MACON, Ga. — An issue that started personal has become political.
The county is considering a rule banning hunters from shooting within 250 feet of a home.
On Tuesday, deputies escorted a man out of a county commission meeting because one hunter had a restraining order against him.
A disagreement between some neighbors and two hunters has become part of the debate on Bibb County's proposed hunting restrictions.
“I got in my golf cart and started driving around the property to see what was going on and went to the neighborhood next door,” Majewski said.
James Majewski says he could see a couple of months ago that there was a deer stand near his neighborhood.
“I tried to talk to these people out in this deer stand. They start yelling and screaming at me,” Majewski said.
One of the hunters, John Mathis, has a different story.
“I was hunting one afternoon and got out the deer stand right at dark, and James had pulled up to the gate with his golf cart. He was hollering and being belligerent, saying, ‘Yeah, I caught you. You're out here illegally hunting,'” Mathis said.
Majewski says he later learned they were hunting legally.
“Since that day, about half the time, he would show up when he saw my truck,” Mathis said.
Mathis says that's when he called Bibb County Sheriff's Office. One of the deputies who responded was Mathis' brother. Sheriff Davis said that shouldn't have happened.
“Supervisors looked into it. It was explained that if you're one of the people involved in it. You as a deputy should be not be involved in it and be speaking to the resident,” Davis said.
Mathis says Majewski later sent two of his family members to the property and that they walked up to the deer stand.
“I said, 'This is it, this is enough,'” Mathis said.
That's when he requested a restraining order on Majewski.
"They got all excited with me going up there so they got a restraining order. I wouldn't disturb their hunting,” Majewski said.
Fast forward to this week, and a Macon-Bibb County committee was scheduled to discuss the new hunting ordinance. Majewski arrived, but Mathis was there first.
“Restraining order says they can't be within 150 yards of each other,” Davis said.
Deputies escorted Majewski out.
Our deputies have to follow that order signed by the judge.
However, on Tuesday, the judge made a slight change at Davis's request.
“I don't think in these kinds of situations, we're going to have any physical problem,” Davis said.
Now, Majewski will be allowed to attend commission meetings.
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