Open Carry in Linville Gorge Wilderness Area??

Hello!

Just stumbled on this site in my pursuit of the REAL answers to my OC question, and I hope maybe one of you fine folks can help me out.

I honestly can’t find anything anywhere that tells me I can't OC in Linville Gorge National Wilderness Area. I've heard this person tell me that they heard this, or they heard that, but I'm looking for the real answers! I figured that calling the ranger station would clear things up, but unfortunately, all I got was 3 different rangers telling me they heard this, and that, and contradicting each other........

I know that Linville George is NOT a National Park, and is also NOT a State Park. I've read all the regulations I could find for the Wilderness areas, and come up with nothing. One of the Rangers said i could open carry if it was a 22lr or less, with a 6 inch or shorter barrel.......

Last year, at this time in the Gorge, I saw 4 people in the 4 days my buddy and I were hiking through there, and 2 of them were us........Tempted to just OC and not worry about it, but if I can't find any more info out, I'll be leaving my preferred woods gun at home (4 inch .357) and taking a pocket .380 instead. I am, after all, more concerned with the 2 legged creatures than the 4 legged ones......

This is a great site BTW! I've had about 264 questions answered in the last 2 hours I've been lurking here!!

Thanks!

The Linville Gorge Wilderness Area lies entirely within the Pisgah National Forest and is managed by the Grandfather Ranger District of the United States Forest Service
http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/linville_gorge.htm

Possession of firearms. The possession and unconcealed carry of a firearm on the National Forest lands is not restricted by federal law or Forest Service regulations with the exception of “prohibited possessors,” such as convicted felons (see 18 USC 922g

The feds don't care if you carry, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission does!
I haven't researched this aspect completely, but it appears that all such land in NC is considered 'game land" and the NCWRC seems to claim some jurisdiction. I've gathered that only a .22 pistol is acceptable unless you have a hunting license and it is in season. Got you pointed in the right direction I hope.
http://www.ncwildlife.org/

Didn't HB 650 allow both open and concealed carry on gamelands in NC?

Or is this specific area covered in the exempted section since it's circumstances are a little different?

"* A limited number of game lands are exempted from the new law. According to NCWRC: "These exempted game lands are not state-owned game lands, but are lands enrolled in the WRC game lands program and owned by corporate entities, federal agencies, or other entities which requested the exemptions." For a list of exempted game lands, as well as firearms law on game lands in general, go to: http://www.ncwildlife.org/Licensing/...aledCarry.aspx"

Try this: http: //www.ncwildlife.org/News/NewsArticle/tabid/416/indexId/5642/Default.aspx

American Patriot said:

Try this: http: //www.ncwildlife.org/News/NewsArticle/tabid/416/indexId/5642/Default.aspx

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Linky no worky even w/copy and paste.

Coppied and pasted from the above link...........

Firearms and Concealed Carry

POSSESSION OF FIREARMS ON GAME LANDS

On State-owned game lands, and all other lands unless prohibited by the landowner, persons may lawfully carry any firearm openly that they are otherwise lawfully entitled to possess, and may also carry a concealed handgun if they possess a current and valid concealed handgun permit issued to them. However, persons may not hunt with any firearm being carried unless such firearm is authorized as a lawful method of take for that open season. The exempted game lands where concealed carry is prohibited are:
•Buckhorn
•Harris
•Sutton Lake
•Mayo
•Hyco
•Lee
•Chatham
•Pee Dee, area north of U.S. 74
•Butner-Falls
•Jordan
•Vance
•Kerr Scott
•Dupont
•Bladen Lakes
•Wayne Bailey-Caswell, area north of U.S. 158 and east of N.C. 119

POSSESSION OF FIREARMS ON BOATING AND FISHING ACCESS AREAS

No person shall possesses a loaded firearm on any public fishing or boating access area, with the exception of those who carry a concealed handgun with a valid concealed handgun permit, unless otherwise prohibited by the landowner and posted as such. This ruling also applies to wildlife conservation areas.

POSSESSION OF FIREARMS AND BIG GAME RETRIEVAL

A hunter may use a .22 caliber rimfire pistol or a handgun otherwise legal for that hunting season to dispatch a wounded big game animal, including during the archery and muzzleloader season.

END

.......This is for State owned Game lands, which tells me that I CAN open carry.......because the laws tell you what you CAN"T do........and this doesnt say i cant open carry in Linville Gorge(federal land)........unless I'm reading it wrong......

sargesvs said:

.......This is for State owned Game lands, which tells me that I CAN open carry.......because the laws tell you what you CAN"T do........and this doesnt say i cant open carry in Linville Gorge(federal land)........unless I'm reading it wrong......

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IANAL, but that's my interpretation from reading it as well. As soon as I seen that concealed carry wasn't allowed in those areas, I double checked to see if open carry was listed. Since it's not, that makes me want to say that you'd be good.

It's considered Gamelands, but you are good to go for OC now. YOu are OK to OC on the National park sections too, just do not go in buildings that house employees. We got that changed last year, finally. It used to be really crazy, and I'll spare you more confusion. Thanks to emails, calls, and folks attending the public meetings it got changed. I know I sent at least on email that got NCWRC's legal teams attention. BTW, HB 650 was great but had not direct effect on gamelands. It was state parks for CC that 650 got us. But once National and State parks were legal for carry the NCWRC lost all standing on further bans on gamelands.

NC's coming along.

Working NCWRC linky for those interested.

http://www.ncwildlife.org/Licensing/Regulations/FireArmsandConcealedCarry.aspx


And BRPW carry.

http://www.nps.gov/blri/parknews/new-firearms-regulations.htm

I wonder if it will do any good.......

I wonder if it will do any good to call the ranger station again, or maybe even ask who thier supervisor is and ask to talk to him/her? It's frustrating that I'm expected to know laws that the enforcers don't know.........it would also be good to have a name of a supervisor, that gave me the OK........if they would......

sargesvs said:

I wonder if it will do any good to call the ranger station again, or maybe even ask who thier supervisor is and ask to talk to him/her? It's frustrating that I'm expected to know laws that the enforcers don't know.........it would also be good to have a name of a supervisor, that gave me the OK........if they would......

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Generally, verbals are worth the paper they're printed on.

Better to contact them by email or snail mail and quote the laws that you know to be accurate and ask that their personnel be so informed. Also request a written reply for your records.

sargesvs said:

It's frustrating that I'm expected to know laws that the enforcers don't know........

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Unfortunately that's something you're going to have to be prepared to deal with every time you step outside your home with a firearm on your side. Doesn't matter if you're going to a park or the grocery store. LEO's are just as bad as park rangers when it comes to knowing and understanding the law most of the time.

Agreed with most of the others. Its perfectly legal to openly carry a firearm in National Forests and Parks. Depending on the county, it can even be legal to discharge that firearm in certain non-range locations of those parks, but don't count on that being true in any given place.

I'm about to head up to just north of Linville Gorge myself, soon, for some backpacking and camping.