I meant to state that it was all of the previous admins PENDING not enacted yet actions.
I meant to state that it was all of the previous admins PENDING not enacted yet actions.
I noticed that the OP did not specify the AT in his question - and there are many, many other thru hikeable trails.
Upon being signed and published in the Federal Register and then placed into effect 30 days later(which occured on Jan 9, 2009), the CFR became the law of the land. Until the CFR is again amended, it represents the current law. It can certainly be amended again, reviewed under the Congressional Review Act, and changed under the rule making process, etc, but it currently stands as the law.
The current Sec of Interior, appointed by President Obama, is Ken Salazar, former Dem Congressman from Colorado, who is a long time supporter of firearms rights, and had this to say on the new regulation: http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com...l-take-look-it
I wouldn't expect anything to happen very quickly, if even ever, on this. There are a lot of bigger fish to fry facing the nation and the Obama administration at this time. I doubt they'll be expending much political capital here. The issue is very divisive, and little good would come of further polarizing Congress at this time when the administration needs support from both Dems and Repubs, many of whom are gun-friendly regardless of party affiliation.
Last edited by 4eyedbuzzard; 02-14-2009 at 10:30. Reason: date law became effective
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
How legal is it? It's not a question of degree. It either is or isn't. It's like a girl being kind of pregnant. Kind of? No. she either is or isn't. As a gun owner you should know the laws ahead of time and also know where to find those laws. WB ain't the place. Sure there are other gun owners that will have that info. Were these hiker/gun owners that much smarter than you that they were able to obtain that info without going on WB? When that issue is raised here all it does is press the buttons of a lot of people on both sides of the issue. Why don't you come to the WB to answer your hiking questions and go to a gun site to answer questions related to that?
I don't go to the cooking channel to learn how to fix a car. Why go to a hiking site to find out the legalities of gun ownership?
The law, for better or worse, is rarely a matter of black and white. If it were, 95% of lawyers wouldn't have jobs, and 95% of courts wouldn't be needed. The issue of carrying a weapon on the AT falls under a confusing and often conflicting myriad of federal law, the individual laws of 14 different states, and countless local laws. It isn't as easy as you suggest. In defense of the OP, most gun owners on gun sites would know much less about the legal issues of carrying concealed as it relates to the AT.
I agree wholeheartedly with your statement that, "As a gun owner you should know the laws ahead of time and also know where to find those laws."
To that end, and to help the OP find those laws, I have posted in response my understanding of the current federal law, along with links to the federal regulations. Obviously, it is every gun owner's personal responsibility to independently assess and verify all the federal, state, and local laws regarding firearms.
I make no endorsement as to carrying or not carrying a weapon either on or off the trail, which I feel is a personal decision best left to the individual.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
Just depends if you get cought. I would suggest a .38 with a silencer, this way if you need to shoot someone in deffense, no one will hear it and you can continue your hike as if nothing happened.
I wish there was a US wide carry permit you could obtain if you're a legally abiding citizen who is just trying to protect yourself/loved ones.
There is no reason a responsible person with a clean record who maybe passes some kind of safe handling class can't carry a weapon anywhere in the US they please, in and out of states, national parks, wherever.
Not all those who wander are lost.
Would be impossible, unless your a federal officer... then its legal.
If people would wake, they would demand that citizens be able to legally carry anywhere but seems most citizens are happy with only crimminals being the ones having the right to carry them.
Every year, Maryland does a study, ask crimminals if its would make a difference if citizens had the right to carry.... they all say yes.... it would make a diffeence because then they dont know who will be an easy target or not. Yet the law makers and select idiot citizens vote not to allow conceal carry. I can only hope that its only these peoples family members that will get killed in gun related crimes - its their fault things are the way they are and they should be the only ones paying for it.
I have no problem with people carryn on the trail. Last year those two hikers got shot by the gunman, maybe the hiker would have been able to kill that worthless gunman if he was allowed to carry himself. Just one more example of crimminals having the upperhand
I am in total agreement that law abiding citizens should be able to carry where and when they want. I just don't see the need for it on the trail. Of course people will be quick to point out the handful of incidents that have occurred on the AT over the years but considering the amount of people who have hiked vs. the number of incidents it is clearly safer on the trail than in society at large. It's funny that people who don't carry a gun in their every day lives think they need to start packin' when they hit the AT where the risk is less. Combine that with thy myriad of legal hoops you have to jump through hiking through 13 states it's just not worth the hassle. But HYOH
Looks like with my Tennessee permit I am legal to carry in the following states through reciprocity agreements:
Georgia
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Pennsylvania
New Hampshire
Looks like these states would at least recognize my permit and allow me to carry:
Vermont
So these are the states that it would be illegal for me to carry:
Connecticut
New Jersey
New York
Maryland
Maine
Massachusetts
Of course this doesn't take into account site specific rules for each state. Like in Tennessee you cannot carry into anyplace that sells alcohol by the drink.
SGT Rock
http://hikinghq.net
My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT
BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
-----------------------------------------
NO SNIVELING
Yea, either you carry or you dont - dont carry just cause your going to hike the trail - those are the ones who end up shooting their own foot!
BUT... the more lawfull/smart gunowners .... the better. Even if we have every citizen carryn a gun and there only comes a need to take out one crimminal a year .... its better then what we have now ..... every crimminal having one and almost everyone else up ****s creek.
On the trail, it comes down to having to carry a gun, taking care of it and watching after it. This would mean no drinking, no smoking pot (for those that do) and constantly having it on your side - even when its hot out/ cold out. Unless your ready to use it and have easy acsess to the gun to defend your self.. leave it at home. Gun owners do have this extra responsibility because they cant just put it in a lockbox or have someone look after it while they party with fellow thru-hikers.
If your legal to carry, do it as long as you can be responsible the whole 2,174 miles.
Any person, resident or non-resident, over the age of 16 who can legally possess a gun can carry concealed in Vermont. VT does not require nor does it issue CCW permits.
And amazingly, or perhaps not so, VT perenially has one of the lowest crime rates, including firearms crimes, in the country.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
Unless local laws, federal land, or private ownership supercedes. An example is a bank. They can make rules that you can't carry any concealed weapon on their property even if the state allows you to carry one otherwise. They have the full right as a private owner to ban your gun from their property.
I'm sure the federal lands throughout the AT can do the same thing, if they say you can't carry a concealed gun, it doesn't matter if the state allows it or not.
Also did you know that 100,000's of guns are STOLEN each year from gun owners? If some bad guy on the trail knows you are carrying a gun, it would be real easy for them to steal it from you. Don't pretend otherwise either.
True, but they would have to inform you of that decision and ask you to remove the firearm or leave, or post the policy conspiciously if it were otherwise legal.
That would be true, but current federal law does not prohibit carrying in NP's, NF's, NWR's, BLM, etc--rather it requires the person to comply with the state law the land is in.I'm sure the federal lands throughout the AT can do the same thing, if they say you can't carry a concealed gun, it doesn't matter if the state allows it or not.
That is honestly pretty absurd. Exactly how is a criminal going to 1) know I have a concealed weapon(it's concealed, remember)? 2) persuade me to give it up(the last thing I would ever do)? Exactly who is pretending here?Also did you know that 100,000's of guns are STOLEN each year from gun owners? If some bad guy on the trail knows you are carrying a gun, it would be real easy for them to steal it from you. Don't pretend otherwise either.
Last edited by 4eyedbuzzard; 02-14-2009 at 17:42.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett