Noise from turkey shoot has neighbors in 'fowl' mood

Justin McConkey, a three-year resident of the Highland Creek subdivision, says the Raleigh Moose Lodge, which sits in the county about 50 yards from houses in his neighborhood, holds the events at two times each week, from 7 p.m. until nearly 11 p.m.

The noise is from shotguns, and he says it keeps children in the neighborhood awake, causes pets to become anxious and disrupts residents at night.

"You'll hear, probably, three or four (shots) in a row every four or five minutes, and it repeats for about three or four hours," McConkey said.

Tim Harward of the Raleigh Moose Lodge doesn't deny the noise, which is part of a fundraiser partially for the lodge's children's charity.

"It makes money for our purpose, and our purpose is to support the children," Harward said.

McConkey says he has contacted the Wake County Sheriff's Office, the Wake County Board of Commissioners and the regional office of Moose International.

But there's nothing that can be done. There is no county ordinance prohibiting turkey shoots near residential areas.

Under the county noise ordinance, the Moose Lodge is within its legal rights to host the turkey shoots until 11 p.m., despite the rules of their city neighbors.

Timothy Maloney, director of Wake County Planning, Development and Inspections, wrote last week in an email to McConkey that, although not much can be done right now, he plans to bring the issue up with the county planning board.

What the county can do, Maloney wrote, is enforce the noise ordinance.

"I'm a gun owner, myself, and (my opposition) has nothing to do with gun and gun control," McConkey said. "It's just a matter of safety and a matter of common decency and respect for your neighbors."

McConkey thinks that the Moose Lodge should use air rifles or B.B. guns to minimize noise, but the Moose Lodge says those pellets would never reach the target in a turkey shoot.