Shooting After Dark

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  • GUNSnROTORS

    nude member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 7, 2013
    3,620
    hic sunt dracones
    Thanks for all of your replies. Since Google, and consultating y’all failed to turn up any law against shooting after dark, I’m going to keep shooting after dusk. I never shoot past 9pm or before 9 am. I’m 300 yards through the woods to my closest neighbor. Karen can call the cops all she wants.

    :thumbsup:

    Up until about a year ago, I was shooting at night about once a month. Similar situation to yours, 50+ acres and neighbors are on similar agricultural/wooded properties. I always knocked off night shooting by 2200. In 26+ years on this property, never had LEOs visit unless I invited them.

    As mentioned above, when hunting is gtg, so is shooting. For extended range sessions, noise ordinances can come into play anywhere, but probably not applicable to your situation and definitely not applicable to mine. The rub is, if a neighbor calls it in, LEOs are obligated to check it out. And neighbors can report practically anything; even faint suppressed reports, strange lights, voices, UFOs ... :D
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    What kind of a piss ant calls cops for someone shooting half a mile away. People like that suck.

    Dunno. A real half mile? What’s the lay of the land? Don’t think that would be too noisy, but some people are light sleepers.

    As for legality, check your county noise ordinances. Howard county is where I am and ignoring the fact you can’t shoot except for hunting or SD in this county, we do have noise ordinances and most cases you’d be violating them if you were shooting at night. Unless you were on a DAMN big property. I forget the sound level max, but it’s like 90dB at your property border or something like that during quiet hours (which I want to say are like 8am till 9pm or 10pm). Pretty sure even 37acres gun shots arent going the below 90dB at your property border.

    But look up your county noise ordinances.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    https://ecode360.com/15520602

    https://mde.state.md.us/programs/re...se_Pollution_Control_in_MD_Reg_11-02-2012.pdf

    https://www.nonoise.org/lawlib/states/maryland/maryland.htm

    Okay, the 90 is for construction. But as you can see, it says day/night for MD’s noise regulations. The levels are pretty strict. 65dB daytime and 55dB night time. Measurement is at the property border.

    I highly doubt even though it doesn’t lost a specific exemption for hunting that any prosecutor would

    Nighttime is defined as 10pm to 7am.

    There doesn’t appear to be a specific exemption for hunting or shooting. Though there is for “household tools and appliances in normal operation”.

    At any rate, so long as it’s not between 10pm and 7am, probably not a chance Karen is going to be able to get anyone to do anything other than annoy you. Actually during night time hours as defined by law, since the noise standards are higher and most “exceeds” exemptions ONLY apply to daytime use/emission...probably you are way more likely to lose any ticket you might get for a noise ordinance and probably more likely the cops are to eventually issue one.

    That’s my 2 cents.
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,174
    Outside the Gates
    https://ecode360.com/15520602

    https://mde.state.md.us/programs/re...se_Pollution_Control_in_MD_Reg_11-02-2012.pdf

    https://www.nonoise.org/lawlib/states/maryland/maryland.htm

    Okay, the 90 is for construction. But as you can see, it says day/night for MD’s noise regulations. The levels are pretty strict. 65dB daytime and 55dB night time. Measurement is at the property border.

    I highly doubt even though it doesn’t lost a specific exemption for hunting that any prosecutor would

    Nighttime is defined as 10pm to 7am.

    There doesn’t appear to be a specific exemption for hunting or shooting. Though there is for “household tools and appliances in normal operation”.

    At any rate, so long as it’s not between 10pm and 7am, probably not a chance Karen is going to be able to get anyone to do anything other than annoy you. Actually during night time hours as defined by law, since the noise standards are higher and most “exceeds” exemptions ONLY apply to daytime use/emission...probably you are way more likely to lose any ticket you might get for a noise ordinance and probably more likely the cops are to eventually issue one.

    That’s my 2 cents.

    If the db numbers are in the law, there is no chance of being convicted without a calibrated meter being used, even if you are shooting an Abrams
     

    boothdoc

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 23, 2008
    5,133
    Frederick county
    Did I hear Shinobi say he was hosting a night machine gun shoot??

    I am game. Maybe even shoot some tracers to really get her panties in a bunch!!!
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    I can't chime in on laws and local ordinances that deal with shooting after sunset. But I can tell you my friend Mooseman loved getting to the range before sunup to make fireballs in the dark...

    :innocent0

    :thumbsup:
     

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    AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,380
    Hampstead
    So...you have to shoot at night? Or do you mean you can only shoot from dawn (beginning) til dusk (ending)?

    He said you can only shoot between dusk and dawn.
     

    JMB

    Member
    Jan 30, 2019
    22
    It could be a county law but I do not know. Glad you live on such a property that you can shoot. I live in Calvert but in P. Fred and would love to have access to a place locally to shoot. Difficult to get to a range. Moving to Vermont in a couple of years to family farm (wife’s side). Ninety-three acres so I’ll have room to shoot Ou there.
     

    JMB

    Member
    Jan 30, 2019
    22
    Shooting After Datk

    As stated earlier, I too live in Calvert (P. Fred) and I hear gun shots regularly somewhere off in the distance (Stokley/MF Bowen area or thereabouts). I think it is awesome. Love the sound of the 2A!!
     

    lemmdus

    Active Member
    Feb 24, 2015
    380
    This is what happens when Re-res move up to the country out of Columbia, Montgomery County, or Baltimore City. First of all shooting between "Dusk and Dawn" that would definitely be after shoot light. Secondly, just kindly tell the officer you were shooting at coyotes. This is becoming more and more the problem. A few years ago I where I lived was pretty rural. A person moved out from DC and heard gun shots and called the cops. The policeman showed up, told her you now live in the country, people have guns and shoot them and left. Now a days the poor police have to go find the person doing the shooting.
     

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