• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Weapons ban by AZ Game & Fish @ Hatchery's?

swift

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
125
Location
Peoria, Arizona, USA
imported post

During the Thanksgiving Holiday I took my family to visit the Tonto Creek Arizona Game & Fish Hatchery because we happened to be in the area & my children love to learn about all types of wildlife. To my dismay, I noticed that they had a sign up declaring the site to be a gun free zone (actually it just said no deadly weapons of any kind are allowed, but it still means the same thing). What the heck? Do they think that sign would keep a deranged psychopath from coming onto the site to shoot at fish in their hatchery? Or even worse, would it stop a deranged maniac from shooting the other visitors? Anyone bent on committing criminal acts is going to ignore the stupid sign, so only the law abiding become disarmed & easy prey. It makes disarmed visitors at the site easy prey - easier than shooting fish in a barrel as they say.

Below is the website for that hatchery, I don't see the gun free zone policy mentioned on their website. I have not visited the other hatcheries, but would not be surprised to see they have the same signs up at all of them.

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hatcheries_tonto_creek.shtml

How do we get this stupid policy revoked?
 

dclabounty

New member
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
76
Location
Yuma, Arizona, USA
imported post

swift wrote:
How do we get this stupid policy revoked?
It's government land correct? So correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't it then fall under preemption? Then they could only ban guns if it was a "Park or Perserve" and THEN only if you didn't have a CCW.

Did the sign say anything like "Carrying a firearm in this park is limited to persons who possess a permit issued pursuant to 13-3112"? According to 13-3108. Firearms regulated by state; state preemption; violation; classification Thats what the sign must say to limit carry in a Park or Preserve.

The only way I can see this ban being legal is if it was private property (which it is clearly not). Maybe we just need to contact them for clarification. It might be that just non-CCW holders are prohibited (which might be legal) and the signs need to be re-worded. Or the signs are illegal and we need to ask that they be taken down.

I'm still pretty new to OC and all this. If I'm wrong on anything, someone please correct me.
 

swift

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
125
Location
Peoria, Arizona, USA
imported post

whiskaz_55 wrote:
swift wrote:
How do we get this stupid policy revoked?
It's government land correct? So correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't it then fall under preemption? Then they could only ban guns if it was a "Park or Perserve" and THEN only if you didn't have a CCW.

Did the sign say anything like "Carrying a firearm in this park is limited to persons who possess a permit issued pursuant to 13-3112"? According to 13-3108. Firearms regulated by state; state preemption; violation; classification Thats what the sign must say to limit carry in a Park or Preserve.

The only way I can see this ban being legal is if it was private property (which it is clearly not). Maybe we just need to contact them for clarification. It might be that just non-CCW holders are prohibited (which might be legal) and the signs need to be re-worded. Or the signs are illegal and we need to ask that they be taken down.

I'm still pretty new to OC and all this. If I'm wrong on anything, someone please correct me.
No it did not say that, it only said that all deadly weapons are prohibited and mentioned some Arizona code but I did not have anything to write down the actual code quoted. I imagine it would be a Fish & Game code rather than an Arizona law as I'm not aware of any Arizona law that bans weapons at Fish Hatcheries but I could be wrong. I'll be up in that area again by this Fall so I'll take a photo & post it here by then, if I don't find one somewhere else sooner.

I agree with you, I believe it would conflict with existing Arizona State Law for them to ban bearing weapons for the reason you mentioned, in addition to their gun free zone infringing on my right to bear arms & my right to self defense.
 

lostone1413

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2006
Messages
199
Location
, ,
imported post

whiskaz_55 wrote:
lostone1413 wrote:
That is when you conceal carry. End Of Story
Alas some of us haven't reached the appropriate age the government has decided is required to exercise our rights.

I agree. I would never tell anyone to break the law. All I tell them it is between you and God as to when if ever your right to defend you life stops. As one brother of mine says. I will never tell you to break the law. But I can show you were people have been buried who wished they would have broke the law.
 
Top