Gun Transport, Shooting Ranges

[mhtranger]

All firearms, including handguns, carried in an off-highway recreational vehicle or a trailer towed by an off-highway recreational vehicle2 or a snowmobile or a trailer towed by a snowmobile3 must be unloaded, however.

And this has just changed as well, HB 334 was passed and allows you to carry loaded handguns now.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by mhtranger

All firearms, including handguns, carried in an off-highway recreational vehicle or a trailer towed by an off-highway recreational vehicle2 or a snowmobile or a trailer towed by a snowmobile3
must be unloaded, however.

And this has just changed as well, HB 334 was passed and allows you to carry loaded handguns now.

HB334 should be amended to restrict dogs in the presence of loaded firearms.

[MAXUM]

If you discreetly ask around you might catch wind of places to go - typically sand pits, which you can shoot in without anyone giving you grief. There are also a couple places in the national forest where you can do the same.

The reason why I won't post where these locations are is that once the word gets out these places get trashed and eventually closed. That very thing happened at the Alton sand pit at the end of Rines Rd where for many years it was a great place to shoot, known by many and used quite a bit. Eventually that was shut down which is unfortunate for those who respectfully used it for many years.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

If you discreetly ask around you might catch wind of places to go - typically sand pits, which you can shoot in without anyone giving you grief. There are also a couple places in the national forest where you can do the same.

The reason why I won't post where these locations are is that once the word gets out these places get trashed and eventually closed. That very thing happened at the Alton sand pit at the end of Rines Rd where for many years it was a great place to shoot, known by many and used quite a bit. Eventually that was shut down which is unfortunate for those who respectfully used it for many years.

It was never legal and they shot across a class VI road.

https://casetext.com/regulation/new-...arget-shooting

[MAXUM]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

It was never legal and they shot across a class VI road.

https://casetext.com/regulation/new-...arget-shooting

So I don't know where you get your information from but the pit that was there had no class IV road traversing through it. Rines road followed along one side of it. Where you entered the pit was the end of the town maintained road and from there it was a class IV road that goes up into Devil's Den.

Far as it being "legal" to shoot in there, at the time it was active I spoke directly with the land owner who had no problem with the activity going on in there however did tell me that if the trash continued to be left he would gate it and post it. Eventually that did happen, a few years later the property was sold, for a short time it was re-opened for shooting but once again closed due to all the ATV riding going on in there in addition to the trash accumulation problem. An illustration of what lack of respect does - a once great resource is now gone forever.

[John Mercier]

My information is that I was the President of the NDATV for years.
The ATV was an active trail... and you are not allowed to recreational shoot within 300 feet of it.
We had F&G in there repeatedly, repeatedly picked up the trash and shell casings by the bucketful, and had several signs with bullet holes that could not be made without shooting across the Class VI road.

Since the trails also moved through the woods, and the shooting was not 300 feet from all of them also, it was not technically legal.

[MAXUM]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

My information is that I was the President of the NDATV for years.
The ATV was an active trail... and you are not allowed to recreational shoot within 300 feet of it.
We had F&G in there repeatedly, repeatedly picked up the trash and shell casings by the bucketful, and had several signs with bullet holes that could not be made without shooting across the Class VI road.

Since the trails also moved through the woods, and the shooting was not 300 feet from all of them also, it was not technically legal.

If we are speaking of the same place - there is no class IV road that traverses that sand pit. The class IV road starts at the end of Rines Rd which is beyond the entrance to the pit.

For as long as I can remember, and we're going back 20-30 years or so there has always been evidence of ATV riding in there and from what I understand from the former owner like the shooting he was aware of it but didn't care to do anything about it so long as there wasn't any problems. This predates the NDATV club's existence.

At some point the second owner had that area logged out and as such skidder trails and a landing was created above the pit. Those skidder trails eventually turned into defacto ATV trails but I am fairly certain that happened before the ATV club came into existence and "technically" that riding was illegal as I don't think anyone in there had written landowner permissions at that time. It is possible that my timing there is off and in fact the club did exist, I don't know for sure.

Later on when I know ATV riding became legal all throughout the devils den area, the pit in particular was used by many to park and thus go off and ride. For a short time there was shooting still going on in there along with the ATV riding. At that time as well I did see signs and even a trash can appear for the purposes I assume for shooters to pick up after themselves which never really happened. At that point I don't know who owned the property only that so long as it appeared it was open for use I did shoot in there a number of times.

To your point and efforts to clean and sign that area...nothing gets me more mad than to see a free and open resource like this to be abused and lost. I loathe anyone who will leave trash there, shoot to hell signs and other pieces of infrastructure including the gate that was installed. One of the last times I was in there the F&G did a drive through and stopped to talk to me and my shooting companion. We actually had a pretty long chat about the goings on and he told me of the challenges they were having in there, in fact telling me that the area would likely close due to all the factors he had mentioned. Due to the increased ATV riding activity alone I figured as much since having riders and shooters in the same area is an accident waiting to happen, but ultimately as you say the lack of respect and trash left was why things were shutdown in there.

I'll also mention that there were times when I was in there where there were shooters that were shooting in areas I personally felt were unsafe are arguably illegal, nevermind in a manner that made me uncomfortable and not conducive for the layout of the spot. It was bound to happen and I don't fault whoever owned the property from closing it. It's just sad and unnecessary that it happened. Unfortunately nobody can be there all the time to babysit what was going on and I am certainly empathetic to the F&G as well at the ATV club to make attempts to keep it open for dual use only to have those efforts thwarted by the few irresponsible morons who had zero respect for the resource that had existed for years and now is no longer.

[John Mercier]

If you go down Rines Road, their is a pit just before the bridge.
That pit was a parking area with trails behind it. Since you would not be 300 feet at a minimum from the parking area or the trails behind it... it would be illegal to recreational shoot there.

After you cross the bridge, you leave Alton and enter New Durham, that is a Class VI road running the length to another town. There is a pit/parking area to the right... it is also illegal due to a mixture of being a parking area and recreational trails behind it.

If you continue down the Class VI road, there is a private road to the right... that is also a trail and leads to another parking area off from Hayes Road enterance... also per the statute illegal.

Randy's trail runs all around that area... and there is no pit not within the 300 feet restriction.

The Alton Selectboard actually had an on record discussion with me, because they were under the impression that NDATV was promoting the shooting. We simply were not policing it... because it was not our responsibility to do so.
We did try to manage it to keep trash down, and improve safety... but we did not have the legal standing to promote violation of a state statute.

There concern would only be the section before the bridge, with New Durham being after the bridge.

[MAXUM]

At this point it doesn't matter as it is no longer a place to use which was my point to begin with. It started to be a problem well before the ATVs got in there.

Don't care I have found several other places to go. Thankfully they are not well known and I hope it stays that way.

[Tuckntruck]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

If you go down Rines Road, their is a pit just before the bridge.
That pit was a parking area with trails behind it. Since you would not be 300 feet at a minimum from the parking area or the trails behind it... it would be illegal to recreational shoot there.

After you cross the bridge, you leave Alton and enter New Durham, that is a Class VI road running the length to another town. There is a pit/parking area to the right... it is also illegal due to a mixture of being a parking area and recreational trails behind it.

If you continue down the Class VI road, there is a private road to the right... that is also a trail and leads to another parking area off from Hayes Road enterance... also per the statute illegal.

Randy's trail runs all around that area... and there is no pit not within the 300 feet restriction.

The Alton Selectboard actually had an on record discussion with me, because they were under the impression that NDATV was promoting the shooting. We simply were not policing it... because it was not our responsibility to do so.
We did try to manage it to keep trash down, and improve safety... but we did not have the legal standing to promote violation of a state statute.

There concern would only be the section before the bridge, with New Durham being after the bridge.

Where does this 300 foot restriction come from? State law is 300 feet from a normally occupied dwelling/building, and 15 feet from a road.

[John Mercier]

That is hunting, not recreational shooting.
https://casetext.com/regulation/new-...arget-shooting

Hunting is considered an active activity, recreational shooting a stationary.

[Tuckntruck]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

That is hunting, not recreational shooting.
https://casetext.com/regulation/new-...arget-shooting

Hunting is considered an active activity, recreational shooting a stationary.

Are those pits DRED land/ or state parks?

[John Mercier]

DRED easement.
All legal snowmobile/OHRV and designated recreational trailheads are DRED (currently a new name ) easements granted by he landowner in exchange for either direct lease or value transfer of landowner liability insurance coverage.

[Tuckntruck]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

DRED easement.
All legal snowmobile/OHRV and designated recreational trailheads are DRED (currently a new name ) easements granted by he landowner in exchange for either direct lease or value transfer of landowner liability insurance coverage.

What does the state define as a trailhead?

Not being difficult, however, we have a trail through my property which adjoins my private range- letting the trail through is fine, but not if it’s going to cause issues with my personal use. There is no easement, we just give our permission.

[John Mercier]

An official parking area used to access the trail.
For example, in Belknap County... Weirs Beach Boardwalk, and Lakes Region Casino are official trailheads for the snowmobiles.

You can unload, and at low speed, ride around the parking lot to the trail.

We no longer have the option of riding down a road to the trailhead.