tarzan1888
Regular Member
imported post
There is some good news and some bad news from my LEO encounter yesterday.
I live in northern Utah and for many years there have been 2 places we could go to shoot. They are up Weber Canyon, on either side of I 84.
The largest of the 2 areas is on the North side of the road, along a bend in the river, where there is an abandoned section of road. This area is surrounded by high cliffs and is an area that can accommodate many different groups, both large and small.
The second area is across the river and up the hill behind a group of trees. It can accommodate 1 or 2 small groups.
People have been shooting at these two sites for the 15 years that I have lived here and from what my friends say for many yearsbefore that.
There has always been some trash at the two sites, but the last few years it has gotten really bad. At the larger site someone pulled an old car out therelast year, torched it and then shot it full of holes,
The smaller site now has at least 5 or 6 couches, beds, enough appliances to stock Sears, and all kinds of other junk. Last year they even hauled in 3 dead horses. They didn't put these right where we shoot, but they were close enough so that when the wind blew right you wanted to throw up.
Last fall shortly after the car had appeared at the large area, the area was closed. Cement barriers, and a large heavy steel gate keep all from enjoying the area. After this things got worse at the smaller area. It became even more of a dumping ground for junk.
Now the LEO encounter. Yesterday I got my 1911 back from SA after some warranty work. (It was having an ejecting problem). I am going out of town for a week and wanted to try it out before I left, to make sure that it is working correctly.
I went up to the small site and parked at the side of the road. Someone had put a rickety gate across the opening to the area. There were two No Trespassing signs on the gate that looked like they were painted by 9 year olds. I knew that the land was Forest Service and that it was notprivate. I assumed that with the loss of the other shooting site that someone was trying to squirrel away this site and keep it all for themselves.
The gate was not locked and so I went in and up to the shooting area. I had gone through ½ a box and was re-loading my magazines when I heard a noise behind me. I turned and there were 2 Morgan County deputies approaching me.
They were nice enough and after I showed them my ID and they had checked it out, they informed me that the area was now closed. When they were finished with me, I picked up my stuff and left.
As I passed through the trees, headingfor the road,I saw their vehicle, with their lights flashing and parked behind it was a State Trooper, with his lights flashing. Now I went through round two with him as it isnow illegal to even park on the side of the road in that area. This trooperwasworking in tandem with the County LEO’s.
Long story short, I was finally able to leave and head home and take my wife out for our regular Friday night date.
Today I made some calls and found out that the Forest Service had closed both sites because of the trash brought there by the thoughtless shooters.
There thoughtlessness has now cost all the rest of us, who carry out what we bring in, a couple of free and comfortable places to shoot.
Thanks Guys. (You know who you are)
That’s, the bad news.
The good news is, I was let go, without a citation, on my promise not to come back to the area to shoot, and the other good news isthat my .45 shot flawlessly.
There is some good news and some bad news from my LEO encounter yesterday.
I live in northern Utah and for many years there have been 2 places we could go to shoot. They are up Weber Canyon, on either side of I 84.
The largest of the 2 areas is on the North side of the road, along a bend in the river, where there is an abandoned section of road. This area is surrounded by high cliffs and is an area that can accommodate many different groups, both large and small.
The second area is across the river and up the hill behind a group of trees. It can accommodate 1 or 2 small groups.
People have been shooting at these two sites for the 15 years that I have lived here and from what my friends say for many yearsbefore that.
There has always been some trash at the two sites, but the last few years it has gotten really bad. At the larger site someone pulled an old car out therelast year, torched it and then shot it full of holes,
The smaller site now has at least 5 or 6 couches, beds, enough appliances to stock Sears, and all kinds of other junk. Last year they even hauled in 3 dead horses. They didn't put these right where we shoot, but they were close enough so that when the wind blew right you wanted to throw up.
Last fall shortly after the car had appeared at the large area, the area was closed. Cement barriers, and a large heavy steel gate keep all from enjoying the area. After this things got worse at the smaller area. It became even more of a dumping ground for junk.
Now the LEO encounter. Yesterday I got my 1911 back from SA after some warranty work. (It was having an ejecting problem). I am going out of town for a week and wanted to try it out before I left, to make sure that it is working correctly.
I went up to the small site and parked at the side of the road. Someone had put a rickety gate across the opening to the area. There were two No Trespassing signs on the gate that looked like they were painted by 9 year olds. I knew that the land was Forest Service and that it was notprivate. I assumed that with the loss of the other shooting site that someone was trying to squirrel away this site and keep it all for themselves.
The gate was not locked and so I went in and up to the shooting area. I had gone through ½ a box and was re-loading my magazines when I heard a noise behind me. I turned and there were 2 Morgan County deputies approaching me.
They were nice enough and after I showed them my ID and they had checked it out, they informed me that the area was now closed. When they were finished with me, I picked up my stuff and left.
As I passed through the trees, headingfor the road,I saw their vehicle, with their lights flashing and parked behind it was a State Trooper, with his lights flashing. Now I went through round two with him as it isnow illegal to even park on the side of the road in that area. This trooperwasworking in tandem with the County LEO’s.
Long story short, I was finally able to leave and head home and take my wife out for our regular Friday night date.
Today I made some calls and found out that the Forest Service had closed both sites because of the trash brought there by the thoughtless shooters.
There thoughtlessness has now cost all the rest of us, who carry out what we bring in, a couple of free and comfortable places to shoot.
Thanks Guys. (You know who you are)
That’s, the bad news.
The good news is, I was let go, without a citation, on my promise not to come back to the area to shoot, and the other good news isthat my .45 shot flawlessly.