Rapid Gunshots in Monaghan??

ShaShaBear

I'm living in the countryside of Monaghan, literally smack on the border of Culloville, and for the past hour there's been what I assume to be gunshots going off every minute or so.

Is there any hunting at the minute? What would someone be firing at so often? There's just been about three in the last 30 seconds, and while I don't mind it, my dog is absolutely terrified to the point that he's soiling himself and making screaming noises - currently trying to eat the wall so that he can hide behind the bathroom sink

Guess I just want to find out if someone knows what might be going on in the area so I can figure out when it might stop.

garyc007

it could be somone shooting clays by the sound of things. try turning up the tv or radio and playing with your dog to settle him down. if the shots are very close you could try asking them if they have anywhere else to shoot as your dog is very scared

ShaShaBear

garyc007 wrote: »

it could be somone shooting clays by the sound of things. try turning up the tv or radio and playing with your dog to settle him down. if the shots are very close you could try asking them if they have anywhere else to shoot as your dog is very scared

My mum said the same thing, it's still going on now (really hoping it's a once off) and the poor thing is terrified. I can't touch him when he is like this (naturally, he assumes that the nice lady he's lived with for 9 years that gives him food, belly rubs and lights the fire for him is also generating this noise through the palm of her hands and will use it to deliver pain somehow :rolleyes: ) as I don't want him getting stressed further after snapping. Can't see anyone outside within two fields of any direction, and yet the sound seems to be within about 50 feet of my front door

Any idea how long something like this would last, and if there is anything I can do if it becomes regular?

daithi55

could be a banger in a shed or field for the birds

djflawless

daithi55 wrote: »

could be a banger in a shed or field for the birds

id consider this most likely..1 of the local farmers only set his up yesterday

garyc007

ShaShaBear wrote: »

My mum said the same thing, it's still going on now (really hoping it's a once off) and the poor thing is terrified. I can't touch him when he is like this (naturally, he assumes that the nice lady he's lived with for 9 years that gives him food, belly rubs and lights the fire for him is also generating this noise through the palm of her hands and will use it to deliver pain somehow :rolleyes: ) as I don't want him getting stressed further after snapping. Can't see anyone outside within two fields of any direction, and yet the sound seems to be within about 50 feet of my front door

Any idea how long something like this would last, and if there is anything I can do

nothing really other than talk with the lads. usually its kept to quiet areas like bogs or forestrys. but if you cant see anyone and its close its probably a banger a farmer has set as the others say

wildfowler94

the ra !

ShaShaBear

garyc007 wrote: »

nothing really other than talk with the lads. usually its kept to quiet areas like bogs or forestrys. but if you cant see anyone and its close its probably a banger a farmer has set as the others say

Oh Lord, I hope not! Will have to speak to the estate agent if that's the case! Can't have the poor mite like this all day!

One shot on kill

By the dog a set of active ear muffs.

yubabill1

seriously, though, has the problem continued?

My dog is terrified every year by fireworks at hallowe'en so I have an idea what you are going through.

extremetaz

I take it you've just moved into the area?

Bangers are pretty common around arable crops at this time of year - keeps the crows/pigeons off the seed.

You're stuck with it for a few weeks I'd say although they aren't usually setup to fire that regularly - usually about 1 bang every 5-10 minutes.

ShaShaBear

extremetaz wrote: »

I take it you've just moved into the area?

Bangers are pretty common around arable crops at this time of year - keeps the crows/pigeons off the seed.

You're stuck with it for a few weeks I'd say although they aren't usually setup to fire that regularly - usually about 1 bang every 5-10 minutes.

I have, yeah, but this is something we cleared with the estate agent before moving in! Hopefully it's not as bad tomorrow, he's a wreck all day and won't touch his food now

Tristann2aaa

Hunting

yubabill1

Tristann2aaa wrote: »

Hunting

Hunters wouldn't stay around all day like that.

You ill find they often have some consideration for others.

extremetaz

ShaShaBear wrote: »

I have, yeah, but this is something we cleared with the estate agent before moving in! Hopefully it's not as bad tomorrow, he's a wreck all day and won't touch his food now

Yeah, can understand how it'd be hard on him if it's close by and he's literally just after arriving at this new, strange home. Would literally have to be within a few hundred meters of the house for it to be loud enough to cause the sort of distress you're talking about though.

If it's that close then you might be able to get it shifted to the far side of the field if you talk very nicely to your new neighbours... but it wouldn't exactly be the best reason to be introducing yourself if you don't already know them (very easy to get branded as the whingey towny if you're brand new and that's your first contact).

He may come right after a day or two once he realises that the noise isn't coming to get him - alternatively you could leave him with family or something for a wee while.

Depending on his age then you could also look into getting him trained to blanks or something between now and next season so that the stress may be avoided next year - although there's plenty of folk on here far more dog savvy than I am in that regard.

Have plenty of dogs ourselves but bangers have never bothered them to any significant extent, and even then only for the first day, after that it's business as usual.

As to it being hunters as suggested above - I'd say not a chance, not with regular shots, from the same location, over a prolonged period, and especially not at this time of year. I'd be certain it's a banger.

jellybaby21

Why would it not be lads shooting pigeons on maybe a rape field?

djflawless

jellybaby21 wrote: »

Why would it not be lads shooting pigeons on maybe a rape field?

could ne...but id imagine a lot more shots....10 a min sometimes :eek:

extremetaz

jellybaby21 wrote: »

Why would it not be lads shooting pigeons on maybe a rape field?

djflawless wrote: »

could ne...but id imagine a lot more shots....10 a min sometimes :eek:

yup - when you're shooting pigeons/crows, the shots come in volleys with longer periods in between. Not in regular, single shot instances as is being described by the OP.

although to be fair this one line

ShaShaBear wrote: »

There's just been about three in the last 30 seconds,

does sound less mechanical alright.

So I suppose it couldn't be ruled out - I'd love to know what they're using to pull the birds in though if they're firing that regularly.

ShaShaBear

Thanks for all the help guys - there's been no noise since, but it continued the whole day so I'm going to assume it was someone out shooting. Did take the dog out for a walk in the hopes I'd find them, introduce himself and possibly he'd feel better knowing what the noise was coming from, but I couldn't find anyone.

He's nine this year so I don't want him this distressed, especially next week when I'm back in college and he's left on his own! We won't be staying next year anyway, so hopefully that's the end of it for now.

Cass

ShaShaBear wrote: »

................. but it continued the whole day so I'm going to assume it was someone out shooting. ..........

You know what they say about assumptions?

Why assume it's a shooter. As outlined above that would mean 60 shots per hour for over 10-12 hours. That's 600 - 720 shots. If you could hear the shots from a distance,and they were loud and distinctive then it's either a fll bore rifle or shotgun.

At €1 a bullet (at the minimum for a rifle), and €0.20 per shotgun shot (again at the cheapest) that's between €120 to €1,440 for one person not to mention a hell of a sore shoulder from firing that many rounds, non stop, all day.


My point is it was not a shooter. Could not have been with the consistency of the shots, and amount of them.

ShaShaBear

Cass wrote: »

You know what they say about assumptions?

Why assume it's a shooter. As outlined above that would mean 60 shots per hour for over 10-12 hours. That's 600 - 720 shots. If you could hear the shots from a distance,and they were loud and distinctive then it's either a fll bore rifle or shotgun.

At €1 a bullet (at the minimum for a rifle), and €0.20 per shotgun shot (again at the cheapest) that's between €120 to €1,440 for one person not to mention a hell of a sore shoulder from firing that many rounds, non stop, all day.


My point is it was not a shooter. Could not have been with the consistency of the shots, and amount of them.

Well I had never heard of these banger things that farmers use, so I went with the next likely thing in my head that would cause a banging noise that would terrify my dog :rolleyes:
I obviously don't know anything about shooting, but since there has been no disturbance at all today, I'm going to assume that all the birds have mysteriously disappeared, or that there was something else going on that is no longer happening.

jellybaby21

Cass wrote: »

You know what they say about assumptions?

Why assume it's a shooter. As outlined above that would mean 60 shots per hour for over 10-12 hours. That's 600 - 720 shots. If you could hear the shots from a distance,and they were loud and distinctive then it's either a fll bore rifle or shotgun.

At €1 a bullet (at the minimum for a rifle), and €0.20 per shotgun shot (again at the cheapest) that's between €120 to €1,440 for one person not to mention a hell of a sore shoulder from firing that many rounds, non stop, all day.


My point is it was not a shooter. Could not have been with the consistency of the shots, and amount of them.

How can you say its not a shooter or shooters?The OP says there was 3 in 30 seconds so you cant make it out the way you have at 1 a min for 10-12 hours.It may have seemed like every min or so to the OP. Did the OP even say it went on for 12 hours?It didnt happen today so to me that would rule out a banger because I dont know any farmers that put a banger in a field for a day and most bangers around here go off every 10 or 15 mins?I have to say it does sounds a bit strange.For the shots? to sound so close and to see no sign of anything.

ShaShaBear

jellybaby21 wrote: »

How can you say its not a shooter or shooters?The OP says there was 3 in 30 seconds so you cant make it out the way you have at 1 a min for 10-12 hours.It may have seemed like every min or so to the OP. Did the OP even say it went on for 12 hours?It didnt happen today so to me that would rule out a banger because I dont know any farmers that put a banger in a field for a day and most bangers around here go off every 10 or 15 mins?I have to say it does sounds a bit strange.For the shots? to sound so close and to see no sign of anything.

Theres only limited range where I live, Im at the bottom of a hill, and there is only so much I can see. Someone could be two fields behind me and I wouldn't be able to see them because they would be on the other side of the hill. We heard a lot of dogs about a week ago, I thought there might be something for hunting this time of year (again, wouldn't have a clue, especially since I can throw stones into the North - don't know if their laws are different)