Carrying in National Parks

[Old Dog]

I believe that it is legal to carry when you have your concealed carry license, even in federal parks.

You would be wrong.

 

[kengrubb]

Not necessarily in a national park, my brother in Montana said "If you have to kill a grizzly and are lucky enough to survive - dig a hole and bury it."

I think one had best dig two holes. One for the large brown furry pile, and another for the large brown sticky pile.

They can pull DNA outta anything these days.

 

[wdlsguy]

You can read the NPS regulations here. You want 2.4, "Weapons, traps and nets".

 

[hobbeeman]

Old dog
why do you say that?
I read the referenced material and it refers to other material, that speaks of other material....
In the BLM materials specifically, it states that in no way can you carry a firearm when it is prohibited....and that only persons licensed to carry a concealed firearm may do so legally.

The documents that I have read OVER EMPHASIZE that you may not carry....but then quietly state that exceptions are made for CHL.

Have you found differently?

This is one of the many reasons that I went and got a CHL, so that I may carry when bowhunting on Federal lands that do not allow firearms.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I read the referenced material and it refers to other material, that speaks of other material....
In the BLM materials specifically, it states that in no way can you carry a firearm when it is prohibited....and that only persons licensed to carry a concealed firearm may do so legally.

But you wrote that carry in national "parks" is legal. The BLM does not administer national parks; those fall under the control of the National Park Service. The BLM controls federal lands that are other than either national parks or national forests (the national forests coming under the administration of the National Forest Service).

You cannot apply BLM regulations to NPS or NFS lands ... at least not safely.

 

[Bwana John]

The BLM does not administer national parks; those fall under the control of the National Park Service

However the BLM does administer some new National Monuments, which all used to be under the National Park Service.
(Grand Staircase-Vermillion Cliffs, Escalante) You may also hunt in these National Monuments, which is a radical departure for National Monuments.

 

[gunsmith]

Well, since no one else has said it

IDAHO GRIZZLY BEAR NOTICE
In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts,the Idaho Department of Fish and Game as well as National Forest service are advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field.

We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.

It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings.

Black bear droppings are smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur.

Grizzly bear dung has little bells in it and smells like pepper spray.

 

[Old Dog]

hobbeeman, to tack on to Hawkmoon's correct statement: Here's the blurb, noted in every NPS and national park website: No firearms or weapons, including state-permitted concealed weapons, are allowed in [name of park]. However, unloaded firearms may be transported in a vehicle when the weapon is cased, broken down, or rendered inoperable, and kept out of sight. Ammunition must be placed in a separate compartment of the vehicle.

 

[waynesan]

Gun vs Bear Spray

I just happened to come across an article in Outdoor Life the other day that featured an article on "How to survive a bear attack". They quoted statistics that showed that per 100 attacks by bears on humans, those who used guns for self defense survived 65% of the time. Those who used Bear Spray survived 95% of the time. While the article encouraged the carrying of guns in bear country, the likelyhood of placing a lethal shot on a charging bear is lower than many would expect. Personally I would not venture into bear country without both spray and gun.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Personally I would not venture into bear country without both spray and gun.

I agree. And you don't want to ordinary, mail-order pepper spray that you buy in little pocket-size cannisters to repel gang bangers. For bears you want the BIG, industrial strength bear spray.

 

[TallPine]

They quoted statistics that showed that per 100 attacks by bears on humans, those who used guns for self defense survived 65% of the time. Those who used Bear Spray survived 95% of the time.

I wouldn't rely on those figures too heavily ... folks are probably more likely to just squirt some pepper spray at a bear that may not even be making a serious attack. OTOH, when the gun comes out, the person was more likely in dire straits.

 

[hobbeeman]

I Stand Corrected

Thanks

 

[06]

Have never had any trouble but do not brandish anything either. Have hiked in many places in NC and Nat areas w/o any problems. KingMax-E me sometime. Am planning an AT hike very soon.

 

[Cosmoline]

NPS are a bunch of worthless jackboots. They have sealed off large sections of this state, banning even transit across their borders without special permits. They WON'T EVEN ALLOW SNOW MACHINES going from one village to another because they don't consider that method of transportation "traditional." In the mean time they let Tim Treadwell get two bears killed because they didn't have the damn spine to go up against the Hollywood crowd who supported him. It's no surprise that these same #@%s ban firearms. Yeah, you can carry them in your car locked up
BUT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE YOUR CAR INTO "THEIR" NATIONAL PARKS UP HERE!



If TR was alive today he'd take those bastards by the nose and kick them till the puked blood.

I won't set foot on their territory. It's occupied by the enemy of freedom. No guns, no transit, no hunting, no going anywhere without a tour guide or special permission. That's their idea of wilderness. It sure as hell isn't mine. TO HELL WITH THEM! May they all burn in the next fire. These bastards who yap about how bears need to be protected are THE SAME JERKS who made a point of feeding the bears for many decades so the tourists would have a good photo op. Now they use acclimation and more subtle domestication methods at Denali and Katmai, but it's a difference without a distinction. You still end up with fat tourists getting closer to brown bears than any human has a right to. It degrades wildlife and degrades the state.

What's particularly ironic is the fact that the wildlife is richer an healthier in the Municipality of Anchorage, with a quarter million people, than it is in their prize tourist trap Jellystone.

 

['Card]

Well, don't hold back or anything, Cosmo. Tell us how you really feel about it.

 

[MikeK]

SRMohawk - Sounds like a great trip. I have backpacked in the 'BOB' and hiked in Glacier. The only difference, aside from spending nights in one and carrying a lot of stuff, was that we were armed in the bob and unarmed in Glacier. I did feel a little nervous at times in Glacier. Every group we ran into in the Bob Marshall Wilderness had at least one gun. We didn't meet a whole lot of people and the two rangers we met were nice. You have received a lot of advice and I'm sure you will make a wise decision. The scenery in both places is magnificent and both trips rank highly on my lifetime experiences.

Enjoy your trip and don't worry too much about the bears. When your time is up - it's up.

Let us know how it was - if you make it back alive. (Just kidding man.)