Interactive BLM Maps

[Dekker]

Any BLM land close to Santa Clarita Valley? Wouldn't mind going out there and finding a spot to shoot.

[Bigballaizm]

I've ordered the maps from the bureau. I will convert to Google Earth and share with calgunners when finished.

Thanx for doing this work GL.

[jordan870]

sweet i live closer to some than i thought

[jordan870]

the blueish ones??? can you hunt one those???? the sate or count/state things??

[goldleviathan]

Santa Clarita

Any BLM land close to Santa Clarita Valley? Wouldn't mind going out there and finding a spot to shoot.

There are some small areas between Canyon Country and Palmdale but if I were you I'd go out the area north of Victorville and east of Edwards AFB. Miles and miles of BLM land out there in the desert.

Here is a map of the closest BLM areas for you though:

:

You are in the California Desert district (Ridgecrest/Barstow area). Download the Google Earth Overlay for BLM areas here: http://skytruth.mediatools.org/sites...inental_US.kmz [Note: This only describes your field office area - Not where you can shoot]

Contact info here for clarification on target shooting rules:

Bureau of Land Management
California Desert District
22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
Phone: (951) 697-5200
Fax: (951) 697-5299

[dwh100]

goldleviathan,
You rock! I've been looking for interactive maps similar to these for several years. I've been trying to research a mine out where i shoot and it has helped a great deal!!!!

[MudCamper]

Just because land is BLM doesn't mean you can shoot on it. A lot of BLM land has additional restrictions.

For example, much of San Bernardino County is shotguns only. And there are no firearms allowed on El Mirage dry lake.

I was not aware that the BLM had the authority to ban the possession of firearms. I know that per 43 CFR 8364 and 8365 they have the authority to restrict shooting, but not an outright possession ban. Could you link to this prohibition / closure? I'd like to find their CFR citation that grants this authority for my Firearms in Forests and Parks informational thread.

[WeekendWarrior]

WWRTW

[Dekker]

So how does it work? Do you literally just drive in, get out, set up paper targets and start shooting? Do I need to check in or speak to someone beforehand? Need a permit? Still trying to wrap the idea around my head that there are places you can just walk into and shoot without being supervised. It's BLM land so I imagine people are free to walk/hike where they please, meaning you could be shooting at targets with a nice natural berm as your backstop and someone could just pop over the berm while they hike @_@

[goldleviathan]

SCHWEET!!!!!!! Tag for later, thanks!

Gold - You doing Norcal, Socal or Allcal?

NorCal

[goldleviathan]

So how does it work? Do you literally just drive in, get out, set up paper targets and start shooting? Do I need to check in or speak to someone beforehand? Need a permit? Still trying to wrap the idea around my head that there are places you can just walk into and shoot without being supervised. It's BLM land so I imagine people are free to walk/hike where they please, meaning you could be shooting at targets with a nice natural berm as your backstop and someone could just pop over the berm while they hike @_@

Dekker, here is what the Bureau has to say about it:

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/recreation/hunting.html

[goldleviathan]

I was not aware that the BLM had the authority to ban the possession of firearms. I know that per 43 CFR 8364 and 8365 they have the authority to restrict shooting, but not an outright possession ban. Could you link to this prohibition / closure? I'd like to find their CFR citation that grants this authority for my Firearms in Forests and Parks informational thread.

The "Shotgun Only" area Mitch was referring to represents the land bordering the west side of Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Gournd Combat Center. Besides the base, there are three OHV parks and Highway 247 running through the middle of it.

They don't want you shooting long range weapons in that region for obvious reasons.

He's providing an exception to BLM policy - not the rule.

[Mitch]

I was not aware that the BLM had the authority to ban the possession of firearms. I know that per 43 CFR 8364 and 8365 they have the authority to restrict shooting, but not an outright possession ban. Could you link to this prohibition / closure? I'd like to find their CFR citation that grants this authority for my Firearms in Forests and Parks informational thread.

The cite is all the signs out there that say NO FIREARMS.

But the website says no shooting (43 CFR 8365.1-6) .

It's all the same to me, since I wouldn't bring any guns except to shoot, though sometimes I will stop at El Mirage after a day of shooting elsewhere in the Mojave. I never worried about it because my guns would be in the back of the SUV, under blankets, invisible.

[Mitch]

It's BLM land so I imagine people are free to walk/hike where they please, meaning you could be shooting at targets with a nice natural berm as your backstop and someone could just pop over the berm while they hike @_@

I shoot on BLM a lot. The area where I shoot most is shared with a lot of ATVers. You have to be very careful and very aware at all times. Riders have indeed popped up over a hill downrange of where I was shooting. A lot of the riders are kids who aren't paying attention or don't know any better. I have literally had bikers ride right across our range, between us and the targets, completely oblivious. It's the shooter's responsibility to see them coming and point the muzzle away as the idiots ride by.

Popular informal shooting areas are usually trashed with all kinds of crap brought out there to use as targets and then left behind. I try not to add to the mess when I shoot there.

If I ever shoot at a virgin location, I am very careful to clean up all targets and all brass. No glass targets or anything else that will burst and leave a mess.

I think the easiest gambit for the anti-gunners to get public lands shut down for shooting would be to send video crews out to some popular informal ranges to record what a mess shooters make.

Maybe this year will be the winter I finally get my *** out there with a pickup truck and a trailer one weekend to clean the place up.

[MudCamper]

They don't want you shooting long range weapons in that region for obvious reasons.

He's providing an exception to BLM policy - not the rule.

Yes, but the BLM does not have the authority to ban possession, only shooting.

The cite is all the signs out there that say NO FIREARMS.

But the website says no shooting (43 CFR 8365.1-6) .

It's all the same to me, since I wouldn't bring any guns except to shoot, though sometimes I will stop at El Mirage after a day of shooting elsewhere in the Mojave. I never worried about it because my guns would be in the back of the SUV, under blankets, invisible.

OK. So the signs are incorrect. It is an important distinction to me, because shooting restrictions do not prevent you from possessing firearms for self-defense.