Target practice on State Land

[erussell]

Does anyone know if target practice is legal  on state land? Because these yahoos are really making a mess of a state land by my house. I drove down there the other day and there was a 30 ft section of the road that was orange with busted clay pidgeons and a huge pile of spent shot shells laying in the middle of the road. Then you go another 100 yrds down the road and there is a spot everyone shoots and there are thousands of spent caseing, shot up target's, bullet riddled trees and state signs. Am going to try and get down there this week with a few trash bags and try and pick up some of these douchebags garbage. > I was under the impression you were not allowed to target practice on stateland.

[sweet old bill]

I had for years a place that had been used by local police for sighting in and just shooting. They then got a new range area, so the local like me would use the old place on state land. I would once a year take a plastic  can and maybe pick up two of them with spent shells and also paper. The broken birds I found goes into the ground after a year or two so I stopped raking them. So I guess the answer is yes you can use but sure should clean up after one self. I did have a DEC guy stop me for in June shooting stumps. He wanted to check all my arrows to see if I had a BH on any of them. I told him what stump shooting was and he said if you shoot a live tree you could get a ticket and no cutting of any branch. Plus he also checked my life licence. Also asked were my back tag was. I tild him that was at the house, which was the 2nd house from were he drove in from Rt 23. He made me go to the truck and take him back to show him my back tag. And they sometime I am sure wonder why I no longer support the DEC.

[WNYBuckHunter]

It actually depends on the rules for the particular piece of state land. All state land is supposed to be carry in, carry out though, so those idiots are breaking the law by not picking up their shells. Even when you are hunting, you are supposed to pick up your empties. I wouldnt worry too much about the clays too much, they will eventually crumble up and become part of the dirt, but what are those idiots doing shooting over a road? Thats illegal. I would talk to the local DEC officer.

[erussell]

It actually depends on the rules for the particular piece of state land. All state land is supposed to be carry in, carry out though, so those idiots are breaking the law by not picking up their shells. Even when you are hunting, you are supposed to pick up your empties. I wouldnt worry too much about the clays too much, they will eventually crumble up and become part of the dirt, but what are those idiots doing shooting over a road? Thats illegal. I would talk to the local DEC officer.

Not shooting over the road, shooting down the road. By the looks of it they were standing in the middle of the road shooting down it. ???

[Daveboone]

Very random. Of course any shooting over/ along a road would not be legal, or within (I think its) 500 feet of occupied buildings. Out in the middle of no where I have been told by game officers no shooting except in designated areas. They dont want the landscape, trees chewed up. Fair enough. Some allow it in old gravel cuts. I would notify your local DEC officer of the situation. Usually they are very prompt in responding. What they can do about it is another matter.

[WNYBuckHunter]

It actually depends on the rules for the particular piece of state land. All state land is supposed to be carry in, carry out though, so those idiots are breaking the law by not picking up their shells. Even when you are hunting, you are supposed to pick up your empties. I wouldnt worry too much about the clays too much, they will eventually crumble up and become part of the dirt, but what are those idiots doing shooting over a road? Thats illegal. I would talk to the local DEC officer.

Not shooting over the road, shooting down the road. By the looks of it they were standing in the middle of the road shooting down it. ???

Same thing, still illegal. Like I said, I would alert DEC.

[fasteddie]

I wouldn't think the DEC would condone target practice on State land . Like Dave Boone mentioned they certainly don't want the trees chewed up / riddled with bullets !

[132 eight pointer]

I was at the Ossian state forest today.I stopped to read a state sign posted on a tree and saw at least 30 shotgun shells lying in the seasonal use road.There is an area with a dirt mound that I have been to before. I wanted to shoot my shotgun today so that is where I went.When I pulled up I found wood from targets,plastic and shell casings. I set up my cardboard,shot 1 round,picked up what I brought and left.Many other times I have picked up garbage from hunters and target shooters but not today. This is why the NO TARGET SHOOTING signs go up.

[erussell]

I went there today with a garbage bag and picked up 1100 shotgun shells and didn't even put a dent in it. Thats not counting all the pistol, 223 and 7.62 shells. I'm going to try and get back over there with a rake and my dog crap picker upper this week and work on getting more of it picked up. Def. going to give the Game Warden a call don't expect him to give a crap though. I would have a hard time beleiving it was legal to target practice on state land especially from all the carnage I saw on the trees today, I think the state would frown on it.

[Elmo]

In some of the state lands I hunt in, when you pick up the pamphlet from the rangers office and read the rules it specifically states that there is no recreational shooting allowed.  This may not be the case in all state land.

Also keep in mind that there's no other signs stating this posted in the woods themselves.  You have to actually go into the rangers office to find this out.

[132 eight pointer]

    I thought target shooting was allowed as long as it was being done safely and NOT damaging trees or anything else besides the ground  perhaps.The people leaving spent shells,targets and other garbage are ignorant and selfish slobs.  I had an ECO pull up and ask me if I was target shooting last year.He was very courteous and just making sure I was not a poacher.I asked if target shooting was allowed and he told me just don't shoot down the trail which I was not. I told him I just wanted to check my pattern for turkey hunting and he told me where I could find turkeys on the state land we were on.He may have told me to pick up after myself but I do anyways.

        Erussel  I admire you for picking up after the ones that give us all a black eye.

[WNYBuckHunter]

In some of the state lands I hunt in, when you pick up the pamphlet from the rangers office and read the rules it specifically states that there is no recreational shooting allowed.  This may not be the case in all state land.

Also keep in mind that there's no other signs stating this posted in the woods themselves.  You have to actually go into the rangers office to find this out.

Most state land has no rangers office, they usually have a posting board with a roof over it in one or more parking lots that list out the rules for the land. Some allow target shooting, others dont. Even if they do, people shouldnt be slobs and leave their hulls or shot up targets behind.

Its not much different even at the gun club I go to, the rules say you are supposed to pick up your hulls and throw them in the cans near every station. Many guys dont, they are just lazy slobs with no respect for anything or anyone. The bad apples ruin things for the rest of us.

[erussell]

I assume it is kids ( young adults ) doing it because of the fresh cans of energy drinks laying around and the general lack of respect for the land, not saying that all kids are bad but just an observation. Also found 4 paint cans that I can only assume were full by the amount of splatter on the surrounding trees and ground. What a friggen mess.

[wztirem]

  Part 190: Use Of State Lands - Page 1 - NYS Dept. of Environmental ...  The storage of personal property on State lands is prohibited. .... or employees of the department from performing their legal duties, by means of intimidation, .... on State lands and no person shall target shoot at breakable targets, ...

www.dec.ny.gov › ... › Chapter II - Lands and Forests - Cached - Similar- Block all ny.gov results

[WNYBuckHunter]

Here is the exact wording from the DEC

"No person shall possess breakable targets, including but not limited  to clay pigeons, on State lands and no person shall target shoot at  breakable targets, including but not limited to clay pigeons and glass  containers, on State lands. Unless legally engaged in the act of  hunting, no person shall discharge firearms on State lands posted or  designated as closed to target shooting."

190.8 bb

[Elmo]

Most state land has no rangers office, they usually have a posting board with a roof over it in one or more parking lots that list out the rules for the land. Some allow target shooting, others dont. Even if they do, people shouldnt be slobs and leave their hulls or shot up targets behind.

2 of the 3 I regularly go to has an office.  Then again, those are the only ones I've ever been to so I might have lucked out.

[upstaterifle]

So as long as there is no posting that you cannot do target shooting, and you are only shooting at paper targets, you are good to go on state land then?

[WNYBuckHunter]

Yep, just remember basic shooting safety, and pick up your shells/brass as all state land is carry in, carry out. Oh, and dont shoot the trees, etc.

[NYDeer]

Bring a drop cloth to shoot off of. Makes picking up shells really easy & quick, unless your gun throws them good.

[upstaterifle]

Great, can't wait to go out tomorrow morning.  Does anyone know if you can

target shoot in the Pittstown state Forest?  Just realized this is quite close and

but was sure if it was posted anywhere for NO TARGET SHOOTING??

[WNYBuckHunter]

Check the DEC website, it will have all of the rules for each parcel of state land.

[erussell]

PA has it right

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=620410&mode=2

[WNYBuckHunter]

PA has it right

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=620410&mode=2

I like that, but it wouldnt happen in NY.

[fisher2]

well i assume you can shoot on state land as in the town of kingston on jockey hil rd i shoot there often and have had the cops come once just to mke sure we where being safe and to remind us to pick up our brass

[upstaterifle]

Went up to Lake Desolation State Forest last week and everything went well.  called and talked to the ranger for the area first as well and he gave me the green light as well. As longs you are at least 500 feet from any houses, not shooting across any roads and just be sure to pick up all brass and only paper targets.  leave no trace.  I was almost a quarter mile in off road to be safe, shooting in the other direction.