Backyard Archery Legal?

[djslik]

One of my shooting buddies has convinced me to buy a compound bow for fun. Ammo is getting expensive and I get too lazy to reload all the time so I figure this could be a good alternative to keep me busy. I was doing some research and haven't found anything regarding target archery in your backyard in California. I am lucky enough to have a rear detached garage with a private gate on my driveway and wanted to have a target setup in my garage. No one would be able to see me from the street so it would be completely enclosed to my backyard.

I know that it is probably frowned upon in CA, but the legalities is what I'm worried about. I don't think a Bow & Arrow is considered a firearm, but I need help from you guys that might be more knowledgeable on this subject.

In case you're wondering I'm concerned about San Jose regulations.

[secret.asian.man]

10 years ago i wasn't bothered by police when i did it at a local park. i was aware of my surroundings, my dad was watching me and who ever got close, i didn't do it in a direction of houses or people, and i had a huge water heater box full of news paper, styrofoam, and stuff like that. 10 years ago i was 12 years old.

i do not know any of the laws regarding bows and crossbows but you cant be seen or herd, you are on your own property, just be as safe as you can and try not to shoot over the fence into your neighbor or his house. ahaha

[Rusty Scabbard]

You should be able to look up local regulations online. I checked out the rules in Santa Barbara county a couple years ago, and the only explicit reference I found was that they're illegal to shoot on any county park.
Be really careful though. If police have to respond to an angry neighbor complaint, there is very likely something serious on the books you could be cited for, especially if a wayward arrow put someone at risk. My hunting buddy put one through his neighbors sliding glass door once. Fortunately they settled it without police involvement, but the neighbor was not the least bit amused. And he doesn't shoot in his backyard anymore.
Even if you shoot accurately, a D-loop or release failure can send one skyward.
Have a good backstop. They'll completely through a 1x cedar fence board BTW. Don't sky-draw, and keep all fingers behind the release trigger until you anchor and are ready for the shot.

[djslik]

Yea I'm only worried about a wild arrow or an angry neighbor. I really don't want to give police any reason to be on my property.

[djslik]

Good news I just found out that Stevens Creek has a free archery range that I can visit on a regular basis. I think that just solved my problem.

[Desert_Rat]

We have an alley. A few years ago my son liked bow shooting. I brought home 4 bales of straw and set them up in the alley and he wailed away. My neighbors were all fine with it, even one of the old timers came out and would use the bales for his air rifle.(Nothing but farmland at the end of the alley) and the old guy would show my son some pointers on his bow too. Cops...were never involved.

[twoforme2]

Good news I just found out that Stevens Creek has a free archery range that I can visit on a regular basis. I think that just solved my problem.

Much better plan.

I have destroyed a few things from errant arrows, and a broken d-loop once caused me to stick an arrow through the steel tubing of my utility trailer (one side anyway) and gave me one hell of a fat lip.

Had a few others while learning to shoot a back tension release, that can be a bloody painful learning curve in and of itself.

[gatesbox]

Good news I just found out that Stevens Creek has a free archery range that I can visit on a regular basis. I think that just solved my problem.

I think they have a 3D course up there somewhere too.... Or so I hear tell...

[wjc]

I think they have a 3D course up there somewhere too.... Or so I hear tell...

Look up Bowhunters Unlimited. We are an archery club that helps maintain the Stevens Creek Archery range.

There is a 70+ yard practice range as well as a trail with targets (+30). We only use the 3d targets during club shoots.

Go here for more info:

http://bhuarchers.org/bow/

[send it_hit]

i once punched a clean hole through a thick fence and a neighbors window.... first time shooting a crossbow when i was 12 in a friend's backyard

good luck, sounds like the range might be perfect though

[gnatnoop]

i shoot my bow on my front lawn all the time and have had no problems.. I have even seen a couple of my neighbors do the same.

[dougtoni]

There is no real law agaisnt it. Check with city ordinence thru. If you dont have the room or dont want to do it outside, set a target area in the garage or in the house. If you know know what reverse sighting is, you can shoot out to 100 yards in your own home. This works great when it is realy cold or its raining outside.

[njineermike]

My neighbor across the street shoots from my yard to his sometime for distance. I prefer the rqnge the boy scouts built at Lake Poway myself.

[anthonyca]

You should be able to look up local regulations online. I checked out the rules in Santa Barbara county a couple years ago, and the only explicit reference I found was that they're illegal to shoot on any county park.
Be really careful though. If police have to respond to an angry neighbor complaint, there is very likely something serious on the books you could be cited for, especially if a wayward arrow put someone at risk. My hunting buddy put one through his neighbors sliding glass door once. Fortunately they settled it without police involvement, but the neighbor was not the least bit amused. And he doesn't shoot in his backyard anymore.
Even if you shoot accurately, a D-loop or release failure can send one skyward.
Have a good backstop. They'll completely through a 1x cedar fence board BTW. Don't sky-draw, and keep all fingers behind the release trigger until you anchor and are ready for the shot.

I really want to shoot my compound bow but I won't shoot it in my yard. My brother and I were shooting the bow out in the desert and the D ring failed. It scarred the crap out of him and he looked at me in shock and said " I have no F N clue where your arrow went"!

Good thing we were practicing safe range control and no one was out there. It was funny but we both blurted out at the same time, "I guess that means no shooting in the back yard".

[OutlawDon]

Check out Black Mountain Bowmen Archery Range also. Very well maintained range with a variety of distances and target settings. It's in South San Jose.

Let me know if you need any more advice. I'm very big into archery and just got back from King's Mountain Archery range today. I was over at Redwood Bowmen in the Oakland hills all day yesterday for the first time. Both gorgeous places with some fun targets at different elevations with spectacular settings. SF Archers in Pacifica is also at place I go to a lot. Their large practice field is where I do a lot of testing from 20-110 yards.