Can we CCW while hunting in OK?

[Jeff405]

It's a free country, do whatever you want.

 

[Okie4570]

Email received..........

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE


Very good question that I know can be confusing. The correct answer is largely dependent upon "where" you are on Corps-managed public property. The regulations that we are required to manage by is Title 36, CFR 327. The specific section dealing with "explosives, firearms, other weapons and fireworks" is 327.13. Without reciting the whole regulation, here is what it boils down to:

1. Possession of loaded firearms, etc. is prohibited on Corps-managed lands unless it is being used for (subsection 2) "being used for hunting or fishing...".
2. Possession of loaded firearms is prohibited in parks & public buildings.

If you are carrying a legal side-arm while in legal, designated hunting areas & while hunting/fishing, you should not have any problems resulting from that action. Currently, carrying in a public park/building would be a different story.

Most of our park rangers hunt and are gun-owners themselves. They are not looking for these issues unless they are placed in a situation where it can't be ignored. Don't believe you'll have problems but I always encourage folks to contact the lake office where they believe they will be hunting for any specific questions about those areas.

Hope this helps answer some of your questions. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further service.

Respectfully Yours,

Kent Dunlap
Chief, Natural Resources
Operations Division
Tulsa District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(918) 669-7408

 

[AllOut]

Email received..........

Kinda goes right along with what I said

 

[SMS]

Good info. Comes across as "it's against our regulations but we aren't enforcing it" like Allout said.

So here's the next question can the COE hunting areas be accessed without traversing any other non-hunting portions of the COE property?