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This seems to have left my compassion for the homeless bankrupt. I suggest whatever sign(s) we end up with are at least made of sheet metal so they can't burn them.
But unless they're AR500 steel, they'll be full of holes in no time (metal is fun!). And AR 500 steel, that big, is expensive!

I kinda like the suggestion, from @nammac , of steel posts and chain link fence with the signs bolted to it. Still thinking about that.
 
note: close to Wolf Creek range over on the Salmonberry side of things the last 2 years I have noticed a sharp increase in homeless camping. They somehow must have the gas money to drive out to the woods.
They discovered brass collecting during COVID and using campfires to see the brass shine at night is their stock and trade. It doesn't surprise me at all that many have set up camp at these locations to be sure to get the jump on all the brass. It really is a vicious cycle that will eventually end with a wildfire whipping out our favorite shooting spots and quite possibly a bunch of homeless camps in the process. I always think we can do better to help these people, then I remember they won't even help themselves.
 
1' square concrete bases or larger reinforced with rebar. Plywood backing to keep replacements inexpensive.

Though some idiots still shoot at the Jersey barriers, I think most learn quickly that it's a poor choice.

Metal signs will only be more expensive to replace. Id stick to wood and paper for the sacrificial stuff. The posts get ripped out and or burned and many locations, not just these.
 
They discovered brass collecting during COVID and using campfires to see the brass shine at night is their stock and trade. It doesn't surprise me at all that many have set up camp at these locations to be sure to get the jump on all the brass. It really is a vicious cycle that will eventually end with a wildfire whipping out our favorite shooting spots and quite possibly a bunch of homeless camps in the process. I always think we can do better to help these people, then I remember they won't even help themselves.
Ive had someone ask me for my brass while I was shooting at Wolf Creek and my guess was they were living out of their car. Nice enough though I kept my sit awareness high.
But on the Salmonberry side.... Im referring to a few of the more dispersed lesser known places people shoot at or camp... weeks could go by before someone legit shows up to target shoot at these spots, in two of them there have been homeless camps for a while, one an entire RV was burned to the ground. Homeless camping is on the rise in that area and my guess is they have learned they can camp for a few weeks before they get found out and all they need to do is move a mile down the road for another 14 days....

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But unless they're AR500 steel, they'll be full of holes in no time (metal is fun!). And AR 500 steel, that big, is expensive!

I kinda like the suggestion, from @nammac , of steel posts and chain link fence with the signs bolted to it. Still thinking about that.
It's a more industrial look, but less vulnerable to vandalism. Can always fill the posts with concrete for additional durability…. Signs and the medium they're attached to would be the consumables. Takes away fire fuel as well as potential targets.
 
A good while back at Salmonberry at my favorite spot, a guy with a nice rig and trailer was set up. His story was the wife kicked him out, going through divorce and he didn't have anywhere to go.

I normally shoot alone but now think it's better not to go alone. At least at Wolfcreek there are more people around. While I never experienced any trouble, times are changing. Unfortunately I have few people to shoot with these days.
 
note: close to Wolf Creek range over on the Salmonberry side of things the last 2 years I have noticed a sharp increase in homeless camping. They somehow must have the gas money to drive out to the woods.
I have no doubts that the state of Oregon hands out Oregon Trail cards loaded with cash like they used to toss candy at 4th of July Parades! More money comes from "ORT" Organized Retail Theft. And the camped motor homes have a car with them. Unlicensed/un-insured of course. For them to run to town and steal, something else they don't apprehend or lock-up for anymore, what they need. I don't think police pull people over/impound cars for those things anymore either. The have more freedoms than we tax payers do.
 
I have no doubts that the state of Oregon hands out Oregon Trail cards loaded with cash like they used to toss candy at 4th of July Parades! More money comes from "ORT" Organized Retail Theft. And the camped motor homes have a car with them. Unlicensed/un-insured of course. For them to run to town and steal, something else they don't apprehend or lock-up for anymore, what they need. I don't think police pull people over/impound cars for those things anymore either. The have more freedoms than we tax payers do.
Sad but True
 
A good while back at Salmonberry at my favorite spot, a guy with a nice rig and trailer was set up. His story was the wife kicked him out, going through divorce and he didn't have anywhere to go.

I normally shoot alone but now think it's better not to go alone. At least at Wolfcreek there are more people around. While I never experienced any trouble, times are changing. Unfortunately I have few people to shoot with these days.
lots of guys on here that would be happy to go shooting with ya.
if I had more free time I'd join ya. I'm in f.g. also
 
Ive had someone ask me for my brass while I was shooting at Wolf Creek and my guess was they were living out of their car. Nice enough though I kept my sit awareness high.
But on the Salmonberry side.... Im referring to a few of the more dispersed lesser known places people shoot at or camp... weeks could go by before someone legit shows up to target shoot at these spots, in two of them there have been homeless camps for a while, one an entire RV was burned to the ground. Homeless camping is on the rise in that area and my guess is they have learned they can camp for a few weeks before they get found out and all they need to do is move a mile down the road for another 14 days....

View attachment 1389898
Not to mention social media making living in a van cool! So there are some pretty normal people living out there 14 days at a time. It sounds weird but there are whole followings of people who live in those woods this way.

There are also plenty of tweekers and drug addicts as well.
 
Not to mention social media making living in a van cool! So there are some pretty normal people living out there 14 days at a time. It sounds weird but there are whole followings of people who live in those woods this way.

There are also plenty of tweekers and drug addicts as well.
I dont have any problem with people using public resources to live by, they learn soon enough that the "van life" is a fad or temporary anyways. Kinda like the tiny home movement. Most who do this usually have places in town to rotate parking as well.
But so far some of the "camping" Ive seen out there involves trash, dumping/vandalism and at least 1 campfire in the peak of fire season when there was a campfire ban in effect.
 
A good while back at Salmonberry at my favorite spot, a guy with a nice rig and trailer was set up. His story was the wife kicked him out, going through divorce and he didn't have anywhere to go.

I normally shoot alone but now think it's better not to go alone. At least at Wolfcreek there are more people around. While I never experienced any trouble, times are changing. Unfortunately I have few people to shoot with these days.
 
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Not to mention social media making living in a van cool! So there are some pretty normal people living out there 14 days at a time. It sounds weird but there are whole followings of people who live in those woods this way.

There are also plenty of tweekers and drug addicts
 
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i know it most likely fall on deaf ears.
Usually. That or they just move and cite the law and because the laws are loose for this sort of thing they can get around it. Some are legit, with registered vehicles and insurance. Some don't even do that. It's a "way of life" for some. For some it is the only option they have. Others it can be they lost everything trying to afford drugs and now live in their car in the woods and will do anything to get enough money to get their next baggy of bright colored pills including all sorts of illegal things.

However you look at it, it is a grim picture of where we are at in society. When things are so expensive that young people see living in a vehicle and paying for life by making "content" for others to watch as form of "making money". It's a level of self efficiency that others will never know, or a level of laziness never seen before. Depending on how you look at it really. I see what a house now costs, I see what rent now costs, I see what primers now cost. I get it. Like I've been priced out of reloading, some are being priced out of life. While it is easy for some to simply pack up and leave, some just get stuck here when it gets too bad and end up living on the street. Scary part is that the closer you look, the more you realize that these people are what's left of a level of the Portland economy deemed "unnecessary", and not the droves of people "swarming" to Oregon because being homeless is easier here. Homeless ain't easy no matter what video they show online.
 
Usually. That or they just move and cite the law and because the laws are loose for this sort of thing they can get around it. Some are legit, with registered vehicles and insurance. Some don't even do that. It's a "way of life" for some. For some it is the only option they have. Others it can be they lost everything trying to afford drugs and now live in their car in the woods and will do anything to get enough money to get their next baggy of bright colored pills including all sorts of illegal things.

However you look at it, it is a grim picture of where we are at in society. When things are so expensive that young people see living in a vehicle and paying for life by making "content" for others to watch as form of "making money". It's a level of self efficiency that others will never know, or a level of laziness never seen before. Depending on how you look at it really. I see what a house now costs, I see what rent now costs, I see what primers now cost. I get it. Like I've been priced out of reloading, some are being priced out of life. While it is easy for some to simply pack up and leave, some just get stuck here when it gets too bad and end up living on the street. Scary part is that the closer you look, the more you realize that these people are what's left of a level of the Portland economy deemed "unnecessary", and not the droves of people "swarming" to Oregon because being homeless is easier here. Homeless ain't easy no matter what video they show online.
It's been this way forever.. after I broke my neck in 1996 put in wheelchair for life. My wife was left with raising 2 kids 1 just born and a Quadriplegic husband. She had no skills she waited tables and we barely got by. Literally had like 20.00 a month to spend on something other than bills or rent.. we tried for assistance and we had a total income that exceeded the maximum by 15.00. Got zero help. We wer left with little choices for survival and knew at the Raye we were going were going to be homeless or moving in w somebody..
Our answer was to move away from Oregon and go to Nebraska where some friends were moving. Cost of living was 1/3 of oregon... wages weren't great there but we could survive and not be so dirt poor. I went back to college there got a degree and we moved back home to Oregon. We both worked hard got into a manufactured home in estacada. Saved money and finally bought a house in hillsboro in 2007.
Took out family 9 years to better ourself and our children and now grand children.


There are choices in life. Work hard to better yourself Or just work hard on not doing anything to better yourself .sadly our society today feels entitled and work as hard as they can not to better themselves and wait for government to do it for them..

Sorry not Sorry but I have very little compassion for those who do nothing but complain .
If your not willing to sacrifice then your not worth my empathy or time honestly..
This is the greatest country on the planet, nowhere else can you get what is possible here in America. But you got to be willing to make sacrifices, our forefathers did. My grandfather's did in 3 wars. Alot of you here served as well. And I thank you.. emensly.
 
I was homeless for a summer back in the 70's. But it was because I wanted to be. It was a blast! Saving money on rent was just a small bonus. I joined a couple and another good friend and we camped on a the cliffs above the Deschutes River. We all had longstanding daily jobs and our own vehicles that were well maintained. Never left a mess and kept the camp clean everyday. But boy, we could party!

Every 14 days, or so, we'd pack up and relocate (just because we didn't want 'The Fuzz' to stop by and poke around). Rarely did we see another camper. Sometime in the Fall, we went back to renting a house.

Oh, if we only had YouTube back then! I could be rich, right?! As it is, I was rich with good friends and an awesome good experience. Wouldn't trade it!

Yep, it sure is different today! I hate what's happening out there! It's not what it should be.
 
Slight tread drift. @Cogs, you are correct in that you don't really know me, but we met years ago when you were doing the informational booths at the various shooting areas. You were doing some work out in Forest Grove one day and swung by my place to pick up a 10x10 canopy that I donated to the cause.

I also had a small part in a AR build with fellow members here (blue colored components, IIRC) that was eventually presented to you at one of the clean-up's. ;)
Might even be some video floating around of you wiping something out of your eyes…..

I hope that was enough to jog your semi-retired brain some. :p:D
 
Slight tread drift. @Cogs, you are correct in that you don't really know me, but we met years ago when you were doing the informational booths at the various shooting areas. You were doing some work out in Forest Grove one day and swung by my place to pick up a 10x10 canopy that I donated to the cause.

I also had a small part in a AR build with fellow members here (blue colored components, IIRC) that was eventually presented to you at one of the clean-up's. ;)
Might even be some video floating around of you wiping something out of your eyes…..

I hope that was enough to jog your semi-retired brain some. :p:D
Shhhh. It sounds better if I don't know you! :)

Dang! Thanks for the jog! That all seems so long ago, but really it wasn't.

I still have and use the tent! The AR instantly became my favorite 'go-to' truck gun and I still really enjoy shooting it. Even with open sites! I haven't modified anything on it because I like how light weight it is and shoots so nice.

Thanks for spoiling the soup! LOL!
 
The other morning, just before the sun came up, I saw a guy riding a new motorcycle thru a gap in the fence at Camp47. Not so much begrudging but seems to be a priority, theft or something.

I remember meeting a guy in the 90s living in the woods in Ca. He got a job in Georgia, rode a Honda CB 400 from San Diego to Georgia. Got there, and was told he didn't have the job. Rode back to California and the engine grenaded in Lake Elsinore. Pre cell phone. I found him as I was making a U turn, on my motorcycle.

You ok, bro?
I'm, good.

He had a makeshift camp and was living off the land. Wearing an Army jacket. He said he wouldn't go back to San Diego and was out there until he figured something out.

I don't see him being on drugs. Was he homeless or stubborn? He was 20 miles from any neighborhood.
 
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