North Site CLOSED!!!!

[Danimal]

I was up shooting at a spot near North Site after I found out it was closed. Ranger pulled up and I began clearing my weapons.

He got on his intercom, instructed me to finish clearing my weapon, place it on the table (I always bring a table), make my hands visible, and walk slowly towards his vehicle. He then gave me a pop quiz on shooting regulations. Then instructed me to stand there until he had reached the road and become out of sight. Needless to say, that was the last time I went shooting in the Arapahoe national forest.

I get harassed all the time by parks in Arapahoe, so I load out with my battle belt and hike way the hell up in there with my slidefire stock and wait for them to come up to me. I double it as my workout and hike to this real high spot west of carnage canyon. One actually made it up to me one day and it was great the way that he tried to accuse me of something illegal. I was outside the closed area by a good margin, and had followed all laws to the t. He was so sure that I had an illegal weapon and I had to actually show him the ATF letter that came with the stock. Fortunately I had just bought the stock two days earlier and had the box as a target and the letter just happened to be in my bag with me. Everything that I do up there is the biggest inconvenience to them, and I just don't get it. I had a guy stop and tell me that I was shooting my bow too close to the road and I needed to relocate. I was about 50 yards away from the road firing directly away from the road into a deep ravine at an archery target. Jerks.

[merl]

I'm basing my opinion mainly on a public meeting a few (probably 5 now) years back to discuss use of the forest around Boulder. this was part of the process to close north site.

[hatidua]

I've been approached by authorities a few times while LEGALLY shooting on public land and their demeanor has never been pleasant.