DENNISVILLE – The Herald reported Feb. 10 that a Dennis Township resident presented a complaint to Dennis Township Committee about target shooting in his neighbor’s backyard. He made it during the public comment portion of the Feb. 2 committee meeting.
Stating that he lives on Hagen Road, he reported that the neighbor who abuts his property to the rear on Route 83, “has set up a gun range in his back yard and is firing semi-automatic weapons of high caliber at targets.”
He further said that he called State Police who came on several occasions and notified the resident that “such shooting is a permitted use.” The resident continued with his description of the gun firing by saying “it’s rapid fire, at least 20 rounds at the same time, this type of rapid fire magazine is illegal in New Jersey.”
After reading the article, Roger Leith Jr. emailed to say that he was the person on Hagen Road who had been referred to and wanted to give “The correct and factual information” about the situation.
“I do not have a ‘gun range’ in my back yard. I have a dirt hill that is set up as a safe backstop for sighting in my muzzleloader and shot gun and occasionally use it while shooting handguns. I have checked with the state police and game wardens in the past prior to ever shooting and was told by both that it is completely legal to target shoot on your own property as long as it is done safely.
“I also, as a courtesy, let my actual neighbors know when we will/may be shooting. We do not shoot out there often to begin with so I was surprised to see the state police ringing my door bell a little over a month ago when we did shoot.
Leith went on to explain, “We are not shooting high-caliber guns with high capacity magazines.” Further clarifying, Leith said, “The ‘rapid fire’ is when two shooters are shooting the target at the same time. All of our guns are registered and completely legal to own/possess.
“I did also let the trooper who came to my house know that I will notify the police barracks when I will be shooting again, which I will be, as a courtesy to the police so they don’t have to be bothered with such silly complaints by misinformed ‘neighbors.’”
Responding to follow-up questions, Leith stated, “Where I am shooting from to the nearest dwelling on Hagan Road is approximately 650 feet away according to use of GPS. If, let’s say, I was in the act of legally hunting game, I can be up to 450 feet away from a dwelling and fire my gun at will at game.
“I’m just using this as an example as to show how close someone can be to a dwelling to be able to shoot a gun. However, to be clear, while target shooting the fish and game laws of 450 feet for hunting don’t apply.”
In an earlier email, Leith said he does not believe that “gun range” is an accurate term for the situation since where he shoots is ”in my back yard (and) to me a gun range is a place of business that you have to be a member of and have to pay an annual fee to use. I live in the woods and occasionally sight in my muzzleloader and/or slug gun prior to using for hunting season…on my private land.
“I also occasionally target shoot using my handgun and once in a while a brother or a friend or a neighbor may also join me. I’m talking maybe two to three times a year and it may last for up to about a half an hour in the middle of the day. Not early morning or late evening.”
Leith concluded by stating, “I have called the state police and game wardens and checked with the Township of Dennis to see if there are restrictions to this type of activity and there are none.”
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
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