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[WesternHunter]

You make a good point Don. While reading your post I started thinking about what the forest service did at a free public range in a nearby national forest.

It's one of those areas with a backstop that's free of charge, no one operates it, it's all up to the shooters the govern themselves and clean up after themselves. Shooters drag old waterheater tanks, refridgerators, car doors, washing machines, just all kinds of garbage to shoot all to hell. Very few ever bother to clean up after themselves despite the two large visable signs stating to pick up after shooting. That sign even is riddled with bullet holes. The place has just been completely trashed out. Despicable!!!

Well the forest rangers got tired of the place getting completely trashed out. They know that the range sees the heaviest use from shooters for hunter's sight-in starting around late August until end of October. You can guess what they did to prove a point to all the users of the range. They closed the range entirely for complete cleanup starting in late August until the end of October. People bitched and moaned about the closure, citicizing the forest service, yet they just did not seem to get the message being sent to them by the forest service. The message was CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF and IMPRESS OTHER SHOOTERS TO CLEAN UP TOO, then we won't close the range for clean up during the most critical time and busiest time of year. I think to some degree many shooters and hunters have ruined a lot for themselves over the years. As for me, I stopped going to shoot there a long time ago. It just got to be a safety issue, just too many careless shooters and questionable people I simply did not trust.

[Don Fischer]

I've seen several spots like that. Trash everywhere and all littered with MTy ammo cases and everything shot full of holes. But I don't believe that they represent the majority of shooters. Yet fear of loss seems to keep the majority from doing anything about it! Also I doubt that the trash is all brought in by shooters. Who would haul some of that stuff in just to target practice.

Reguardles of who did what tho, others will see the mess and the MTY cases all over and the bullet holes in everything and blame the shooting public in general. When I see these things happening, I get license numbers and discriptions of people and call the state patrol. Unfortunately they are slow to respond and sometimes the response is nothing more than shutting some useable range down.

With that being the case, I still turn in people but I try to clean up their mess first and let the cops know I did. Usually then nothing happens. Seems that once the eye sore is gone the cops don't care!

[Romey]

I to have seen plenty of those spots and amazed at the looks i get when I am watched cleanign up not only mine but other folks messes, including spend shell cases. My own and others. I am a avid if you brought it, leave with it advocate. I also whole agree completely with the anti redneck sentiment, I know and have met MANY people like that do to guideing and competition shooting and will argue with them probably more about ethical hunting and shooting then I ever have argueing anti hunters and shooters thier points. In the end i think all we can do is try to lead by example and hope for the best that others around us and especcially childern learn from it cause both arguements tend to fall on deaf ears

[d3238]

I still go to Wal-Mart to purchase my hunting licenses because i know there is never a line there! Other than that, I would never purchase anything from there for hunting. I would much rather visit heaven a.k.a. Cabela's or make a trip to Dick's Sporting Goods in Kansas City.