Target Practice?

[Castuserraticus]

So went down to the river by the Rollin Mix pit after 7pm this evening. There were only sporadic rises and nothing to the caddis I was tossing. I managed to nymph a couple out of a fast seam. I heard a smack on the water that sounded a bit like a beaver but there was no sign of one. I heard a couple of more smacks over the next few minutes. I was feeling a bit spooked but kept fishing. Then it sounded like a rock hit the water somewhere near me. This happened a couple of more times. It was getting pretty dark. The next sound was a distinct pffff thud. My stomach knotted because this sounded like a bullet had hit some grass and then the bank behind me.

 

I did not hear the crack of a gun -just the sound of bullets hitting the water. And I never saw any splashes or ripples. I am about 40% deaf in one ear so I think they were landing fairly close.

 

I decided to get the heck out of there. As I climbed to the level of the pit, I heard the crack of the gun and then an impact. It seemed to be coming from across the river. This was followed by about 5 quicker shots - sounded like a shotgun - a little while later. This was at 8:50 pm. As I neared the parking area, I could see the lights of a vehicle going up the hill on the other side of the river.

 

Is that area known as a target practice area? I thought the road on the north side was private with limited access. When does the hunting open up on the river? This is not a risk I'd ever anticipated before.

 

[Taco]

Don't know the zones but duck season is open in a large part of the Province and open province wide as of tomorrow. Lead shot falling from a couple hundred metres up will sound exactly as you described but generally lacks the energy to do any real damage. Don't ask me how I know.

[Noud]

Don't know the zones but duck season is open in a large part of the Province and open province wide as of tomorrow. Lead shot falling from a couple hundred metres up will sound exactly as you described but generally lacks the energy to do any real damage. Don't ask me how I know.

 

How do you know that fryske Taco?

[Tungsten]

Migratory birds is open but i believe hunting within 400 meters of the river is closed until Dec 1st.If it was a shot gun i doubt you would have heard the small BB's hitting the water and it wouldn't have sounded anything like a beaver tail.Now if it were a rifle that was being discharged and the bullets were hitting the water that would have made the sound you described(scary).

 

There is no target shooting place in that area and is privet land as you mentioned.

 

 

[Castuserraticus]

Don't know the zones but duck season is open in a large part of the Province and open province wide as of tomorrow. Lead shot falling from a couple hundred metres up will sound exactly as you described but generally lacks the energy to do any real damage. Don't ask me how I know.

 

I've heard lead shot land. It was more like rain. These were all single impacts.

[Taco]

Yeah you're probably right but I've been on receiving end of some idiot huntin' geese w/triple ought, noisy and stings a bit