[priv8ter]

Hi folks...I have an interview in a few weeks for a job that could move me Bremerton, Washington, to Hermiston, Oregon.

I was reading on www.packing.org, but I was seeking clarification. There is a blurb in the law about not being able to carry in public buildings. Then it list exceptions, and having a CHL is one of them. Does that mean that if you have a CHL, you can carry anywhere? I don't need to worry about taking a gun off before going into a Hospital or on School grounds in Oregon?

Also, how much does one of these Safety Courses usually cost? We don't require these in Washington.

While I'm seeking Oregon data, what's the hunting like in Eastern Oregon? Primarily interested in Deer and Elk.

Finally, since I have made it quite clear that this post is driven by a request for firearms and hunting related info, if any of you want to include general info about the Hermiston/Pendleton area(or PM me...keep the Moderator's Happy), it would be much obliged.

greg

[Pendragon]

My family - both parents and all their kin are from E. Oregon.

It is beautiful country. The people there are God fearin, mostly conservative - hunters, shooters, hard working folk.

Deer and Elk hunting should be great - my uncles are avid hunters but I never got to go.

My grand parents are in Hermiston, I have never been there myself, but had relatives all over those little tiny towns out there.

Hope you like "country" everything - cuz thats what it is.

If I could make a living out there, I would strongly consider moving.

[Phil Ca]

Hermiston is not much to look at and is HOT in the summer. It is near the Mc Nary Dam and there is boating on the Columbia River. The nearest town with a mall or a Costco would be in the Tri-Cities,(Pasco,Kennewick,Richland) There are gang problems there with offspring of Mexican field workers, legal or illegal.

Due to the old Umatilla Ordnance Depot to the West you would need to keep a BOB available and having a gas mask for each person in the family would be a plus. I have a good friend there that tells me about the alerts put out by the army now and then. The base has literally tons of ordnance, including various gas and toxic stuff there in underground storage.

Drive down some weekend and check the place out, don,t rely on me alone. One of the worst traffic accidents in Oregon, occured on the East-West Interstate some years ago. People drove into a dust storm and did not slow down and it was a nightmare.

When I was in Vietnam a Hermiston High School girls group more or less adopted me since I was originally from Pendleton. Those kids were great, they sent cookies, magazines, paperback books, and letters to me for distribution. I used to take a jeep out to the airstrip and pass out the reading material to the First Division Infantrymen returning by chopper from a mission.

Do a google search on Hermiston and you should find out some interesting stuff. The deer and elk are in the Blue Mountains the other side of Pendleton. My BIL goes out each year to hunt. He drew a bow tag and got an elk a couple of years ago.

Oregon is a relatively easy state to get a CCW permit in. My dad still had his when he passed away at 85. BTW, did I say Hermiston is HOT?!

:) :D

[Zip06]

Phil is right, Hermiston is hot in the summer. What Phil failed to mention is that Hermiston grows, by far, the best watermelons on this planet.

[Phil Ca]

Your right, I was about to put the watermelon info down when our daughter called and I ended the session. The Hermiston melons are legendary allright.

:D

[Double Maduro]

priv8tr,

In Oregon, even with a CHL, you can not carry in the Post office, the court house, the airport, or any business that has a sign at the door prohibiting CCW. There are probably more but it is late and my mind is getting fuzzy.

You may carry on school property, be careful here-not everyone believes it is legal and it could end up costing you some money, and in bars. You wouldn't drink to excess while you are carrying now would you?

I believe that open carry is legal.

The classes in the Portland area run from $20 - $65 or so. They are about 4 hours long and cover the 4 rules, differant types of handguns and how to load-unload and carry them, and where the various parts are located. It also covers holsters, belts and safety. There was even a section on sight picture.

There is no range time required. There is a test so pay attention.

If you do move down and decide to maintain your Washington residency, Oregon is a Shall issue state for citizens of all of the states with a border in common with ORegon.

I hope this helps. Remember, I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on television. Check every thing I told you for yourself. The governing laws are in the ORegon revised codes and I believe there is a link to them on Packing.org'

DM

[Big Mike]

I grew up and lived in Gig Harbor, WA, went to Lutefisk every October on Poulsbo. Worked in East Bremerton for almost 3 years.

I carried in WA and now live, work and carry concealed down here in Southern Oregon. There are more similarities that not involving when/where you can carry when comparing our two states. Though I've never had a bad experience with LEO up in WA, down here when speaking to police you more likely to get into the merits and quality of your carry pieces rather than them running your pistol right off the bat to see if its stolen.

NOTE: If you have a valid concealed carry permit for WA (I did) and show it to the county clerk in Hermiston when you apply for your permit, they will most likely waive the "instruction" requirement. That's what happened to me, I just showed the Josephine County clerk my valid WA CCW and was waived, filled out the paperwork and I was good to go. Also, the sheriff of the county is the issuing authority, so call down there and see if they'll do that.

These guys are right, Oregon is a pretty good state to live in, we've been here 2 1/2 years now. Southern Oregon and all of Eastern Oregon are pretty similar in many ways. Things (politics and laws) get real goofy once you head north of Eugene and really really goofy when you get to Portland. Ashland is its own entity, but a neat place none the same :)

Also, get ready to s l o w d o w n . I haven't met anyone down here that was in a hurry to do anything-a small criticism, but considering the rigors of life I led up there driving the I-5 corridor everyday, I can live with it.

oh, and its much cheaper to live here too. Hope this helps, and if you ask, post what the county clerk says about honoring your existing CCW and waiving your handgun safety class. Take care, Mike

[priv8ter]

Good Gravy, I was flipping through the Oregon hunting regs, and I thought I might need to call an Lawyer to explain them to me. Guess that's what it takes to manage a herd. It seems like most of Eastern Oregon is all lottery draw tags though.

Thanks for everyone's input so far...

Funny You should mention the Umatilla Ordenance Depot Phil Ca...that's where this job is...
:uhoh:

[Hawaiian]

At least Hermiston has a Wal-Mart, so you can get ammo cheap.

[voilsb]

If you have an Oregon concealed weapons permit, you can carry anywhere in the state that's not federally prohibited. Private businesses only have one way to keep you from packing on their property: they can ask you to leave. If you fail to leave you can be charged with trespassing, but that's all they can do.

[Double Maduro]

voilsb

Sorry, but you have misunderstood the law.

You also cannot carry in a courthouse that the presiding judge says you can not.

Also, all a business needs is a sign at the door prohibiting you from carrying inside. My range prohibits loaded weapons anywhere except the line.

For the absolute final word, read the Oregon Revised Statutes. There is a link to them on www.packing.org .

Again, I am not a lawyer, so read the Revised Statutes.

DM

[Phil Ca]

When I was a kid, my dad and a neighbor drove to the Umatilla Ordnance Depot after WW2 and bought a small keg of mostly rusty and bent nails. My job was ro lay them on a brick and straighten them and sort by size in cans or jars.

A few years ago I checked into the possibility of a job at UOD. I looked at the military officers there and it looked like the place where they go when their career is on the downslide. Perhaps the army uses it as a punishment for, say, a major that is not going to make colonel, ever.

:(

[David4516]

I got my CHL, all classes and fees included, for under $100.

I have not spent much time in eastern Oregon (I live near the coast), but I can tell you that all the radio stations play nothing but country music :(

I went Elk hunting for a week near pendleton a few weeks ago. Nice area, but didn't see a single elk. None of the other hunters I talked to did either. On the bright side, there were deer all over the place. One night I woke up and went out to take a leak, and there were several deer standing right in the middle of our camp :eek:

I have seen plenty of elk out here in western Oregon, but they only seem to come out durring deer season :cuss:

Anyway, I would recomend Oregon to anyone. I would be perfectly happy to live the rest of my life here. Its a great state...

[jhisaac1]

I went Elk hunting for a week near pendleton a few weeks ago. Nice area, but didn't see a single elk.
I was Elk hungting near pendleton a few weeks ago and our party saw Elk every day plus buckets of deer. It would be nice to live out there, but there aren't that many jobs for computer guys in that corner of the state.

Jason

[Gray Peterson]

Also, all a business needs is a sign at the door prohibiting you from carrying inside. My range prohibits loaded weapons anywhere except the line.

Cite it, please.

There is no "sign at the door means it's illegal to carry" law. You can be asked to leave if you are CAUGHT with a firearm in a posted area (or even unposted, too). Refusal to do so would be ARMED TRESPASS. There is a difference between that and a law saying if you carry at a certain places, you are automatically violating the law. In Oregon, that is in court houses, and SECURED areas of airports, and other federally prohibited areas. The prohibitions in the "No carry in public buildings" statute (166.370) do not apply to CHL holders with the exception of court houses.

[voilsb]

Double Maduro said:

Sorry, but you have misunderstood the law.

You also cannot carry in a courthouse that the presiding judge says you can not.Maybe. But it's not a misunderstanding of the ORS. It was a misunderstanding of federal law. I was under the impression that was a federal law, and not an Oregon-only law. I had thought it was a redundancy thing, like how Oregon prohibits you from owning unregistered FNA items.

[Gray Peterson]

Maybe. But it's not a misunderstanding of the ORS. It was a misunderstanding of federal law. I was under the impression that was a federal law, and not an Oregon-only law. I had thought it was a redundancy thing, like how Oregon prohibits you from owning unregistered FNA items.

Here's the deal:

State law addresses all court houses, federal and state.

Federal law only addresses federal property, including court houses.

If the state law was not in effect, the federal one would take precendent over federal courthouses and other federal property.

Got that?

[Double Maduro]

Lonnie,

When I took my class the instructor said it was illegal to carry into a business that was posted. That is the authority I was quoting. I hope you are right, I have only seen the sign at a "Place to Shoot" in Portland.

When my CHL came it had a list of some places that are illegal, the airport was listed and I am trying to remember if posted businesses were. If I can find it I will let you know what it said.

I really wish the state(s) would publish a booklet with all of the applicable laws. It would make it much easier

If you notice, at the bottom of each post I say I am not a lawyer and urge everyone to look up the law for themselves.

For those of you who won't look it up, here it is.



Places off-limits while carrying
Date updated: Saturday, May 31, 2003

166.370 Possession of firearm or dangerous weapon in public building or court facility; exceptions; discharging firearm at school.


(1) Any person who intentionally possesses a loaded or unloaded firearm or any other instrument used as a dangerous weapon, while in or on a public building, shall upon conviction be guilty of a Class C felony.

(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a person who intentionally possesses:


(A) A firearm in a court facility is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony. A person who intentionally possesses a firearm in a court facility shall surrender the firearm to a law enforcement officer.

(B) A weapon, other than a firearm, in a court facility may be required to surrender the weapon to a law enforcement officer or to immediately remove it from the court facility. A person who fails to comply with this subparagraph is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony.


(b) The presiding judge of a judicial district may enter an order permitting the possession of specified weapons in a court facility.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to:

(a) A sheriff, police officer, other duly appointed peace officers or a corrections officer while acting within the scope of employment.

(d) A person who is licensed under ORS 166.291 and 166.292 to carry a concealed handgun.

(f) Possession of a firearm on school property if the firearm:


(A) Is possessed by a person who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing the firearm; and

(B) Is unloaded and locked in a motor vehicle.

(4) The exceptions listed in subsection (3)(b) to (f) of this section constitute affirmative defenses to a charge of violating subsection (1) of this section.


ORS 166.360 Definitions for ORS 166.360 to 166.380. As used in ORS 166.360 to 166.380, unless the context requires otherwise:


(1) "Capitol building" means the Capitol, the State Office Building, the State Library Building, the Labor and Industries Building, the State Transportation Building, the Agriculture Building or the Public Service Building and includes any new buildings which may be constructed on the same grounds as an addition to the group of buildings listed in this subsection.

(2) "Court facility" means a courthouse or that portion of any other building occupied by a circuit court, the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court or the Oregon Tax Court or occupied by personnel related to the operations of those courts, or in which activities related to the operations of those courts take place.

(3) "Loaded firearm" means:

(a) A breech-loading firearm in which there is an unexpended cartridge or shell in or attached to the firearm including but not limited to, in a chamber, magazine or clip which is attached to the firearm.

(4) "Public building" means a hospital, a capitol building, a public or private school, as defined in ORS 339.315, a college or university, a city hall or the residence of any state official elected by the state at large, and the grounds adjacent to each such building. The term also includes that portion of any other building occupied by an agency of the state or a municipal corporation, as defined in ORS 297.405, other than a court facility.



History for this field
Car/Gun law summary
Date updated: Saturday, February 15, 2003

166.250 Unlawful possession of firearms.


(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section or ORS 166.260, 166.270, 166.274, 166.291, 166.292 or 166.410 to 166.470, a person commits the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm if the person knowingly:

(a) Carries any firearm concealed upon the person;

(b) Possesses a handgun that is concealed and readily accessible to the person within any vehicle; or

(c) Possesses a firearm and:
(A) Is under 18 years of age;



History for this field
Must volunteer carry status to Law Enforcement
Date updated: Saturday, February 15, 2003

No. Must present permit to Officer on demand.


History for this field
Carrying without a permit
Date updated: Thursday, October 16, 2003

166.250 Unlawful possession of firearms.


(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section or ORS 166.260, 166.270, 166.274, 166.291, 166.292 or 166.410 to 166.470, a person commits the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm if the person knowingly:

(a) Carries any firearm concealed upon the person;

(b) Possesses a handgun that is concealed and readily accessible to the person within any vehicle.


If you do not have a CHL, and carry openly outside of Portland and Beaverton, you cannot openly carry in any "public building" according to the provisions of 166.370(1). Only exception is if you have a CHL (ORS 166.170(3)(d)). Public building definition from ORS 166.360(4):

(4) "Public building" means a hospital, a capitol building, a public or private school, as defined in ORS 339.315, a college or university, a city hall or the residence of any state official elected by the state at large, and the grounds adjacent to each such building. The term also includes that portion of any other building occupied by an agency of the state or a municipal corporation, as defined in ORS 297.405, other than a court facility.


The Oregon Supreme Court recently ruled in State of Oregon v. Morgan Joel Perry that the place of business exception in the general prohibition against concealed carry does NOT apply to employees of businesses, it only applies to owners or persons with controlling interest (as in part ownership, not management). Management, if they are not owners, appear to be in the same boat. It would appear that even the owners of a business cannot even authorize employee's to carry without a permit either. That means clerks at gun stores cannot carry concealed without a permit either.


Admin Note:
The only way you can carry as an employee of a business is to get a CHL. If you get caught on company property with a firearm, you will be subject to their rules, up to and including termination if they prohibit it, but you would not be arrested unless you do not possess a CHL.

DM

[Gray Peterson]

I should know because I was the one that WROTE most of the information that is posted on Oregon's packing.org page. There is no "signage makes it illegal to carry" law here. The only thing that may make that the force of law is a court ruling saying that signs have the same thing as a no-tresspasing. I doubt it though.

[voilsb]

Lonnie Wilson said:
Here's the deal:
...
Got that?Thanks for being condescending. If you weren't, I apologize for reading it as such.

Now, given the federal government's habit of putting it's nose in others' business, it wasn't unreasonable to think they would do similar with a prohibition of firearms in court areas.

Apparently I was wrong. No big deal. From now on I'll say "you can carry anywhere in Oregon except court areas and where federally prohibited" instead of "you can carry anywhere in Oregon except where federally prohibited."

I'm going to dig through the USC and find specifically where it prohibits, though. If you've got any leads where to look (other than Title 18, Chapter 44, Section 930), I'll take your advice.

[Double Maduro]

Lonnie,

Thanks for clearing that up. After a careful reading of the Revised Statutes it would seem that most of the information the county/state sent with my CHL is bogus and that they are interpreting the law to their advantage.

Again, thanks for clearing up the sign business.

DM

[dairycreek]

Have now retired and moved back to western Oregon and that was a mistake. But, wife wanted to be near grandkids and her relatives so what the heck. Oregon is actually two states as far as culture and attitudes are concerned. Eastern is more "old west" in its approach to life. Largely conservative, rural, agricultural, ranching in its economy. Western is moving more PC liberal and is a heck of a lot less fun to live in that is EO.

Elk and deer hunting is IMHO the best in the state. But, you have to know where you are going and what you are doing. That will, of course, come over time.

Hermiston is one of the best (if not the best) EO communities in which to live. Good schools (despite a massive dollar crunch in this state), good athletic programs (they care for their kids), and a really upbeat attitude.

As far as concealed carry is concerned much of what others have posted is right on. A word to the wise don't pack in any courthouse or public school and avoid trouble. Although the concealed carry law is a state law, permits are issued through the county of residence and I know of no courthouse or school in Oregon that will permit concealed carry.

Hope that you enjoy Oregon. Good shooting;)