Is it legal to bring firearms into a national forest wilderness area?

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I'm looking at bug out options to get out of the city.Are bang sticks illegal in the wilderness???I'll probably have to break that law,and risk a gun-ectomy.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 08, 1999

Answers

No, firearms are not allowed in a national forest, except in hunting season provided you have a hunting license and park hunting permit. If you are travelling a public highway that goes through a n.f., all firearms must be UNLOADED and in the trunk or otherwise inaccessible location of your vehicle.

But in reality, if the S does HTF, I think a park ranger is the least of your worries....

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), July 08, 1999.


I question this.

A National Forest is NOT a National Park. It is a working forest deemed for multiple use.

Wilderness in our parts is most commonly part of the National Forest. There are also lands managed by the Bureau of Land management. An NP is under the Park Service, Dept. of Interior. The BLM is also under the DOI. An NF is under the US Forest Service. Each has different regulations (CFRs or Code of Federal Regulations). I know it is a common practice here to carry a firearm in the deep woods for defense against beasties. I also know that the BLM proposed a firearms ban a few years back and there was a big uproar from the rural communities. The regs. were dropped.

I would check this out a bit more. CFRs can be searched at: http://uscode.house.gov/

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), July 08, 1999.


I stand corrected. You're right - I was thinking about a national PARK. National forests have regs about discharging, but not about carrying.

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), July 08, 1999.

any clue where I'd go to find out more??the above link is overwhelming,I mean,it's a search engine for the entire us code!

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 08, 1999.

Zoob'

Try www.nra.org. They have a section on laws by state and I believe they list federal laws as well.

Good luck

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), July 08, 1999.



Wow - I spent a little time looking at the regulations for some of the national forests in my area - they all seem to have different rules. Some have very liberal firearms policys, some don't allow anything but muzzle-loaders! For example, from the Daniel Boone National Forest FAQ

Can I carry a unloaded gun in the Pioneer Weapons Wildlife Management Area?
Yes, but it must be unloaded, with no ammunition in the chamber or magazine. Legal muzzle-loading firearms are the only firearms hunters are permitted to carry while in the area. Persons must not carry loaded modern firearms. For information about guns and hunting ask the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources or visit our Hunting Page.

Try going to this Forest Service page, and go to the region you are interested in. Then search for the particular N.F. you are interested in, and look at the regs for that particular location. Good luck!

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), July 08, 1999.


thanks,eh'?!

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 08, 1999.

Years ago we visited a few of the Canadian Rocky Mtn. National Parks. I'd read about occasional bear attacks and we had 4 small children, so I got a Marlin .444 lever-action just in case. Declared it at Customs (also just in case) and the agent required that the action be sealed if I planned to go into any of the parks. What they did was put a band around the receiver and lever with a lead seal. Told me if I came back with the seal broken I'd better have the bear's ears too or I'd be in trouble. Turned out we never saw a bear anyway.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), July 09, 1999.

check with the dnr

-- ! (!@!.!), July 11, 1999.

The National Forests are public lands. You can carry weapons anywhere in a national forest, including fully automatic weapons (for those licensed to do so). I have gone target shooting throughout the year on various national forest throughout the western united states, which is perfectly legal. You may get some flack from wannabe cops (game wardens) who think that you ought not to be carrying weapons outside of hunting season, but it is perfectly within your rights to do so. Around here, running into a black bear (like I did two weeks ago) made being armed all the more reasonable. Fortunately, we both backed off and no harm done.

Lastly, who cares what the law says in a bug out situation? I question the logic of anyone who would still remained concerned with an unconstitutional law when bugging out. For now, we submit to such intrusions on our rights, but during bug out? Makes no sense to me.

-- Bunker Bob (lifeofliberty@yahoo.com), October 18, 2000.



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