imported post
I spent a lot of time in The Gorge in previous years and I was well aware of the firearms regulations. I agree that this is an area where it appears that someone ignored our Kentucky Constitution (and our US Constitution too, from my perspective), and passed some unconstitutional laws.
I did a little digging a long time ago. I don't remember the details, but I may have asked a knowledgable park ranger or I may have inquired at the district office in Morehead. I do remember the answer, and it's as superdemon says. The rule apparently exists to help prevent poaching. They wanted to be able to catch someone with a gun and call it poaching. Otherwise, they'd pretty much need to catch them field dressing Bambi at the U-Pet-Em zoo. Basically, our rights are infringed for law enforcement expedience, although I doubt superdemon would agree with that sentiment.
I've always wondered if this was a case where anti-gun forces seized the poaching issue as a way to prevent us from carrying any firearms. They're often all too happy to throw the baby out with the bath water in such cases to prohibit all firearms, and they love to deliberately confuse hunting with the right to keep and bear arms because an unalienable right suddenly becomes a highly regulated leisure activity.
I'm very thankful that you're running this issue to ground. I've had similar experiences with the bureaucratic run-around. There doesn't even need to be an agenda. The bureaucracy is big and complicated for the bureaucrats, too. They usually don't know who to call, or who's in charge, and it's easier to do nothing. I'd recommend patience. Don't give up, don't get frustrated, but keep calling and emailing. If you feel you're being treated as a lone crank and it's easier for them to ignore you than answer your very reasonable question, let us know how we can help. I know people in the liberty community and many are also very well connected in the statewide gun rights community. If the politicians get 30 calls in a week, and 50 calls the next week, they'll realize they can't ignore the issue any longer.
Try to keep your communications short and ask a direct question that requires an answer. Asking how a particular KAR is constitutional (reference both the KAR and the Kentucky Constitution) is probably the best way to proceed, IMO.
Good luck.
It does seem that there are numerous people in government and lobbying government who want to take away our rights, but there are a lot of us who want to keep our rights. It's overwhelming because we can't all be experts on each issue, but if each of us makes one of these issues our own and champions that cause, and asks for help from all of us when needed after educating us on the researched specifics, we can be a very effective force to maintain our rights. Jefferson said that the cost of freedom is eternal vigilance. There was also a song on SouthPark that tells us that, Freedom isn't free. It costs about a buck-o-five."
