Guns Allowed for All in Parks: Unsafe?
© Lauren HimiakOfficials say a law signed by President Obama in May will allow gun owners to openly carry firearms in places like Grand Teton National Park as well as the Wyoming portions of Yellowstone National Park.
The law goes into effect in February and several National Park Service employees and legal experts say the legislation extends to everyone, not just people with concealed weapons permits. This will depend on the law of the state in which the park is located. For example, Wyoming does not require a permit to carry a weapon, so visitors would be able to carry a gun into Yellowstone, so long as they were in the Wyoming portion of the park.
Conservation groups and rangers worry that backcountry travelers will begin arming themselves for self-defense and poachers will be able to hunt in woods without any concern. Although park rules will mimic the state's rules on weapons, this issue is causing concern for many.
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Ever been to Alaska? There are places where firearms are appropriate. Poachers are poachers. They do not care if guns are allowed or not. I have hunted most of my life(35 plus years). Never had a bad experience meeting someone else with a firearm. I would favor a check of hunter education, or other training for the privelige of packing a firearm into a national park.
Conservation groups and rangers worry that backcountry travelers will begin arming themselves for self-defense
God forbid anyone be able to effectively defend themselves against a violent criminal who wants to assault, kidnap, rape or murder them!
and poachers will be able to hunt in woods without any concern.
Poachers will poach regardless of the law, and law-abiding citizens who are carrying for self defense won’t be poaching. Why would crossing an invisible line (the park boundary) cause them to suddenly start behaving in a criminal manner?
The parks are unsafe now. Allowing people to carry in self defense helps address that problem.
Not to burst anyone’s bubble but… If you really think that there are not already many vehicles that enter and leave Large N.P.s like Yellowstone with guns in tow then just keep living that dream. For the most part these are honest, normal law abiding citizens. They don’t brandish there goods because in many cases they just don’t even think about the fact that they carry it unless it is needed for protection of themselves or other family members. It has been a safety issue and a part of their lives for years. They look and act no different than others. They are just prepared as if it were a pair of hiking boots. I don’t think that you will hear a gang banger, drug runner or the guy that would rob the corner store say “Gee we can carry our guns in N.P.s now, let’s hit the road.”
Thank you Des! Good comment!
Just because there’s a law preventing people from carrying a gun in National Parks does not mean that it is not already being done. Poachers who hunt in parks now obviously don’t let the current law stop them. Just because the gun law will be removed does not change the status of the other laws that were already being broken, nor will it make it any easier to break them. If you look at the crime rates in National Parks and the shortage of rangers, it is obvious that people sometimes need to protect themselves when protection from other sources aren’t available. If you look at the rest of Wyoming, mayhem doesn’t exist where firearms are already permitted.
As a woman who often travels alone I carry concealed – I do not wish to die or be harmed by others – and the reality is – bad guys exist – and they are not inclined to obey laws forbidding them to carry their firearm – regardless of penalty.
PS – I am a Federal Park Ranger but cannot carry while on duty! When I am off-duty, I am also a professional firearms safety instructor and a volunteer hunting safety education instructor! I am all for the change!
I live in Wyoming and part of the reason to carry a firearm anywhere in these parks or the mountainous area surrounding them is for protection from the grizzly bears, mountain lions, moose (especially with young), etc. Other humans are not the soul danger.
THIS IS BULL CRAP. HOW MANY PEOPLE GO OUT POACHING WITH A HANDGUN? CRIME HAS GONE DOWN WHERE EVER CARRY PERMITS ARE ISSUED. IT IS A JOKE THE PARK RANGERS ARE CONCERNED. I WAS JUST IN YELLOWSTONE AND THE TETONS IN AUGUST OF 2009 AND TALKED TO SEVERAL RANGERS. THEY HAD NO ISSUES WITH THE NEW LAW GOING INTO EFFECT. THIS IS THE ANTI’S TALKING AS USUAL
ITS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THE CRIMINALS USUALLY HAVE A FIREARM; COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT GOOD FOLKS MAY
HAVE ONE AVAILABLE FOR THE EMERGENCY. HOW MANY VICTIMS COULD BE SAVED /
Im sure you have heard this many times,Guns don’t kill people, people kill. You have to put your self in a situation of being the victim with no way to defend your self or family,THEN WHAT? I guess just sit there and be a victim, no way. Dah!
I must say I was surprised to see all of the proceeding comments were all pro tote. You’ve always been allowed to carry your fire arms into the NP’s , just keep them in your vehicle. I enjoy hiking in the NP’s of Wa. state for the peace and solitude. I think there will be those who can’t resist the temptation to plink ruining a quiet day in the wilderness. If they fear the wilderness so much they feel compelled to carry firearms maybe they should stay home.
The poacher is the one dragging the dead animal in case you couldn’t tell…