imported post
I Really like this site and decided to join today, so i am a 40 year old newbie here!
I live here in Fresno,Ca. and i love Hunt and Fish and hike.
I do have questions ? Years ago(1997) i was stopped up on a trail around the Dinky Lakes area because i was open carrying. I had my back packing gear on and as well as all my fishing equipment. Seems that a woman complained to aRangr down the hill that i was carrying a firearm.Needless to say ,About 2 hours later i was soon in the company of 2 Sheriffs deputys and a Ranger -on Horseback. When they approached me ,I had my campsite set-up and i wasfishing a small creek. They asked how was it going and i reached down and pulled up the stringer to show them my trout i had caught.Then asked for me to get out of the water (I was up to my knees) and go to the bank. I did as told. They then asked to see my drivers License and wanted to see my revolver. I said sure,Told them to take it out of the holsterthemselves and they did!
While the sheriffs were radioing in my serial gun number and i guess checking my driver license ,The ranger asked to see my Fishing License,To which i said no problem.After about 10 minutes,The sherrifs asked me why i was carring a firearm up there? I told him for my protection .He said protection from what? I replied Mountain Lions or crazy people/I said you never know what could happen up here.
I then was lectured for an additional 10 minutes on When they get a report of someone carrying a firearm up there, that it gets them nervous, Because they dont know if im A marijuana Grower,A felon or just a plain bad guy or someone running from the Law.I replied by saying if i was one of thise kind of people ,Do you think id carry openly and have all the requiredlegal documentaion on me? They didnt like my responce and said that they prefer me to not open carry , as it also causes complaints from other people along the trail.After some more time,They talked on the radio and finally gave me back my firarm,Unloaded, and then handed me my shells back.They also said they would be back later to keep an eye on things.When The 2 sherrifs were leaving,The Ranger,Who wasPolite said that carrying openly causes you to be the target. He said many people dont like the fact of you haveing that gun on you and will complain,HE said when they complain,They must come out and follow through with a check,Thus why i went through what i did. He said he understood my positionand its unfortuant that this is what seems to happens. He then gave me back my Fishing License and wished me a good day. Needless to say i packed up my camp(I planned on 2 more days-But didnt want to go through this again)and went down the trail to my truck,I felt i was harrasssed and defeated.
When i went to put the gear in my truck,I could see that someone wiped away the dust from the drivers side window and from my trucks license plate. I could see the horse prints and boot marks .I guess they checked out my truck to.Since that time(1997) i have never done that again.
What exactly are the Laws reguarding carrying openly in californias mountains ,While backpacking or While fishing .
Has anybody esle experianced what i did? Have any suggestions from my next open carry in the Mountains ?
Rick
I Really like this site and decided to join today, so i am a 40 year old newbie here!
I live here in Fresno,Ca. and i love Hunt and Fish and hike.
I do have questions ? Years ago(1997) i was stopped up on a trail around the Dinky Lakes area because i was open carrying. I had my back packing gear on and as well as all my fishing equipment. Seems that a woman complained to aRangr down the hill that i was carrying a firearm.Needless to say ,About 2 hours later i was soon in the company of 2 Sheriffs deputys and a Ranger -on Horseback. When they approached me ,I had my campsite set-up and i wasfishing a small creek. They asked how was it going and i reached down and pulled up the stringer to show them my trout i had caught.Then asked for me to get out of the water (I was up to my knees) and go to the bank. I did as told. They then asked to see my drivers License and wanted to see my revolver. I said sure,Told them to take it out of the holsterthemselves and they did!
While the sheriffs were radioing in my serial gun number and i guess checking my driver license ,The ranger asked to see my Fishing License,To which i said no problem.After about 10 minutes,The sherrifs asked me why i was carring a firearm up there? I told him for my protection .He said protection from what? I replied Mountain Lions or crazy people/I said you never know what could happen up here.
I then was lectured for an additional 10 minutes on When they get a report of someone carrying a firearm up there, that it gets them nervous, Because they dont know if im A marijuana Grower,A felon or just a plain bad guy or someone running from the Law.I replied by saying if i was one of thise kind of people ,Do you think id carry openly and have all the requiredlegal documentaion on me? They didnt like my responce and said that they prefer me to not open carry , as it also causes complaints from other people along the trail.After some more time,They talked on the radio and finally gave me back my firarm,Unloaded, and then handed me my shells back.They also said they would be back later to keep an eye on things.When The 2 sherrifs were leaving,The Ranger,Who wasPolite said that carrying openly causes you to be the target. He said many people dont like the fact of you haveing that gun on you and will complain,HE said when they complain,They must come out and follow through with a check,Thus why i went through what i did. He said he understood my positionand its unfortuant that this is what seems to happens. He then gave me back my Fishing License and wished me a good day. Needless to say i packed up my camp(I planned on 2 more days-But didnt want to go through this again)and went down the trail to my truck,I felt i was harrasssed and defeated.
When i went to put the gear in my truck,I could see that someone wiped away the dust from the drivers side window and from my trucks license plate. I could see the horse prints and boot marks .I guess they checked out my truck to.Since that time(1997) i have never done that again.
What exactly are the Laws reguarding carrying openly in californias mountains ,While backpacking or While fishing .
Has anybody esle experianced what i did? Have any suggestions from my next open carry in the Mountains ?
Rick