Someone is shooting at my House!

I have not been able to write about this because I am in shock over it. But last Wednesday I came home to find two bullet holes in my kitchen window, about 18 inches apart. Thank goodness no cats were hit - they love to sit on that window sill and the holes are just at cat head height. I have had the Police round and they think it was caused by hunters on the hill up in front of the house. But it is a long way and there is no direct line of sight that I can find. My gates were closed but not locked, but there is no sign of anyone having entered the property. The bullets/shot are nowhere to be seen - I think they are probably somewhere on the terrace, but that is gravelled and would take a metal detector. I have also told the local mayor and my neighbour, who knows the hunt organisation well, is going to speak to them.

I am paranoid enough about safety, as you know. But I have taken to locking all my interior as well as external doors at night. Needless to say, all the cats have been kept in since it happened. And now I have to deal with the insurance and replace two panes of expensive sealed double glazed glass. It is the most scary thing that has ever happened to me.

Oh Jenny i'm not suprised your in shock over this

Is there any street lighting where you are because it's quite remote isn't it?. Have you got a halogen light on the house just incase anyone gets onto the property?.

I hope it has just been hunters. Will the mayor and your neighbour get back to you after they've had a word with them?

No. Susan, there is no street lighting. I do have sensor lights on the house. But this happened in daylight, which is why the police think it was hunters. It is the beginning of the season, and there are a lot of trigger-happy morons out there. It is just very strange that if it was shots from several hundred yards away, high up on the hill and not aimed at the house but at some game in the woods, why are the holes so close together?

Heidi might be able to answer your question better with her being part of a gun club, or some of the other members who use firearms may have an idea.

It could be to do with hunters though with the season just starting, and especially in daylight. Hopefully this was just a one off because you've never had anything like this happen since you've lived there have you?.

Oh wow, that is definitely scary! It makes no sense that the hunters would be shooting towards your home and actually hit the glass so close together!! Rob had an incident where he got to work and found 11 bullet holes from like a .22 in the side of the building he works in, and 1 bullet hole in the back of a car next to it. They found all the casings in front of a house behind the building, the cops were even asking the guys that lived there if they knew what happened. They laughed the whole time and said no, while standing right next to the casings! Of course, nothing happened.

Hopefully that never happens again to you! That's pretty terrifying to think someone is aiming directly at your home!!!

Bullet holes in your window? That really is frightening.

I hope that the the powers that be, in your area, take this very seriously.

Several years ago during a party one of my friends noticed a bullet hole in our detached garage. We looked further and found it had entered a supply cabinet that Neil used. If that cabinet wasn't there and he was in the garage he could have been hit.

When we first reported one of our cats being injured by a gun we called the sheriff's dept who came and took our statemet and we had them look at the hole in the garage. (its was from a .22). The stated it most likely came from our neighbor across the road and said they would speak with him. He was the one that several years later I had charged with killing sheba.

That being said there are many people who hunt around here for deer season. If I am outside I wear blaze orange. The cats are confined during this time. There are many inexperienced hunters out there who will continue to fire away with their guns to hit their target long after its has outrun them.

I would speak with the hunting group too if you could because if you home was damaged other homes could be damaged too.

Glad that you and the cats are safe though.

Originally Posted by xocats

Bullet holes in your window? That really is frightening.

I hope that the the powers that be, in your area, take this very seriously.

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How scary! I am SO glad you and the kitties are ok. I would certainly talk to any local hunt clubs, etc. to help spread the word.

I hate to say this, and no disrespect meant to responsible hunters, but not all are. Could have been some drunk idiots who saw your cats in the window and shot at them. The start of hunting season brings out all kinds of nut cases (I live in a hunting area) If this happend in daylight I am guessing they had been out since sunup and had hit the booze hard.

Oh how very scary! :hug:

Im sure glad your kitties or youself didnt get hurt! We dont have hunters here and its illegal to have firearms .. people around this bit of england need a license for the big BB guns! im glad of that!

Jess x

How frightening! I hope you get to the bottom of this...that's ridiculous!

Like you say, it is the beginning of the hunting season here, and there are a load of idiots around. But I think the mayor is taking it seriously and he is speaking to the Hunting Association. Sadly, though, even if our local hunters are careful, there are many from the cities who come down for a weekend and really should not have licenses at all.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Like you say, it is the beginning of the hunting season here, and there are a load of idiots around. But I think the mayor is taking it seriously and he is speaking to the Hunting Association. Sadly, though, even if our local hunters are careful, there are many from the cities who come down for a weekend and really should not have licenses at all.

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I'm glad the mayor is taking it seriously. Obviously there are idiots who should not be hunting or shooting all around the world.

It's possible that if said hunting idiot shot twice at the same point of aim (roughly) and missed (as idiots do quite often) and it happened to be in the line of trajectory with your home that it could be a total accident. If they happened to be aiming up a hill, the arc of the bullet going over the hill and descending to your house, they wouldn't have even known your house was in the line of fire. Stranger things have been known to happen.

I will say this, if it was high-powered rifle and the shot did not pierce the window completely, which I assume it didn't from where you thought the bullets would be, it had gone sub-sonic and wasn't actually aimed at your home. It most likely was an accident. Doesn't make it any less scary that it happened, but at least the idea of malicious intent isn't likely.

wow that is so scary. I hear gin shots near my house but never had gun shots at my house.

OMG how awful. Many that you and your cats stay safe.

Glad you guys are ok. I have been to your neck of the world. (you know that whole d-day thing) kinda shocked that people are allowed to hunt with a rifle, here in ohio, your only allowed to hunt with shotguns. Rifles have to much range.

Well, two things have happened, both good from my point of view. The insurance company have arranged for a glazier to come on Friday afternoon to fix the panes, and the local paper are taking an interest and a journalist is coming to interview me and take pix of the window on Friday morning. At least it will show people what can happen if they are careless.

I would be scared and angry. Many vibes that everything goes well for you. A little publicity in the paper to remind hunter of safe practices can't hurt.

Small update - the journalist came round today and was very sympathetic. She has four cats so saw things from my side. She took a pic of Dushka looking out of the bullet hole. But we will have to see what is published. The glazier came and measured up but said it was a complicated job because of the sealed double glazing, and could not be done immediately. But it is in hand.