Shooting Range Too Close for Comfort

There’s a heated controversy occurring around an informal 'shooting area' located near Nederland, Colorado. The shooting occurs at an old 'dump site' where locals have been going to shoot for years. In many areas, growing neighborhoods encroaching on open space, and increased foot traffic on trails have made shooting 'sites' around the country a hazardous clashing of old and new.

Nederland residents have been complaining about the noise from the 'informal' shooting site, which lies within earshot of their neighborhood. The area had been banned from shooting because it was within 150 yards of an occupied area. But then the U.S. Forest service has released a letter stating that “roads should not be considered inherently occupied areas.”
Some have interpreted this to mean that they can return to the site and shoot. There are still signs posted saying shooting is not allowed.

Neighbors are communicating, trying to decide the best way to deal with the problem. One anonymous neighbor, explained, “I have guns at home.” He understands being a gun enthusiast. He ‘just feels like this is an inappropriate place to have a shooting area.’ Many neighbors have a fear that ‘someone is going to get hurt or killed from a stray bullet.’ Many of these concerned residents have children.

Long time hunting and shooting proponents say they have been shooting in the area for years. “We don’t use high powered rifles, we’re shooting at clay pigeons.” announced an anonymous local hunter. The hunter stated that it was ‘idiots;’ untrained and thoughtless people who are reckless with guns, that ‘ruin it for everyone.’

I asked him to imagine if he lived within the proximity of the hunting range, and was having to deal with these problems, what would he say was a good solution? He pondered this for a moment, and slowly said he really didn’t know. I asked if he would be happy with an alternative sight for shooting, and he said he thought 'that made the most sense.'

Michael Bane, host of The Shooting Gallery on the Outdoor Channel, has been a prominent personality in the controversy over whether an ‘informal shooting’ area on Magnolia Road should exist. He lives in Big Springs as well, and reminds that shooting is allowed on National Forest lands, except within 150 yards of an occupied area. He seemed surprised that I wanted to talk to him about the subject. He said in all of the time that he had been dealing with the issue of the area on Magnolia, not one of his neighbors had bothered to talk to him

Michael Bane argues that the magnolia site has existed for many years, and that responsible people, like himself have been shooting there for years. We walked to the top of ‘hill’ behind the embankment that is used as a ‘backstop.’ It was steep and possibly 700 feet high. It seemed like an answer to the question of the Big Springs resident safety. Bane argues that responsible shooters shooting into the embankment with appropriate weapons, would never get a bullet up and over that hill.

Then, I accompanied Marshall Ken Robinson to the site. He understood that an expert marksman who is professional and responsible, probably could shoot there without harming anyone…probably. And that’s a certain type of responsible person. The anonymous hunter and I had agreed earlier, ‘sometimes ignorant people ruin it for everyone.’ On the ride to the site, Robinson asked me, “What if somebody is up here shooting and drinking?” I flashed back on the smashed beer can I had photographed at the site the day before.

When we got to the site, Robinson started pointing out problematic areas. He started rattling off different types of weapons and how far their bullet will travel. I got lost in the numbers…but I clearly heard the part about the town and the elementary school being within range of a ‘stray’ bullet. We walked to the far end of the site and he pointed over to Magnolia road and it was clearly visible through the trees.

Then, he showed me something that struck home, as we walked back away from the shooting area, he pointed out a path in the woods. I had seen the beginning of it before, but hadn’t realized that part of it ran adjacent to the firing area. Robinson pointed out that mountain bikers love these trails and that he knew a lot of people who run on those trails. He and his family have run on all of the trails in the area. He looked back towards the berm and the shooting spot and said, “Let’s count, let’s measure,” and he started taking long steps back towards the site. He stopped at the edge of the woods where a pile of shotgun shells lie. He had walked 40 paces.

Robinson had pointed out earlier that if someone were going to be shooting a rifle, they wouldn’t be shooting the ‘short distance’ of the area…they’d want a longer distance. He looked at the embankment and how it curved around and noted that they would probably stand on the near end of the ‘area’ and shoot at the far end where the embankment curves around. He suggested we go look and see if we found any rifle shells in the area he was pointing to. There were. I picked up a handful of rifle shells and saw many more. What that meant then, is that people are standing with rifles pointed towards the ‘far’ end of the area…alongside the road.

Robinson spoke again of trajectories and distances bullets could go, and pointed out that the various rifle shells were coming from weapons that could hit the town. His biggest concern, as Marshall of the town lying within range of a misfired bullet, was everyone’s safety. He too agreed that their really does need to be a safe area, 3 or 4 miles outside of town, for people to target practice.

Robinson has experience with firing range safety and he says that not only will he not condone the area as a safe shooting area, he also will not allow his officers to practice there.

Cat Luna, of the U.S. Forest Service’s Boulder office said the Forest Service is acknowledging that there is a problem. They are looking into interim management ideas and a longer-term study of the entire area and its gun use. She said she is open to hearing from those who have questions, concerns, or for information at HYPERLINK "mailto:cluna@fs.fed.us" cluna@fs.fed.us .

Ryan MacKinnon, 15-year-old visiting hunter from Spruce, Michigan, ‘bagged’ a 6 x 6 elk in Colorado, with a bow. This is an impressive feat for his age! He is on an archery league back home. He bought his license and did everything by the book, while hunting in Colorado. He also hunts with a gun and likes to target practice. I asked him and his friends what they thought of the local shooting area dilemma. They seemed genuinely perplexed that in an area with so much wilderness, we couldn’t find a mutually agreeable spot for target practice.