-1 Bad Experience with DNR at Brown County State Park

[E5RANGER375]

Law enforcement officers are required to be familiar with the laws they are supposed to be enforcing. They are ALL given an Indiana criminal code book. If that CO has a problem not knowing them, I would take it up with his superior.

unless they are gun laws. then the academy intentionally doesnt teach them about our rights. The officers I have talked to had to learn it for themselves because they know the importance of it. -1 police training

 

[Benny]

unless they are gun laws. then the academy intentionally doesnt teach them about our rights. The officers I have talked to had to learn it for themselves because they know the importance of it. -1 police training

Sounds like you have talked to some responsible, upstanding officers.

We need them ALL to be like that, but unfortunately...

 

[sadclownwp]

the funniest part of the conversation was after he was done giving me that load of crap about not being able to open carry, he told me to be careful because a few bob cat were sighted in the horse camp not to far away.

 

[E5RANGER375]

Sounds like you have talked to some responsible, upstanding officers.

We need them ALL to be like that, but unfortunately...

I was referring to some friends and one family member. also a few good ones we have on INGO who post about how they dont harass legal gun owners because they are gun guys too and they take all parts of their job serious.

I agree with you that its a long way from the way it should be. but we should definitely thank and write about the good ones to reward them going the extra mile in what I think is a tough environment of peers.

 

[Love the 1911]

the funniest part of the conversation was after he was done giving me that load of crap about not being able to open carry, he told me to be careful because a few bob cat were sighted in the horse camp not to far away.

Could that have been the perfect time to speak with him about OC in the park? You shouldn't have to educate him but as Ranger pointed out, these things are not covered in most training programs.

 

[Benny]

I was referring to some friends and one family member. also a few good ones we have on INGO who post about how they dont harass gun owners.

I agree with you that its a long way from the way it should be. but we should definitely thank and write about the good ones to reward them going the extra mile in what I think is a tough environment of peers.

Fo show.

There are some great LEO on this site(including the guy that just posted before me). One can only hope that they rub off on the less educated officers.

 

[ATM]

...they rub off on the less educated officers.

 

[E5RANGER375]

 

[Benny]

Yeah, I didn't expect that one at all.

 

[theweakerbrother]

I have open carried several times in BC without issue.

 

[AndersonIN]

Had the exact same situation come up at Mounds in Anderson!

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...carry_at_mounds_state_park_educating_dnr.html

Follow it up! I even later contacted the DNR in Indy! They were very respectful and happy to work with me as was the DNR at Mounds at shown in the write up above!

 

[eldirector]

In case you are wanting to cite the proper DNR regulations:
312 IAC 8-2-3 Firearms, hunting, and trapping

(4) The person possesses a handgun on a DNR property other than a reservoir owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
or Falls of the Ohio State Park:
(A) with a valid unlimited license to carry a handgun:
(i) issued under IC 35-47-2-3; or
(ii) recognized under IC 35-47-2-21(b); or
(B) pursuant to an exemption to handgun licensure requirements as authorized under IC 35-47-2-2

From here:
http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/T03120/A00080.PDF

Method of carry is not, and cannot be, specified.

I haven't visited BCSP lately, but routinely OC on several other DNR properties. I've also found that the DNR administration is usually happy to talk with folks, and pretty good at following up with you.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I could see this officer was not gonna settle to be shown that he was wrong

This is called a "Heckler's Veto".

Heckler's veto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some inside DNR and LE in general do not agree with Indiana's carry statute and believe that stinky non-badges should not parade about with guns.

In the future you should:

1. Be cool, remember you are not doing anything wrong.
2. Smile at them and blow kisses. Do not get mad as if you do you lose.
3. Ask them to cite the statute that you are violating.
4. Request that a supervisor be present.

I have not had this experience with IDNR as, in general, IDNR hiring pool is outdoorsmen/country boys and they are likely to encounter people with guns. Even though legally they are state troopers in green I find IDNR to be the most "gun friendly" at least in my experience and I've been hassled by a town marshal, a city cop and a state cop (well, not much of a hassle but he wanted my pink car, no biggie).

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Given that IDNR has a solid reputation and usually stresses "officer friendly" attitudes I am sort of perplexed at why the CO would take this route with you. When most of us think of IDNR I think of the friendly cop in green who checks your deer or asks you how the fish are biting. I hope this does not mean that IDNR is changing as an institution.

 

[IndyGunSafety]

So I had been open carrying for my 2nd day at Brown County State Park and this DNR officer drives around camp at like 8PM and pulls over at the campsite I was staying it. He lights it up with his brights and tells me to put my pistol away. When I asked why, he tells me that its only conceal carry inside the state park. I was pretty sure that you could open carry in any state park as long as it was not owned by the Army Corps.

He tells me that the campgrounds are a friendly place and firearms are not prohibited as long as they are legally owned but they are not allowed to be seen. I tell the officer that there were no signs saying such, and as my GF looks on the ingo website for the rules on carry, she can't find where it says you can't open carry at state parks. I could see this officer was not gonna settle to be shown that he was wrong, so I had to put my gun away as i did not have a way of totally concealing it.

Should I write the head of the park and ask him to educate his staff on proper laws, or should I just let it go and chalk this one up to me pushing my luck thinking I could carry without someone saying something?

Send the Governor an email. This works surprisingly well. We got the sign changed at a state range in less than 48 hours this way.

 

[femurphy77]

This is called a "Heckler's Veto".

Heckler's veto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some inside DNR and LE in general do not agree with Indiana's carry statute and believe that stinky non-badges should not parade about with guns.

In the future you should:

1. Be cool, remember you are not doing anything wrong.
2. Smile at them and blow kisses. Do not get mad as if you do you lose.
3. Ask them to cite the statute that you are violating.
4. Request that a supervisor be present.

I have not had this experience with IDNR as, in general, IDNR hiring pool is outdoorsmen/country boys and they are likely to encounter people with guns. Even though legally they are state troopers in green I find IDNR to be the most "gun friendly" at least in my experience and I've been hassled by a town marshal, a city cop and a state cop (well, not much of a hassle but he wanted my pink car, no biggie).

Not the Cadillac?????

 

[lovemachine]

If I ever get stop by a cop, I'm going to wave and blow kisses at him. We'll see how that goes.

This is called a "Heckler's Veto".

Heckler's veto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some inside DNR and LE in general do not agree with Indiana's carry statute and believe that stinky non-badges should not parade about with guns.

In the future you should:

1. Be cool, remember you are not doing anything wrong.
2. Smile at them and blow kisses. Do not get mad as if you do you lose.
3. Ask them to cite the statute that you are violating.
4. Request that a supervisor be present.

I have not had this experience with IDNR as, in general, IDNR hiring pool is outdoorsmen/country boys and they are likely to encounter people with guns. Even though legally they are state troopers in green I find IDNR to be the most "gun friendly" at least in my experience and I've been hassled by a town marshal, a city cop and a state cop (well, not much of a hassle but he wanted my pink car, no biggie).

 

[kludge]

2. Smile at them and blow kisses.

"Yes, judge, my lawyer advised me that I should do that"

 

[Expat]

If I ever get stop by a cop, I'm going to wave and blow kisses at him. We'll see how that goes.

I know how it would go with this one

http://www.nilesstar.com/2011/04/01/cross-allegedly-confessed-to-parts-of-charges/

 

[Jack Ryan]

Our state parks are so dangerous that people must carry firearms to protect themselves?

QFT, and then act like Jesse Jackson Joe Bob and stir the pit toilets "for the benefit of all gun owners".

Demuffled cars, boom boxes, drunks, and free ranging replicas of the parents are usually enough with out arming every moron around a camp site in the state parks. Half of them are paranoid city boys who wet their pants at the sight of a snake or spider.

Maybe if he writes enough letters he can aggravate some one with the authority to post some of those Simon Malls signs like he's gotton posted up in the city. That would be a big help.