Really Ray, this is what your worrying about ? You have nothing better to do with your time than worry about Duck Hunting? Just be aware that you are Dealing with FEDERAL Guidlines when it come to Waterfowl Hunting so you better be ready to deal with the FEDS and not your Cronies at the State House. Good Luck with that and your next re-election bid. Be a Good boy and worry a little more about Property Tax and Jobs instead of Birds. Have you and Mr. Edwards been smoking those STUPID STICKS again?

the RI DEM has laws and they enforce them, I'm sure that they have checked this out and been told no laws are being broken here,so someone goes to the rep and he jumps on this, It,s not really needed, but then again if this doesn't pass him and his photo partner can go duck hunting down there stoned out of their minds, at least they got their pictures up on very important issues,

Typical Democrats messing with gun control

judging from the 500 ft rule, the hunters are going to lose.

This is not a safety issue. Bird shot might travel 500 feet with some wind behind it. If it gets there it will no have enough energy to do much more than bounce off what ever it hits. This is about NIMBYism and noise in the morning. Leave the hunters alone. Mr Gallison no gives yet another reason to vote him out in NoV.

i hope he checks with middletown and bristol when he try's this,they have already been thru it, but tossing around name like scab's just start more problems then they solve, also his ordinace will effect farms and posibly tiverton rod and gun,what started all this/ someone in KG gave him a chunk of money and called in the deal

This island is sinking. Too many people.

I have to agree with Will....Birdshot will not travel that distance and this is a NIMBY/NOISE complaint. You are dealing with both state and fed regs being migratory waterfowl..Whats next, turn off the fog horns on weekends? ?

Trival legaslation keeps this fool in the headlines to show he cares about the people, that is his intent. Once you let the big goverment types in this is what we get, nose jobs trying to control others.

As posted on Shotgunworld.com: Using BB shot, skin can be pierced at 194 yd., effect is not seriously diminished until load reachs 8 shot size.

194 yds. = 582 feet.

a loss of 30 yards for No 4 steel would then put it under 500 feet based on your reference above.

If it can pierce skin at 492 ft....it's still going to cause injury at 500 ft., yes? Would you want your kid standing there?

Oh...to all the "My gun rights" people....I didn't see where the 2nd Amendment said anything about "the right to shoot ducks"......

Statistically, hunting is safer than playing football. Children have a far greater chance of being injured in a car crash, but I don't see anyone advocating for a ban on car driving in King's Grant.

If they have to ask if you ever hunted they definitely don't know you. J McMahon probably knows more about guns and hunting then anyone else in town.

Sad that adults cannot conduct themselves in a courteous manner in public discussion...sticking to factual statements and not personal attacks.

Why would a duck hunter be shooting towards land anyway? If this resident thinks they are a problem or being dangerous he should call PPD or DEM....

If J. MCMAHON KNOWS MORE THAN.......J. IS BB SHOT NOT ALLOWED IN DUCK AND GOOSE?

Representative Gallison does not deserve to be critized on this matter. He responded to a request from his constituents. That is what he was elected to do and I am grateful for his actions.

I'm the guy who awed him for help after discussing the issue with many of my neighbors who share similar views. Contrary to what an earlier poster stated, I have never contributed ti Rep Gallison but would gladly do so in the future as I have come to have high regard for the way he comports himself.

To clear up a few other issues, this has nothing to do with gun control. It is entirely about safety and having peaceful access to the beach.

My concern about the issue began last fall when hunters were firing their guns until 10 pm - well past dusk as is stipulated in law. It was further exacerbated several weeks ago when I was walking my two year old granddaughter on the beach. Unaware that there were hunters on the beach, we were shocked when three hunters began firing in rapid succession . We were closer than 500 feet. Maybe that was my fault but I think that the interests of the many who walk the beach outweighs the interests of the handful of hunters.

Third, the hunters are on the beach, not on boats.

Fourth, neighbors who abut the Melville Reserve advise that hunters also discharge weapons in the reserve, much of which is closer than 500 feet to homes.

Please feel free to disagree with me, but it isn't fair to attack Rep Gallison for simply doing his job.

Sorry for the typos - I asked him - I 'm sure I didn't awe him.

It is not the duck hunting that Representative Gallison is worried about. It is the safety of the residence who live in the area and the people who use Melville as a recreational area. It is a town recreational area and many people walk there. The shots are heard all day. If it was before 7am we would not have to worry as the children would be sleeping and not out playing on the beach.

Portman as a gun owner and strong supporter of the Second Admendment i have to say you are doing more damage and harm to gun owners then you are helping here. If we don't police ourselves and condemn those not using guns safely then we hurt our argument. Your blind defence of these people turn poeple off you have turned me off and I am a strong gun owner. What your position says is gun owners and hunters don't care how irresponsible we are we are going to do it anyway we don't care who we put in danger as long as we get our duck. If more gun owners condemn unsafe practices it will show others that there are responsible gun owners and hunters out there but when you blindly defend them it makes us all seem like armed nutjobs. Think about what you are doing but then again maybe you are just an armed nutjob.

If you go to Google Earth and use the "ruler" from the "tools" tab, you will find that the typical distance... from the back "wall" of any of the houses closest to the beach, is about 225 feet from the high tide line on the beach.

If the hide tide mark is 225 feet those hunters are breaking the law and police or DEM should handle this . This would not be an issue for a State Rep but for Police and DEM. J. Lane made a comment about hunting after 10 pm , I did not see that mentioned earlier. I do not think anyone duck hunts after 10 for multiple reasons and I strongly believe this to be poaching or varmit removal .

Mr. MCMAHON, can you reference where you getting your ballistic data. I have found nothing confirming your ranges for penetration and am very skeptical of no 4 shot being dangerous out to 500 feet. To the gentleman that lodged the complaint the problem I have is the over reaction of Rep Gallison. Did he consult with PPD or DEM regarding the hunting in that location?

This whole thing has gotten pretty funny. First, all the gun owners/hunters complained that it was a Nimby thing, or a reason for the Rep to get his picture in the paper. Then it became a "but they're in boats" excuse. Now that you are confronted by one the actual homeowners, that saw them on the beach....It's a police/Dem problem. What's next? Blame Obama?

I grew up hunting in Portsmouth. Even hunted in this area. And I know this: We did policed our own. Times have changed. Now it's make excuses and blame the politicians. If you want to end all hunting in Portsmouth, your doing a good job.

Oh, and Mr Museler, if birdshot will not carry that far, then why would the NRA call for a 500yd safety zone at a trap or skeet range? Most trap and skeet loads are about 7 shot, right?

This is a POLICE, DEM thing Mr. McMahon. If someone breaks the law they need to be arrested period......Should we start having State Reps put in new legislation when other laws are broken by someone ?

it is a dem police problem, shell shot well not injure past 500 feet not even close, maybe the navy will reopen the skeet range on burma road, what then?Duck hunting is from a 1/2 hr before sunrise to a 1/2 hr after, I betr DEM is all over this

I think I struck a nerve, Truth hurts Mcmaniac ?

Now you have a nice day Cindy...I have to go finish my plans for my trip to a beautiful warm sunny beach in Thailand next week...You know...for that life I don't have.

Think-
I think a lot of the posts miss that the real problem is safety. While the shooting may be 500 feet from dwellings it occurs at the edge of the property those dwellings are on so people walking or playing on their own property are definitely in danger. This beach area also abuts a school with a playground closer than 500 feet but no dwelling that close. Finally it is about 50 feet from a railroad right of way which is often walked by children and residents for exercise or an easy short cut because there is no thru street along the water. The brush in the area is 5 - 7 feet high so these walkers may not be seen by hunters. The hunters are in blinds with camouflage so they may not be seen by residents. This is just tailor made for an accident! The VP Cheney accident happened at 40 yds and he was shooting quail. Geese hunters use larger loads and bigger shot so hitting someone walking less than 100 feet away would be tragic. Furthermore, these hunters shoot at the fleeing (or overflying) geese wherever they fly not just over the water so an accident is almost inevitable in this area of frequent pedestrian traffic. Rep Gallison is doing his job protecting his constituents as the environment in the area has changed from rural farmland to an environment any reasonable person would understand should not be hunted for safety reasons. You wouldn't think that prohibiting duck hunting at the ponds in New York City's Central Park was a gun control issue- would you?