Black Friday...

[Ronin13]

No this is not about shopping... I'm trying to get a few folks together this Friday to go shoot up at Squaw pass, so while the womenfolk are out shopping I think some shooting is in order. Waiting on word from a few friends, but I plan on bringing up my new Mossberg and shooting some clays, and maybe bringing the AR up too. Thinking around 12:30/1:00PM for this to kick off... Gabe is already in, and anyone else that wants to go is more than welcome. [Beer][Clays]

[birddog]

I wish but sadly I am working the next 3 days. Thanks for the invite anyway.

[Ronin13]

I wish but sadly I am working the next 3 days. Thanks for the invite anyway.
Shoot, you were one of the first I thought of. I was hoping to meet the other Evergreen member... Maybe another time. Good luck with work and enjoy your Thanksgiving!

[Ronin13]

UPDATE: So myself and two other members went, it was a lot of fun (especially one member's SCAR-H!)... but while up at Squaw Pass (the furthest site up), we had a happy little visit from a DOW officer. He first informed us that they're under a lot of pressure to shut the area down to shooting sports, and politely asked that we clean up after ourselves (as I did for other people too)- this is not new information. Lets hope they don't shut down Squaw, because then I'll be forced to go over an hour away at Harris park to shoot, and I'd rather not.
Then he asked if we had any rifles stored in our cars and asked to verify that they were unloaded. Myself and another member had our ARs on the beds of our trucks (technically not *in* the vehicle), but they were unloaded. The officer said he had been writing a lot of tickets lately. My question is, if it's in the bed of the truck and loaded, is that still a ticketable offense?

Overall, a good day of shooting, but it gets pretty cold up at 10,400ft in late Nov...

[JM Ver. 2.0]

UPDATE: So myself and two other members went, it was a lot of fun (especially one member's SCAR-H!)... but while up at Squaw Pass (the furthest site up), we had a happy little visit from a DOW officer. He first informed us that they're under a lot of pressure to shut the area down to shooting sports, and politely asked that we clean up after ourselves (as I did for other people too)- this is not new information. Lets hope they don't shut down Squaw, because then I'll be forced to go over an hour away at Harris park to shoot, and I'd rather not.
Then he asked if we had any rifles stored in our cars and asked to verify that they were unloaded. Myself and another member had our ARs on the beds of our trucks (technically not *in* the vehicle), but they were unloaded. The officer said he had been writing a lot of tickets lately. My question is, if it's in the bed of the truck and loaded, is that still a ticketable offense?

Overall, a good day of shooting, but it gets pretty cold up at 10,400ft in late Nov...

Yes. Because even though the bed isn't "in" the vehicle it's still considered, for legal purposes, in the vehicle... Trunk is the same way.

Anything within the confines of the vehicle is going to be considered "inside" the vehicle. Stealing something out of the bed of someone's truck and breaking out their window and taking their stereo is the same offence because the stuff in the bed is "within the confines." Does that make sense?

This is a "hunting law", to make it simple. It's to deter people from "road hunting" and it's also a safety thing. There's more than one story about someone pulling a rifle out of a bed/trunk and blasting a hole in his buddies back or in his own chest.

[Gunner]

That's kinda interesting. So he wanted to check your vehicle for a loaded firearm? Are DOW officers allowed to check a vehicle in the forest since you are just target shooting up there. Does that count as probable cause? Could you have technically said no? Was he looking for rifles and shotguns loaded or anything at all like a pistol? I know you can't have a loaded shotgun or rifle in your vehicle, but that would have been a real bummer if you were clearly target shooting and had set a gun in your truck with a loaded mag and gotten a ticket. I would have let them look I'm not a person to cause problems just wondering

[Ronin13]

That's kinda interesting. So he wanted to check your vehicle for a loaded firearm? Are DOW officers allowed to check a vehicle in the forest since you are just target shooting up there. Does that count as probable cause? Could you have technically said no? Was he looking for rifles and shotguns loaded or anything at all like a pistol? I know you can't have a loaded shotgun or rifle in your vehicle, but that would have been a real bummer if you were clearly target shooting and had set a gun in your truck with a loaded mag and gotten a ticket. I would have let them look I'm not a person to cause problems just wondering
Well since it was practically in plain sight I don't really cause a fuss. I don't think he would have raised a stink if I had my rifle in the cab and declined permission for him to check. I commented about my carry pistol inside the cab and he said he didn't care, he was just checking rifles and shotguns. And it was clear, since the vehicles were about 100ft from where we were shooting that the rifles weren't in use.

[JM Ver. 2.0]

A lot of DOW officers are POST certified and, to make it simple, have the same police powers as the state patrol.

So yes, they can.

You're involved in a firearms related activity, they can ask firearms related questions.

[Gunner]

I know that they are the same a peace officers. I just mean can they search your vehicle without permission, or since you are shooting on national forest it does not matter what you day its up to them

[JM Ver. 2.0]

I know that they are the same a peace officers. I just mean can they search your vehicle without permission, or since you are shooting on national forest it does not matter what you day its up to them

90% of the time I'm sure they'd just ask, take your word for it, and leave. Unless someone complained.

[Ronin13]

90% of the time I'm sure they'd just ask, take your word for it, and leave. Unless someone complained.
Yeah, I wasn't saying they're different from regular LEOs- I was saying you are free to treat it like any other contact with LE... You can deny consent to search your vehicle without PC or a warrant, I usually don't, just because I have nothing to hide and it helps them feel safe around me, especially in instances like this where we're all shooting and he did state that a minor was killed earlier this year in the area.

[NMB2]

no they cannot search your vehicle without consenting to a search. I tried avoiding him because if he wanted to look in my truck I would of told him no. He had an attitude from the moment he showed up, and I'm sure he wouldn't of liked that.

[Ronin13]

no they cannot search your vehicle without consenting to a search. I tried avoiding him because if he wanted to look in my truck I would of told him no. He had an attitude from the moment he showed up, and I'm sure he wouldn't of liked that.
Yeah he did have a bit of an attitude, and like Inspector Fowler said in another thread: "start every contact at 1, not 7 or 8". I about went to full alert though when he got flustered and grabbed Gabe's beanie off his head...

[Ashton]

That's kinda interesting. So he wanted to check your vehicle for a loaded firearm? Are DOW officers allowed to check a vehicle in the forest since you are just target shooting up there. Does that count as probable cause? Could you have technically said no? Was he looking for rifles and shotguns loaded or anything at all like a pistol? I know you can't have a loaded shotgun or rifle in your vehicle, but that would have been a real bummer if you were clearly target shooting and had set a gun in your truck with a loaded mag and gotten a ticket. I would have let them look I'm not a person to cause problems just wondering

It's my understanding that when it comes to rifles you can have a mag in the gun and the gun in the car. As long as a round isn't chambered you should be good to go.

[JM Ver. 2.0]

That's what I seem to remember too.