DOVE HUNTING

Steve Stoler reports.

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FRISCO - People across North Texas woke up to the sounds of gunshots Tuesday morning. 

Dove hunting season opened at midnight, but there have been some changes due to a new set of laws. 

A Frisco field, located just off the Dallas North Tollway, was one of Frisco's most popular places to hunt. Its boundaries include a neighborhood and a shopping center. Under the new law, hunters need to be two football fields away from houses or apartments. They must also be at least 1,000 feet from schools, hospitals and day care centers.  Last year, they needed to be only 50 yards from buildings 

While hunters at the Frisco field stressed safety, someone on the field fired shots that left the property, hitting Chris Emery's sport utility vehicle. The shots were a violation of Texas law. 

"I could hear the pellets hitting the top of my truck," Emery said. "So, I drove over here to confront the guys and ask them if they knew there were cars and houses over there."

Frisco police say people in the closest neighborhood called to complain about the hunters four different times. But, when officers came out to investigate, they found the hunters were doing everything by the book.  

"It's unnerving when they're standing that close shooting over you," Emery said.

Frisco police say they're efforts to educate the public about dove hunting apparently paid off.

Last year, on the first day of the season, they received 82 calls about hunters. This year, they only got six calls.