My Morning Rant with the PA Game Commission

[crakkajakka15]

So i recently bought a new Smith and Wesson 22a, and I wanted to take it out and get some trigger time with it and with my carry piece. I herd the Public range in Carlisle was under going Lead Reclamation and would be closed for a while, but that was MAY 16th or so. I figured I would give the regional office a call and see if it was open. I call and got a dispatcher that informed me that it was still closed. I asked when it was going to be closed till and he said till the end of July. WOW, so I figured I would head to the range in Dauphin County so before I go I called their regional office and asked if the range was open and the dispatcher told me NO it was under going the same fixes and the Carlisle range. OK now im pissed, why the hell would they close the two ranges that are very close to each other and leave people that want to go shooting in the Harrisburg/Mechanicsburg/Carlisle area out to dry for 3 months basically? I got a little hostile at this point and voiced my concern above. Wouldnt it make more sense to close one range at a time and leave the other one open so atleast there is something open while the other one is undergoing maintenance???? I called both regional offices and complained, needless to say they didnt want to hear it, but atleast they stood on the line and took my grief. One dispatcher told me that each region dose their own thing bascially, and I said well for being 30 min part you would think you would have atleast some communication, considering that your all a part of the SAME organization!!

Anyhow i went to the range in Dillsburg. I so wish i belonged to Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers right now so I wouldnt have to put up with the Game commissions BS. IT hard to belive it takes them 3 months to do something that might take 2 weeks, and they do it when the weather is nice when people want to be outside shooting, but they wont touch S*it in the winter time when no one is out.

Sorry had to get it out

[Vortex]

. . . . needless to say they didnt want to hear it, . . . .

Unfortunately, I've have yet to see a bureaucracy that was the least bit interested in serving the people that it was originally created to serve.

It's hard to believe it takes them 3 months to do something that might take 2 weeks, . . . .

I'm sure from a bureaucracy's point of view, it's much easier to close multiple ranges indefinitely than it is to schedule the work to match the specific duration of the task to be completed.

It would be interesting to know if they have even bothered to start the reclamation project. Has anyone driven by either of these ranges lately?

[1iarrowking]

JMO of the GC. They are pissed because their request to the legislature for a license fee hike has been ignored for years now. The legislature has put them on an ignore list because most of their constituents are constantly complaining about the way they are mishandling deer management. The more they (GC) are ignored the deeper they dig their heels in and do things to piss everybody else off.

[Dredly]

I could be wrong but I think there is sort of a mad scramble to address the lead issues before something bad happens, like they get sued or something.

I could be wrong but I didn't hear of any cleanup projects until about 4 years ago (give or take?) and since then they've been hitting a lot of them very quickly... which to me means they are on a "do it now or else" type schedule.

granted I don't know where everyone from NJ is going to shoot with the ranges closed...

[Penguini66]

I so wish i belonged to Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers right now so I wouldnt have to put up with the Game commissions BS.

I don't understand why anybody would go to a GC range anyway. They're always all shot up, get overcrowded quickly, 6 round handgun limit, etc...

Join a private range now. I used to go to the Carlisle GC range but currently I belong to the Mechanicsburg Sportsmen's Association: http://www.msa-pa.org/
$35/year sure makes going to the range much more pleasant. Covered 25, 50 and 100 yard ranges. Shotgun patterning range and shotgun trap field. Archery field and even a fishing pond. They have an indoor range but I've never been in.

MSA is easy to join. Just print off the application, fill it out and mail it in with your check. You should have your membership in less than a month. New memberships are voted on the 1st Wed of the month so get it in before then so you don't have to wait another month.

There are plenty of other private ranges in the area but MSA is the only one I'm familiar with. The GC ranges are a last ditch place to go.

[crakkajakka15]

I know I hate the GC ranges, but since i really dont know anyone around here and most clubs require a member signature or 2 to join im kind of SOL.

[svs]

Quit your whining, you can join Dunncanan sportsmans for a whole $10 a year.

[crakkajakka15]

Although I am looking at this Mechanicsburg Sportsmans Assn. look real nice. I want to check out the place though before i join, i would like to see the facilities.

[Jeep274]

Atleast your SGL range is reopening. Ours has been closed for years now with no sign of reopening any time soon.

[kevindsingleton]

I used to go to the GC ranges, but I found a private club closer to home, for $35/year, with skeet, trap, and archery ranges, an indoor pistol range, 300 yards of rifle ranges, and a nice clubhouse. I stopped in at 5:30 this morning for some pistol shooting, with nobody around, and it was blissful. I should've done it, years ago.

Get thee to a private club, and put the whining behind you! Even if they don't meet for a month, pay the fee, and ask about a temporary pass! Time's a-wastin'!