open carry in parks

esmart · May 8, 2008

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this is why we need open carry in parks
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-05-08-0174.html

OC-Glock19 · May 8, 2008

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Here's the full article if you don't want to click on the link above:

Man who killed hikers in '81 suspected in shootings

Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 12:09 AMUpdated: 06:57 AM
By REX BOWMAN

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Smith

A Giles County man paroled from prison after serving 14 years for killing two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 1981 now is suspected of shooting two campers just off the trail in Giles on Tuesday.

Randall Lee Smith, 54, was in a Roanoke hospital yesterday after crashing a pickup truck in Giles, Sgt. Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police said.

The truck belongs to one of the two wounded men, both of whom were airlifted to a hospital.

One, identified as Scott Johnston of Bluefield, was in serious but stable condition at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, hospital spokesman Eric Earnhart said. The condition and location of the other victim, identified as Sean Farmer of Tazewell, could not be determined last night.

Investigators said the two men were at a campsite just off the Appalachian Trail at Dismal Creek in the Jefferson National Forest when Smith opened fire on them Tuesday night.

Smith drove off in the truck, and the two wounded men drove another car at the campsite, known as the Lion's Den Campground, to a house in neighboring Bland County, where they called a rescue squad, investigators said.

The campsite is not far from where Smith killed two Maine hikers in 1981. The two hikers were walking the trail to raise money for retarded and troubled youths.

Laura Susan Ramsay, 27, was stabbed more than a dozen times and bludgeoned to death. Robert Mountford Jr., 27, was shot three times. The murders served as the basis for the 1984 novel "Murder on the Appalachian Trail."

In 1982, Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder -- the chief prosecutor was uncertain he had enough evidence for a first-degree murder conviction -- and, as part of an agreement, he was sentenced to 30 years in state prison. He was paroled in 1996 after serving about 14 years.

After prison, Smith returned to Pearisburg, where he moved in with his mother, who died eight years ago, according to neighbors. Yesterday, Sherman Smith, an unrelated neighbor on Virginia Street, said Smith kept to himself.

"Nobody would hire him, so he never had a job," Sherman Smith said. "I'll miss the dog more than I'll miss him."

Yesterday, authorities closed a 25-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail from Pearisburg to state Route 606 in Bland. Roger Holnback, head of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, which maintains 136 miles of the trail, said volunteers were shuttling hikers around the closed area.

"I just hope this doesn't reflect bad on the trail," Holnback said. "It was quite traumatic and sad news, and when something happens in proximity to the trail, people start to think it's unsafe."
Contact Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or rbowman@timesdispatch.com.

Pull your heads out, people. When bad things happen on the trail it IS unsafe!

LEO 229 · May 8, 2008

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WOW!!! That is sad!

Let him out early and he did it again. It is sad that 30 years does not really mean 30 years. Too many times I have seen people released who have gone right back to their same old crime of choice.

I always CC when I go camping. Help it not right around the corner so you need to be able to help yourself.

It is sad that you cannot go out camping withouthaving to worry more about being killed by a human than a bear.

dixiehacker · May 8, 2008

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That's scary. When camping, medical help is a long way away.

Rey · May 8, 2008

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Well, Peaches and I want to go camping here shortly, and I'm trying to find a good spot, near some springs, and trying to figure out the carry laws for all the different camping areas. Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing.

As I understand it, in a VA State park (public park) campground, open carry and concealed carry is legal, right??

If it's a private campground it's up to the owner.

If it's a National park then firearms are prohibited unless unloaded?? Or is CCW ok? ;lkajsd;lfkjas;ldfkjas;ldfj;lsdakfsdar wvgrvs:banghead:

dixiehacker · May 8, 2008

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BUBB4H wrote:

Well, Peaches and I want to go camping here shortly, and I'm trying to find a good spot, near some springs, and trying to figure out the carry laws for all the different camping areas. Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing.

As I understand it, in a VA State park (public park) campground, open carry and concealed carry is legal, right??

If it's a private campground it's up to the owner.

If it's a National park then firearms are prohibited unless unloaded?? Or is CCW ok? ;lkajsd;lfkjas;ldfkjas;ldfj;lsdakfsdar wvgrvs:banghead:

You should check out George Washington National Forest. CC is legal there, thought OC is not. http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/ .

I do most of my camping there. Never had any problems, or interactions for that matter with park rangers. The National Forest is also a lot less busy than the National Parks that I have been to. If you check the website, you will find tones of great places to camp, and all of them are cool to check out.

Rey · May 8, 2008

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yes, i did check them out. only thing was that it was a first come first serve basis for campsites, and god help me if I take Peaches all the way out there to stay in a hotel.

sidestreet · May 8, 2008

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LEO 229 wrote:

WOW!!! That is sad!

Let him out early and he did it again. It is sad that 30 years does not really mean 30 years. Too many times I have seen people released who have gone right back to their same old crime of choice.

I always CC when I go camping. Help it not right around the corner so you need to be able to help yourself.

It is sad that you cannot go out camping withouthaving to worry more about being killed by a human than a bear.

It is sad when 30 years does not "really" mean30 years, especially when that's all you get for killing TWO people... but "really", whatelse could we expect when "100% REAL Orange juice" really isn't orange juice, and 2" X 4" studs aren't really 2 inches by4 inches, Presidents say "No new taxes", but don't really mean it, and....well, I'm sure you've all got a few of your own to throw in there.

We are not equal, we will never be equal, but we must be relentless.

dixiehacker · May 8, 2008

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BUBB4H wrote:

yes, i did check them out. only thing was that it was a first come first serve basis for campsites, and god help me if I take Peaches all the way out there to stay in a hotel.

I have camped there dozens of times, and I've never had to stay in a dagome hotel. Once or twice, I have had to pick a nearby site, but there are so many places to camp there, as long as you have a nearby backup, you will be fine.

Also, you can make your own campsite off of a trail.

Decoligny · May 8, 2008

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Yeah, and the ladies all claim that 6" isn't 6" :shock:

LEO 229 · May 8, 2008

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Decoligny wrote:

Yeah, and the ladies all claim that 6" isn't 6" :shock:

:what: NO WAY!!! :lol:

roscoe13 · May 8, 2008

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Decoligny wrote:

Yeah, and the ladies all claim that 6" isn't 6" :shock:

Are you confusing centimeters with inches again:celebrate

vt357 · May 8, 2008

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BUBB4H wrote:

Well, Peaches and I want to go camping here shortly, and I'm trying to find a good spot, near some springs, and trying to figure out the carry laws for all the different camping areas. Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing.

As I understand it, in a VA State park (public park) campground, open carry and concealed carry is legal, right??

If it's a private campground it's up to the owner.

If it's a National park then firearms are prohibited unless unloaded?? Or is CCW ok? ;lkajsd;lfkjas;ldfkjas;ldfj;lsdakfsdar wvgrvs:banghead:

Correct except for VA state parks - No OC allowed even with a permit.

LEO 229 · May 8, 2008

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vt357 wrote:

BUBB4H wrote:

Well, Peaches and I want to go camping here shortly, and I'm trying to find a good spot, near some springs, and trying to figure out the carry laws for all the different camping areas. Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing.

As I understand it, in a VA State park (public park) campground, open carry and concealed carry is legal, right??

If it's a private campground it's up to the owner.

If it's a National park then firearms are prohibited unless unloaded?? Or is CCW ok? ;lkajsd;lfkjas;ldfkjas;ldfj;lsdakfsdar wvgrvs:banghead:

Click to expand...

Correct except for VA state parks - No OC allowed even with a permit.

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/faq.shtml#r&r

Firearms: Law enforcement officers and those with a concealed weapons permit may carry firearms. During hunts, hunters may have firearms, which should be unloaded and properly stored when outside designated hunt areas. Target shooting is prohibited. Air guns are prohibited.

VApatriot · May 8, 2008

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This is why we need capital punishment for every murder.

vbnative73 · May 8, 2008

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BUBB4H wrote:

Well, Peaches and I want to go camping here shortly, and I'm trying to find a good spot, near some springs, and trying to figure out the carry laws for all the different camping areas. Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing.

As I understand it, in a VA State park (public park) campground, open carry and concealed carry is legal, right??

If it's a private campground it's up to the owner.

If it's a National park then firearms are prohibited unless unloaded?? Or is CCW ok? ;lkajsd;lfkjas;ldfkjas;ldfj;lsdakfsdar wvgrvs:banghead:

From the VCDL web page

http://www.vcdl.org/static/ccw.html

[*]Federal Property (concealed carry with CHP and hunting exempted in National Forests)(18USC § 930)
[*]State Parks (concealed carry w/CHP legal but open carry prohibited)

LEO 229 · May 8, 2008

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VApatriot wrote:

This is why we need capital punishment for every murder.

It takes 10 years to carry it out but eventually... they are removed from the earth so they cannot kill again.

LEO 229 · May 8, 2008

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VApatriot wrote:

This is why we need capital punishment for every murder.

It takes 10 years to exhaust the appeals but it does get carried out eventually. Better to wait then release in another 5 so they can kill again.

deepdiver · May 8, 2008

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So being that they were in the Jefferson National Forest they could have been CC? Or is the Appalachian Trail a national park that runs through national forests?

esmart · May 8, 2008

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vbnative73 wrote:

BUBB4H wrote:

Well, Peaches and I want to go camping here shortly, and I'm trying to find a good spot, near some springs, and trying to figure out the carry laws for all the different camping areas. Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing.

As I understand it, in a VA State park (public park) campground, open carry and concealed carry is legal, right??

If it's a private campground it's up to the owner.

If it's a National park then firearms are prohibited unless unloaded?? Or is CCW ok? ;lkajsd;lfkjas;ldfkjas;ldfj;lsdakfsdar wvgrvs:banghead:

Click to expand...

From the VCDL web page

http://www.vcdl.org/static/ccw.html

[*]

Federal Property (concealed carry with CHP and hunting exempted in National Forests)(18USC § 930)

[*]

State Parks (concealed carry w/CHP legal but open carry prohibited)

so is it d) 3 that exempts a CCW? and how would one legally/clearly quote this statute to a park ranger or LEO?

open carry in parks

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