Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Social Distancing with backcountry CLOSED??

Meant to say I did not disagree with those saying the back country should not be closed.Bad wording on my part.

I'd say about 8 out of ten were of that ilk.You don't know until they are on the job several weeks or months after waiting for secret clearances to come thru after 3 months .

They're not worried about you, they are worried about themselves. They would still have to patrol and come in contact with you. Why patrol when the government will pay you to sit on your ass?

My wife and I have been going out on public land in Nv. about 4 days/week since this mess started. We have seen no restrictions or monitoring on BLM areas. NFS has closed campgrounds but not roads. Many parking areas @ trailheads are closed and have signs but folks are parking elsewhere and walking in. On Friday we walked about 5 miles up a semi rough FS 2 track and there were several folks camping in dispersed areas. No one said that they had been contacted or hassled.


mike r

Pretty much the same here.In fact getting out and recreating on open land is encouraged

You might want to hit your life alert button. You have fallen and can’t get up. It’s not unconstitutional but everyone should do it or not? Most older men that brag like you do about how hard they worked, usually aren’t as confused.

No worries, I've used a bad word or two on here before.....

I've never run into any sort of LE or forest service person on patrol in the backcountry. At least not out west. Plenty on work crews but it's easy to keep your distance.

Idaho has a number of large lava fields that the BLM has designated wilderness study areas. They're essentially wilderness but haven't been officially designated by congress. They're restricted like official wilderness areas are. You can hike a long ways out there without seeing anyone. The BLM and FS haven't closed any of these areas, just campgrounds and some boat docks.

[quote=HitnRun

You might want to hit your life alert button. You have fallen and can’t get up. It’s not unconstitutional but everyone should do it or not? Most older men that brag like you do about how hard they worked, usually aren’t as confused. [/quote]

I'm not the one confused that's for sure ,but a hell of a lot of you guys are. Most of you think plunking on a computer is hard work. It's not brag if you did it.

I have.

And what would they be checking? Your hiking permit?

They are patrolling, I imagine they check what ever they would like.
I have seen them a couple of times in the High Uintas.
I'm sure NFS/NPS in Colorado patrols their back country, and I'm pretty sure you are aware of that.

Alaska Backcountry Rangers
Yosemite Backcountry Rangers
Colorado Backcountry Rangers

Those guys are all Park Service. National parks are a small percentage of the backcountry here and there's only one park in the whole state with any real expanse of backcountry, Rocky Mtn. National Park.

The park is a tourist attraction. The park has people to take your money at the gate, gift shops and snack bars, public restrooms, crowded campgrounds, crowded "scenic overlooks," and such. Also, a metric ton of regulations to enforce, like no dogs on the trail, no camping within x feet of water, lots of special fishing regs, etc. Apples and oranges compared to forest service lands, as far as any need to patrol the backcountry.

Which is why I generally avoid the park and have never seen anyone patrolling the backcountry in my 20 years here.

I have encountered FS rangers on horseback in remote areas in Wyoming and Nevada, never been hassled, both seemed very happy w/ their jobs.


mike r

I was a Wilderness Ranger for two years in the Bob Marshall - great job for me, not so great for my wife and two young children, worked 10 days on and then 4 off.

I still wouldn’t trade those two years for anything

Well, my point wasn't to bag on rangers or say they don't exist. Just that interactions are very rare and not really a valid reason to close down backcountry. At least not in my experience.

I agree fully. Infractions were rare and most of my time was spent clearing trails and chatting with folks (well occasionally I'd have to throw a line in for biological studies :D)

I don't know much about MI, but here in MT we've been in the backcountry quite a few weekends during the CV19 lock-down, including a snowshoe this past weekend. However, it appears Glacier NP will not be opening its backcountry this summer:

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm

"Glacier National Park has modified operations in accordance with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health authorities. Due to current and anticipated staffing and operational limitations related to the COVID-19 outbreak, combined with the uncertainty of trail and backcountry campground availability, all backcountry camping advance reservations for the 2020 season have been cancelled. This cancellation includes reservations previously processed. All advance reservation application fees will be fully refunded by May 31. The park will not accept or process advance reservations for backcountry camping for the remainder of 2020.

This web page will be updated when the park reopens and we can safely provide backcountry experiences. The park expects to issue overnight backcountry camping permits when conditions allow. Please monitor www.nps.gov/glac and park social media channels for updates on current park conditions."

The Nat. Park Svc is a bunch of liberal environmentalists. Some years ago we had a row with them in Idaho trying to shut down hunting in part of the Craters of the Moon Nat. monument where it was allowed. It literally took a special act of congress to open it up again.