Posted: 7/26/2008 1:57:40 PM EDT
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i have a question regarding BLM land. i was shooting in central az, near Mayer, when a rancher drove up and started harrassing me about shooting there. he is leasing land for grazing, and i told him i can use this land for shooting as long as i wasnt shooting his cattle his cattle were not down range or anything, and he starts telling me i cant shoot here because im 1/4 mile from a watering tank. ive never heard that one...so i replied "well if your watering tank is an occupied building, you have a valid point, if not i can legally shoot here" he was a total dick from the start and if he just approached me without being an asshole i would have found another spot. so for future reference...is it legal to shoot near watering holes/tanks? |
A water tank is not considered a permanent structure like a house. It is not illegal to shoot near water tanks, holes, etc... One may not shoot across a body of water...... It is illegal to camp near them, and to block access to game and range animals. And how do you know that the rancher has been around. Maybe he just leased the land and has no clue about the shooting laws in Arizona. OR maybe he's just an a-hole. Dont worry about shooting near water tanks. As long as there is not a permanent structure there, or your not shooting over a road, you are in the right. Just make sure you have a nice backdrop. That way you can account for your rounds down range. |
You are absolutely right. |
Of course you can hunt near, or on, a watering hole.  G&F even encourages it during times of drought. It's hard enough hunting in Arizona. 
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Were you parked near the water tank/water hole? ARS 13-1602. Criminal damage; classification A. A person commits criminal damage by recklessly: 1. Defacing or damaging property of another person; or 2. Tampering with property of another person so as substantially to impair its function or value; or 3. Tampering with the property of a utility. 4. Parking any vehicle in such a manner as to deprive livestock of access to the only reasonably available water. The question that would have to be answered is how paragraph 4. has been interpreted by the courts. They would also have to establish that you parked "recklessly". |
perhaps u didnt read my post,i absolutely did not tart out with "I am damn well within my rights to shoot here" i got to that point after the guy harrassed me. secondly, first you post that i was wrong, and was doing something illegal, and a few posts down aggree with the poster who said i was right. which is it? was i doing something illegal? or was i doing something perfectly legal? |
i wasnt even close..you cant even see the watering hole/tank, its a stretch to say i was a quarter mile from it. |
I was incorrect. I went back and searched for any code/regulation and could not find anything. For some reason I equated the 1/4 mile camp limit with shooting. I would have edited my first post how ever it had already been quoted so I could not ammend my mis information. |