The article deals with the problem of acoustic modelling of sport and hunting shooting ranges for the purposes of carrying out acoustic impact assessments on the environment. The fashion for recreational shooting and the dynamic development of shooting ranges resulted in conflict situations between the shooting range and the residents. Increasingly, the condition for allowing the shooting range to be used is to carry out an acoustic analysis to confirm the lack of noise nuisance. Therefore, it is necessary to develop guidelines for acoustic modelling of shooting ranges, taking into account their purpose and types of shooting axes. Each of the shooting axes is designed for a different type of shooting and thus has different acoustic characteristics. In the article, the author presents a method of modelling noise emissions from the shooting range on the example of one of the popular shooting competitions which is the hunting trap. First, acoustic measurements of the unit noise source related to the firing of shots by a firearms shooter were made. Then the directional characteristics of this source were determined, the shooting axis of the “hunting trap” type was modelled during a typical shooting competition and its directionality was determined. Then, on the example of a specific shooting range, the possibility of using the results to analyse the propagation of noise into the environment during typical shootings on the trap axis was presented.

The intensive development of sport shooting and the significant increase in the number of people using sport and recreational shooting ranges also increases the risk of hearing damage to shooters, due to exposure to impulse noise from the shots of firearms. This article discusses the methodology for assessing shooters’ exposure to noise and identifies and extensively discusses possible ways to minimise this exposure. It then describes a research experiment carried out to measure and calculate the effectiveness of noise reduction by means of acoustic silencers when shooting with typical weapons in the most popular sporting and hunting calibres. The experiment also included firing tests with subsonic ammunition. On this basis, conclusions were drawn regarding the possibility of reducing impulse noise during shooting and the possibility of eliminating the risk of hearing damage.

Classic methods of stocktaking big game living in a given area have many disadvantages. The main result is the need to ensure appropriate terrain and weather conditions and also require the involvement of a large number of people, so-called observers. The development of technology makes it possible to create new stocktaking methods that will not have as many of the above-mentioned disadvantages, while reducing the cost of stocktaking and increasing its accuracy. This paper presents an analysis of the possibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles, so-called drones, in combination with the observation of game in the infrared wave range with the use of a thermal imaging camera. The paper presents the concept of such a solution, which will of course be further developed. Raids are planned with the use of thermal cameras over areas according to strictly defined transects and subjecting the obtained images to analysis, also with the use of artificial intelligence methods. This article was written as part of the PBL project carried out by a group of students from the Silesian University of Technology under the supervision of dr inż. Arkadiusz Boczkowski.

The article is a substantive summary of research conducted by the Institute of Production Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology in Zabrze, covering the determination of ways to reduce traffic noise in the selected area of the city of Zabrze using measurement and simulation methods. The analysis was conducted within the Project Based Learning (PBL) project which aimed at teaching a selected group of students teamwork, synthesizing information from various sources, making decisions and taking responsibility for them, planning and organizing work and proper time management.