Open Carry Picnic/Fishing December 29/30

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I will be open carrying a firearm while I fish and camp at the Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach, Florida on Tuesday and Wendsday, the 29th and the 30th. I will be staying in the campgrounds within the parks boundaries, and fishing at the camp store area.

If anyone is interested in joining me, or perhaps having a BBQ on one of those days, please send me an email to DGO@daytonagunowners.com

I've already spoken to the rangers about it, and they are aware I will be carrying, and were also aware of the new changes in the laws.

The fee to camp is 27.00 per night in a full service camping area with water, electric, and showers/toilet facilitiesnearby. Park entrance is (I think) 4.00 per vehicle.

You MUST have a valid fishing license or you can be arrested for fishing while OC'ing. The area requires a salt water license.

Hope to see some of you there.

Matthew

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There is still an exception that you can fish without a license, I know in FW not sure about SW, if you do not use a mechanical retrieval device, ie cane pole fishing.

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And what new laws about fishing with a handgun openly in Florida are you referring to?

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790.25 allows anyone, permit or not, to openly carry a firearm when going to, or coming from, fishing, hunting and camping. There are other cases where it is allowed to open carry as well.

The State parks amended their rules to ban open carry while in the parks.

I wrote some people and made a stink, but didn't get very far with it, and another gentleman on the list, I think Gulf Coast Gunman,challenged thelaw and it was repealed a few months ago, well less than a few months, the ink is still wet on the change. It's funny that not a single newspaper carried a story about it.

Anyway, now it is legal to openly carry when you are engaged in hunting, camping and fishing, going to and from those events. Read FS 790.25 for all the allowable instances to open carry.

Me and my daughter plan to go camping on the listed days, and will be opely carrying a semi auto handgun hile in the park. The invitation is to see if anyone else in the area is interested in fishing for an afternoon, or having a BBQ on one of those days.

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Yes, but if you are attending a BBQ, and have a stick, it is less believable that you are fishing than if you had a license and a stick. Besides, a license is about 8 or 17 or something cheaper than lunch, dollars.

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I agree but licenses aren't as cheap if you are a non-resident. Thats my issue on that.

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Gideon,


I would LOVE to be there, but I am working both those days. Best of luck and let us all know how it turned out.

All the best
Gulf Coast Gunman

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fridaddy wrote:

There is still an exception that you can fish without a license, I know in FW not sure about SW, if you do not use a mechanical retrieval device, ie cane pole fishing.

Click to expand...

anymore info on this i wouldnt mind traveling for this since its only 155miles(less than a tank of gas in the mustang:celebrate) but a non resident license might make it a no go....

edit thought this was Jan 29-30:banghead: but i could still go to Jaxsonville beaches etc and throw a pole in the water......

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To be honest, I've had noone else able to go, so I'm going to call it this time. I'm still going to be there, if you want to pop in, I'm driving the old red truck with the missing fender. I'll be easy to spot, I'll be the one wearing a sidearm, lol.

I am planning a second trip in a month or so, and I'll give everyone a LOT more notice then.

When I get back, I'll let you know how it went.

Have a great and safe one!

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Open Carry Fishing and Camping results:



First, I went with my daughter, she's 16 and a gun nut like me. Well, neither of us is really a gun nut, I trained in the military to kill people, and guns are a tool, and nothing else.



I got to the park, and with just a little apprehension, after checking in, said, "Just to let you know, I'll be carrying a firearm openly in the park, so you know what's up if someone screams 'He's got a gun!'" Her response was, Um, yeah, so?

I went to the camp store, and walked in with a 9 on my side, and the girl working didn't even look at it. She, however, did get a little irritated that I asked her about it. She shrugged and said, "It's your right." Nothing more. TO be honest, I felt, even asking her, like someone had dropped his drawers and asked about his willie. The point I'm trying to make is that gun were a subject considered to be about the same as a strange person walking around with his underwear on the outside of his clothes. Not illegal, but why do it in the first place.

I carried the entire day, and no one said a thing to me. Park rangers were nice, polite, and also didn't mention it unless I did first. One ranger said he also had weapons, and liked them.Open carrywasn't common but it was allowed, and as long as the weapon didn't come out of the holster, everyone was fine with it.

To be honest, I expected a lot more... well... anything. It was a fizzle - and in reality, a pleasant one. I left the park also carrying openly, and drove home, and again, no one even seemed to notice.



Now, on the other hand.

I would like to schedule an open carry fishing trip to the same park in the near future. The reason I would like to is not about the guns, but about a conversation I had with the rangers.

Tomoka park is a state run park that survives almost totally on donations, entrance fees, and camping. With the revenue they've acquired though sales, they've built an outstanding campground, four full service shower/restroom facilities and one even has a washer/dryer hookup. The camping areas are well organized, nicely laid out with vegetation between each spot, and numerous fishing spots and a couple play areas for the kids. They rent canoes with all the trimmings for 20 for two hours, five each hour after. The paddles are in good shape, th preservers are modern and comfortable (as preserver can be) and they even rent fishing rods to those that have not. There are a number of covered pavilions, all close to the water, with plenty of parking for each of them.

Since the parkexists on fees, it would be great to get together, talk about weapons, tactics, fish, and just fun stuff on occasion.

If anyone is interested in a get together, let's arrange it, and get things going. The park will be better for it, and they are clearly gun friendly.