sign a couple inches in diameter with pellet holes and dents around the hole.
I realize I am "preaching to the choir" here, so I hereby get down off my soapbox.