In Quiet Woods - A NY Times Story

[Inconel710]

In Quiet Woods, a Clamorous Gun Debate (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/19/us/a-culture-clash-over-guns-infiltrates-the-backcountry.html?_r=0)

....
Over the Fourth of July weekend in Pike National Forest in Colorado, a 60-year-old camper preparing to make s’mores with his grandchildren was killed when a stray bullet arced into his campsite. The camper, Glenn Martin, said “ow,” his daughter said, and when his family ran to help him, there was a hole in his shirt and blood pouring from his mouth.
“A war zone,” said Paul Magnuson, who owns a cycle shop in Woodland Park, Colo., and rides mountain bikes in the same forest where Mr. Martin died. His customers have complained about bullets whistling overhead, and Mr. Magnuson said he had gotten used to yelling out to alert target shooters that he was coming.
“Every time in the woods, you feared for your life,” he said. “It was absolutely, completely out of hand.”

Damn guys. Sad to see the things we have decried here for so long make it onto the national stage.

This graphic is particularly bad.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2015/08/13/forest-shootings/52a30d37d775b39750e6432c4ad770282f413c97/forestguns_noIR-720.png

[Bailey Guns]

While the death of one person is one too many, it's not like there's an epidemic of shootin-related injuries and deaths in the national forest.

This could easily be solved if people, shooters and non-shooters alike, would exercise a little personal responsibility and follow established safety rules and common sense guidelines.

On second thought, this can't be easily solved...

[Irving]

Wife sent me that article the other day.

[sniper7]

A war zone....

[Irving]

No matter what you do in the forest, there will be someone else who doesn't like it.

[Dave_L]

The comments, like always, are killin' me. I might as well be in a forest while reading those.

[HoneyBadger]

Looks like Iowa is the model for the rest of us to follow! BAN NATIONAL FORESTS!!!

[Hummer]

I think it's worth reading that article carefully. While the statements about forest areas being like "war zones" are gross exaggerations and shooting injuries are rare, there is growing opposition to open shooting on public lands. It's something I hate to see happen. I attribute much of the problem to irresponsible shooter--slob shooters--people who shoot at inappropriate targets like glass, old furniture, appliances, old and stolen cars, live trees and non game wildlife. Far too often shooters fail to police their targets and brass, leaving public lands a mess for others to see and clean up. The evidence all over popular forest and BLM shooting areas. This is a serious turnoff to responsible shooters and the non shooting public alike, not to mention the land managers whose job is to protect and conserve the resource. More than anything else, the trash left behind is what's bringing increased scrutiny and closures to public shooting spots.

I live next to a BLM shooting area where the trash left behind is just disgraceful. I have bullet holes in my roof, and several nearby neighbors can show you bullet holes in their houses, too. Almost all my neighbors are avid and responsible gun owners, and we've worked with BLM for three years to move the shooting area a mile further from our homes. Slob shooters.

Many of you are familiar with the sites in Lefthand Canyon and the "north site" at the old Allenspark Dump. I grew up near there and frequently shot at the Allenspark dump since the early 1960's, until it's closure a few years ago. The place was more of a mess as a shooting range after the dump was closed than when it was actively used for refuse. Slob shooters closed that range, and it's a damn shame. There were some great organized cleanups by shooters from this and another forum, but they just couldn't keep up with the slob shooters who wouldn't pick up their own shit.

Growing up in the mountains, I always wondered how it is that people could trash the place they came to enjoy. I predict that in another 20-30 years, recreational shooting will be closed in nearly all USFS lands and many BLM lands, thanks to the slob shooters.

[Martinjmpr]

I think another factor is the lack of more legitimate ranges leads people to shoot unsafely in undesignated areas. But of course that's a double edged sword because once you designate a place as a shooting range it will definitely be trashed unless there is someone on site to make sure it's not (and that would require fences, gates, entrance fees, etc.) Anybody who ever went to the old Rampart Range shooting area knows what I'm talking about, that place was a disgrace.


I predict that in another 20-30 years, recreational shooting will be closed in nearly all USFS lands and many BLM lands, thanks to the slob shooters.

Sadly, I have to agree with you.

[brutal]

Slob shooters

Slob campers

Slob four wheelers

Public use areas continue to be closed due to the increased abuses and misuse of a small group of inconsiderate degenerates, and that sadly makes Hummer's analysis 100% spot on.

[TEAMRICO]

I hear more about motorcycle deaths then stray bullets in the woods. Just saying what kills more people?



Hey just noticed I have a new title!
Nice!!!!

[Irving]

This isn't a shooting issue, this is a general public issue.

[Brian]

Slob shooters
Slob campers
Slob four wheelers
Public use areas continue to be closed due to the increased abuses and misuse of a small group of inconsiderate degenerates, and that sadly makes Hummer's analysis 100% spot on.

Yep this.