Most UP communities / businesses ... OC friendly or not?

I know this is an EXTREMELY general question with no one answer, but I wonder if folks wouldn't mind sharing their experiences OCing in UP communities / businesses?

The wife and I will be taking a vacation to the UP in a little while (most of our time will be spent in the Keewenaw Peninsula) ... because we'll be doing some hiking in "bear country" I wouldn't mind taking my Smith 686 revolver (.357) ... but it's big enough that CC is a pain in the a$$ without a jacket (which isn't going to happen in mid-August). So if I take it, I'd be OCing it most places. I have a CPL ... so there shouldn't be any legal issues, but I don't want to "ruin" our vacation by having confrontation after confrontation with LEOs and/or business owners.

If the UP generally isn't "OC friendly" I'll probably just CC my Glock 27 like I usually do ... 10 rounds of .40S&W is probably adequate bear defense anyway.

With all respect....

Regardless of where I was going on vacation where OC is legal.......

If my over riding concern was to not take the chance of being hassled for OC............ I'd CC.

If I wanted to OC I'd understand that perhaps I'd be hassled for it and deal with that.

There is a third choice... I could stay home.

And yes, I've had to make that choice concerning going places (not a vacation since I'm on perpetual vacation anyway) before and sometimes I'd CC because of other over riding factors... sometimes I'd OC and just deal with it... and sometimes I simply refused to go.

However... I can say that from 7-14-10 to 7-16-10 I OC'ed all over the Marquette area and points in between there and Saginaw with no problems what so ever. Don't know if that helps you decide or not.

But, in all truth, regardless of if it's the U.P. or the L.P. the only way to discover if a place is OC friendly is to.... OC.

And, in all seriousness, regardless of your decision I sincerely hope you and your wife enjoy your vacation!

CrimDoc said:

I know this is an EXTREMELY general question with no one answer, but I wonder if folks wouldn't mind sharing their experiences OCing in UP communities / businesses?

The wife and I will be taking a vacation to the UP in a little while (most of our time will be spent in the Keewenaw Peninsula) ... because we'll be doing some hiking in "bear country" I wouldn't mind taking my Smith 686 revolver (.357) ... but it's big enough that CC is a pain in the a$$ without a jacket (which isn't going to happen in mid-August). So if I take it, I'd be OCing it most places. I have a CPL ... so there shouldn't be any legal issues, but I don't want to "ruin" our vacation by having confrontation after confrontation with LEOs and/or business owners.

If the UP generally isn't "OC friendly" I'll probably just CC my Glock 27 like I usually do ... 10 rounds of .40S&W is probably adequate bear defense anyway.

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Most places won't hassle you. I know Northofnowhere has OC'd in the Pizza Hut in Houghton, as well as Joey's seafood without any trouble. I've really only OC'd in gas stations while I've ran in to pay for gas, but have "Concealed" Carried (concealed in that there was a shirt over it, but the shirt was tight enough that anyone observing would have known what was there, and the barrel end may be sticking out below) in many different places, without any trouble.

I have carried in downtown Houghton at night (2am ish), right in front of a Houghton City police officer, without trouble. The Houghton City police chief doesn't like the idea, but knows that it's legal. The only places that I can think of with "No guns" signs are the AT&T store in down town Houghton, and the Charter Communications office.

Sheriff's department, as well as MSP are generally on our side. In fact, MSP returned an unregistered pistol to my friend (confiscated through no fault of his...it's a long story), and told him that he should get it registered before he takes it out anywhere.

CrimDoc,

I cannot carry at work, and I prefer not to carry on my side jobs, but I carry on all my little errands, on fire calls when not in full gear, and have carried with only one police interaction incident at a parade in the city of Houghton. The police all seem aware, as well as mostly nonchalant about it. I wouldn't worry too much about getting into any trouble with the law.

Come on over too, would be happy to entertain you for a bit while you are in my area. Helluva great place to visit.

I will soon have my first handgun and my cpl has been issued. Just waiting on the county cleark to bring it closer to my area so i dont have to drive the hour to get it.

From what i have been told by my CPL instructor and local law the only place I have heard that was unfriendly about OC is the city of Escanaba. I was told that I should be very carefull if I was "brave" enough to OC there that the public safty dept would most likely overreact as they show poor judgment and lack of trainning sometimes.

http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/519489.html

Not that im trying to bash the local law enforcment as I have had positve experiences with them also. I heard that when the Tea party bus tour came to town that there were people @ the event OC without incident , so the rumors may be unfounded.

So soon as I have my stuff (including practice and comfortable law knowlege) thats the first place im gonna go take a stroll down Main St to see if these rumors are true or not. (Armed with a recorder also)

Also I would like to say Hello to everyone else in and around the UP from the OC community.

northern michigan is very pro OC from what ive noticed,not just the U.P. but even the northern L.P.

rural and small town folk usually realize that police may very easily be 15-30 minutes away,which is ample time for a crook to do what he/she wants or a bear,mountain lion,wolf or wolverine to fully go through with an attack,One must protect ones self.

I have a friend near manistique(closer to cooks though) she says her father has OC'd in esky a few times with no problem.

I've OC'd all around town without too much issue. As said the police chief of Houghton isn't to thrilled with OC but he shouldn't cause much issue. But if your out in the bush most of the time then you should have no trouble in the little towns and such during your travels.

Some UP places I've OCed

Calumet; Pat's Foods, Pamida, Louies Mkt, Speedway south of town, auto parts place just south of Jim's Pizza, Jim's Pizza.
Laurium; Marathon gas station, The Yard Sale. Copper Harbor; the party store/ gas station west of town.
Lake Linden; (ask Northofnowhere the name of the restaurant that we met in there).
Hancock; sporting goods/ gun shop(was told I should cover, but didn't as I explained that there was nothing in the CPL law that compelled me to do so.).
Houghton; Pawn/resale shop on main drag across from Joey's, Joey's, Walmart, Hardies, Shopco, Copper Country Ford, Goodwill,
Escanaba, Elmers restaurant.
From Copper Harbor to the lower, just OC and forget it.
My guess is that you won't feel truly free on your vacation until you are "Truly Free".springerdave.
PS the Mushroom swiss burger at Hardies in Munising is great but even better while OCing!

springerdave said:

Mushroom swiss burger at Hardies in Munising is great but even better while OCing!

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Isn't everything?

Hello, Crime Doc ~

I openly-carried my pistol while riding my Electra-Glide through the U.P. in April and May of this year.

Was going to visit my brother in Saskatchewan Province (above North Dakota) and didn't have any troubles riding through the Upper Peninsula. Stopped to eat, shop and fuel-up at various towns along the Great Northern Highway --- US 2--- from St. Ignace to Ironwood.

For anyone interested in decent lodging in Ironwood: the owner/operator of Budget Host Hotel there is a Christian fellow who is a patriotic Constitutionalist. Stayed at his hotel twice over the course of a two week period. Comfortable, clean rooms and great service, with free internet service in the lobby. I think he was encouraged to see another citizen openly armed.

Man, what a beautiful place the U.P. is! hope to visit it again soon...

Take care, sir.

Respectfully,
Billy

"These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD." -Zechariah 8:16, 17 [KJV]

I no longer live in the Sault Ste Marie area or the E.U.P. but I just left there from vacation. Both my wife and I OC everywhere in the Soo and only two people said anything.
One man said, "OC is cool, eh." I said, "yeah I can't OC in Arkansas so I must exercise y rights were I can."

The other was at Burger King on the Spur and she just asked if I was a cop. She never noticed my wife's gun until my wife spoke up.

The only places we didn't carry was at the Locks. We did carry empty holsters inside the gates. We just told them we left our firearms in the van and thy said ok. Also War Memorial Hospital, We weren't sure if we could carry there (brother-in-law died unexpectedly).

Places we carried: Walmart, Glen's, Super Saver, Ojibway (Ramada Inn), Tractor Supply, Burger King, Fundamental Baptist Church etc.
We also OC when fueling in Menominee. You get the picture.

Houghton and Keweenaw counties are generally OC friendly. I have never been asked to leave anywhere. As far as the .357 mag, just carry your .40. A bear will not hassle you unless you get between her and her cubs. They are non-confrontational otherwise, and my grandmother's 5 lb poodle has chased them out of the yard before. Not to mention that you are almost better off getting mauled by a bear than shooting one out of season for any reason (j/k, but not really. You *really* don't want the legal hassle that comes with shooting a bear).

-Rob

Well..... we (Yooperlady and I) were denied entry into Marquette's Wal Mart on 7-25-10.. never mind we had shopped there late on 7-24-10 with no problems... and the manager said she cannot allow "unsecured" guns into the store.

Bikenut said:

Well..... we (Yooperlady and I) were denied entry into Marquette's Wal Mart on 7-25-10.. never mind we had shopped there late on 7-24-10 with no problems... and the manager said she cannot allow "unsecured" guns into the store.

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Well, it is in my holster. That is plenty secured.

Bikenut said:

Well..... we (Yooperlady and I) were denied entry into Marquette's Wal Mart on 7-25-10.. never mind we had shopped there late on 7-24-10 with no problems... and the manager said she cannot allow "unsecured" guns into the store.

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she..... please tell me you got the name. Christine perhaps?



ps. nice to see the Yooper OCers on the boards.

northofnowhere said:

she..... please tell me you got the name. Christine perhaps?



ps. nice to see the Yooper OCers on the boards.

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Entire incident is on video/audio recording including first names... not sure what I'll do with that recording yet... but the whole thing was very polite and unexciting as all incidents of this nature should be. But her name wasn't Christine.

Have you had an incident at the Marquette Wal Mart involving a manager named Christine?

Bikenut said:

Well..... we (Yooperlady and I) were denied entry into Marquette's Wal Mart on 7-25-10.. never mind we had shopped there late on 7-24-10 with no problems... and the manager said she cannot allow "unsecured" guns into the store.

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This is why I never go to Walmart anymore. They pretend they are for the 2nd Amendment but then they forbid firearms as the manager sees fit. THEN they do this:
http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/partnership/partnership.shtml

Last summer I carried into Walmart in Mrqt quite regularly without any issues. And I carry in the Houghton Walmart weekly without any issues now.

chevytaHOE5674 said:

Last summer I carried into Walmart in Mrqt quite regularly without any issues. And I carry in the Houghton Walmart weekly without any issues now.

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I suspect that slowly, over time, because of what DrTodd posted above that all Wal Marts are going to become OC unfriendly... perhaps even CC unfriendly.

I suggest following the link DrTodd provided.........................

Once again my thanks to you DrTodd for providing facts........