Firearm use in Tahuya Forest

Ranb · May 14, 2016

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/local...ba-8e57-7aac-e053-0100007fa9b0-379257501.html

Target shooting is allowed under certain conditions at Tahuya and other public lands managed by the state Department of Natural Resources. But a growing number of recreational users — from hikers to mountain bikers to off-road vehicle drivers — want gun owners to find a safer place to shoot.

In response, DNR is considering new ways to manage or restrict shooting at Tahuya and three other state forests — Capitol in Thurston County, Harry Osborne in Skagit County and Yacolt Burn near Vancouver.

DNR will host a presentation and open house about target shooting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Tahuya at North Mason High School, 150 North Mason School Road in Belfair.

Target shooters have been channeled to Tahuya as well. Herb Gerhardt, who has hunted and hiked in Tahuya for 40 years, says the closure of the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club in Central Kitsap and new shooting and recreational use limitations on private timberlands has concentrated gun enthusiasts in Tahuya.

Suggestions on where to safely locate target shooting in Tahuya are trickling in from the forest's users, and DNR hopes to gather more ideas at Tuesday's meeting. Milliern said DNR could designate shooting areas and install dirt banks, walls, overhead baffles and other protective structures.

But build too much and shooters might take their guns elsewhere.

If you want your voice heard, please go to the North Mason High School, 150 North Mason School Road in Belfair, Tuesday 6:30pm. I think this is an excellent opportunity to be heard and let the DNR know we can shoot safely in the forest. I hope that the DNR would allow Mason County or another group (such as a gun club) build and run a rifle range in the forest for the benefit of shooters throughout Mason County and other areas.

I prefer to shoot at an established shooting area instead of out in the woods.

Randy

Ranb · May 17, 2016

I just got back from the Mason County meeting. There were about 75 people present. After an initial presentation by a DNR representative who stated that they were most likely going to set aside some part of Tahuya Forest for shooting (not a 1000 yard range, most likely 200-300 yards only) we broke up into three groups to discuss questions they had written on an easel.

My group had twenty people, only three of which were completely opposed to any shooting in the forest. They all lived on Hurd Road. I ride my ATV in Tahuya 2-3 times a month and have never encountered a shooter although I've seen broken clays and shot shell hulls at times, but I'm usually riding between the Sand Pit and Elfendahl areas.

Some of the shooters just want an uncontrolled pit or berm into which they can shoot pistols while others (like myself) want a longer range with covered shooting positions. I'll be very happy to just have a tall berm to shoot into 200 yards away from a place I can lay down a shooting mat.

The DNR is open to bringing in a club to run a range on DNR land as there will need to be some sort of maintenance and cleanup that is beyond the capability of the DNR to provide. It would be nice to have a volunteer on duty to ensure that someone who has never used a range before does not become a hazard to other shooters. I think at first any range established will be uncontrolled. Access to the range would require the usual $30/year pass.

I did not hear any indication that the DNR was looking to prohibit shooting in the entire Tahuya Forest. I think there will be some more "No Shooting" signs going up in some places though. They also said it would take about 2 years to establish a dedicated shooting area.

There are more meetings in the future. Each begins at 6:30 pm.

Tuesday, May 31 at the Water Resources Education Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98661
Wednesday, June 1 at the Burlington-Edison High School Cafeteria, 301 N. Burlington Blvd., Burlington, WA 98233
Thursday, June 2 at The Evergreen State College Longhouse Education and Cultural Center, 2800 Dogtooth Lane NW, Olympia, WA 98505

Randy

Ranb · Jun 21, 2017

http://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news...nated-shooting-sites-tahuya-forest/417084001/

At the Belfair meeting, DNR representatives presented two possible locations for a target shooting area and invited comment on additional sites to be considered.

The options are a site near Tahuya Blacksmith Road and a site at the junction of Belfair Tahuya Road and Hurd Road, called the Mission-Hurd option.

It's going to be a long time before we have a decent place to shoot n Tahuya though.

A few people expressed doubts that all shooters would use a designated shooting area. Many requested more enforcement in the meantime, since it will take the state up to five years to finish the public process, conduct an environmental review and secure funding for a site.