I Shot An Arrow Into The Air, And That’s Ok Archery Doesn’t Fall Under ‘No-Shooting’ Law, Commission Says; Bb Gun Rules May Be Eased

Taking aim at their own signs and pamphlets, Spokane County commissioners Tuesday decided it’s OK to shoot bows in suburban areas.

It was a good night for people who think government has too much control over weapons.

Commissioners said they may ease restrictions on BB guns. They voted against expanding a no-shooting area near Newman Lake. And they said they’ll consider adding shooters and other county residents to the committee that reviews the no-shooting boundaries.

Commissioner Phil Harris said he was surprised to learn the committee’s only members are a sheriff’s deputy, a county engineer and a parks worker.

A county law, adopted in 1957, forbids shooting firearms or airguns in designated areas, including most suburban neighborhoods and some semi-rural areas.

But the county’s “no-shooting” signs and firearm-safety pamphlets erroneously say bows and crossbows are restricted along with guns.

Saying it’s time to print new pamphlets, members of the advisory committee asked commissioners to decide if bows and crossbows should be included in the wording.

No one testified Tuesday in favor of regulating bows and arrows.

Several competitive archers and bow hunters told commissioners they practice at home and injuries in the sport are rare.

“I shoot in my back yard. I taught my children to shoot there,” said Valley resident Jim Codding. “Both my sons are very good with firearms because I taught them the basics (of safe shooting) with a bow.”

“Archery is a unique sport, similar to fly-fishing. We pride ourselves that we have a sport that requires skill,” said Gary Stanzel, an attorney and archer.

Commissioner John Roskelley, who sometimes hunts with a bow, liked the comparison. “Every archer I know - and I know quite a few of them - are (responsible),” he said.

Harris, Roskelley and Commissioner Steve Hasson voted unanimously to allow archery, and said they’ll soon consider deleting airguns from the no-shooting list.

Removing the badge that identifies him as a county employee so he could testify as a resident, Public Works Director Dennis Scott called the prohibition against airguns “ludicrous.”

“I’ve never lived any place where they restricted airguns and BB guns,” Scott said.

The proposal to expand the no-shooting area came from people who said bullets sometimes whiz through their land north of Newman Lake.

Commissioners said the ordinance would be hard to enforce in the sparsely populated area.

They suggested the neighbors post their land with no-shooting signs, and report people who violate existing laws against trespassing, shooting from roads or peppering road signs with bullets.

, DataTimes