Page 1 of 1

Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 4:24 pm
by scrappy
I was out there today looking the area over. I had never been there before but since it was the subject of the Spokane Co shooting area advisory commitee mtg last week I was curious.
These land owners have a lot of legitimate gripes. While the areas (I counted 5 spots where active shooting takes place) are not terribly trashed (at the moment) I would hesitate to describe most of them as safe shooting spots. There are few good back stops and there are a number of houses throughout the woods. There is also a lot of damage to gates, signs and trees, with many trees being shot down. Every one of these spots, with the exception of one, is right next to the road, and the one is only a few yards off it.
If anyone here frequents this area may I suggest a great deal of caution when shooting here. Infact I would suggest not using the area at all if possible. The landowners are pretty fed up with the property damage, the potential danger (I can easily see why most of them are hesitant to do anything in the woods there due to the danger from poorly aimed fire) as well as the noise. I saw a couple spots where, just as they said, people have built fires and continued to shoot into the night. They are pretty fed up with it all and would love to see the area posted as a no shooting area if they could. They like the hunters and welcome them, but the slob shooters are wearing out everyones welcome.
Please use caution and discretion.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 4:44 pm
by EWU92
scrappy wrote:I was out there today looking the area over. (I can easily see why most of them are hesitant to do anything in the woods there due to the danger from poorly aimed fire) as well as the noise.
You bring up an interesting point, the classic argument, have seen it many times. Landowners purchase, or build mini farms, their 10 acres of paradise, adjacent to State, County, or Federal Lands, and then feel they have an ordained right to control our public lands. These people are typically transplants, having moved here to escape the stresses, and strains, of big city life, associating gun fire with gang violence, fires with the dangers of the Santa Anna Winds. They will stop at nothing, and have been successful, at closing many parcels of public owned land, ultimately turning these places into their own backyard horse arenas, or ATV parks. Remember, the ORV park @ 7 mile was once twice it's original size, encroachment, upon it's adjacent borders, brought complaints about the noise, subsequently closing large areas of the park to motorcycles, trucks, jeeps, etc.. The new element of people, flooding into the Greater Spokane area, intend to change our way of life, one liberty, at a time, guns have little to do with it.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 5:03 pm
by Kman
If anyone here frequents this area may I suggest a great deal of caution when shooting here. Infact I would suggest not using the area at all if possible.
I have shot here once and will never again, we were on an upper part of the road and there was an area across and below the road, people were shooting there and it did make me nervous since they were using the bank of the road as a back stop, so we decided to leave also the place we were shooting was too close to the road for my liking. I do agree with what you are saying EWU92 but the place I was shooting to me wasn't safe if there are anyone else using it.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 6:57 pm
by EWU92
[quote="Kman"
I have shot here once and will never again, we were on an upper part of the road and there was an area across and below the road, people were shooting there and it did make me nervous since they were using the bank of the road as a back stop, so we decided to leave also the place we were shooting was too close to the road for my liking. [/quote]

Been to Spokane Rifle Club? I was just there this morning, the main road in, is the backstop, for the pistol, and rimfire ranges.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 7:58 pm
by Kman
Yea but people aren't drinking a case of natty ice with a small bonfire going.
Don't get me wrong I don't want to see any place shut down but there are a lot of morons that are shooting on public lands, that give the rest of us a real bad name, the only place that we shoot is public land since we don't like the feel of a gun club, and I don't want to sound high and mighty but we don't leave garbage, glass, and beer cans. I can see why people get tired of it and my wife and I always pack out more than we bring in hopes that it will lead other people to do the same but I have seen some idiots at these places that make me real nervous so we just pack up and leave.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 8:21 pm
by EWU92
Agreed, there are idiots no matter where you go. Today at the rifle club two 500 pound dudes had 4 kids with them, kids were running wild, in and out of everyone's shooting stations, making rude remarks, "That is F#cked up", That is F#cking sick, F#ck that is loud, what caliber is it?". A lot of it has to do with general courtesy, people just don't care who they impact with their actions, Zero Respect. I ended up packing my stuff, and leaving, I don't go out shooting to deal with drama, be it at a range, or on public land.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 11:51 pm
by scrappy
EWU92 wrote:
scrappy wrote:I was out there today looking the area over. (I can easily see why most of them are hesitant to do anything in the woods there due to the danger from poorly aimed fire) as well as the noise.
You bring up an interesting point, the classic argument, have seen it many times. Landowners purchase, or build mini farms, their 10 acres of paradise, adjacent to State, County, or Federal Lands, and then feel they have an ordained right to control our public lands. These people are typically transplants, having moved here to escape the stresses, and strains, of big city life, associating gun fire with gang violence, fires with the dangers of the Santa Anna Winds. They will stop at nothing, and have been successful, at closing many parcels of public owned land, ultimately turning these places into their own backyard horse arenas, or ATV parks. Remember, the ORV park @ 7 mile was once twice it's original size, encroachment, upon it's adjacent borders, brought complaints about the noise, subsequently closing large areas of the park to motorcycles, trucks, jeeps, etc.. The new element of people, flooding into the Greater Spokane area, intend to change our way of life, one liberty, at a time, guns have little to do with it.
I met many of these people at the meeting last week. I doubt any of them are transplants. The lady who seemed to have been the one to have arranged it is a 2nd or 3rd generation inhabitant of the land in question. From being at this meeting and getting a copy of the maps that were handed out and comparing same to the terrain by actual observation it was apparent to me that a number of properties are in the line of fire. At many of these spots the shooting is apparently done at an uphil angle and it does not take much to cause rounds to go past the minimal backstop. Add to this the influence of alcohol and the situation become potentialy dangerous very easily. Most of these people have lived here for many years and the danger from reckless shooters has only been a fairly recent invention.
I understand your point of idiots moving in next to an established shooting range and then complaining about the noise. In Seattle they got a municipal airport closed because of this. The airport had been there since 1937, people bought houses KNOWING there was an airfield next door and yet they still had the audacity to complain about it. I well recall when I started shooting in the NRA Hi-Power rifle matches in 1988 at SRC. Around this time there was a big housing development underway right above the range. The complaints had already started about noise, even though they built above a shooting range knowing it was there (and has been since 1926). Thankfuly the range is still in operation.
These people have a very legitimate complaint and the slobs are going to ruin it for all shooters in that area.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:13 pm
by wagunguy
I drove out there one time to go shooting. In my opinion there should be no shooting allowed there. Very small govt property with poor back stops. I didn't shoot.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 12:23 pm
by Mod 71
To set the answer in stone..


Two places have been set as "NO SHOOTING" as of June 25th of 2013

Up between Newman and Hauser Lakes....

Map of affected area

and down at Mica Peak... Off of Elder Road

Map of affected area

The places keep getting taken away.

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:36 pm
by Wigeon
Dang, those were my two main places (and same for many of us that live in the Valley). I haven't had time to get out much but now it is going to be even harder. Any recommendations for a close place to go from the valley? I am a responsible shooter, Eagle Scout, former moderator here (stepped down due to time restraints), and NRA Life Member. (PM me please)

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 5:45 am
by .308milspec4572
Mod 71 wrote:To set the answer in stone..


Two places have been set as "NO SHOOTING" as of June 25th of 2013

Up between Newman and Hauser Lakes....

Map of affected area

and down at Mica Peak... Off of Elder Road

Map of affected area

The places keep getting taken away.

Well if this isnt enough to piss a guy off. I have not had time to go shooting this summer and that was my main place to go... I had heard this from a good friend of mine and is now confirmed. Its a shame that we keep losing places to go. Now anyone who wants to have a friend or family day to shoot has to buy a member ship or pay on the day to day.

More land gone....

Re: Shooting areas on Starr Rd south of Mica Pk

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 7:33 am
by EWU92
Worst part is the complainants are getting what they want, their own private horse arenas, right off their back porches, no wonder so many people are not hunting this year.