Why are the private ranges closing?

[Rat Rifle]

"FREEDOM" is being redefined

 

[ngb1787]

Let’s not forget the virus is thought to live on hard surfaces for a number of days. The property owner and club do assume a liability also like our club we care about the health and safety of our shooters. They are our number one priority!

 

[Savage243]

It is 100% CYA. Just like you saw with states closing things down. No one wants to be the one that didn't do enough when things go poorly.

 

[CaptainMal]

Manatee, in South Florida, has remained open. Sure there have been policy changes related to sign-in, RSO involvement, bench separation and more to keep people apart. We just want to keep the option open for shooters and make that option as safe as is reasonable.

I write information emails to a large group of BR shooters at the club. After a recent one describing club operation and procedures for shooter safety, I made it clear to shooters THEY make the decision to come and shoot. The club is doing a lot to change practices and keep people apart and as safe as is reasonable. The final decision to attend is yours to come and use the facilities.

One shooter contacted me and ripped me apart as being liable for lawsuit to tell people they can come to the range. I mean viciously attacking me repeatedly. No matter how often and clearly I repeated that each makes their own decision with no pressure to attend from the club, the threat of liability was repeated toward me.

With people like that around its' no wonder some ranges have knuckled in to liability and chosen to close.

 

[Herzo]

In early March and prior to the decree to close down many facilities, our board made the decision to eliminate all meetings and scheduled events. The club remains open for members to use.

We have added hand cleaning stations and cleaning supplies for the members to use. Our lawyers are good with our decision.

 

[davidjoe]

About 10 days ago we construed the Texas orders to permit range use, after a period of cessation. As a courtesy to the county, we wrote officials apprising of our intention to appropriately signpost the range everywhere and reopen, last week. The county answered and requested a range tour, which I happily arranged and since then we are again open with its blessing, up to 5 on pistol and 5 on rifle, for a total of no more than 10, which is actually more than we see at a time.

 

[Alexander-M]

GOVERNOR PARSON ISSUES STATEWIDE “STAY HOME MISSOURI” ORDER TO CONTROL, CONTAIN, AND COMBAT COVID-19
Among other guidelines (April 06 through April 24), the Order states the following:
"The Order does not prohibit Missourians from accessing essential services, such as grocery stores, gas stations, and banks, or engaging in outdoor recreation, provided that necessary precautions are taken and maintained to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, including observing the social gathering and social distancing requirements set forth in the Order."

I belong to two gun clubs; one is closed for the month of April, and the other remains open while reminding everyone to maintain proper precautions.

Alex

 

[dskogman]

Unfortunately the BOD of my long range club trusts us with high power semi-automatic weapons but not enough to stay 6' apart. Too many lawyers I guess.

 

[Ned Ludd]

USMCDOC Did it say he had physical contact or just from the food, this is what they don't know about this stuff still guessing I believe.

Joe Salt

The caretaker was described as having tested positive for COVID-19, really nothing more than that. Afterward, the tiger exhibited signs of illness including reduced appetite and , believe it or not, coughing. I've never heard a tiger cough, I'll bet it's impressive. The tiger was tested and showed as positive for COVID-19.

The thing I find most infuriating about this incident is that it's absolutely clear where the tiger got the virus. It's also absolutely clear that this virus originated in a bat or similar animal and jumped species into humans. The evidence is quite compelling: over 1.3 million human beings infected with the virus and over 74,000 deaths. Yet even the so-called "medical experts" on the news were claiming we don't know whether COVID-19 can be transmitted from an animal to a human, as in the case of a pet.

This is the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. COVID-19 is a specific strain of coronavirus capable of infecting humans. Regardless of what other species it can replicate in, that species will shed virus if infected. A human can be infected by that shed virus with 100% absolute certainty. It is beyond question. I find the notion that these so-called "medical experts" on the news aren't aware of this simple fact to be very disturbing. The bottom line, if you are positive for COVID-19, your pets can get it from you. A pet that tests positive is 100% capable of transmitting it to other humans or animals. Protect yourself, but also protect your pets if you or someone else in the household becomes infected.

Per the OPs question - when a State Governor issues a stay-at-home order, most shooting ranges, as well as most other non-essential businesses will close down so as to comply with the order. If they did not, they could be liable for fines and/or other punitive action by the state government. Golf courses are in no way excluded from such an order, so it may be that they were "testing the waters" by remaining open. I suspect it won't be long before they come to regret that decision; people have simply had enough of the ignorant and selfish behavior of others that increases the transmission rate of this virus. As a result, law enforcement officials are completely out of patience with regard to people that do not comply and are therefore issuing citations rather than warnings, or simply arresting those individuals on the spot.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

My private club is closed due to flooding, will reopen when water recedes. Calendar social days have been postponed or will reschedule.

 

[WIB3]

Walt your Governor is the one that shut everything down until April 30th. Vote for him again, like the ones in New York City Elected ours. Only reason our Governor is worried about the people in New York City is there votes.
Oh and this stuff stays in the air for quit a while, there are Tigers in the Bronx zoo with the Virus so were did that come from. I want to shoot as much as the next guy, but I think I'll stay home till it goes the other way.

Joe Salt

Joe, you are mistaken, I was referring to my local private range here in Lancaster Pa. I do not believe that I mentioned Williamsport. I shoot a a local range here that has a 600yd capability. It has a locked gate and the general public doesn’t have access. People who shoot and test at that distance are not of the younger age group. It is used by the seasoned older group.

 

[rr2030]

The MSM would just love to report people are getting the Cornudo virus at gun ranges.

 

[WIB3]

Outdoor social activities are not under the ban here in Pa., one must keep their social distance. Also, face masks right now are recommended but not mandatory. What’s next to take away your freedom, maybe cancel hunting season. Got to watch out for those white tail deer. They have already posted trout fishing for Pa. I guess they feel that fishermen can’t control themselves enough to stay 6’ apart. I guess you can’t stay home if you feel threatened. Really!

 

[bobinpa]

I understand the concept of social separation, in fact I’m all for it. But why are private outdoors shooting facilities closing. I thought that outdoor activities were acceptable as long as a 6’ separation was maintained. I being an adult with a sound mind and normal intelligence have no problem with the current social situation. I can walk my dogs in a park, but I cannot shoot my guns. Just is a little odd because when I shoot there are not normally anyone around me. There are more people in the park wanting to pet my dogs.

It makes no sense to me either.... There are a few clubs around me that I believe have shut down also. My club hasn't. The public days have closed and the scheduled shoots have been canceled or postponed but the members can use the club. The counties around here have a stay at home order, so someone has to go against that order to go anywhere anyway. If they want to go shoot by themselves, why not let them???

 

[davidjoe]

If your “gun range” is a confined room through two doors and a register counter, that’s a different story. Our gun range abuts public hunting lands surrounded by fields. If you step into your typical 1/3 acre suburban yard, you are in a higher outdoor density than at our range.

Staying exclusively indoors is not in any order I have seen. The National Parks are and have been open. In fact admission is now free to avoid unnecessary, closer contact with personnel. This is very telling. When the Colorado ski slopes closed at spring break, the national parks did not, I was at two.

Texas’ local stay at home orders have specifically permitted outdoor activities. The governor recently chose to ensure this cannot be locally curtailed and specifically referenced via order, among other things, church services in person, if other means are not possible, hunting, fishing, etc.

Carelessness around others can spread this disease. We here - of all people -don’t want our rights cut down to nothing because of what harms carelessness that we don’t condone, has unquestionably caused.

 

[CaptainMal]

807B38A0-37D8-4891-AA79-83BDCA30484B_4_5005_c by Larry Malinoski, on Flickr

 

[JEFFPPC]

Outdoor social activities are not under the ban here in Pa., one must keep their social distance. Also, face masks right now are recommended but not mandatory. What’s next to take away your freedom, maybe cancel hunting season. Got to watch out for those white tail deer. They have already posted trout fishing for Pa. I guess they feel that fishermen can’t control themselves enough to stay 6’ apart. I guess you can’t stay home if you feel threatened. Really!

Groups of under 10 are ok. Groups over 10 are banned thus shutting down matches. Went past a Sheetz store yesterday about 25 or 30 young motorcycle riders in a clump bs ing. Probably less then 6 inches apart person to person. Many stupid people surround us thus there are rules and I hope they start to enforce them to help protect everyone.so if we don't defeat this health problem we will in a short time be reduced to riots leading to anarchy. Is this what you want? I doubt it so use some comment sense until we see this issue get under some type of control.

 

[jpx2rk]

Here in TN, outdoor activities are not banned, the TWRA has posted that their ramps are open, and go fishing, canoeing, kayaking, etc., just do the social distance thing. I went fishing last Friday, the parking lot was overflowing (had to park in the grass surrounding the paved lot), and was probably even worst over the weekend. State and local/city parks are closed. I haven't been to my range in 10+ days just to appease the wife, hell she doesn't want me to go to Lowes/HD for lumber to re-do the deck on the side of the house. They are saying this week will be the worst of it so I'll just stay and home and be a good little boy. Maybe.

 

[ED3]

They have closed the dog parks, skate parks, etc., and city parks in the larger city in my area. State parks are closed, and GSNP has been closed for maybe 2 weeks. Pigeon Forge/Sevierville/Gatlinburg area was running ads for people to stay away due to the this virus. I was shocked that the Pigeon Forge/Sevierville/Gatlingburg area did that. They have showed some film clips on the local news, Gatlinburg was a ghost town, where it normally is bumper to bumper/cheek to cheek during this time of year.

I belong to a private gun club, but haven't been in close to 10 days. It was crowded with fellow old farts, but we all kept our distance. Wife thinks I should "stay" home like the govnor "suggests" everyone in TN do.

In Minn & western Wis, the parks are more crowded during the week than ever were on weekends. Some playgrounds/ playground structures are closed. Some streets have been closed for walkers to distance themselves. More people out walking then Ive seeing my life...

yet one of the 2 clubs I belong to closed, the other merely ended competitions, organized gatherings.

 

[memilanuk]

t.
It is a sad state of affairs when the general monthly meeting goes on and there is a half dozen or so members out of 500 show up.

Dang, I wish!

We get one or two, a couple times a year... out of a membership of 1200-1400.

Of course, NOW everyone has something to say about stuff. Go figure.

At our club, we kind of skirted the first state proclamation that shut down 'leisure, hobby and social clubs' along with restaurants, barber shops, hair salons and tattoo parlors. Then when the wider kabosh on 'non-essential' businesses came down, along with the 'stay at home' order, the board felt it had no real choice.

Yes, you are 'socially distant' from other people when at the range... but with the virus able to survive on hard surfaces for extended periods, and most shooting benches are rough textured and hard to clean *if* there were range staff on site (we don't have any)... and you're sitting down at a bench anywhere from a couple hours to a few minutes after the last random person...plus porta-potties aren't exactly the pinnacle of health & sanitation in the best of times... but people can't seem to see past them being told 'no'.

Other clubs closed before us. Some have closed since. A few have kept their doors open the entire time, whether out of some misguided sense of giving the gov't the bird, or something else, I can't say.