Airgun Depot's Airsenal News

One of the topics that abounds on airgun forums is the legality of discharging your airgun in certain areas. There are several issues that need to be considered before going shooting.

First, check your local and state laws on just exactly where your air gun fits in regards to its classification as a weapon. Some states and locales do not consider air guns weapons, while others do. And if you live in small-town America, you may have some leeway depending on your relationship with the local authorities. I enjoy a good relationship with my local chief of police, and have permission to discharge my air guns within city limits.

After you establish the legality of shooting in your area, and find that you can indeed shoot, check with your neighbors if you have any. Good relationships with your neighbors go a long ways towards bringing others into the shooting sports, and being a good neighbor shows responsibility and consideration that is appreciated by those around you. 

On the airgun hunting forum I host, another consideration that has cropped up lately is the shooting of pests. This consideration can be a tricky one, for some state laws are written in such a way that certain game animals, as well as non-game animals, can be considered pests if they are messing up the yard, annoying your domestic pets, or trying to gain access to the house for nesting areas (such as the attic, chimney, or basement/crawl space). In some cases you can shoot them and be done with them, and in others you simply can't according to the law. An example of the kind of animal that falls in this category is the common crow. It has a season in many places, but if you plant a garden and find crows picking out the seeds to your freshly planted plot, you are allowed to shoot them. Again, this varies from area to area, and YOU need to check it out for yourself.

Far too often a new airgunner, in their excitement of enjoying their sport, will inadvertently shoot a bird thinking it is a pest, only to find out that it is a desireable species rather than the ever-present, annoying English sparrow or European starling.  Target identification is very important, and not everything that has wings is a pest, and not everything that has fur is a rodent intent on living in your house. So take a few extra seconds to identify your target before making a mistake that removes a desirable bird or other animal from the ecosystem.

You drive a car, don't you? Surely you took a few minutes to familiarize yourself with local and state laws about how you can drive your car? Speed limits differ from locale to locale, and you can't always turn right on red in some places. So, do the same with your shooting habits. KNOW your rules, abide by them, and represent your sport in the best light possible.

It is the responsibility of all of us in the shooting sports to be ethical. The public is watching, and it is up to us to show our very best to critics and enthusiasts alike.