WA State Suddenly Closed Target Shooting on State Managed Lands...

[Cogs]

I'm used to an annual closure because of fire danger and it's expected now. However, they have always given a little advanced notice. This time they did not. I heard it was a decision made the night before and was to close the next morning.

They knew the forecast and current conditions. They could have made the decision and announced it on Friday to start the closure on Saturday morning. We would have shared that info all over social media so shooters would be better informed and many would not have spent the effort to go out (like me... I would not have loaded the truck Friday night, gotten up at 5 AM, drove 2 + hours and spent an hour to set up the info booth, if I had known on Friday).

Ultimately, things turned out quite well and I'm happy with the effort. I was a little disappointed that there was no advanced notice.

 

[Mikej]

Here's the story of what we did yesterday... Information and Surprises handed out in the Capitol State Forest. Aug 15, 2020.

They really limit shooting hours on "Public" land to 9:00am-5:00pm? (non fire season) That's a bunch of hooey. Sounds like a good way boil a frog. Next year, 10-4, year after 11-3........

 

[Cogs]

They really limit shooting hours on "Public" land to 9:00am-5:00pm? (non fire season) That's a bunch of hooey. Sound like a good way boil a frog. Next year, 10-4, year after 11-3........

Nah. Only this pit. It's real close to 2 camp grounds and less than a mile to neighbors. The ended up with a somewhat happy medium... 9-5 hours. I'd like that if I were camping there!

 

[MrRob96]

Glad I stumbled over this thread. Was thinking to go to Capital and bring a rifle or 6. I guess I'll head another way.

 

[Cogs]

Glad I stumbled over this thread. Was thinking to go to Capital and bring a rifle or 6. I guess I'll head another way.

I haven't heard of anything else being closed so, national forests and BLM land should still be open. If you know of any privately owned timber land that allows shooting, that may be an option. Other than that, a friend with private land or a range if you could get in.

If no shooting, could still spend some time at a shooting site cleaning up some trash!

 

[HaveGun]

One of the worst forest fires I can recall in my area was started by yahoos shooting tannerite this time of year a couple of years ago.

Stupid people ruin things for the rest of us.

 

[Cogs]

On the bright side, we got Wolf Creek shooting lanes because of 2 fires started by target shooting! YAY! Let's go shooting some more!

 

[2gunnztoo]

I haven't heard of anything else being closed so, national forests and BLM land should still be open. If you know of any privately owned timber land that allows shooting, that may be an option. Other than that, a friend with private land or a range if you could get in.

If no shooting, could still spend some time at a shooting site cleaning up some trash!

geez,clean up after yourself! "but mom, dude, none of the others guys do!!!"
I have travel a local waterway fairly frequently & picked up after others every trip.
The stuff I couldn't "pickup" included automobiles, both burn out & not, washing machines, dryers, tvz,
monitors & things I have forgotten. The most exciting thing was a Ben Franklin.
Sometimes it pays to scrounge around. yup, life is good!
cock n lock...neighbors.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

We have had a light rain since last night...and looks like some cooler temps.for awhile...
Maybe this will ease back the shooting restrictions.....
Andy

 

[Cogs]

We have had a light rain since last night...and looks like some cooler temps.for awhile...
Maybe this will ease back the shooting restrictions.....
Andy

That means not much time left to get our favorite spots cleaned up and ready to go!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Every piece of litter , every bit of shooting trash left behind....
Has the potential of making yet another person , anti-gun .

We joke about ammunition being "Freedom Seeds"...
Yet every piece of left behind shooting debris is a "Anti-shooting Seed".

Don't be that guy who , sows the field of our destruction ...pick up after yourself and others.
Andy

 

[Nightvisionary]

Can someone explain how shooting non steel core ammunition can start a fire? Can non-ferrous copper or lead create a spark?

 

[Cogs]

Can someone explain how shooting non steel core ammunition can start a fire? Can non-ferrous copper or lead create a spark?

You're right, non steel core typically does not start a fire, and lead is the best to use during the fire season. But forest officials can't trust that all shooters will switch to lead only.

 

[Nosrac]

I haven't been at the triangle pit in years. I do hate how the shooting idiots leave their trash all over capital forest and up the forest off Wilkeson. By luck I just obtained private land out in Mason Co. where it is safe to shoot. I wasn't looking and kind of fell into the deal. The kicker is it already had dirt berms from the previous owner that he used as shooting backstops. SOLD!

 

[Caveman Jim]

I'm used to an annual closure because of fire danger and it's expected now. However, they have always given a little advanced notice. This time they did not. I heard it was a decision made the night before and was to close the next morning.

They knew the forecast and current conditions. They could have made the decision and announced it on Friday to start the closure on Saturday morning. We would have shared that info all over social media so shooters would be better informed and many would not have spent the effort to go out (like me... I would not have loaded the truck Friday night, gotten up at 5 AM, drove 2 + hours and spent an hour to set up the info booth, if I had known on Friday).

Ultimately, things turned out quite well and I'm happy with the effort. I was a little disappointed that there was no advanced notice.

I'll bet they already had all those signs printed up just for the knee-jerk reaction whenever it comes to play. In the past there were some really hot years, 88 and 89 comes to mind, where they closed all the forests to everything.
But it seems like since that fire started in Yakima (LEO target practice) that they are doing it every year just because they can point to recreational target shooters as the cause.
I have only logged two days of temperatures over 85* since the ban here in Grays Harbor, maybe they should've looked at the extended forecast in this area before closing everything here.

 

[oremike]

Can someone explain how shooting non steel core ammunition can start a fire? Can non-ferrous copper or lead create a spark?

Friction can start fires as can two flint type rocks striking together. Also parking a car over dried grass and smokers carelessness to just name a couple.

 

[Cogs]

More on fire potential in target shooting:
Fire Safety in Target Shooting

 

[PaulB47]

I had a neighbor in Wyoming, a member of the volunteer fire department no less, who managed to start a brush fire merely by shooting and getting a spark off a rock (maybe steel core, I don't know). Fortunately it was caught before it burned very much.

 

[Member 52301]

One of the worst forest fires I can recall in my area was started by yahoos shooting tannerite this time of year a couple of years ago.

Stupid people ruin things for the rest of us.

You got that right when it comes to stupid and irresponsible people. NO common sense and/or they just do not give a dang! Ggrrrr.

We have had that in my state (MT) too.

The idiots who shoot that stuff (Tannerite.) when it is DRY out or they 'think' (?!?) that it is not 'fire season' are the people who have started fires in other states too. Flame away if you use that S in specific dry woody climates and not only in a desert. I do not care.

That crap is NOT allowed at our official range (Dues paying.) and I am glad that it is not allowed too.

We had some more idiots start house fires (YES, house/garage/shop fires.) and other fires shooting fireworks INSIDE and outside of town limits in areas that were VERY dry too. It happened this year too.

Super dry fields, overgrown woods and brush that NEED TO BE MOWED or cleared of underbrush and DEAD WOOD all of the way down to various rivers and they were shooting off huge fireworks not far from my house too.

I did not know WHO was doing this but I called it in. I could SEE it but I did not run out in the night to see who it was. They continued on until 3 AM and that was over 3 hours after I made the first call and I called it in again.

NOTHING stopped and I gather that the police were/are supposed to DO something but I have NEVER seen it stop even after calls have been made.

That goes for other people seeing the same thing. They want the calls but IT CONTINUES ON. I have seen this from the same area since I built this house and for all of the police that are out there... it continues year after year and NOT just on July 4th too. They have a special telephone number for this bs that is happening close to homes and super dry areas to use too.

Other people called in ALL over and the calls where coming in from people inside and outside of town limits due to the dry areas and fire season.

Funny, how people want 'freedom' to do whatever the h!!! they want to do and they take NO personal responsibility or do not get CAUGHT for burning down STUFF that does not BELONG TO THEM.

And if they (Criminals or arsonists.) would get caught - most of the donkeys do not have a POT TO TINKLE in so good luck getting money out of them IF it goes to court. Insert a sad sign here.

People were left homeless due to idiots burning up STUFF close to homes and on land (Private.) that did not belong to them. They did this on public land that was butt up to private land too.

It is bad enough that you have arsonists running around ALL over this country (Fact not fiction.) and other human caused fires (Fact not fiction.) and throw in lightning strikes too. Throw in the rioters and arsonists too. Ugh.

It makes it really bad for all people and not just when it comes to destruction but for health reasons too.

I would like public shooting to continue on public lands (State and federal.) but people need to be aware of fire dangers in specific seasons, USE some common sense and they need a brain bigger than a PEA too.

Old Lady Cate

 

[Member 52301]

PS:

I do believe that IF a state official or a federal official closes up specific areas for shooting - ADVANCE WARNING should be given too.

That goes for open fires or camp fires too.

They let the ARSONISTS and RIOTERS CONTINUE ON with their crapola day after day and they give/gave NO warning to law abiding shooters/gun people?!

Funny how that works especially when it comes to the communist and socialist leaders who need to be FIRED FOR DERELICTION OF DUTY since they have failed the CITIZENS in and out of their city limits and let it continue on in the counties, townships and boonies across this nation. Mayors, governors, national leaders, etc.

They let these criminals of all flavors and GROUP names burn and destroy public and private property and wound/murder people - leave them homeless yet they want to JAIL BUSINESS OWNERS OF ALL TYPES and citizens for wanting to protect their properties and/or not go broke! What a JOKE THIS COUNTRY has become!

Pathetic!

Old Lady Cate - Fed Up Taxpayer