So, the Denver Post recently did a short article on this very issue.  

I am going to start out by saying that I don't condone any dumping on any land.  Public, private, or where ever. 

Now after saying that the government is in a way forcing us to be law breakers one way or another.  These days the regulations of getting rid of house hold waist, old appliances such as refrigerators, paints, and chemicals is way too high for the common person.  Lets say that you have a old beer refrigerator that you didn't give back when you got your new one.  Then something goes out in it that is way too expensive to fix.  You have to have a certified person remove the freon from it and get it tagged that it was removed before you can take it to the dump.  So you pay to have the freon removed and you have to pay at the dump.  Now the dump fees are not that bad but to have someone remove the freon is going to cost you.  I ran into the same kind of problem years ago.  My dad had stored quite a few 5 gallon buckets of a oil based paint, and after he passed away it was up to me to get rid of it.  Now the "recyclers" wanted to charge me $50.00 per bucket to get rid of it for me and I had 20 buckets of the stuff.  I managed to find a painter that told me that he would get rid of it for me but I was still gagging from the $1000.00 that I would of had to spend to get rid of it myself.  The funny thing was that I was told by some people to just go out and dump it on the ground and throw some dirt on it. 

But as for leaving trash where you are shooting at in inexcusable, but so is leaving empty beer and pop cans all over the road out to where you plan to do your shooting. I have a nephew that makes a pretty good living during the summer by picking these up and taking them to the recyclers.  As for the tracer rounds starting fires that is up in the air weather they do do don't.  A couple of years ago they blamed tracer ammo in Utah of starting some fires so the local sheriff decided to check it out.  After firing quite a few he finally decided that it was unlikely that they started the fires and the perhaps it was someone throwing out a cigarette butt or something else.  But tracers have been known to start fires and one at Camp Williams in Utah last year is a prime example but they fired thousands of rounds to do it. 

Now after being on my soap box for a while I will admit that usually every summer where I go shooting I will bring home at least of truck load of shot up wood, furniture, and other trash that others have left in the area.  I just wish that at some time I could catch someone out there dumping this stuff just so that I can turn them in. 

Tracer bullets?? It's hunting. Not war.

All I can say is that you cannot have freedom without responsibility.  Owning and handling firearms and ammunition is a great responsibility.  Too many people go shoot up old appliances and leave them abondoned or they fire tracer rounds in dry grassy areas.  I'd be very pissed if I came home and found bullet holes in my property.  Even worse, with all the pine beatle kill in the high country this entire state is becoming a tinderbox ready to go up ablaze any time.  All the more reason to be careful when shooting out west.  This is the exact reason residence are petitioning the forest service to stop allowing target shooting in open areas near the front range. 

Tracers in dry grassy areas?  Com'on people. Everybody wants to pretend to be some type of special forces operator. Want to play soldier as an adult?  Stop pretending and quit damaging private property on you own home ground.  Go be the genuine article by signing up at the local recruiting office.

Why wait for the media to get wind of this stuff.  They'll just report it in a way that makes all target shooters look bad.  Maybe the Colorado chapter of the NRA or Colorado State Shooting Associatin needs to start offering a big monetary reward for information leading to the arrest of people who start grass fires while using tracer rounds, or anyone who damages private property while target shooting in national forests or grasslands.  At least it would show and prove that serious responsible gun owners and shooters don't condone this type of irresponsible behavior.

So, I do agree that some of the government disposal rules are irratating, but that is an entirely separate discussion.  I don't buy the idea that these type of people can afford to drive a likely 60-mile round trip out there to shoot of hundreds of rounds, but they can't afford to pay a disposal fee.  It is as simple as a lack of responsibility and decency to leave behind trash for others to clean up.  

From talking to a Federal Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer, we found out that one of the fires was definitely started by tracer rounds.  The individuals who started that fire were decent enough to call in the fire, and stick around to try to help put it out.  I give those people credit for owning up to their mistake.  

One of the other fires looked like it was also started by tracers.  That fire appeared to start near where several targets were still sitting on top of a hill.  I guess someone could have dropped a cigarette butt when they walked out to check their targets, but it seems less likely to me.  

I have not witnessed people actually doing any of the above mentioned activities.  I have simply witnessed the results.  I like to think that when I do finally see these things happening, I will actually try to talk to them, or call law enforcement if necessary.  

I heard a rumor from a credited source that they may close all recrestional shooting on the grassland lands.  Hunting would still be allowed but no target shooting.  Hope it was just someone stirring the pot but the source was a good one!!