Discharging a firearm to scare a bear-legal?

[DBuck]

Where you live I highly doubt anyone will be calling the authorities for a gun shot.

[Batsto]

Discharging a weapon is unBearable. 

[BHC]

Discharging a firearm is illegal,  unless shooting into a target,  animal while hunting....but you do what needs to be done to protect you and your family.  

[Greybeard]

NJ might allow you to wave a sparkler at it.

[birddogger]

I know they are illegal, but I would bet that bear would be headed for parts unknown if you launched a small bottle rocket at it.    

Seriously-  find someone you know that is into training dogs.   A blank starter's pistol, even a 22 starter pistol with some black powder crimp loads makes a heckuva racket  and many starter pistols hold 9 rounds.   They also make .32 starter pistols that fire a .32 blank.  It is LOUD.  There are also blank guns which fire 209 shotgun primers which are almost as loud as the .32's.  32 blanks are expensive.  209 primers are cheap. 

The beauty of using a starter's pistol is that it is NOT a firearm, by definition ... and that is according to the ATF.   Therefore it does not come under any of the laws governing discharge of firearms.   If it has a solid barrel, it cannot fire a projectile  and cannot be considered a firearm.

RayG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[3Blade]

Blunt tip arrow...no one will hear a thing.

[stratocaster]

8 hours ago, Swamp_Yankee said:

Nothing on my property, but we live in the middle of two large farms.  Lots of folks around here have chickens, goats, and other animals.  My neighbor down the road has fruit trees, the folks up the hill from us keep bees, etc...in other words, its not as simple as taking down a bird feeder or keeping the trash cans in the garage.  We also have a pond out back that he has taken a liking to.  

Exactly.  So people who say "you must have a food source or the bears wouldn't be there" are as full  of it as the anti-bear hunt nut jobs.   Got apple trees, food source, acorns on the ground, food source, corn field, food source, raise chickens, food source, pool in the yard, well what do you expect, bears need to cool off, you should not be the only people to use the pool.  The BS never ends.   How about there are too many damn bears?  That would be too logical and NJ is totally illogical as are some of the people on here. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by stratocaster

[madeinuk]

17 hours ago, DBuck said:

Where you live I highly doubt anyone will be calling the authorities for a gun shot.

Right.

I live in Bethlehem township too and unless you are unlucky enough to have uptight neighbors (which I strongly doubt) nobody will bat an eyelid over a shotgun being discharged.

[outdoorslife]

Ive got a starter pistol and 12 gauge poppers. Let me know, Ill take the ride

[Livesintrees]

On 7/9/2018 at 9:00 AM, Swamp_Yankee said:

 

 

I'm guessing either of these approaches would result in a one-way ticket to court, loss of hunting license, fines, etc...at least in NJ.  

Unless you call them and say hey I just shot a bear with a non lethal round bc he was standing on my porch.....you’ll have no issues. I have one that just recently decided he likes getting too close to the house. Two dogs barking he doesn’t care. Me outside yelling at him he doesn’t care. Walk towards him, he stands his ground. Rubber slug is next. If that doesn’t phase him, then I’ll deal with him. 

[Buck154]

On 7/9/2018 at 9:00 AM, Swamp_Yankee said:

 

 

I'm guessing either of these approaches would result in a one-way ticket to court, loss of hunting license, fines, etc...at least in NJ.  

Only if you post it on here...

[jerseyhunter]

I would try an air horn  first