State laws on shooting up in the mountains????

[kenpstok]

Anyone have a link or a website that can give me the low down on safe shooting spots? I am in Renton Wa and I just want to go shooting. I got a nice set-up and tired of doing vids of how it looks I really wanna run some rounds through it and not in a range. check out my vid it's about 2 months old YouTube - Smith & Wesson M&P 15 MOE Edition **** check out all my vids. rate and comment please

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[joeroket]

It's mot really the state that controls the discharge of firearms but rather the counties and cities. Most counties have a no-shooting area/zone map that can be looked at online to tell you where they restrict discharging a firearm. What might seem safe to you might have been deemed unsafe by the county council. We have a few of those spots here in Sno Co. It's a pain in the butt, however they know that people are not going to hire a lawyer to fight it because of the cost involved when there are places 15 miles up the road that can be used for shooting.

 

[Riot]

No littering...that's pretty much it. Don't shoot near houses or in city limits and you should be fine...

 

[tom sawyer]

common sense is the key imho

 

[fredgarv]

dont know if you saw this before but I found this:


here ya go from the DNR website

Firearms and target shooting.
(1) What is recreational target shooting? Recreational target shooting is the use of a firearm or bow and arrow on targets and the sighting in of rifles or other firearms on department-managed lands. The department regulates and enforces target shooting on department-managed lands.

(a) The department may restrict target shooting for the reasons set forth in WAC 332-52-100.

(b) Persons shall not target shoot carelessly, recklessly, or without regard for the safety of any person, or in a manner that endangers, or is likely to endanger, any person, pet, livestock, wildlife or property.

(c) Persons shall not discharge tracer or incendiary ammunition or projectile devices on department-managed lands. For purposes of this subsection, "incendiary" means causing or designed to cause fires, such as certain substances or bombs. "Tracer ammunition" means a bullet, projectile, or shell that traces its own course in the air with a trail of smoke, chemical incandescence, or fire, so as to facilitate adjustment of the aim.

(2) Does recreational target shooting include hunting? No. This section does not apply to hunting activities, which are subject to the rules and regulations administered by the Washington state department of fish and wildlife.

(3) Where is target shooting permitted?

(a) Persons may target shoot in:

(i) Developed recreation facilities specifically designed for target shooting; or

(ii) Areas with an unobstructed, earthen backstop capable of stopping all projectiles and debris in a safe manner.

Persons shall not target shoot in any other location.

(b) Persons shall not shoot within, from, along, across, or down roads or trails.

(c) Persons shall not shoot on, at, across, along, down, from, or within five hundred feet, of:

(i) Recreational facilities that are not specifically designed for target shooting;

(ii) Residences;

(iii) Businesses;

(iv) Structures;

(v) Other areas as restricted;

(vi) Areas designated or posted as no shooting.

(4) What may be used as a target?

(a) Items that are commercially manufactured for the specific purpose of target shooting or similar targets privately manufactured by the person(s) engaging in target shooting that are consistent with this section.

(b) Unauthorized targets include but are not limited to:

(i) Natural features, except earthen berms or banks used as backstops for target shooting;

(ii) Vegetation;

(iii) Structures;

(iv) Gates;

(v) Vehicles;

(vi) Signs;

(vii) Other department improvements;

(viii) Appliances;

(ix) Furniture;

(x) Glass;

(xi) Privately owned or occupied structures;

(xii) Pets, service animals or livestock;

(xiii) Wildlife;

(xiv) Explosive and incendiary items;

(xv) Garbage of any kind.



Persons shall not target shoot at unauthorized targets.

(5) When is target shooting permitted? Unless otherwise posted, persons shall not target shoot one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.

(6) Is possession of a loaded firearm in or on a motor vehicle permitted on department-managed lands? Persons shall not possess a loaded firearm in or on a motor vehicle, except as provided by state law.

 

[tom sawyer]

Be nice to have a map of places in the snohomish co from hwy 2 where you can target shoot though.

 

[fredgarv]

no doubt, I was looking for just such a map yesterday. the DNR website as with most government crap is confusing and offers no such maps. I guess you just have to wonder around on logging roads and look for signs. I had driven up a long long logging road just short of big 4 ice caves and someone told me that might be a good place to shoot, so I drove up there and right at the entrance of the road they had signs all over no shooting anywhere along this road, and this was pretty far up in the mountains not down by sultan. I sent an email to the DNR asking them about this and here is there reply:

Hi Brian:

Thanks for your email. I agree, it can be confusing determining who owns
which parcels of land.

Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR)-managed lands are
under state jurisdiction. U.S. Forest Service land is under the federal
government's jurisdiction. The lands are separate, but often border one
another. DNR-managed lands often border private lands, and private lands
are sometimes contained within state lands with access easements.

The following link takes you to information about the rules regarding
target shooting on DNR-managed lands:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=332-52-145

Also, here is a link to our state trust lands map. It may be of some
help: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/eng_rms_trustlands_map_nu2.pdf

Since you asked specifically about the Granite Falls and Mt Baker areas,
I'm copying Laurie Bergvall, who works for DNR in that region. She
might be able to give you more assistance about specific places to
target shoot.


Toni W. Droscher
Recreation Program Communications Manager
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 47014
Olympia, WA 98504
360-902-1523
www.dnr.wa.gov

 

[kenpstok]

Sorry for the slow response but thanks for all the input!

 

[fredgarv]

from what I have been able to find out, you can shoot anywhere on forest service land as long as its not close to trials, campsites, any houses of course, not across roads etc like it says. the sherriffs dept and the county have a map online of no shooting areas. can't shoot in state parks or county parks although you can carry there of course. I have another email into a state DNR lady who is responsiple for the granite falls area so we will see what she has to say. as long as it's not private property and you don't see any No shooting signs I don't see why you cant shoot as long as it's away from people and trails, campsites etc. there was an article online I found where a guy was hiking up by mount higgins, and he heard shots as he was coming down the trail. he yelled that there were hikers coming and this idiot yelled back something like "you better not come down here or your asking for it" or some such which scarred the guy so he went around them and then tried to report it at the local ranger or sherrif and they had temporary summer help manning the desk and they didn't do anything so he contacted a sheriff and he said they were short handed and had virtually nobody in the whole region to enforce anything. but that he should file a complaint.

I'll let you know what the DNR lady says

oh yeah there is a navy radar thing up outside of arlington/darington area, dept of defense and all that, might not be a good idea to wonder up that dirt road and start shooting

oh yeah, found out they don't want you to use trees as targets! don't shoot the poor trees, what have they ever done to you?

 

[kenpstok]

Thanks again. I'll be up and shooting in no time. I'll bring my gps and I'll share some points if I see any! check my youtube vids if you got some time YouTube - kalif151byccrew's Channel

 

[BearAspen]

Did you ever find a good spot Kenpstok???

 

[fredgarv]

I used to think it was perfectly ok to shoot up on green mountain as long as you didn't shoot across a road. I found a nice spot way up there with a big hill backstop that other people had obviously shot at this spot. but now i read that and I don't know if it's true or not, that you can't shoot NEAR a road, you must be 100 feet away from the nearest road, which means you can't just pull up in a spot like this and shoot. and this guy at the verlot ranger station said "people just pull up off the road and start shooting" like this was not good, and said it was "heavily patrolled" (these green mountain roads). so I guess one needs to hike a bit off the road and get to some interior spot in order to shoot, which is hard to do up there since it's just mostly alot of trees and it's hard to find a good backstop, a good berm to use. I looked at google earth and saw some clearings just off these roads up there on green mountain. so I might just take a copy of these sat maps and go up there and hike around. but this green mountain area road 41 seems like the closest place to go if one want's to shoot out in nature, and not in some closed up warehouse type range thing.

 

[Spikele]

@ fredgarv, have you been up there yet?

 

[fredgarv]

yes I went up there on our last glorious sunny (one day only) day. last saturday. if you look on the maps, there is private land for the first few miles, then goes into forest service land, and boy, as soon as you get into forest service land, SNOW. too much snow for me at like 2,000 to 2,500 feet. so turned around and just before the snow, on the last bit of private land there is one last pit down a little bit of a hill. with a nice backstop, only problem is, the backstop is in the direction of the road, but you are down deep and this backstop berm hill is like 30 feet high. I went early about 9am, nobody, I mean nobody up there, didn't see one car. so I thought what the **** even though there are "no dumping/no shooting/private property" signs there like there are all up the first part of the road, I really wanted to try out my new zastava AK47 and my two pistols. so I hiked down there and set up and no sooner than I did that I hear some car coming. must have been the ONLY car within 5 miles, so I'm hoping he just drives by, but he stops right by my car. I just can't believe my luck, and then I hear him yelling "hey brian! hey brian!" which just happens to be my name. so I"m thinking what the f....k? so I hike up there with my AK slung over my shoulder still not have ever fired the damm thing, and this kid says Oh, sorry, your car looks like my buddy's car, and I go wow that's weird my name is also brian. anyway he says have fun and leaves and goes on up the road. he had a truck so I figured he'd keep on going in the snow, but no sooner than I set up my targets and am getting ready to shoot, he comes back, and slows way down and stops again by my car. so I'm wondering what is going on here and wait to shoot my targets. then he slowly leaves and I had the place to myself but it spooked me so I just felt that because of this and that I'm in a no shooting area I'd better not hang around too long. so I did get to shoot everything and just loved this rifle. there were lots of shells there laying around so obviously people still shoot there but I had visions of a sheriff coming up that road, although not likely. so like I said I will go further up the road and find a clearing or dry creekbed off the road that you can shoot when the snow clears. very beautiful up there in the morning. you can see all the way to the bay from this pit. I think as long as you didn't hang around there too long, you'd be fine to shoot there, but i'ts not a big area. good enough for pistols but not really long enough for rifles. I just wanted to try mine out and it went bang and blew my cardboard box with targets stuck to it sky high.