Why do people trash shooting spots?

[teflon6string]

Mostly, they're thoughtless oxygen bandits without a care in the world beyond "what's fun for ME right this second."

Sadly, most offenders never have a clue about any actual consequnece until they go somewhere to shoot up a dead television and find the area has been permanently closed.

Then, with that sobering reality staring them in the face, they do it anyway. And all shooters are labeled as dangerous littering morons. I've always felt it's just a d*mn shame that ignorance isn't excrucuatingly painful.

Never heard about the magic phone number for getting rid of washers and driers, but I posted my dead washer for free on Craigslist a few months ago hoping someone wanted to rebuild it or scavenge it for parts. Went to breakfast and came back to 20 emails begging me for first crack at it. Gone before noon.

 

[tlfreek]

I used to go shooting up at Memaloose and found the place a trashpit and wanted to help clean it (thinking that it may not fix the problem but make it better even if temporarily). Gelfreak91, organized the cleanup and I and others from this board helped clean one Saturday morning last summer.


well I went back in the fall and the place was just like it was before. I permanently fixed the problem tho. I joined a gun range so I don't have to drive up and see it anymore. It really is amazing what people bring up to shoot and the thought process that goes on. Its not like AH....Ill take those two cans and a bucket to shoot. These guys are hmmm.........that washin' machine been actin up anyway and i aint gonna use those 12 gallons of paint and I wonder if I can shoot through that junk tire?

yea. they really think about it.

 

[drew]

It really is amazing what people bring up to shoot and the thought process that goes on. Its not like AH....Ill take those two cans and a bucket to shoot. These guys are hmmm.........that washin' machine been actin up anyway and i aint gonna use those 12 gallons of paint and I wonder if I can shoot through that junk tire?

yea. they really think about it.

Thought process? You mean don't forget the microwave and the old computer monitor. It can be sad and frustrating looking at places like Memaloose.

 

[Ought Six]

The Sultan Basin area in the Skykomish River Valley (out Highway 2) east of Seattle used to be open for shooting. So much trash; dead appliances, TVs, boxes, you name it; was shot up and left there that the county literally could not load it and get it out of there fast enough. Slob shooters were bringing in so much stuff that it was still building up, no matter how quickly they tried to clean it up. Finally, thanks to these jerks, the entire area was closed to shooting.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Just last week I came across approx. Five yards of garbage dumped over the edge of the forest service road where folks like to shoot,, again. The same place that has been used for this in the past over and over. The same thing as usual, no address's no bills or names to track them with. They have been very careful to burn anything that would identify themselves. After going through the household trash,, I found the golden ticket!! the fools had somehow "honest to God" dropped their Oregon "valid" drivers license into one of them, and our local state police fish and game trooper takes AT LEAST as dim of view as I do on this subject, and knowing him as I do, they wont be back. The locals that use this area for shooting are decent folks and for the most part will say something if you leave anything other than spent brass, which is usually gone fairly quick. Being fortunate enough to not live in the metro area, most of these guys have taken responsibility for the effort to keep it clean and open. Are there those of lower morals that would trash and ruin it living in the area if allowed? Yes, without a doubt, but if you dont at least attempt to educate them to the fact that their actions are not acceptable, expect it to be the norm. It started with a few of us here, and has grown. Now the "bubba's, knuckle dragger's and tweaker's" Have gone elsewhere to play. You cant be there all the time and you cant stop all of it, but you can make a difference,, if your willing.

 

[rusobr2]

my son ,and grandkids had 3 areas here in prineville that we shoot at ....now were down to 2--one area has a nice new gate on it w/lock--i make it a point to take a garbage can out with us , and spend time picken up before we even start-- also posted a sign on a tree "pick up your garbage" some of these people don't give a hoot ! (just use it up till it's gone) i have a couple friends at OFS , and we mite get the one area opened up in the spring . we'll see ! also i know some of the guys that are using the one area "bubbas", and they were the first ones to complain--buuuuuuut the last ones to clean area up !!
i'll keep doing what i do and hopefully we can keep the other 2 areas . it's getting to be like telling someone where your blackberry patch is------people ask where to go shooten,and i tell em (don't know--i just moved here)

my thoughts only......steven

 

[WIRED tactical]

I get really pissed when I try and go shooting and encounter this crap. Especially shotgun shells. Once I found a pile that was a foot high of just shells. You know those aren't made of a material that rusts away in six months...

 

[MrNiceGuy]

I dont bring targets to outdoor shooting spots anymore.
Between the plethora or bottles, shotgun shells, and old ammo boxes that are left behind, I dont see a need to bring my own.

I've been stopped while preparing to shoot a few times and asked by the police/sheriff what I had brought to use as targets. When I told him that I planned to shoot what was already here he applauded my group and told us to have fun... So I have that going for me.

 

[Bam]

I witnessed this up at Lousignont Rd by Timber.

Group in a light blue early 90s GMC Sierra pickup with a canopy were shooting a semi auto shotgun and left their 100+ black shot shells over the place.

If I wasn't busy maneuvering in the snow I would have gotten their plates, I can easily pull vehicle registered owners info... I would have happily left the burning bag of trash on your door step.

 

[kritos666]

.. Ok I know I'm about to stir up a storm here, but what the heck. The motto of "leave no trace" or "carry it in, carry it out" comes to mind.

I'm happy to hear, that everyone commenting, appears to be both aware and pro-active about this. I do carry targets, but I carry my own steel gongs (yea I know I'm a little nutty to carry them out to 400yrds) I ALWAYS clean up my mess, and try to clean up others as well. As usual, I appreciate you guys pointing out I can do more. The next time I go out with the boys, I think we will do a dump run, try and clean up some of that glass out by wolf creek rd. in Eugene.
I know I would hate for the place to get shut down.

My 27 cents.

 

[mjn]

Well... another spot in the Tri-City area is closed.

An area just south of town where I've plinked since 1989. The land owner says "no more".

As much as it pisses me off, I completely understand. Brainless idiots bring out all kinds of junk to shoot at... and then just leave what is left. There are four or five different spots along this road that are great shooting spots, and each one of them has garbage strewn ALL over... and thousands and THOUSANDS of empty shotgun shells.

Just makes me sick.

I believe I might write a letter to the editor of our local paper.

 

[Grunwald]

I am surprised that law enforcement does not make more trips to these areas and bust these people. I'm pretty sure that littering tickets are not that cheap and they could make a mint for the state(or county or town) doing that. All they would have to do is an "undercover" surveillance.
I'm sure if a group (or is it a swarm?) of litter bugs got nailed with tickets, they might think twice before doing it again.

 

[billdeserthills]

I am surprised that law enforcement does not make more trips to these areas and bust these people. I'm pretty sure that littering tickets are not that cheap and they could make a mint for the state(or county or town) doing that. All they would have to do is an "undercover" surveillance.
I'm sure if a group (or is it a swarm?) of litter bugs got nailed with tickets, they might think twice before doing it again.

I'm suprised that you think Law Enforcement has nothing better to do with their time. Many of these shooting places are on Private Property which would exclude LE from doing anything anyhow

 

[fredgarv]

as jeff foxworthy says, "if you take a budweiser to a job interview.........you might be a redneck" ba dump dump..same thing applies here, if you take a computer monitor up into the mountains and drink a lot and shoot the **** out of it and then leave it there, you might be a redneck.

 

[BillyDa59]

as jeff foxworthy says, "if you take a budweiser to a job interview.........you might be a redneck" ba dump dump..same thing applies here, if you take a computer monitor up into the mountains and drink a lot and shoot the **** out of it and then leave it there, you might be a redneck.

That's not entirely fair. I often bring out junk to shoot at my favorite gravel pit. And after I'm done, I pick up every last scrap of whatever I destroyed, and then some. I always go to the shooting pit with roughly 1 trash bag's worth of my own targets, but I always haul out 2 trash bags of targets altogether. About the only targets I won't use are glass bottles. You can't see and pick up every piece of white glass bottles for obvious reasons.

Also, someone else had said the problem is mostly "dumb kids." I'm assuming they mean anyone who looks 25 or younger. Not true. I'm 20 years old and I clean up my trash. I've seen plenty of other younger shooters clean up their trash too. The biggest piece of junk I've ever seen left at a shooting pit was a horse trailer. I'd be willing to bet "dumb kids" didn't haul that up there.

 

[Grunwald]

Billy, I agree with you about the age thing. Chances are that those that were dumb and inconsiderate when young are also dumb and inconsiderate as they get old.

 

[RallySoob]

Garbage builds up at the place i shoot too... I also bring a bag to cleanup or collect brass i can turn in at the scrap yard. I want to make a few signs to remind people but i'm sure its illegal; not to mention some rude people would probably use it as a target

 

[bow503]

I wish I could get to my dirty shooting spot right now. All this talk about messy spots makes me wanna clean some stuff up. Too bad its snowed in right now, other wise i would've been there already.

 

[jayleno]

Oldest rule I was ever taught - by Dad, by the Scouts, by other rangers, backpackers, Mom, neighborhood priest, Rabbi,goofy looking neighbor kid:

Leave it better than you found it. Every time. Some dumb-a$$ drops 50+ rounds of 12 gauge plastic and walks off, well, he's a dumb-a$$. Is it dumber to be the guy who drops it, or the guy who sees it and leaves it?

 

[Sagaba]

"Is it dumber to be the guy who drops it, or the guy who sees it and leaves it?" - Waddell Creek near Olympia, WA. There are litterally a million shotgun shells. There are more empty shells then rocks to stand on. My shooting groups have picked up what we can when we can but it barely seems to dent it. We've worked with the park rangers and even then, we've filled truck after truck of crap and a month later it's back. We've done the same sort of thing to the sultan pit near monroe WA, that used to be a favorite shooting spot of mine. I know about the tannerite issue firsthand somewhat but I would say it was a bit more about neighbors not liking "guns" in general than just the tannerite. The lady was also complaining that her horses would get spooked and she was worried about ricochets hitting them??? I feel bad the pit got closed, even when people did their best to compromise, the county still shut down a safe place that many people used.

Why do people dump? I don't know. I'm always careful to clean up my shells and brass and leave an area like I found it or better. Most people that shoot up TV's/computers/electronics seem to be, well, uneducated or members of the lesser end of society types but that's just my experience. I hate to admit it but sometimes steriotypes (redneck gun owner who doesn't care) exist for a reason. Not always of course.