(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to fire off or discharge any firearms, without first obtaining a permit from the Police Department, except that target practice may be conducted at the range at city landfill while strictly following all rules of such facility.
(B) It shall be unlawful for any person to shoot with a bow and arrow, or to shoot missiles of any description from slings, spring guns, or instruments of any kind, except that target practice may be conducted at the range at Rock Creek Park while strictly following all rules of that facility; provided, however, that conducting safety programs that have been approved by the City Council relating to shooting a bow and arrow, or shooting missiles of any description from slings, spring guns or instruments of any kind are exempt from the provisions hereof and provided that deer, coyote and feral hog hunting in accordance with § 82.34(C) is exempt from the provisions herein.
(C) However, hunting by bow and arrow or crossbow (“Archery Equipment”), as defined by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, is permitted on private property only during the (Central Deer Zone Archery Blackpowder and Gun Season and Urban Archery Season) as established by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. A person may engage in archery on his or her own property if he or she has on his or her person a valid North Carolina hunting license (or qualifies for an exemption from licensing by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission), or on the property of another in their absence if he or she has on his or her person both a valid North Carolina hunting license (or qualifies for an exemption from licensing by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission) and written permission from the property owner or the property owner’s authorized agent or manager. Parcels or tracts of land that are either owned by a person engaged in archery or for which that person has been given written permission to hunt shall be referred to as “areas of consent”. Archery may only occur within areas of consent when the following requirements are met:
(1) Archery must be conducted from a permanent or portable elevated platform of at least ten feet above the ground; and
(2) Areas of consent must be greater than two acres in area and may be comprised of contiguous parcels or tracts; and
(3) No arrow shall be discharged within 250 feet of any residential dwelling, school, church, commercial building, governmental property, occupied structure, street, park, or other recreational area; and
(4) No arrow shall be discharged from or onto any City of Albemarle water, sewer or electrical right of way; and
(5) Hunters shall make every reasonable effort to track wounded animal for the purpose of completing the harvest and recovering the carcass; and
(6) There is a valid hunting season in effect for which the hunting license applies at the time the bow or crossbow is discharged; and
(7) The hunter adheres to all applicable State and Local regulations; and
(8) The person discharging the bow or crossbow exercises reasonable regard for the safety and property of other persons.
(D) A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor.
(‘58 Code, § 10-13) (Am. Ord. 85-24, passed 11-18-85; Am. Ord. 92-17, passed 6-15-92; Am. Ord. 12-05, passed 2-20-12; Am. Ord. 14-06, passed 3-17-14; Am. Ord. 15-10, passed 4-6-15; Am. Ord. 18-06, passed 4-2-18; Am. Ord. 20-24, 9-21-20; Am. Ord. 22-01, passed 1-3-22) Penalty, see § 10.99