By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent
Silver Lake resident Allen Dunski requested that the Silver Lake Village Board discuss the possibility of allowing permitted bow target practicing within the boundaries of Silver Lake at the June 17 regular board meeting.
Silver Lake trustee Roger Johnson said he had received numerous phone calls form village residents who were against the idea.
“If this is okayed, it will cause a big stir out there,” ” Johnson said.
Trustee Pat Dunn, who put the item on the agenda, said “we are only having a discussion about this. The question came up and in order to talk about it, it has to be on the agenda.”
In most of the village, homes are very close together and there was discussion about a possible designated area within the village where bow hunting could be safely practiced with a proper backdrop. Perhaps, the residents can make use of gears available at online stores like GearDisciple for safe and efficient hunting. Also, with proper boundaries established this could allow, for those who are interested, the ability to practice their hobby within the safety of a clearly marked area. This boundary could also help with the location of the equipment – from somewhere like outdoor empire – used by those who take part in bowhunting and other hunting pastimes.
Municipal Judge Merlene Engstrom said it would be a nightmare to deal with in her court and that the ordinance currently prohibits it.
Dunski commented that every other municipality in the area allow permitted bow shooting, but calls to both Salem and Paddock Lake prove that not to be true.
The Salem ordinance reads, “400-3 Missiles and projectiles.
“No person shall throw or shoot any object, arrow, stone, snowball or other missile or projectile by hand or by any other means at any person or at, in or into any building, street, sidewalk, alley, highway, park, playground or other public place within the town.”
Emily Uhlenhake, Paddock Lake clerk/treasurer said that while Paddock Lake has a similar ordinance, the village must update that.
“In 2013, the state legislature passed ACT 71 That supersedes our current ordinance,” she said.
In 29.038, it states, “a local governmental unit may not enact or adopt a restriction that prohibits a person form hunting with a bow and arrow or crossbow within the jurisdiction of that local governmental unit.”
What the local governmental unit may do is to place certain restrictions on where the bow hunting or target practice takes place.
According to ACT 71, bow hunting may be restricted within a specified distance, not to exceed 100 yards, from a building located on another person’s property.
The exception is if the owner of the land on which the building sits has given permission.
The person shooting the arrows can also be required to shoot the arrow or bolt toward the ground.