# REDFISH ON.......SHOTS FIRED!!!!



## bouy37 (Jun 18, 2008)

I picked my wife at Lute's Marina on Chocolate Bayou this morning at about 11:00 to help with the TPWD flounder round up. We ventured up bayou to a shoreline that usually holds reds and flounder. I figured it would be protected from the wind and an excellent place to start. After a few cast by the both of us, she's on and it's a red. As I am taking the hook out of the fish's mouth for her, we hear a few guns shots. No big thing, it is common in the rural area for this time of year. After all, hunting season is around the corner. What is not common were the bullets flying across the bayou. They were so close to us that we could hear them cutting through the wind. We hit the deck and I blew the horn wildly on the boat. The shots kept firing and the bullets continued to fly over our heads. I am not sure how far away the bullets were coming from, but there was a definate pause between the shot fired and hearing the bullet swoosh by the boat. If anyone reading this was shooting a rifle off CR 203 between Liverpool and Lutes Marina today around lunch time, use common sense before pulling the trigger. The bullet of a rifle travels great distances and that MUST BE RESPECTED!!!!!!!! Just because there is a bayou on the back side of your property doesn't mean you can shoot towards it. People use the bayou for fishing and boating. THERE IS NO REASON BULLETS SHOULD EVER BE FIRED TOWARDS CHOCOLATE BAYOU OR CHOCOLATE BAY.

On a brighter side of things. I think I heard almost 30 flounder were brought in alive for the TPWD to take with them. Way to go!!!!!! I had one flounder honey to shallow to get to and one under the protection of gun fire. I came up empty on the round up. There is always next year.


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## caz (Oct 23, 2006)

glad to hear the round up went well.. some people dont have any common sense


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## scubaru (Mar 28, 2005)

Duck hunters maybe?


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

doubt it at 11:00


scubaru said:


> Duck hunters maybe?


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## callsignsleepy (Apr 3, 2007)

hunting ducks with a rifle?


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## The Machine (Jun 4, 2007)

that is scary


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## 007 (Mar 11, 2008)

Was that you in the Carolina skiff? If so, I got Mud Skipper to call the game wardens right after you left.


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## kenny (May 21, 2004)

There are some crazy people out there....
Years ago I had a guy on the bank with his sail line shoot at me and my boat in Jumbile Cove. Another case of guns and alcohol, a dangerous combination.


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

Shame ya have to put on a Kevlar vest to go fishing. lol Seriously, some people have no frickin common sense what so ever. Glad ya didnt take one and congrats on the red.


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## bedicheck (Jan 9, 2006)

hate to say it, but i'm not surprised. some people do not have a shred of respect or responsibility. and it seems to be getting worse.


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## fishbowl365 (Mar 9, 2005)

and they breed too!!!


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## bouy37 (Jun 18, 2008)

mwb007: Yes that was me on the Carolina Skiff. We packed it in after that. We tried to fish a little, but couldn't get our minds straight after that encounter. I did an aerial search of the area using Mapquest last night. I have a pretty good idea where the shots were being fired from. I plan on paying them a visit next week to ask questions.


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## Captain Kyle (Oct 1, 2008)

scubaru said:


> Duck hunters maybe?


You dont duck hunt with rifles:biggrin:. If they were using shotguns you would have been able to see them and yell at them.


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## Bayscout22 (Aug 9, 2007)

bouy37 said:


> mwb007: Yes that was me on the Carolina Skiff. We packed it in after that. We tried to fish a little, but couldn't get our minds straight after that encounter. I did an aerial search of the area using Mapquest last night. I have a pretty good idea where the shots were being fired from. I plan on paying them a visit next week to ask questions.


Buoy,

Be careful if you decide to approach the folks that you think may have fired shots in your direction. Anyone that keeps firing a rifle in the general direction of a noise making device of any kind, isn't particularly logical (or stable). Maybe discuss it with local LE first...

Glad you guys weren't hurt! There is nothing like the sound of a bullet whizzing close to you..


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## Yellowtail (Oct 11, 2008)

Bayscout22 said:


> Buoy,
> 
> Be careful if you decide to approach the folks that you think may have fired shots in your direction. Anyone that keeps firing a rifle in the general direction of a noise making device of any kind, isn't particularly logical (or stable). Maybe discuss it with local LE first...
> 
> Glad you guys weren't hurt! There is nothing like the sound of a bullet whizzing close to you..


I agree. I wouldn't approach them. These kinds of people would shoot first before you could ask your question. A dead body at their doorstep with a knife (planted) should be enough to keep them roam free. Who knows, maybe those shots above your head was their kind of game. They should have heard your horn and should have stopped firing. This should be investigated by the game wardens and the local LE. Maybe they should monitor that area.


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## apslp (Jul 1, 2008)

Bayscout22 said:


> Buoy,
> 
> Glad you guys weren't hurt! There is nothing like the sound of a bullet whizzing close to you..


I dont think I would want anything or anyone WHIZZING near me!!!


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## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

They hunt ducks up that way. You can usually sit quiet and hear em talking to each other. They use the rifle to get the ducks up off the pond and into the air. Highly illegal. 

Biggie


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

There are lots of nuts out there that own 22's that think that little bullet wont go far or wont hurt anyone.
"After all its ONLY a 22."
I had the same thing happen to me and the morons shooting didnt have a clue....
They didnt mean any harm, they were just not aware of the bullets path. They probably think like all those nuts that use to shoot rifles and pistols in the air, in town, on New Years Eve.
"Bullets come down???? Where? When?"


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## scubaru (Mar 28, 2005)

Bigwater said:


> They hunt ducks up that way. You can usually sit quiet and hear em talking to each other. They use the rifle to get the ducks up off the pond and into the air. Highly illegal.
> 
> Biggie


Thats what I was picturing.


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## kcross (Aug 14, 2005)

I had the same thing happen to me on Chocolate Bayou about 5 years ago. I heard the shotgun pellets fly over my head. I yelled that there are fisherman out here and stop shooting. I dont think they realized that we were out on the bayou. Scary thinking I could have been peppered by a shotgun while I am fishing.


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## bouy37 (Jun 18, 2008)

I don't think it was duck hunters. The sequence of shots were inline with an AR-15 or something similar. The gun definately had a clip full of bullets. We laid on the floor of the boat while this person unloaded. I took the advice of the 2coolers on this thread and called the Brazoria County Sheriffs Department today. They called back very shortly and I gave the best description of events I possibly could (time, directions and location). 

My wife now has a morbid curiosity of wanting to know how close a bullet has to be before it can be heard cutting through to air. Does anyone have a clue? I told her I would ask ya'll.


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## Batboy0068 (Oct 10, 2006)

I would say 20 yards but just a guess


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

i carry a gun in my boat i am liable to return fire on that kinda BS!


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## Bassman5119 (Feb 26, 2008)

We were peppered by dove hunters one time while fishing Halls bayou. Don't think they knew we were there, but even after sounding the horn and yelling they didn't stop, so we went on down stream. So, keep it in mind even on Halls. Lot's of dove land around the bayou.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

*We spoke to the local LEO's about this*

We called the Sheriff about what happened....

It was some kids apperently ....

Shooting across a navagible water way is illegal.......and I told that the the Liver Pool PD officer that came down to speak with us at the marina.

He was not able to find them......

BTW
I was the guy that got on your skiff and trired to show you on your GPS a spot......

Sorry about your experience.......generally the bayou is preety quiet...


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## Levelwind (Apr 15, 2005)

If you hear the slug whizzing or it sounds like a yellow jacket just buzzed you, it was close. Some people have reported a soft 'crack" after a bullet passes overhead - never heard that personally. I'd say if you could hear them they were way too close. 

As far as being "peppered" is concerned - it's duck season. If you're going to fish the bays this time of year you may have some shotgun pellets fall harmlessly around you. This can occur at a distance of several hundred yards from the gun. Nothing to worry about if it's normal bird hunting loads. 

If you decide to stir up the Liverpool boys, make sure you know who you're messing with.


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## Night Trout (Jun 19, 2006)

Levelwind said:


> If you hear the slug whizzing or it sounds like a yellow jacket just buzzed you, it was close. Some people have reported a soft 'crack" after a bullet passes overhead - never heard that personally. I'd say if you could hear them they were way too close.
> 
> As far as being "peppered" is concerned - it's duck season. If you're going to fish the bays this time of year you may have some shotgun pellets fall harmlessly around you. This can occur at a distance of several hundred yards from the gun. Nothing to worry about if it's normal bird hunting loads.
> 
> If you decide to stir up the Liverpool boys, make sure you know who you're messing with.


 

I agree it is duck season. The shotgun pellets will not harm you, just leave your glasses on and put on a hat. I am sorry to hear some idiots were shooting a rifle in your direction, I am glad to hear no one was hurt. If the idiots do it again we can only hope they will get caught this time before anyone is injured. The flounder round up was a lot of fun and hopefully our efforts in the restocking program are successful.


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## williamcr (Aug 8, 2006)

Glad you are ok. Some people just dont think.


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## johnyb777 (May 3, 2005)

My father-in-law and I got *intentionally* pepperred last year near the Lydia Ann Channel (Port Aransas) by three duck hunters. We were drifting the shoreline and they were manning a duck blind (at 12 noon) that we didn't even see on the shoreline. They shot three times in our direction and started yelling at us. Honestly, I almost pooped myself as the bb's splashed all around us... not really thinking much, I raised my hand, aplogized and sped up the trolling motor to get out of the way... No sooner did I do that than I hooked up with a 26" redfish... go figure. Boy, I wanted to pull up the anchor on their boat when we drifted by.

Had they just let us drift on by, we would have never known they were there.... the ducks wouldn't have either.


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## WestEndAngler (Jan 30, 2007)

No, we called the cops on them, some kids were up from Lutes shooting had been last weekend apparently too... 25 of the 26 flounder were transported to the Sea Center in Lake Jackson safely...

http://forum.fishwestend.com/showthread.php?p=3212 (flounder event write up) I posted one on 2COOL b/c you have to be a member to see what images pop up...


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## WestEndAngler (Jan 30, 2007)

If someone intentionally shoots in your direction you best call 911 and Game Warden that's Hunter's Education 101... I don't care how far away or if you don't even have the gun loaded... Don't point at or shoot at another person... Common sense!


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## 11andy11 (Aug 12, 2004)

boy, I don't know how I would handle being shot at with duck loads intentionally. I am chl, so its hard to say what the response would be. The best thing would be to back off and call leos or game wardens, but its hard to say when your under fire. I would be ticked to say the least.


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## twitch-twitch-reel (May 21, 2006)

I have had the same thing happen at parkers cut. people go buy a new gun and want to go plink. they start shooting across oyster creek, not thinking about boats. 

any time I see somone shoot across the creek, I call the law. because that is a big no no! if they are being responsiable, I don't bother them.


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## Bayscout22 (Aug 9, 2007)

11andy11 said:


> boy, I don't know how I would handle being shot at with duck loads intentionally. I am chl, so its hard to say what the response would be. The best thing would be to back off and call leos or game wardens, but its hard to say when your under fire. I would be ticked to say the least.


There is no question I would call the law...and I would probably wait right there (our about 120 yds out) until they arrived.


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