As some know, we had an Upstate Bowfishing Club tournament on Lake Murray, SC this last Saturday night. My team and I had only been on the lake one time before, and that was quite some time ago. We didn't scout any, just showed up to have a good time as it was about 2 hours away from where we live. After blast off, we randomly picked a main lake cove to start out in. As we fished the left side bank going towards the back, we came across a house having a huge party. We swung out wide so as not to disturb anyone, but a few people came out on the dock to see what we were doing. It was a party, so there was a lot of loud talking and shouting, but nothing that we saw was aimed at us. With the kicker wide open, we quickly passed that house and fished the back. When we started coming out on the right side bank, we heard loud voices again, but passed it off as the party. We kept coming to the main lake point and followed it on around. As soon as we made the turn, BOOM!! No warning or anything. We look to the bank, and there is a guy hiding in the bushes with a shotgun pointed at us. The guy is about 30 yards away and the wad lands right at the boat. Before we can even process whats going on, he racks another and shoots again. My two teammates jump in the floor of the boat as I throttle to turn away. He waves the gun in the air and screams, and then unleashes two more rounds. All four shots were when we were between 30 and 50 yards. I grabbed my pistol but didn't shoot. His backstop was open water, mine were million dollar homes. Once we got to a point where we felt safe, I dialed 911 while my friend used Google maps streetview to get an address of the guys house. We met an officer at the ramp where we put in at to file the report. They sent a different cop by water that night to the house, but the shooter wouldn't come to the door. We still wanted to press charges so they turned the case over to investigators. The detective called me today after she went to the guy's house. Turns out that he admitted to doing it because he was tired of having lights shined in his house over the last several weekends. He said he was sorry, and that nothing like this would happen again. When the detective told him that we could have shot and killed him and it would have been self defense, his reply was "Well I've been shot at by boats before". I took that as he has been harassing other boats in the past, and he has not learned his lesson. That's why we are continuing to press charges and they are going with "Pointing and presenting a firearm" which has a max sentence of five years in jail. We are going later this week to pick him out of a lineup (which I don't know why we have to do that after he admitted to it) and to sit down with a judge. I'll keep this thread updated in case anyone finds themselves in a similar situation.
scoutlover
Update on getting shot at...
Whew you have more respect for million dollar homes than me. Good on you for not making that guy look like a pin cushion even though he deserved it.
wow thats crazy hopefully he gets more than five years and hopefully its a felony and he looses his guns lol
Your braver than me, I would have been spraying the bushes as I retreated. Im not claiming to be a billy bad ars but I will not bat an eye at returning fire... Im glad everyone left that night safe.
Getting shot at aint ever fun. I probably would have sent a mag worth of .45 down range at him, but it sounds like you did the right thing, especially keeping others in mind. That's good. Keep us updated, hopefully they wring him out. That chit ain't right.
Wow! Some people are idiots
I don't think I could have kept myself from ending it right then and there.
I don't think I could have kept myself from ending it right then and there.
We got shot at on that lake too:td: I was unarmed at the time and won't make that mistake again
Glad you guys weren't hurt
Glad you guys weren't hurt
It was a hard decision not to shoot. The 2 main reasons I didn't was that I had my snub-nosed .38 on me instead of my .45, and I don't see that being too accurate at 50 yards. The other reason was that I've been taught to never fire from a vehicle, because you always have the option of leaving. I think looking back now it was the right decision based on the fact that we were 100% in the right and there is nothing he can hold against us. If I had heard a pellet hit the boat though, well that's a different story...
We didn't get shot at but we got cursed out by some dude and a lil while later some woman was sitting in a pontoon tied to the dock , I didn't see her till we was already on top of her, I said hey how are ya ? She decides to shine a bright led flash light in my eyes...I said I can see you please get the light out of my eyes..she then started to wave it...so I got my bright led and put it in her eyes and asked her how she liked it..
If we keep having a bunch of issues with this lake we will talk about taking it off the schedule...
If we keep having a bunch of issues with this lake we will talk about taking it off the schedule...
Man what a night. I hope your able to get him prosecuted and see him do a little time in the pokie. Sounds like he's a spoiled rich brat that's use to getting his way. If ya'll don't stop this yahoo he's only going to get braver and someone is going to get hurt bad!!
if you can't id him for sure. Send one of your friends that wasn't there to his house. Have them knock on the door then take a photo of him when he comes to the door. 
You said "all four shots were between 30 and 50 yards". I'd guess they were warning shots since none of you got hit.
Probably smarter that you didn't shoot back. He deserves to go to jail no doubt, but not killed. IMHO
Probably smarter that you didn't shoot back. He deserves to go to jail no doubt, but not killed. IMHO
He is very lucky it wasn't my boat because if someone shoots at me I take that as a threat on my life...and the 1911 in my boat has long legs ...
sadly to say...if he lives in a million dollar home, he'll get out of any charges.....$$ talks
That snub nose wouldve been smokin. And after that all my arrows and anything else. Hope he gets some jail time and catches one in the pooper in the shower.
Geez what a mess. I had a similar incident a number of years ago. Drove by a party and some drugged up a-hole was outside with a sawed off 12-guage. Mistook my truck for someone he apparently hated and emptied all 5 rounds at my truck while I was 40-50 yards away. Some of the pellets chipped paint and thank God no one was hurt. Immediately called it in and they guy got arrested for possessing an illegal firearm and also possession of meth.
I hope this yuppie gets what he has coming for him. Some people have no regard for others that bother them.
I hope this yuppie gets what he has coming for him. Some people have no regard for others that bother them.
Good thing this wasnt in Texas, he woulda been shot after the first shot he put towards my boat.
I have not had troubles like these bowfishing.....But reading some of the threads on here make me want carry my weapon with me !!!!!!!!!!!!
Most places around here we fish are not around homes. Most people around here are glad to see use and even tell us were they have seen fish. Not that, that helps all the time but we are always polite. I hope that his money doesn't get him out of trouble and they send a message to others by making him an example....
Most places around here we fish are not around homes. Most people around here are glad to see use and even tell us were they have seen fish. Not that, that helps all the time but we are always polite. I hope that his money doesn't get him out of trouble and they send a message to others by making him an example....
LIKE BCBOWFISHING said i have never been shoot at or any thing like that and for the most part where we fish at there are no homes. People around here are normally nice about it and will help you find some fish but mainly they are want to know more about the sport and how it bennifets the lakes and rivers in our area witch i am more than happy to explain to them and even invite them to come out and shoot with us one night so they can see just how many fish are actually out there and that we are not doing it just for the he\\ of it we are trying to help control some of the invasive spicies of fish in our waters
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
