Lexington WMA - Wow

[johnharms]

I went to visit a friend out east of Lexington today and drove by the outdoor gun range, and all I have to say is WOW!!! It was early afternoon when I was out there so, there was nobody out there. The ranges looked like they were pretty good back in the day. But now it looks like it is a place where people just dump there crap. It actually made me sick to think that fellow shooters would have such a disregard for the wildlife and there habitat. Empty boxes, food trays, trash everywhere.

Now, I am not the prefect person by any means, but come on. I know it is free and open to basically anyone, but still!!! I know that there a lot of people that just don't give a CRAP. I would love to use other words to describe those people, but this is a family forum!!!

OK, Rant over.

Now, I have an idea, and its a big one. I think it would be a GREAT public service for a bunch of OSA members to organize a clean up drive out there. And I am not volunteering to lead, but I would help. There has got to be a member or members with the means to get a few large dumpsters, maybe a tractor and a bunch of people to help and clean it up. I know that it is federal land, so there are a few loop holes there maybe and we know how much the government loves there fellow armed citizens, and there is not much or any funding there to help.

Like I said, its a HUGE idea, but just maybe there are members out there that know people, who know people........

I know there is a lot of details that would need to be worked out. But Hey, talk about a HUGE idea!!!

 

[DeerAssassin]

The last time I was at our little Kelly Branch WMA Range over here by Hodgen it was pretty much in the same condition. Whoever oversees it removed the trash cans and posted notices that people had to remove their own trash...Well, that ain't happening. Not to mention one of the posts that holds up the roof looks like it was either shot or chopped away with a hatchet, either way someone destroyed it. I'm afraid they will be closing it down soon, and I will have no place to shoot without driving at least an hour and paying a membership fee.

Thats just what happens when you have something nice, out in the middle of nowhere that a bunch of rednecks will visit. They can't be happy just trashing up their own yards, gotta trash up the rest of the world too. Like seeing diapers and trash floating around in an otherwise pristine Cedar Lake.

 

[Davs2601]

Ill volunteer to help

 

[dlbleak]

i've only shot there a few times over the years and used to hunt and fish there. if it fell on the right weekend, i would help. could be some good exposure for OSA.

 

[SMS]

I'd thought about organizing a similar cleanup...but then forgot about it. The retards, or dumbos as my 7 year old calls them, will just be back next weekend to screw it up all over again.

Whenever I take the kids out there, it's a teaching moment...we pack out more than we brought in...but I'm afraid spending a weekend out there would be in vain.

 

[johnharms]

Thanks Guys!!!

This would be great exposure for the OSA, gun community giving back to the community. My wife also had a great idea, maybe get a the local TV station to do a small report about it.

I am afraid that it will be closed because of unsafe conditions!!

We could also organize a clean-up day every 3 months or soo. If it was cleaned more often, it would not be that bad.

Let keep this idea going and see what happens.

 

[SMS]

Keep it going. I commit to showing up to help, whenever I'm home, if you manage to get things going.

 

[meatGrinder]

Whenever I take my son out there, I also show him what an example it is of how not to treat an outdoor range. We camp, hunt, and fish there quite a bit. Last summer we saw the range horribly littered with televisions, 5 gallon buckets, beer cans, and even some mannequins that were all shot up.

I'd be willing to help sometime, but I won't go out there on weekends. Last straw was when I had some weirdo scrounging for brass practically picking it up from between my feet as I shot. "Dude, personal space!"

I've also considered having our Cub Scout pack organize a clean up there for a conservation project requirement, but I just don't know.....
Like I've said before I only go out there at dawn on weekdays, no weekends for me.

 

[Quick_Draw_McGraw]

Just my two cents but I wouldn't ever go to a WMA range for a clean up project without also making sure there was a ranger or LEO there to enforce the area being closed for a few hours. To many irresponsible kids and adults who have zero concept of safety would most likely insist on shooting rather then helping or waiting for a clean up to end. That seems like a recipe for disaster.

 

[jalapeno]

I have never shot there but i am in to help clean it up if it would help to save a shooting resource. I would hate to see a public range close because nobody would take action to keep it open.