Don’t Shoot the Lines
Choptank Fiber is proud to provide your farms and rural communities with the best quality internet available. We need your help to keep our new broadband fiber safe during hunting season. The glass tubes in the broadband fiber line are fragile. If hit by shotgun shot, all 144 fiber strands can break, and each individual strand requires special splicing repair. The average repair runs $15,000 to $20,000.
By law, the cost of the repair is borne by the landowner or the hunter who damaged the line. We want to protect you from that expense and protect everyone who needs the internet service on our lines. We know most hunters practice safe hunting and understand the potential hazards when discharging a firearm. We encourage these experienced hunters who are familiar with the area to help identify locations of fiber equipment to the less experienced hunters and gun enthusiasts.
Because broadband is so new to fields and farm lanes in our rural community on the Eastern Shore, many hunters have not had to worry about this concern in the past. But we now have many miles of overhead fiber optic cable that is easily damaged by a stray shotgun blast. When broadband lines are shot, not only are the homes at risk, but several local 911 services lease our fiber for emergency communications. And, if the broken line is located over a field of crops, getting in before harvest is difficult.
Basic Electrical Hunter Safety Rules to Follow
- Be aware and take note of your surroundings.
- Do not shoot at or near power lines, fiber lines or electrical equipment.
- Familiarize yourself with the location of power lines and equipment on land where you shoot/hunt.
- Do not shoot at, or near, birds perching on utility lines. That goes for any type of firearm, including pistols, rifles or shotguns.
- Take notice of warning signs and keep clear of electrical equipment.
- Keep a safe distance from power lines and electrical equipment when hunting. Accidents can be easily avoided if you do so.
- Damage to the conductor can happen, possibly dropping a phase on the ground. If it’s dry and the electricity goes to ground, there is the possibility of electrocution and fire.
- Be especially careful in wooded areas where power lines may not be as visible.
- Never use utility poles or towers to support equipment used in your shooting activity.
- Never climb poles or place deer stands on utility poles. Energized lines and equipment on the poles can conduct electricity to anyone who meets them, causing shock or electrocution.
- Do not place decoys or any other hunting/shooting equipment on power lines or other utility equipment. Anything attached to a pole besides utility equipment can pose an obstruction, and a serious hazard, to electric cooperative employees as they perform utility operations.
