Sam Houston National Forest target area?

[Nate C]

Searching old threads indicates there was once an area west of Conroe (?) within Sam Houston National Forest that was authorized for target shooting, but it was closed a decade ago due to trash being left on the ground. (Twenty years ago, there was a similar area somewhere around Huntsville. I guess it is gone as well?)

Is there any place within SHNF where target shooting is currently authorized?

 

[Flyingswords]

all so called target shooting areas in Texas State Parks and National Parks have been shutdown last time I heard. The only way you can target shoot somewhere other than an actual gun range business is your own land thats at least 10+ acres in size and has to be outside of city limits (correct me if I missed out any parts). Unlike Oregon where I lived at for a year where BLM land is available for target shooting (mostly shot at Browns Camp by Tillamook OR). Youll hardly find any BLM land available for shooters here in Texas.

 

[Charlie]

all so called target shooting areas in Texas State Parks and National Parks have been shutdown last time I heard. The only way you can target shoot somewhere other than an actual gun range business is your own land thats at least 10+ acres in size and has to be outside of city limits (correct me if I missed out any parts). Unlike Oregon where I lived at for a year where BLM land is available for target shooting (mostly shot at Browns Camp by Tillamook OR). Youll hardly find any BLM land available for shooters here in Texas.

The highlighted part of your statement is not true throughout Texas! It's a county and/or city thing. It is NOT in violation to discharge a firearm in the city limits of Kerrville or Kerr County (target shooting or hunting) unless you are shooting across your property line or in a dangerous manner.

 

[flash_outdoors]

I've never heard of it

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I had heard of it, but never knew where it was.

 

[Rebel]

Unlike Oregon where I lived at for a year where BLM land is available for target shooting (mostly shot at Browns Camp by Tillamook OR). Youll hardly find any BLM land available for shooters here in Texas.

That... Sucks. California is the same as Oregon in that respect. Long as you aren't firing into traffic or private property, clean up your stuff, and the fire danger isn't too high, you are good to go.

::EDIT:: Just did a little research and saw that there is virtually no BLM land in Texas. Surprised the hell outta me. It's so ubiquitous in the Western states.

 

[MetalCutter]

Forest Service Road 208A

Huntsville, TX 77340

30.579389, -95.678600

Go to google maps and enter these coordinates. I'm 95% sure this was where the old shooting area was. It's been 20 plus years since I've been up there but think this was the place. Went up there about a half dozen times, always an experience. Folks would show up and walk downrange while the range was hot without saying a word. Some of the most atrocious gun handling I've ever witnessed. Lots of junk hauled in, shot up to pieces and left there. Forest Rangers would show up once in a while to check on things but never hassled anyone. Looking back on it, kinda scary.

 

[45tex]

I tell people I used to ride my bike into Angelos National Forrest (in S. California) with a rifle bungee corded to the handlebars and they think I'm nuts. Shoot all day from the side of the road. Always a few others around. LAPD once even stopped in and shot with us. Also stopped in and arrested a guy with a cool AR15. Had to ride past the Foothill Division Police Station both ways. This was between 1965 and 1973.
Yes California was not always the stupid wacko refugee camp it is today.

 

[Mongo]

Back in the day we would have machine gun shoots in the SHNF (the last one there a guy shot his own hand with his MAC). Ranger would show and check paperwork occasionally. The range was a disgrace and a real mess. We would be out there shooting and you would have idiots show up and roll down the window and start shooting w/o even determining what the range status was.

 

[randomwit]

From United States Forest Service:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5426745.pdf

Where can I sight in my gun?
It is legal to target shoot in the General Forest, with the exception of the Caddo‐LBJ National Grasslands, as long as you do not shoot from, down, across a road, have a sufficient back stop (not a live tree), and pick up your trash (targets, empty shells, etc.) when you leave. This is an example of referring to the Code of Federal Regulations. Target shooting is prohibited in the WMA on all units of the NFGT: Angelina NF, Davy Crockett NF, Sabine NF, Sam Houston NF, Caddo‐LBJ NG. CFR 261.58(m) states PROHIBITED: DISCHARGING A FIREARM, AIR RIFLE, OR GAS GUN FROM, INTO, OR ACROSS ANY PARKING AREA, TRAIL, BOAT RAMP OR FOREST DEVELOPMENT ROAD.

Essentially in all General Forest Lands. Not in WMA (Wildlife Management Areas) areas. General Forest areas are not joint managed by TPWD and therefore less regulated....or regulated differently.

Unfortunately, according to the link below, all of SHNF is WMA land.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/texas/recreation/hunting

"The entire Sam Houston National Forest is a wildlife management area."

Essentially this means, if I'm reading it correctly, that there is no target shooting allowed within this national forest.

Sucks, but hope this helps.

 

[xdmikey]

Forest Service Road 208A

Huntsville, TX 77340

30.579389, -95.678600

Go to google maps and enter these coordinates. I'm 95% sure this was where the old shooting area was. It's been 20 plus years since I've been up there but think this was the place. Went up there about a half dozen times, always an experience. Folks would show up and walk downrange while the range was hot without saying a word. Some of the most atrocious gun handling I've ever witnessed. Lots of junk hauled in, shot up to pieces and left there. Forest Rangers would show up once in a while to check on things but never hassled anyone. Looking back on it, kinda scary.

If this is the area I think it is I used to shoot there.
coming from huntsville you took the first new caney exit and headed west through the woods.
it was the stupidest thing I've ever seen when I finally found it.
You were shooting uphill on terraced land. I went there several times. Once with each son(grown ups)and a time or two by myself.
the last time my younger son and I were there some guy drove up in an old red van, said he was just looking for a place to pee! He was really shocked when my son came around the truck, doubling the odds against him! He looked kind of like Davis Crosby in the old days, had the usual convict ink(love and hate on his knuckles amongst others!).
needless to say we never went back.

 

[Jamesxz12]

This is all news to me

 

[Guns=Freedom]

I shot here as student at Sam Houston State. Yes you would shoot up hill and there was always junk there. There were always crazy looking people there as well. I remember the Game Wardens setting up a sting operation on the way to the range from Huntsville. They set up a bunch a crow decoys and hid in the woods waiting for people on their way to the range to shoot at them...and then they would give them a ticket.

On another note:
Many Many years ago my father took myself and a friend to the Sam Houston National Forest. We must have been around 12 -14 years old. We were walking in the woods exploring and happened upon what looked like an military training fort. There were fox holes dug everywhere with many sandbags lining trenches. It was a young boy's dream come true. We played on it for the whole day. At that age I didn't think too much of it, but years later as I attended Sam Houston State University I tried many times to find that spot with no luck. I did come across a belligerent man who said that it was the ROTC training grounds. When I told him the story about finding it as a young man, I asked him to tell me where it was so I could revisit the location. He told me I was not qualified to know where it was as I was not in the ROTC. I have on numerous occasions look on Google Earth Pro to locate the place with no luck. I think I remember it being south of Huntsville...maybe around New Waverly. I would love to take my 8 year old son to see this place if it is still around. If anyone has an idea of where this might be I would love to know.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Great first post.
Head to the into section and tell us about yourself.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[xdmikey]

South of Huntsville, west of 45 and into the woods. Exactly.

 

[Perchowski]

Just Moved to Spring, Tx from California where we had BLM land, so been trying to find a place to set up my steel targets and plink. Thanks for the info, will definitely check out the area in woods near huntsville! From google maps it looks like a great place, but was hoping for 800-1k yards to test out a 6.5 creed build i just finished up. If anyone has any private land near Houston and likes shooting/willing to let me plink ill bring my Steel targets over!

 

[smittyb]

Lol, Californian’s

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Just Moved to Spring, Tx from California where we had BLM land, so been trying to find a place to set up my steel targets and plink. Thanks for the info, will definitely check out the area in woods near huntsville! From google maps it looks like a great place, but was hoping for 800-1k yards to test out a 6.5 creed build i just finished up. If anyone has any private land near Houston and likes shooting/willing to let me plink ill bring my Steel targets over!

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[skfullgun]

RE the Sam Houston Ntl Forest Range.I was there once about 20 years ago. My truck was hit by a ricochet from someone shooting a 10/22 with a rotary trigger attachment. We packed up and left.
It took me 2 hours to get there and we stayed about 20 minutes. Not a good experience.

 

[cbp210]

RE the Sam Houston Ntl Forest Range.I was there once about 20 years ago. My truck was hit by a ricochet from someone shooting a 10/22 with a rotary trigger attachment. We packed up and left.
It took me 2 hours to get there and we stayed about 20 minutes. Not a good experience.

I was hunting hog there one time and did not have a good experience either.Wearing blaze orange is not only mandatory but highly recommended as certain people in the woods will shoot at anything. I have only hunted private lands ever since.