Pardon me if this is a stupid question, but would I be allowed to open carry only at the firing stations at a DNR shooting range w/o a CCW permit?

I see people with holstered (open carry) pistols in some homemade videos of shooters at training areas, etc... I was wondering about the legality of a person w/o a CCW open carrying at a DNR shooting facility?

Open carry is routine on firing ranges. No permit required or expected.
I wouldn't try to walk into the range that way but holstering up on the line is usually OK.

The DNR asshats at Island Lake say they don't like to see it. They want all the guns on the bench and facing forward at all times.

Bald Mountian is the same way , all firearms are to be left on the shooting tables and unloaded before anyone goes forward of the firing line. Just to be safe if you want to shoot the pistol that you carry put it in a case {unloaded} and bring it to the range that way. it is also my understanding that there is no drawing from a holster to shoot and its single fire only anyway. Now that being said
in October Linden GC is switching the IDPA practice day to Saturday and that goes until March or April I forget which. There you can carry  in your holster {unloaded} and shoot rapid when your turn at the stage comes up it only costs 4 bucks and starts at 9:00 am until noon. Its a great way to get in some trigger time, and theres a great bunch of ppl there too!

Quoted: The DNR asshats at Island Lake say they don't like to see it. They want all the guns on the bench and facing forward at all times.

That's pretty much SOP for public ranges. It's unfortunate but consider that anyone with a legally acquired firearm is allowed to walk in there and shoot. That includes the 'gangstas' and the 'experts' we are all too familiar with.

There's no minmum IQ or common sense requirement to shoot. If you can find the range, pay your money, and follow the (minimal) range safety rules you're good to go.

I've only been to Island Lake a couple times. Both times it was a negative experience.

Let me qualify that by saying it was a negative experience for me. I belong to a club where members have to pass rigorous safety training before being considered for membership. Once that is done they are allowed free, unsupervised access to the ranges. I'm used to having the run of the range. Having a DNR officer looking over my shoulder took a little getting used to.

I have to give the DNR range officers credit however. They were professional and friendly when I was there.

Recently while at Island Lake during the fire session I was shooting my Ak with a 5 round magazine, every so often between shots I would take a look in the spotting scope, thats when twinkie came by and told me that I must keep the bolt open whenever im not firing???? So I had to take the magazine out and eject the live round and lodge an empty case betweenthe carrier and the cover anytime that I wanted to check the spotter, that place sucks too, I'll goto Sharonvalley next time I goto a DNR range

Check out Pontiac Lake, you won't regret it. The gentlemen that operated the firing range were very professional and courteous. You felt like a human being there.

To put it nicely, I sometimes tend to rub people the wrong way, but I have had nothing but good experiences at Island Lake.  Well, except for the time I winged the sky screens on the chronograph.

As far as open carry there, not a chance.

I often go to Rose Lake to shoot. I haven’t been to other DNR ranges though.

It is my understanding that the range officers can not make you take your weapon out of the holster on the line or when hanging targets. It is your right to carry concealed if permitted to do so. There was a change in the law last year I believe. Those ROs at Island Lake must be uninformed. I don’t have the web source for this at this moment. The way I learned about it was seeing a guy “printing” and confronting him about it. Apparently he’s a lawyer, and should know. The ROs at Rose Lake verified what he said.

Personally, I think that all weapons should be left on the line and no one should be allowed to carry concealed on a range, any shooting/target range. And I have a concealed weapon permit. But that is not the law. The law states that you can carry on State land even when hunting. The places you can’t carry are specified in the law, otherwise you have the right to carry.

Quoted: Check out Pontiac Lake, you won't regret it. The gentlemen that operated the firing range were very professional and courteous. You felt like a human being there.

Where's that at? (just rough approximation if you don't mind)

Quoted: I often go to Rose Lake to shoot. I haven’t been to other DNR ranges though. It is my understanding that the range officers can not make you take your weapon out of the holster on the line or when hanging targets. It is your right to carry concealed if permitted to do so. There was a change in the law last year I believe. Those ROs at Island Lake must be uninformed. I don’t have the web source for this at this moment. The way I learned about it was seeing a guy “printing” and confronting him about it. Apparently he’s a lawyer, and should know. The ROs at Rose Lake verified what he said. Personally, I think that all weapons should be left on the line and no one should be allowed to carry concealed on a range, any shooting/target range. And I have a concealed weapon permit. But that is not the law. The law states that you can carry on State land even when hunting. The places you can’t carry are specified in the law, otherwise you have the right to carry.

The main guy at Island Lake seems plenty informed to me.  If I am not mistaken, they have a sign on the gate that says ALL firearms must be cased and unloaded before entering the range area.

I think if you have a CCW you should be allowed to carry anywhere! That includes going down range, at the school, ect. as long as you are not on any mind altering drug(s). I can see the point of not carrying in bars. Lots of drunk people bumping into you makes a incident all to posible.(someone freaking out or trying to take your gun.

After all it's called Conceiled(sp) Carry for a reason.

not advicating anything illiegal

There's nothing illegal about carrying at a DNR range. It's their POLICY, one that I've never seen posted, and the idea behind carrying a concealed weapon is that nobody knows you have it....