Cleanup and shoot near Dallas

[mikemenzie]

Hey fellas. I was on here a goodly while back, and talking about organizing a cleanup and shoot get together out a bit west of Dallas. If i remember right (which may not be right, so bear with me) i got a lot of kudos and support, but nobody in this area actually wanting to get out there. Now, i know people shoot out there. Anybody up for it, this summer/spring?
Since last posting, i've gone to a couple of the worse spots and cleaned up, then found a nice spot that's not too frequented, and i just go there and avoid the trash heaps. But it'd be nice to get some more cleaned up, and meet up with some of you respectable folks!
-Mike

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[Cogs]

Hey fellas. I was on here a goodly while back, and talking about organizing a cleanup and shoot get together out a bit west of Dallas. If i remember right (which may not be right, so bear with me) i got a lot of kudos and support, but nobody in this area actually wanting to get out there. Now, i know people shoot out there. Anybody up for it, this summer/spring?
Since last posting, i've gone to a couple of the worse spots and cleaned up, then found a nice spot that's not too frequented, and i just go there and avoid the trash heaps. But it'd be nice to get some more cleaned up, and meet up with some of you respectable folks!
-Mike

Hi Mike. Best bet is to pick a date for the cleanup and post it. Also pin point the spot on google maps and post the link along with the GPS co-ordinance. If you can track down who manages the land, BLM, DNR, ODF or USFS, contact them for help. They should be able to supply the trash bags, disposal, injury insurance for volunteers and help promote it. If it's BLM, ODF or USFS and you can't find the right contact, let me know and I may be able to track it down.

I'll help on the promo and some logistics side of it. Don't think I can make it to the cleanup this summer but I'll do what I can to help from here. But you never know!

Thanks for the follow up, Mike! That's the effort we need throughout the Northwest!

Bill

 

[mikemenzie]

It's the Gooseneck Creek Road places and surrounding area. Pretty sure it's all BLM, but there might be some forest land in there in patches. The main nasty bits are down toward the entry to the BLM land from Gooseneck Creek Road. I haven't the foggiest who i ought to contact at BLM about this sort of thing. I've always been more of a "pick up the trash that I can fit in my car, while there" or "follow someone else who's picking up trash" kind of guy, rather than an organizer of anything haha.
Any assistance from your end would be greatly appreciated. I really don't know anything that goes into something like this.

It'll be a week or two before we get back out there to shoot, unless i find a good excuse or one of the new rifles i'm looking for, in the mean time, but when we head back, i'll try to make sure and grab coordinates, if you don't know the place i'm talking about.
Thanks, Bill!
-Mike

 

[Cogs]

It's the Gooseneck Creek Road places and surrounding area. Pretty sure it's all BLM, but there might be some forest land in there in patches. The main nasty bits are down toward the entry to the BLM land from Gooseneck Creek Road. I haven't the foggiest who i ought to contact at BLM about this sort of thing. I've always been more of a "pick up the trash that I can fit in my car, while there" or "follow someone else who's picking up trash" kind of guy, rather than an organizer of anything haha.
Any assistance from your end would be greatly appreciated. I really don't know anything that goes into something like this.

It'll be a week or two before we get back out there to shoot, unless i find a good excuse or one of the new rifles i'm looking for, in the mean time, but when we head back, i'll try to make sure and grab coordinates, if you don't know the place i'm talking about.
Thanks, Bill!
-Mike

I know just who to call. She's in the Salem office at BLM. All I need is a google map link. Can you find it and post it for me?

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i could for sure make this clean up if its not during hunting season!!

 

[mikemenzie]

Sounds good, guys! I looked on google maps, and this is super approximate. The entry to the BLM land is somewhere near these coordinates, and the hills past are full of pockets and spots where shooters go.

44.996759,-123.489603

 

[mikemenzie]

When does hunting season start, again...? Sorry, hate to disappoint, but i'm not a hunter. I accompany my mother, but don't keep track of the dates and such.

 

[Cogs]

I sent an email to Kim Titus, District Manager at the Salem BLM District. She will let me know who our main contact will be for this project. I also asked for trash bags, disposal and insurance.

I checked your coordinance and came up with this google map link. Is this the cleanup meeting place? We should post the exact meeting place so we're sure no one gets lost or confused.

Google Maps (https://goo.gl/maps/onTNn3YVACx)

 

[mikemenzie]

Sorry bud, the BLM people'd actually probably know better than me. I haven't been to that side of Gooseneck Road in more than a year, since i started avoiding those places. I'd have to go there to find the exact spot.
If anyone wants to go shooting this or next week, let me know, and we can take a quick trip.
-Mike

 

[Cogs]

I sent an email to Kim Titus, District Manager at the Salem BLM District. She will let me know who our main contact will be for this project. I also asked for trash bags, disposal and insurance.

I checked your coordinance and came up with this google map link. Is this the cleanup meeting place? We should post the exact meeting place so we're sure no one gets lost or confused.

Google Maps (https://goo.gl/maps/onTNn3YVACx)

Hey Mike,

I heard back from Kim Titus today. She said that area would be under the direction of Marys Peak Field Office and Paul Tigan is the Field Manager. I've been in touch with him recently as we have a NWFA member working with him in the Adopt-A-Site program. @Rem700..300

I'll zap an email to Paul and let him know we're considering a cleanup out there. Perhaps Rem can help coordinate this with you. If that's in Benton County, I bet we could enlist the help of Sheriff's Dept. Corp Al Shimmerhorn (sp?). He organized last years cleanup at Mary's Peak and there was a great turn out for it (And ton's of great prizes too!).

So let me know of an exact location for the initial meeting place when you decide. Pick out a date and we'll get it going.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[mikemenzie]

Okie doke, bud! Thanks for all your help. I really am lost when it comes to this sort of thing. Figure God had to make me useless in some ways to make up for the gifts He gave me in others, right? Hahaha.

I think that's still Polk county, but i'm still not familiar enough with this part of Oregon. I'm going to try and head out there early next week, if I can, and can give a location then. Mean time, I've got to niece and nephew proof the house!

I'll send Rem a note and see what he thinks, too. Thanks again, bud.

-Mike

 

[Rem700..300]

Hi Cogs and Mike,

Sent Mike an email. More than willing to help. Just have to get through this weekend with our son's high school graduation and parties. Going to check on Mary's Peak on Sunday since we haven't been up there for a while. Maybe next week we can work on getting things organized.
Craig

 

[mikemenzie]

Ok, we got out there, today. Uff. It has been longer than I thought since we've been there. I drove around for 2 hours trying to find the places I remembered. The trash situation is better than it was, actually. There are brass, shotgun shells, and clay everywhere, and a number of bottles, cans, and some paper targets still stapled to trees, empty ammo boxes, and random other trash, but nothing like it was last year.

But the downing trees thing is something else. I posted pictures last year of one particular shooting spot where nearly every tree had some bullet holes in it, and a few had been downed. This time, there were 4 trees completely blocking the lane for the shooting spot, and even more that have just been shot up. Someone was using 12g cut-slugs, and there are a few still in the plastic sticking out of trees. Paper and wood targets nailed to trees. Bottles on tree limbs. ...ya know...all this right up the road from the big entry sign to the area that says not to shoot at trees... two signs, actually.

And, of course, there's a spot down another fork that has no less that 4 signs saying it is a non-shooting area, due to safety hazard, and it's littered with shells and clay, and a little bit of trash. Surprised there wasn't anyone there this time. I almost always saw someone shooting right toward the "no shooting - houses" sign.

And, of course, there was a lot of sign of people shooting handgun or shotgun across roadways, all over the hills.

Wondering what exactly we ought to shoot for (I will never tire of that pun...) out in that area. The big trash is mostly gone from last year - tvs, washing machine, and piles of paper trash. I still think it'd be good to spend a day hauling all the other crap outta there, but I know most folks don't care to bother with all the small things like brass and shells, targets and ammo boxes and such. If people are up for it, I'd say we ought to cut up the downed trees and move them out of the path of the one shooting spot - now that I think of it, there's not even a berm at the end of that one, though it's obviously one of the favorite spots.

Maybe we could cut up the downed trees, pile them at the end, and move a little bit of dirt over 'em - poof. Berm. It could be a good 100+ yard lane if it was cleaned of all the crap, I bet.

But then...I guess more jack-nuts would just come and shoot up more trees. Maybe we ought to have a clean/shooter education day out there, and try to get more people in this area educated and involved in keeping an eye on the place.

I've got some picture I was going to post, but that'll have to wait a bit. For now, coordinates:

Entry to the BLM land, where the first shooter regulation sign is posted-
N44.99691, W123.48968

Location of the shooting spot with the downed trees and such-
N44.98809, W123.50896

-Mike

 

[Rem700..300]

Hi Mike
Do you have Paul Tigans email of the BLM. Send me a private email.
Craig

 

[Cogs]

Thanks for the recon mission and report, Mike.

It sounds like the second co ordinance you gave may not be a legal shooting area because of no berm and the first co ordinance sounds like the entry gate with shot up signs but not really a shooting site. Is there a place in that area where there is a good legal shooting spot? It would serve as the main meeting location and it should have enough room to set up a canopy or two and accommodate some parking. From there, we can send a crew up and down the road to clean up a couple of spots.

While we can't just go do some cutting and build berms, we can make some recommendations of what we'd like to see. Hopefully we can open a conversation with BLM about that.

We can do a lot toward spreading the word for responsible shooting while we're in the process of organizing the cleanup. We'll make up fliers to distribute to local sporting goods stores and enlist the help of vendors, Sheriff's Dept and others. Word will spread.

Perhaps we can have BLM bring some replacement signs and a few of us can go replace the damaged ones.

Paul Tigan, with BLM tells me that is Polk County. I sent an email to Polk County Dumpstoppers and gave them a heads-up that we may be doing a cleanup. Paul said Dumpstoppers will be the ones removing the trash so we will be naming them as a 3rd Sponsor.

So from here, I need co ordinance to a good meeting place and a date (Aug?).

Thanks again, Mike.

Bill

 

[pdempsey1097]

The location is pretty close to home for me.
I'll plan to help out as well.
Thanks to all here who are coordinating.

 

[mikemenzie]

I'd have to go out again some time to find coordinates for a better shooting spot, or rely on someone else else who goes out there. Sorry, bud. I'm just not familiar with the area as much anymore. Like i said, i drove around for 2 hours before i found the popular shooting spot with no berm that i was looking for, haha. I'm pretty sure there are a couple more spots right up the road from that one, but by the time i found it, i only had time to check out 1 of the 2 road branches right there.
-Mike