I hesitate to mention this. But now that I know about it, I have to. Fall is hunting season in Shorewood. And the prey isn't even those pesky rabbits who run in circles in our neighbors' yard to build up their appetites for the vegetables in my garden. No, it's ducks. Don't take a dawn boat ride off Atwater Beach in the fall; or if you do, wear orange.
I just learned about this; one of my friends, who lives on Lake Drive, has known since October 2005. One morning before dawn, he was awakened by popping sounds. Could that be gun shots? He called the Shorewood police, and an officer investigated. Yes, it was gun shots, shotgun shots. And it was legal! The DNR allows duck hunting on Lake Michigan from boats at least 500 feet from shore during duck hunting season, between October and December, from a half hour before sunrise to sunset. Milwaukee has an ordinance prohibiting this; Shorewood doesn't.
This raises some questions in my mind. Who's got the measuring tape? Can hunters shoot towards shore? How far do shotgun shots travel? Are there "beware of pellet" signs anywhere to warn unsuspecting boaters?
I asked several friends if they know about duck hunting here. The only person who knew was a duck hunter. So I was thinking that sometime we should have a ballot with referenda unique to Shorewood. The first could be: since we can't afford both, shall we plow sidewalks when the snow is deep or poison public land when the dandelions are deep? The second could be: should hunters be permitted to shoot ducks at dawn, or should we let our ducks and residents sleep? If anyone has additional ideas, let me know.
