Dealing with a Jerk

[riddleofsteel]

own 21 acres of creek bottom here in NC. We use it to hunt deer and cut firewood ect. This past week end I was out with my son shooting on the property. I had my AK and he had an SKS-D. We were trying to check the sights and burn a few hundred rounds to keep in practice.

After the first 20 or 30 rounds one of the neighbors pulled up in his truck and got out of the public road. Now get this. He immediately starts cursing us out;

"Hay!!! What are you MF's doing down there?"

No response from us

"This is not a GD firing range!!!"

He had lost me at this point all hope of meaningful communication was gone. I responded.

"Sir....I am on my own land, I guess this land will be whatever I say it is, firing range or not."

So then he screams out;

Why don't you come up here and I will shoot at you?"

Now both my son and I started laughing out loud. We were both standing with fully loaded 30 round mags and a pistol each. We were in the woods and he was out in the open, on the road. Obviously this guy is a jerk and an idiot to boot. So I hollar out:

"OK I'll be right there."

Then I start walking in the dry leaves to simulate me going to the road. Man he jumped in the truck and tore off down the road! About 25 minutes latter a deputy sheriff shows up and we had to explain the situation to him and show ID's ect. ect. I explained the guys language and his threats of physical violence. The deputy offered to file charges on communication of threats of violence but I declined to file.
We talked for a while and I invited the deputy to observe out shooting area, backstop ect. He seem very impressed with our safety measures, backstop and choice of shooting site. We offer to let him burn off a mag or two from the AK but he declined (on duty, he said, LOL).

We were told to;

"Have a good day gentlemen."

Off he went to talk to the complainer.

Man am I steamed.



Just needed to vent.

Thanks

 

[Hungry Seagull]

It's worked out well. That's great.

Particularly liked the leaf bit, that was

Be careful, you might have a bunch of LEO's showing up wanting to partake of your range hospitality.

Have a great day! Good to hear these things work out.

 

[WardenWolf]

You should be laughing, not angry.

 

[kirklandkie]

funny story, sucks when people try to control you on your own property. Sad that the officer was on duty, if i were him i'd be damn tempted to get a mag or two out of the complaint!

-kirk

 

[danweasel]

I agree, that would have made my day.

 

[Yo Mama]

HA! I think you handled it great. I had a guy pick a fight on purpose seeing I was carrying once. The guy was just plain nuts.

You can't fix stupid-Ron White

 

[bikerdoc]

I dont use profanity to men holding weapons. niether should he.
Run into him again and give him the " hi sir have a blessed day routine. If he continues to be a jerk get the deputy involved. Do not provoke or threaten.

 

[bang_bang]

I'm with bikerdoc on this one.

But you gotta give the guy some kudos, he's got a set of nuts to mouth off to two men heavily armed and threatened (technically speaking).

As for the officers at ranges, they like their toys too. The farm I visit to shoot with a bunch of guys always notify the local police of their machine gun shoots. On an occasion, a couple of officers pulled in and took out their M-16's to test fire and do function checks. Got to love rural Virginia.

 

[SpecialKalltheway]

sounds like a good ending to an altercation with a stupid to me. I do understand your anger though every time I have to deal with one more additional stupid person I have to think to myself "damn that is one more slice of proof that the stupids are multiplying."

 

[jad0110]

Why don't you come up here and I will shoot at you?"

This genius is a Darwin Award looking for a place to happen. Though I don't know you or your son personally, I figure you are probably harmless just from reading your post. But he didn't know that. Not knowing, he threatened two people (outnumbered), who additionally possessed the advantage of good concealment and had rifles ... and he was likely not armed. Stupid doesn't begin to describe his actions.

I wonder when he had time to change his drawers, between calling the law and all ... sissy!

 

[MAKster]

You might want to check if there is a state or county law on firing a weapon within x number of feet of a public road.

 

[jad0110]

every time I have to deal with one more additional stupid person I have to think to myself "damn that is one more slice of proof that the stupids are multiplying."

Kinda like the movie Idiocracy ... it's both funny and scary at the same time.

 

[WardenWolf]

This genius is a Darwin Award looking for a place to happen. Though I don't know you or your son personally, I figure you are probably harmless just from reading your post. But he didn't know that. Not knowing, he threatened two people (outnumbered), who additionally possessed the advantage of good concealment and had rifles ... and he was likely not armed. Stupid doesn't begin to describe his actions.

Plus the fact that an AK and an SKS will outgun almost anything he even reasonably could have.

 

[Claude Clay]

though they may move from the city to the countryside, many leave much of their minds behind

 

[KevinAbbeyTech]

though they may move from the city to the countryside, many leave much of their minds behind

I know what you mean, the have started moving into my countryside in droves and complaining about all the explosions lol.

 

[WNC Seabee]

If you're anywhere near Hendersonville, NC.....I think you better have me over to inspect the property and ensure it's set up safely.

I am seriously annoyed with my local club (Asheville R&P)...when they're open, it's just a bunch of fuddy-duddy types that think shooting from the bench is the only way to go.

I agree that bench shooting and putting small holes in paper has its rewards, but every now and then, it's fun to just pop off a couple rounds at tree stumps, clumps of dirt and things that go POOF when they're hit.

 

[Geno]

Fortunately, the neighbor wasn't carrying a scoped deer rifle, right?! Don't ever, ever, ever (did I mention "ever") get into it with anyone when you or they are in possession of a firearm.

You got seriously lucky. I suggest learning from the incident, and never repeating these very serious errors in firearms etiquette.

JMHO,

Geno
(formerly Doc2005)

 

[Rockwell1]

Be careful, you might have a bunch of LEO's showing up wanting to partake of your range hospitality.

As long as they bring their own ammo and police their brass that could be a good thing

 

[cleardiddion]

Personally I'd be a bit irked about someone telling me what I can do or not do on my property (within reason of course, I mean, I probably shouldn't be boiling up meth or something).

But, I'm glad things turned out well

 

[KarenTOC]

I would love to be a fly on the wall when the deputy informs the "gentleman" that his complaint doesn't hold water AND that you were in a position to file a complaint against him, but graciously declined. lol.

 

[lesterg3]

Sorry to hear you declined to file charges, even if it was just to get the moron into police headquarters for questioning, and then dropped the charges.

I had the same thing happen on my land, and I filed charges. The guys wife came back after he had to go to police headquarters for questioning, and she apologized for her husbands behavior.

I suspect you haven't heard the last of this morphodite.

Don't be so kind the next time. He was probably a little over the edge with drinking, and you could have scared him with the police visit.

IMHO.

 

[rainbowbob]

...he's got a set of nuts to mouth off to two men heavily armed...

A lack of brains does not imply that God better endowed some other body part.

Stupid does NOT equal brave.


Riddleofsteel:
I agree with others that you should limit contact with this "neighbor" to a friendly wave and a smile. It'll drive him nuts - but he may eventually come around to his senses and become a real neighbor.

Did you get any inkling as to what was bunching his panties? Does he work nights and is his bedroom window within close proximity of your range? Was the gunfire spooking his horses? Did he realize you were the property owners (before you told him) - or did he think you were trespassers?

 

[SCKimberFan]

he's got a set of nuts to mouth off to two men heavily armed

Nope, just stupid.

 

[LightningJoe]

As a general thing, I recommend filing charges. It's a good idea to build up a paper trail on troublemakers. It may come in handy someday.

 

[James T Thomas]

anger resteth in the bosom of fools

Your neighbor sounds foolish, and that is a dire epithet.

You quoted a scripture at the bottom of your post.

I deal with people like that all too often, and as I read about it and how the world is, I begin to realise that: these "type" of people must have existed throughout the ages, and they must be plentiful. All around and everywhere.

And so, here is some scripture of wisdom that I remind myself of when encountering the foolish.

"If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether (he) -rage or laugh ; there is no rest."

And one more:

Answer -not, a fool ; according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Answer -a fool ; according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit.

That is the frustrating part in dealing with such. There is no reply or answer that you can give.