Carry and storing of firearms on a National Wildlife Refuge

T

teeroux

New member
My employment will require me to work and park my vehicle in a NWR and my boss told me no guns on location.

Isn't carrying and storing of firearms in private vehicles legal in National Wildife Refuges so long as it doesn't violate state law?

I thought is was passed (again) this year carrying was allowed in National Parks and NWRs?
 
M

MLeake

New member
Pretty sure it depends on state law

but maybe your boss was giving you company policy, as opposed to legal requirements?
 
T

teeroux

New member
Its technically their policy but they have no say anymore with storing a firearm in you private vehicle. I think it just used to be the case in the past in this situation, but I don't think that it applies anymore.
 
M

MLeake

New member
Wrong law, Don H

He's talking wildlife refuges, not parks. Big difference.

Remember you've got all sorts of Federally administered lands, including Wildlife Refuges, Wildlife Management Areas, Forestry Service lands, etc. The National Parks are a very small percentage of Federal land holdings.

So you're right, the Parks law goes into effect next February, but that doesn't apply to the OP's question. It would apply if he wanted to carry in Shenandoah or Smokey Mountain National Parks, but not to the Pine Log WMA near my place - for example.

In Florida, it was legal to carry a CCW in a wildlife refuge. For that matter, it was legal to transit a wildlife refuge with a long gun, so long as it was stowed and unloaded. Buddy of mine and I used to do so in his boat, to get out to an area outside the refuge, where we could shoot skeet in the flats.

We'd verified via researching the regs online (not asking for internet advice, but looking up actual regs), and then confirmed with rangers at the refuge.

However, I don't know what Louisiana law states, so my advice is to look up the federal and Louisiana laws.

Cheers,

M
 
2

22-rimfire

New member
I believe you will be just fine if you store in your vehicle. It was always legal to have firearms in National Parks as long as they were unloaded and locked away in a trunk or something. Hunting is often legal on NWR's; especially deer by bow & arrow, and water fowl.
 
T

teeroux

New member
Well it seems I can't carry or store a loaded handgun in my truck till next Feburary thanks for the input. I was searching and kept comming up with the first go round of the national parks carry passage in jan 2009. I did a search on national parks carry Feb 2010 and found what I needed. I forgot they stuck it in with the credit stuff so the original search didn't help.

Thanks again everyone.
 
M

MLeake

New member
teeroux...

... are you going to work in a wildlife refuge, or a park? They are NOT the same.

Parks are places such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Acadia, Shenandoah, etc. Campgrounds, facilities, lots of tourists. They have "National Park" in the name.

That's what the Parks legislation you refer to will cover.

Wildlife refuges are something else entirely, as are Wildlife Management Areas. These already conform to the laws of the given state, with regard to whether and how you can carry weapons.

The only reason the Parks legislation drew so much attention is because of the immensely greater number of visitors the parks get every year. Refuges and WMA's don't get a whole lot of tourists, so they tend to fall below the anti- radar.

So, again, if you will be in a Park, wait until February. If you will be in a refuge, you may already be good to go, depending on the laws in Louisiana. Look them up.
 
M

MLeake

New member
Looked up some rules on Louisiana Wildlife Refuges...

... and recommend you do the same, instead of taking my word for it.

But to sum up, firearms are only allowed in the Refuges if:

1) You are authorized to hunt, and participating in a hunt, and the weapon is allowed for the type of hunt; or

2) Long guns can be transported, unloaded and uncased, magazines unloaded if it takes magazines, if you are TRANSITING the Refuge.

Handguns have been specifically banned, because when fishermen were allowed to carry handguns for alligator protection, a lot of gators ended up shot. Refuge management decided this wasn't about defense, but was about competition for the fish, so handguns have been banned - with the exception that muzzle-loader and bow hunters can carry .22 hanguns, loaded with rat-shot, for protection against poisonous snakes.

So the Parks legislation may not help you, since it would simply call for the Federal area to follow state law, and the state doesn't want handguns in the Refuge.

http://apps.carryconcealed.net/legal/louisiana-ccw-state-laws.php
 
T

teeroux

New member
That is hunting and fishing regulation I will be doing neither.

It isn't in the list of places prohibited for concealed carry.
 
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