Trashed shooting range

[double00]

I went out to a public and free shooting range today. It is operated by the conservation dept. This was the first time i had been there in ten years. When i got to the conservation area there was a sign that said range closed on mondays till 11:00 am for maintenance. I went on back to it any way to see if i might find some brass. When i got to it there was three workers cleaning it and there was trash everywhere. Old targets, bullet boxes, beer and pop cans, and a shot up microwave oven. I ask one of the workers if this was normal and he said it was that why we love monday. I could not believe people would trash a shooting range like this. The only thing they pick up is the brass that can be reloaded.

[Ickisrulz]

I went out to a public and free shooting range today. It is operated by the conservation dept. This was the first time i had been there in ten years. When i got to the conservation area there was a sign that said range closed on mondays till 11:00 am for maintenance. I went on back to it any way to see if i might find some brass. When i got to it there was three workers cleaning it and there was trash everywhere. Old targets, bullet boxes, beer and pop cans, and a shot up microwave oven. I ask one of the workers if this was normal and he said it was that why we love monday. I could not believe people would trash a shooting range like this. The only thing they pick up is the brass that can be reloaded.

Personally, I've only ever left behind .22 cases after shooting. But what you saw is not uncommon for an "honor" system shooting range. People can be lazy pigs if they think there are no consequences.

[bowfin]

Part of the problem is that the Conservation Department is cleaning up after shooters instead of writing tickets.

The Izaak Walton League of America (Conservation Organization) did a study that found highly publicized, regular cleanups actually lead people to litter and dump more, because the litterbugs tell themselves "It's okay, some will either get paid to pick it up or get a merit badge for doing so."

Furthermore, the study conjectured that 25% of the people will not litter regardless whether they stand a good chance of getting caught, 25% will litter regardless, but the other half base their decisions on whether they know of someone getting ticketed and fined and whether they think they might get caught.

I have told several police officers and game wardens that I would sign an agreement in which I would pick up a garbage bag full of litter for every person they could get a conviction in court for littering. No takers yet, but I remaing optimistic...

[Freightman]

Our private range is honor system, but to break the rules is you are gone period and we have a two year waiting list. Found out last night that we have security cameras, went out to get some fire wood and dig a little lead after Church services and the VP of the club came down and told me he was there to see if he could tell who set up bottles as targets which is a no no. There was free range down at the lake SE of here but they closed it due to just the thing you were saying, people are PIGS and that may be an insult to pigs.

[frkelly74]

Our free range is a lot better than it used to be. I have taken loads out of there to burn or dispose of but now they have barrels and the DNR hauls off trash as necessary and if someone litters and someone else calls the conservation office on them they will get a ticket and or a talking to. I have seen the talking toos and they are awe inspiring. And some of us still pick up stuff at random intervals to help out. The DNR wants to keep the range open so that the mess is at least localized and people aren't all over the place shooting up the countryside. The neighbors who have been moving in closer and closer want the thing shut down and will call in any suspected violation of any law or rule, real or imagined. Life goes on.

[frkelly74]

Favorite targets seem to be old toilets, old computers, old cell phones for the "shooters" who want more of a challenge. Pop cans, sometimes full and unopened.

[JIMinPHX]

Whenever I went shooting in the dessert north of Phoenix, I always tried to leave it at least as good as I found it, if not a little better. Not everyone thought like that, but at least a few others did. I've gone up there twice now & hauled out a pick-up truck load of junk to get it back to the way that it was when it started getting used by shooters. I've noticed that other people have done the same thing at least 3 other times since I've been shooting up there. I guess that we've been getting a mixed bunch up there.

[Plate plinker]

Our free range is a lot better than it used to be. I have taken loads out of there to burn or dispose of but now they have barrels and the DNR hauls off trash as necessary and if someone litters and someone else calls the conservation office on them they will get a ticket and or a talking to. I have seen the talking toos and they are awe inspiring. And some of us still pick up stuff at random intervals to help out. The DNR wants to keep the range open so that the mess is at least localized and people aren't all over the place shooting up the countryside. The neighbors who have been moving in closer and closer want the thing shut down and will call in any suspected violation of any law or rule, real or imagined. Life goes on.


Always was disappointed by the amount of litter in my home state. Call the local CO up maybe you can get some results.

[Lively Boy]

we've had ...of all things,couches used as targets. left for others to clean up. we called the sheriff's office when we saw 7 tvs all lined up to be used for targets. they have closed a couple of spots to shooting. so now have to drive a ways to shoot. why are they such pigs(sorry 4 legged ones) it doesn't take anything to pick up the trash. we pick up more than we take out and no glass targets.hmmmmmm guess i'll never understand

[GT27]

Paper targets only at the range I belong to,first person at a particular area is the appointed range officer,if a club appointed one isn't present.Targets are taken down when you leave.If you commit a big enough infraction,drunk,dangerous, exhibiting belligerence, your gone right there!!If it is something that cant be handled there, they get your vehicle tag#, a range officer/exec. will give you a call that you are suspended!Military range rules! Strict,clean, and well maintained!$30.00 annually. Easton Fish&Game Association.

[double00]

i did belong to a private club, but they kept raising dues to the point it was not worth it. In there last letter it said they will raise dues 50 dollars a year, and that is when i quit. Like with this mess at public range, the anti gun people are looking for any reason to shut it down. There are bird watchers and other people use this conservation area too and if they see this mess what do they think. i was embarrassed as a gun owner.

[**oneshot**]

Actually saw a person get fined yesterday at our public range. They have really stepped up patrolling and I am thankful for that.
It was getting to the point that you never knew what the range would look like or if there would even be backer boards left standing. People were going in and shooting the range up. I once went on a Wednesday and the guys were putting up new backers(particle board) I went back on Friday and every one on the 25 and 50yd ranges were on the ground. Even the 2x4 supports were shot to pieces. This is a paper target only range, and you can see from the mess that they were shooting everything but paper.
It has improved greatly since they started patrolling and giving out tickets. I even thanked the officer that issued the ticket for doing what he does.

[Hardcast416taylor]

A club that I was prez of for awhile had a nice range that was usually open. I would stop off there on my way home from work several times a week just to clean up the shooter left trash. I would have a burn pile at each of the three range berms of cardboard, paper, wood and anything that would burn. The metal stuff like road signs, appliances and car parts I tried to move them off the range till they could be picked up. Some pigs would just shoot down the pine trees off to the sides of the shooting lanes. At our club meetings I would detail what was happening, the response was usually silence or a "Good Job Prez - Keep it up"! Do you wonder why I don`t belong to that club now?Robert

[fatelk]

I just can't understand some people. I'm no tree hugger, but I was taught since I was little that littering is just plain wrong, and I teach my kids the same thing. I see trash along the roads and highways too. Never in my life have I thrown a can or wrapper out the window of a vehicle, but you see it all the time.

I drive up in the mountains to shoot, and find a lot of trash. Old TVs, computers, recliners- it's embarrassing. I think most people are pretty good, but there is a percentage of shooters (and people in general) that are just plain slobs.

I used to be a member of a gun club about 15 minutes from my house, but then they raised the dues from about $100 to $170. Actually that is the total; they kept the dues where they were at $50/yr, and raised the work bond from $50 to $120, and the hours required to work it off went from 8/yr to 32/yr IIRC. I can understand the need to have members operate and maintain the range, but realistically- I have a job and a family. There is absolutely no way I can work out there for 32 hours to save $120, and for the amount I shoot lately I just can't justify spending $170 a year either. If I was retired and had time on my hands that would be a different story.

[fatelk]

Speaking of trees, on my way to shoot one day I stopped by a place where people often shoot. It's in a clearly marked "No shooting zone", but people shoot there all the time (I don't). I had extra time so I stopped to see if there was any brass laying around.

This was reprod timber a few years old. The trees are maybe 5-8' tall. Some idiot had walked down a path a couple hundred yards with a shotgun (hulls still on the ground) and shot off every tree.[smilie=b:

[Plate plinker]

Maybe those trees were attacking this retard.

What a shame.