Source
r/IAmA•
sometimesitrip

I am a Park Ranger; AMA

I am a state park ranger who works seasonally on an island. I am from a colder climate, so our parks are usually only staffed by interpretive rangers during the summer. Right now I am unemployed. I planned on going back to school (I'm just about halfway through with my degree, although I switched majors twice) but a few things came up and I couldn't afford it. I will be going back in either April or June, or depending on how my foot heals, I may be enlisting in the Air Force for the Montgomery GI Bill (and to travel).

I've wanted to be a ranger my entire life, and last year was my first season as one. I am an interpretive ranger, which means I run educational tours and programs for the public. Last year I developed a wilderness survival program, but my most successful one was a historic kayak tour of the surrounding water... I grew up in this area, so I could answer just about any question a person had about anything they could see.

I worked 5 days on, 2 days off. There was another shift of 10 days on 2 days off. Since I lived on an island, there was no running water or municipal electricity. I had to bring enough food to last me for the duration, and used a small solar panel to recharge my radio and cell phone. I own a Motorola Droid, and there was 3G service available where I was, so I was lucky to be able to browse reddit on my breaks and at night. Typically I worked a 14-hour day, but how much work I did was largely dependent on how many people visited the island that day. On a rainy day with only 2 people camping, I wouldn't have to do much more than a few patrols and meeting the boats. On a busy sunny day, I might be busy walking, biking, and kayaking around for as long as the sun is up.

My duties included developing my own programs, upkeep of the campground, meeting every boat that brought visitors to the island, chopping firewood (storms always knocked down plenty of trees for fuel), and as a de-facto law enforcement ranger (though I have no authority to arrest or write citations). I also cleaned the composting toilets, did light trail maintenance (usually just snipping back invasive plants), and directed volunteer groups for any projects or service that needed to be done.

Ask me anything.

EDIT:

Here is a picture of me

Here is another picture of me cutting up some wood.

If you look closely, you can make out the double rainbow.

I got to experiment with a ton of wilderness survival techniques.. Like cooking on an E-tool.

Ooooooh its a snake!

Waiting for my boat at the end of the shift

Big Brown Bat

A White Tailed Deer broke its leg and died on the beach. Story below.

Moonrise

Kayak tours were hands down the most popular thing for visitors to do on our island. We were constantly 100% booked, and sometimes had to do special extra trips to accommodate visitors. Some days I would be on the water with up to 5 people for over four hours. Definitely my favorite part about this station.

Posted Jan 28, 2011, 3:22 PM UTC · edited

77236
nekopete•

Damn son, is that a watch or the cockpit of a fighter jet?

29
sometimesitripOP•

It's just a timex. It has a tide chart on it, which was incredibly useful for the kayak tours.

16
nekopete•

Nice.

4
sometimesitripOP•

I get lots of compliments on it... Its fun to see people's reaction when I tell them it's a Timex.

7
UnderwaterJones•

Is it a TX 800? If not, what model is it?

2
drucey•

I read this as "I am a Power Ranger, AMA" and nearly passed out with excitement.

28
sometimesitripOP•

I get to be the Red Ranger.

19
blacksteyraug•

BUT YOU ALWAYS GET TO BE THE RED ONE!

10
sometimesitripOP•

Do you see this sew-on badge? DO YOU SEE IT?!

20
dartmanx•

I'm surprised noone replied they wanted to do the Pink Ranger.

3
[deleted]•

Would you? If you're willing and all.

1
Tesseraktion•

so did i man, so did i :(

5
NinjaDog251•

I read "Pink"

2
[deleted]•

Do you know what happened to my pic-a-nic basket?

22
sometimesitripOP•

Remember how I said I had to bring enough food to last me? Well, sometimes I don't bring enough...

In all seriousness, I was eating less than 2000 calories a day... Everybody has different caloric requirements based on their metabolism, but my metabolism is pretty high and I don't have to eat much food to get by. But between walking and biking 5-10 miles a day, and kayaking around for sometimes 4 hours per day got me into the best shape I've ever been in. The constant exercise is definitely one of the best perks to the job.

11
[deleted]•

my metabolism is pretty high and I don't have to eat much food to get by

Slow metabolism = less food.

High metabolism = more food.

10
sometimesitripOP•

You're right. I'm not sure how my body works. I barely weigh 155lbs and sometimes I can eat a light breakfast around 6am and not need to be refueled until night time. Conversely, I can eat as much as I want and not gain any weight. I'm still trying to figure it out :/

11
SirWilliamWallace•

So you're saying you are a witch?

GET HIM!!

6
hanumanCT•

I was like that until I hit 30 (155lbs @ 5'9"), could eat anything I want as much as I wanted. After 30, that magical metabolism disappeared.

3
nomadic_now•

You most likely have a very dynamic metabolism allowing you to consume many or few calories and operate quite fine. Yes, it's very nice.

2
[deleted]•

So it wasn't that damn samsquanch?

7
JoeDaGod•

It was that fuckin bear with the hat and tie again wasnt it? At least he better then the one in the ranger hat that keeps tring to sell me dirt weed.

3
Twity•

I was hoping this would be the top comment, and you didn't disappoint

2
Unbirth•

Question: What kind of bear is best?

18
[deleted]•

That's a ridiculous question.

19
Unbirth•

False. Black bear.

26
[deleted]•

Well that's debatable. There are basically two schools of thought..

13
Unbirth•

Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

6
oofgeg•

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

11
bdubaya•

Fact. Bears eat beats

10
sometimesitripOP•

Since it was an island, the only mammals we had were tourists, gray foxes, white-tailed deer, voles, and mice... I also saw a big brown bat at one point, but since the island was less than 1 miles from land it is unclear if this specimen was an inhabitant of my island.

10
cdrankin101•

This

5
[deleted]•

[deleted]

12
sometimesitripOP•

Here's the story of how I became a ranger:

When I was growing up, my uncle had a contract with the state to operate the ferry boats that bring people to and from the islands. I spent many summers on his boat, going from island to island exploring. He eventually lost the contract due to politics, and a new bigger company moved in...

Wanting to stay close to the islands when I was in high school, I worked as a deckhand on some of the ferry boats. Before I was a deckhand, I also worked as a paintball referee, retail clerk, printing press operator's assistant, and a janitor. I went to school for Marine Engineering since I am mechanically savvy... I eventually had to drop out for a year, and once I recovered I started working as a mechanic for another ferry company.

I was becoming depressed because I was doing highly skilled work for minimum wage. I'm good at fixing things, but I just wasn't happy. I knew how to fix diesel engines because I had been around them my entire life, but because I didn't have any degrees or certifications this company sorta took advantage of me (it's a bit more complicated than just that). One day before the season started I ran into one of the rangers that I knew since I was a child. He was an interpretive ranger when I was a kid, and now he was the lieutenant ranger for the entire district.

I struck up a conversation with him and asked him about a job. He told me to apply if I thought I met the requirements. Since I grew up knowing a lot of rangers, I called some of them and asked what it took to get the job, if they liked it, and if they thought I was qualified. It turns out that the park had just started a new kayak program, and I have spent many many days kayaking around the islands on my own time. This was a huge factor in getting hired. They sent me to American Canoe Association training to hone my skills, but my local knowledge trumped a lot of the other applicants.

The requirements for my position are either an associates degree or two years towards a higher degree, First Aid AED/CPR, and experience/willingness to live in the wilderness. I have always been a hiker/backpacker, and got my Red Cross cert when I was at the Maritime Academy studying engineering. I also have two years towards a degree (even though I decided to switch majors).

So, getting the job was a combination of knowing the right people and fitting the billet perfectly. I'm still very young, and I have an aspiration to get into the National Park Service and live in a more remote park.

14
[deleted]•

I know I talked to a Ranger about her job at the Grand Canyon, and she said she graduated as an english major, and it was a rather intricate story as to how she wound up there. This is usually what I end up hearing about Park Ranger jobs, it's not so much about objective qualifications as whether or not you know somebody. Which, coming from me who loves the Ranger life styles and such but grew up in a city without 'connections,' I feel disadvantaged. I would be interested in the naturalist part of ranger services (which usually ends up being instructional like your job) so with a Masters in biology and experience with wilderness training in hand, can the fact that I don't have connections be overcome?

I don't think you'll have a problem getting a remote job. I have a friend who became a Ranger right out of high school and went to a remote location where they needed man power. It was so remote and unremarkable, that his pay was increased $10,000 for the first 5 years of working there for incentive. Most Rangers shoot for the glorious parks but man, if you like it remote, then the NPS will take you.

5
sometimesitripOP•

This is usually what I end up hearing about Park Ranger jobs, it's not so much about objective qualifications as whether or not you know somebody.

This is true with any career you want to go for....

Which, coming from me who loves the Ranger life styles and such but grew up in a city without 'connections,' I feel disadvantaged.

Don't be discouraged! Any career counselor will tell you that networking is a very important part of finding a job. A lot of the rangers I know started off as volunteers. There are tons of volunteer opportunities in parks.

I would be interested in the naturalist part of ranger services (which usually ends up being instructional like your job) so with a Masters in biology and experience with wilderness training in hand, can the fact that I don't have connections be overcome?

I think a graduate degree would set you apart from other applicants enormously. This is especially so when you have wilderness experience. Not everybody can live in the outdoors. And among those who can, even fewer of them have graduate degrees. I want to break into the NPS, but its a lot easier to get a job in a state park. Once I have a few years experience I'm going to try applying for some NPS positions.

I know I talked to a Ranger about her job at the Grand Canyon

Did you do any hiking/backpacking while you were in the canyon? I spent two weeks hiking rim to rim to rim and it was one of the top 5 experiences of my life.

Most Rangers shoot for the glorious parks but man, if you like it remote, then the NPS will take you.

This is certainly true. I can see myself living in Alaska in a few years. In fact, Alaska is one of the two US states that I haven't visited thus far.

6
[deleted]•

I went to the Grand Canyon, and I expected it to be sort of like Yellow Stone. One of those 'Disney World's of national parks that's so touristy it's hardly even rugged. But man, when I hiked down there, I was probably one of the most intense backpacking trips I've ever done. I did not go rim to rim, just dawn til duck as far in as we could get. It was beautiful. I have an interest in geology and the Grand Canyon was a veritable book of natural history going all the way down.

I know a cop in Alaska, good friend of mine, and when you are a cop in Alaska, you sure as hell are not eating donuts sitting on your ass. They are practically the national guard, park rangers, and any law duties all rolled into one. The training was intense. Alaska is definitely as remote and as challenging as it gets.

4
themoomoo2•

The other one being..?

3
agentx73•

What are you, a fuckin' park ranger?

P.S. Nice marmot.

8
sometimesitripOP•

Watched that last week and had a good lol

4
dukedog•

What's your educational background and what did you do career-wise before you became a Park Ranger?

7
sometimesitripOP•

I am still a student. That's sort of the beauty of the seasonal job (other student rangers only work from June-September). I'm about halfway to earning my degree in US History, but I had to take some time off due to some medical issues. Before I studied history I went to a Maritime Academy to study Marine Engineering. That's when I got injured and had to drop out...

I also worked as a deckhand, printing press operator's assistant, paintball refereee/tech, computer repair technician, retail clerk, and a diesel mechanic. But these were all part time jobs while I was in school.

7
drkush•

Ever find any weed growing out in the woods?

7
sometimesitripOP•

No, since it's a colder climate the plants would not thrive, and because it is an island we would notice the people coming ashore every day. We had a big problem with invasive plants on the island. Cannabis would be considered an invasive species, and we would be compelled to remove it.

I support marijuana legalization. Drinking was more of a problem, since people would tend to litter the cans everywhere. I'd rather somebody toss a roach on the beach than leave an entire 30-rack of cans in the woods for me to find. But they are both illegal to posses in our park.

I think I would have difficulty ruining somebody's life over a plant. I've never been put in that situation before, but if I had any backbone, I would say I'd rather lose my job than contribute to what I feel is an unjust prohibition.

13
patterned•

Do you enforce the marijuana law?

I've had park rangers sneak up to me at 10:00 PM with no headlight and no warning on a campsite about 6 or 7 miles into the bush. I only knew he was there because of my dogs. I can only suspect he was trying to catch us in the act, as he did catch a friend of mine. Is it legal for him to do that? Is there a way to file a formal complaint?

The same guy accused me of hauling in "20 beer cans", getting drunk and littering. When he hoped out of his truck after we came out of the trail head, he made sure to flash his gun at us. I told him there was no way as it was a 20 mile hike and I'm a strong advocate of leave-no-trace. He ended up searching my party in the middle of a rain storm. Got everything soaked. He even searched my car on the pretense that "he saw a container of weed". I let him because I wasn't holding; his red face was worth it.

Are these assholes prevalent in your field or am I just unlucky?

2
sometimesitripOP•

Do you enforce the marijuana law?

No. I'm not a professional law enforcement ranger. Do I want to enforce the marijuana law? No. Could I? Probably not. I am an activist for cannabis legalization on my own time.

It was certainly legal for the ranger to check up on you at your campsite with no warning. You are on public land...

As far as searching you, it sounds like it was unjustified. Any officer needs probable cause to search your belongings. If there is something in plain sight, then that is probably cause. But if you know there is no container, lock your doors and tell him you do not consent to a search. Have a look at this 45 minute video regarding your right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

The fact that he flashed his gun at you and was acting like an asshole only goes to show how power and authority can go to people's head. I saw the same thing when I was at the Maritime Academy. Power corrupts. Absolute power absolutely corrupts. I happen to know this, and I have a respect for authority. I've had to work my way up from the dirt under your shoes before. I have leadership training. A lot of people don't understand that there is a big difference between being a leader and being an asshole.

These type of individuals are very prevalent in Law Enforcement, which includes Law Enforcing Rangers. The nature of authority inevitably attracts a certain type of people (a lot of us joke that this type of cop was bullied in school, and now they have a complex). It is important that you know what your rights are so you can assert them. Check that video out, it helped me on a number of occasions.

I wasn't concerned with stoners at all. A group of burning-man type people actually reserved the entire island for one weekend. I'm pretty sure most of them were cannabis smokers. Although they had a few problems regarding their reservation and they were traveling to the island past dark (against our rules), they were very pleasant, cleaned up after themselves and more. They also fed me. The way to a ranger's heart is through his/her stomach. These guys were pretty sweet... They had a bicycle powered sound stage. There were four pedals geared up to generators, and the electricity powered a sweet laser show and awesome electro music. I'm pretty sure some of them were on hallucinogenic drugs and a lot of them were acting afraid of me, like I was a cop. Most people just don't understand that I am an interpretive ranger, I'm not there to ruin someone's life for having a good time.

I was most concerned with people's safety, and ensuring the visitors had a pleasant experience. I used to use this phrase all the time when somebody asked if they could do this or that (as long as it was okay):

"Of course. This is just as much YOUR park as it is mine."

8
patterned•

I'm aware of my rights to denying an unjustifiable search, but I sure appreciate it.

From all the hikers I know, it's good have you in the bush!

2
dirtwalrus•

What kind of invasive plants did you deal with? Was it successful?

2
sometimesitripOP•

Celastrus orbiculatus, or Asiatic Bittersweet is thriving in the island environment. And when I say thriving I mean it is choking everything out. This is the most abundant invasive out there.

This restoration work is the domain of the National Park Service (our park is a partnership between state, local, and federal agencies). They came in and sprayed some areas with a herbicide, and they have big volunteer efforts to come in and rip them out. This effort is new within the past 5 years or so. The ultimate goal is to return the island to the type of flora that existed before Europeans started inhabiting the area. It's a work in progress.

Check this out for more information (PDF Warning).

6
dirtwalrus•

Do you think the herbicide and effort into removing them is worth it?

I took a class on invasive species, we focused mainly on Phragmites, Purple Loosestrife, Garlic Mustard, and Buckthorn, and while I learned a lot it almost seems like efforts to get rid of them is kind of a lost cause. Some of those plants are just ridiculously hardy.

2
drkush•

good answer, I would have liked to be a ranger if I wasn't in my current line of work.

2
sometimesitripOP•

my current line of work.

I can only guess. But if it's what I'm thinking it must have it's benefits.

3
SweetIsland•

Not too many years ago, several thousand pot plants were discovered on one of the Boston Harbor Islands.

2
sometimesitripOP•

Link? This is interesting!

3
Centrist_gun_nut•

Are you actually a sworn law-enforcement officer, who had to go through a police academy, carry a gun, etc? If so, what did you think of it?

Please describe, in detail, your plan if your island is assaulted by a platoon of heavily-armored black bears, with or without helicopters.

6
sometimesitripOP•

No, I am not a LEO by any standard. It's funny though, people would see the embroidered badge and thing I was a cop. I already mentioned how I feel about marijuana in this thread... Every once in a while I would turn the corner and catch somebody smoking something and they would be mortified with terror. Usually I just smiled and reminded them about our carry-in carry-out policy. I would only call the real police if there was an emergency or if someone was getting violent. Drinking was prohibited and was a bigger problem if only because of the litter. I never poured out anybody's beer (never really caught anyone outright anyways), but if I saw that the place was trashed I would not let them get on the boat until they picked up after themselves.

I had no authority to detain people or anything. If there was a threat, I had radio and cell phone contact with the state police's maritime unit, the coast guard, and the environmental police.

If the island was assaulted by armored bears, I would be forced to defeat them in hand-to-paw combat... since I didn't carry a gun, I would have to resort to guerrilla warfare. I'd probably be setting traps and trying to win the hearts and minds of the local wildlife. Bears aren't too bright and they don't have thumbs.

13
angrymonkeyz•

TIL that the black bear's only known predator is the guerilla

2
gunner85•

I had no authority to detain people or anything.

Actually, technically you do... as does everyone else. Citizens arrest is the fancy term - Just sayin'

Of course, a citizens arrest isn't appropriate in most situations, but if the brown stinky stuff hits the oscillating blades and the cops are 45mins out - you get the idea.

1
zebrake2010•

To the average Joe, you ARE the Ranger Man.

Don't forget it.

1
whasupjohn•

Are you known as Ranger Park?

6
sometimesitripOP•

wat

5
whasupjohn•

http://theinfosphere.org/Ranger_Park

1
tico24•

I get it!

edit: oh NOW I get it!

2
smurfjoe•

He don't look Korean to me.

1
BoondoxSaint•

What happened to the deer? It looks so young and that picture makes me sad :(

5
sometimesitripOP•

It was a fawn. Still had the spots.

I got a report that there was an injured animal on the beach and went to check it out. I found the animal at the bottom of a 6 foot drop. I suspect that it tried to jump down the ledge and landed wrong. Its hind leg was swollen and hemorrhaging from the inside.

I called everyone from the local vets to the environmental police. It turns out that in my state vets are not allowed to operate on deer because they are so abundant. The EPA offered to come and shoot it the next day.. All officers had gone home for the day.

It was in the sun, so I rolled an apple near it and squeezed some water into it's mouth from a rag. It died in less than 24 hours. I felt horrible, but that's life. The ocean took care of the carcass and returned it to the earth.

7
gomexz•

why didn't you put it down yourself?

2
sometimesitripOP•

The only weapon I keep on me is a fixed blade knife. I considered cutting it's throat, but I did not want to do it on the off-chance that it might have been able to stand on its own and recover. I'm not a naturalist so I don't know much about this type of wildlife, but I hoped mama deer would come by and help.

I feel bad that it suffered, but I didn't want its death to be on my hands. Animals die; it's part of nature.

Hopefully the three foxes dined well that week, although I heard somebody dragged the carcass below the high tide line when I was off duty.

5
gomexz•

Fair enough, I assumed you carried a gun.

2
mkosmo•

The only weapon I keep on me is a fixed blade knife.

Are park rangers in your state peace officers? I thought it was common for all park rangers to be peace officers, and thus able to be armed like any other cop.

2
BoondoxSaint•

OMG, you rolled an apple to it and squeezed some water into its mouth from a rag?

Please, women of reddit, I'm a straight man and am thus incapable of this but please, 5-6 of you need to give this man a night of every carnal pleasure concieved for those acts of kindness. That made me warm reading it only the way Love and Disney Movies can.....

1
BizzityBam•

I'M JEALOUS OF YOUR LIFE

5
sometimesitripOP•

Have you ever had sciatica? Just run an electric current through your legs and set it to shock you every 5-10 seconds. Not so jelly now

1
BizzityBam•

Doesn't matter, you're my hero for the day. It's official.

3
sometimesitripOP•

Heh, I couldn't tell if this was sarcastic. Thanks dudette.

1
BizzityBam•

It's not sarcastic and it's dudette. You're welcome :)

1
krung•

How is the pay?

3
sometimesitripOP•

Very good for a college student. It was my first salary. On paper they were paying me a wage for 40 hours a week, but in reality I worked much much more than that.

I would wake up at 0630 to make breakfast (usually a couple of eggs or a protein shake), and would be on my feet and on the bounce until 2000. I usually went to bed around 2100.

9
cheaha•

I'm guessing you make a good bit less money than the experienced rangers though?

1
sometimesitripOP•

I'm note sure what my senior compatriots make. You can view some typical NPS salaries at usajobs.gov by searching for "park ranger". I made just as much as I did in my 3 months as a ranger than I did in 6 months as a mechanic. Go figure.

2
cheaha•

Yeah I know, I was just wondering if you knew any real life figures for a senior ranger. Thanks anyway though :)

1
AngryRepublican•

Do you ever tell kids that you are a Ranger, and they envision it as a Power Ranger or Ranger from LOTR, and then you elaborate, and they get all disappointed?

3
sometimesitripOP•

It hasn't happened yet. Most people, kids included, see the uniform and badge and think I'm a cop. It was sorta difficult because I was there to educate people, but it did make laying down the rules much more... how should I say this... Authoritarian.

I did a lot of reading on rainy days or at night, and I read the entire LOTR series from Hobbit to King. I kept reading about Strider/Aragorn and felt like a badass.

3
AngryRepublican•

I kept reading about Strider/Aragorn and felt like a badass.

As well you should. You'll be best prepared of all of us for the zombie Apocalypse. Also, thank you for the great work you do preserving this nation's natural beauty.

3
sometimesitripOP•

Thanks. I think that our parks and conservation efforts are the best uses for tax dollars. The states goal of my park was to leave this natural beauty unimpeded for future generations.

You'll be best prepared of all of us for the zombie Apocalypse.

I'm a bit of a survivalist, too. Ever hear of Zombiehunters.org?

3
[deleted]•

That's a nice watch. What kind of watch is that?

3
sometimesitripOP•

Timex E Tide Temp. It ran me $160 from REI. I broke one already, and REI just replaced it for me no questions asked... It's got a tide chart, compass, and a thermometer built in.

Here is a quick review I wrote of it a few months ago:

5
peno_asslace•

The first thing I look for in an IAMA is anything sex related. What have you got?

3
sometimesitripOP•

The ranger I was stationed with was a homosexual female. :/

The only privacy I really got was in the porta-pottys. Which smelled pretty rough because they were composting toilets.

3
McDingleberry•

The ranger I was stationed with told me she was a homosexual female. :/

FTFY

1
sometimesitripOP•

Thanks.

1
junitrecords•

Do you smoke a lot of weed?

2
sometimesitripOP•

Since it would be rather easy for someone to look up who I am and where I work, no. Right now I don't, and I would have passed a 5-panel drug test last season while I was working. I would never get intoxicated while on any job. I will say that I think prohibition is ridiculous, and I have been an avid supporter of the legalization of cannabis for many years now.

If someone wanted to get intoxicated while they were on my island, I would much rather it be a stoner than a drunk. Stoners are generally nicer, and are more likely to leave no trace. But alcohol in a state park and marijuana anywhere, are both illegal...

4
cheaha•

I don't think that is the case for every state park. They actually sell beer at the one closest to me.

1
discretion•

I'm intensely jealous, and am currently opening a new tab to look for positions at one of the dozens of metro parks and state parks in Ohio. Here's hoping someone who doesn't know anyone can break into it at 27. I have no official wilderness training or certs, but have spent a lot of time outdoors hunting, backpacking, and (some) climbing.

Getting real tired of looking for a job in IT.

2
sometimesitripOP•

Don't give up! It's an amazing feeling to actually WANT to go to work. Most people live to work. Rangers work to live.

1
cheaha•

Each position is unique in its requirements but most full time positions require a four year degree in addition to a certificate which takes about three months to earn.

1
dartmanx•

Why can't you just leave that poor bear alone, anyways???

2
sometimesitripOP•

Hey its not my fault. People keep feeding it picnic food, so it's becoming increasingly dangerous and willing to come around humans.

In all seriousness, we had foxes and deer out there... If I came across one that was coming too close to me, I would do my best to scare it away. For their protection, these animals should fear humans.

1
jlbraun•

What state do you work in? How do you feel about people carrying legal firearms into state parks?

2
sometimesitripOP•

What state do you work in?

Check the picture of me... I'm sure you can make it out.

How do you feel about people carrying legal firearms into state parks?

Very, very, very comfortable with it, as long as the owners are responsible. I'm an avid supporter of the 2A. Gun-free zones make no sense to me. The only people who would be hurt from banning firearms in parks are legal gun owners. Criminals do not care about gun free zones or not. They're called criminals for a reason.

That being said, if there is legislation in your local park banning firearms (most do), then by carrying into that area you are breaking the law.

1
jlbraun•

Thanks for the reply.

1