Posted: 4/20/2009 5:57:18 PM EDT
So I went out toward the Ice caves yesterday trying to get to a shooting spot I have gone to in the past. To much snow kept me from attempting the drive up the road. So on the way down I saw a female ranger and asked her where any other shooting areas are. She basically said as she rattled off some DNR reg or rcw that said it is illegal to shoot it that area. So my question to you is that BS or the truth. I wouldn't want to get my ass in a ringer.   
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| Snohomish County is basically shut down to recreational shooters. It used to be open East of SR 9 and North of US2 (I think) but the open areas are being shut down if not already closed. DNR staff here is very anti-guns. There are some secret spots that some folks are aware of, but won't be willing to share in a open forum. |
The rangers are pissed because the signs get torn down all the time. Then people go shooting because there was no sign that said not too.
If you can make it, go a bit farther down the road. There's some on the south side of the road about 5 miles up the logging roads. |
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I have had many conversations with the USFS people over the last couple of years.
The impression I get is that they are pissed about people shooting the trees to pieces, tearing down no-shooting signs, leaving mountains of garbage and abandoning shot-up appliances/electronics. They are also concerned about the Granite Falls area in that it is a popular spot for hikers and campers such that the USFS folks don't want shooters in close proximity to the hikers/campers that frequent the area. Don't get me wrong...in my opinion, shooters/hunters/fishermen should have priority access over hikers and campers. It is a well-known fact that taxes collected on hunting, shooting, and fishing equipment contribute far more tax dollars towards wildlife and habitat management/reclamation. Therefore I believe that shooters, hunters, and fishermen have paid their dues whereas hikers and campers have not, and hikers/campers enjoy the wilderness areas ON THE BACKS of shooters/hunters/fishermen. Autumn of last year I was at one of the smaller pits that I frequent, not to shoot, but I was loading my trailer with garbage. Several shot-up refrigerators, printers, computer cases, tv's and monitors, beer bottles and broken glass everywhere, and a small mountain of garbage bags full of trash. While I was loading up, a USFS rig with two FS Rangers stopped at the pit to see what I was up to. They were shocked to see that someone was actually making an effort to clean up shooting spots. I told them that I was disgusted with how people treat shooting areas and that I try to pack out more than I bring in so that I might enjoy the shooting areas as long as I can. Trust me, in my experience, it seems that USFS people generally have a very dim view of "informal" target shooters. It's really unfortunate that some shit-bag losers have created such a terrible preconceived notion concerning informal target shooters. I think we're regarded as being one step beneath the meth-cookers manufacturing methamphetamine out in the boonies. |
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Quoted: Well I would like to hook up with some of the north end people some time and do some shooting so I can learn new "things"areas. Drop me an e-mail so we could talk and meet. Well after this weekend... Just talk to Grumpy about that... make sure to bring him some beer...  |
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Basically we are paying for these areas to be maintained and the salarys of those who do so. Then those same agencys we foot the bill for turn around and tell us we can't be in the areas we are paying for. 
Always be thankful however that you don't actually get all the goverment you pay for. |