[Nippy]

I did a search and couldn't find anything. So what are the legalities involving hiking with guns? What can you and can't you carry?

Do you need a hunting license to walk around with a long gun?

If its not season and you're carrying a shotgun around could you get arrested for poaching?

[Telperion]

What state are you in?

[Nippy]

California

[Sergeant Bob]

I know when I lived there (in Berdoo) it was legal to open carry in the national forests (not national parks), pretty sure it still is. I've seen it referenced on a few threads here.
I used to carry a Super Blackhawk 44 Mag, 7 12/ in barrel, when hiking in the San Bernardino Nat. Forest. I'd get alot of strange looks but I just went up and talked to people and acted like it wasn't there. Nobody ever said anything about it or acted freaked out.
After my experience with a mother bear and cub near Forest Falls, I refused to go in the mountains without a hogleg strapped on. There's alot of garbage eating bears, and idiot tourists feeding the bears so alot of them are not very afraid of people.

[HBK]

I think it is okay to carry in the national forests, but not the national parks.

[Cosmoline]

National Parks, even here in Alaska, are pretty much jackboot country. They only want you there if you're on an organized tour. It works OK when the park is a historical house or something, but it stinks when they control vast sections of your state.

The NPS also loves to have de facto tamed bears for the tourists. In the old days, they did it with handouts. Now they do it by carefully making the bears feel that the stink of humans is not a threat. BAD FRICKING IDEA!

[themic]

someone explain to me what the difference is between a national forest and a national park. aren't national forests run by the national park service?

[RandyB]

From my understanding of the law here in Indiana. I can carry in the national forest at anytime of the year. I cannot carry in the national or state parks legally. I am not considered poaching while carrying a gun. This is esp. true of a handgun and that I have a CWP.

[mohican]

themic :someone explain to me what the difference is between a national forest and a national park. aren't national forests run by the national park service?
At least in Ohio, the State Parks are "multi use and have hikers, canoers, etc, and are not huntable. The State Forest generally have "improvements" such as maintained hiking trails, etc, and are generally open to hunting. The State Forest, with less "access" have a lower population, which in turn allows for hunting.

I hope this explanation works.

[TallPine]

someone explain to me what the difference is between a national forest and a national park. aren't national forests run by the national park service?

No, no, no - not at all.

National Parks, and Monuments, Historical sites, etc, are managed by the Dept of the Interior, which is also responisble for Indian Reservations.

National Forests are managed by the Dept of Agriculture (USFS). Historically, this has been under a "multiple use" philosophy where hunting, fishing, and camping, and grazing, logging, and mining shared the lands.

Lately, this is being replaced with a "recreation first" philosophy. I'm not sure how this is supposed to work, because, for many decades, logging revenues have paid the USFS operating budget plus about a 900% profit into the general treasury. Now that logging has been severely curtailed in many areas, the taxpapers are having to make up the difference in revenue not collected. (Mining, grazing, and recreation were only about 10% of total FS revenue). Not to mention the increase in fire danger, and the forest management that private companies paid for the privilidge of doing.

Hunting is prohibited in National Parks, but out west, the National Forest and BLM lands make up the vast bulk of public hunting access.

I carry (open) everywhere on NF lands in MT, as well as every day on my own property. In MT, you can also carry concealed without a permit outside city limits while engaged in most any outdoor activity.

[DaveB]

aren't national forests run by the national park service?

National Forests are run by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), a Department of Agriculture branch.

The National Parks are run by the National Park Service (NPS), a Department of the Interior branch.

Carry - open or otherwise - is usually not OK on NPS lands (National Parks), and OK on USFS lands. Check for local variations and hunting season laws. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is mostly the same as USFS.

As for getting busted for poaching for carrying long guns/shotguns out of season, I'd expect to at least be questioned by the authorities. No sense in buying trouble...

db

[themic]

thanks for the clarification guys