Anyone else get locked inside a DNR gate?

Out "having pew pew fun" at a gravel pit south of Bellingham over the weekend with my brother in law, we had our fun and like we normally do we always leave with a bag full of trash. There is a gate at the bottom of the mountain that is rarely closed and mostly over winter months, we entered the gate at 1230pm and left around 330pm on Saturday only to meet the closed gate. My father in law lives a couple minutes away so he came and grabbed our gear so we wouldn't be hassled too much (as far as i have read, the law is kind of gray for these activities in the gravel pit). I called a DNR number near the gate and finally reached someone who said she would call and see if she could get someone to come out, no promises and "thats the risk of entering the gate". After almost an hour one of the red dnr trucks show up and the guys were super cool especially seeing that we clean up other peoples trash. I was so stoked to have them let me through that I forgot to ask what the rules are for driving inside.

Anyone else have this happen? Anyone know for sure what the laws are for pew pewing in gravel pits in DNR areas in WA? I was going to give them 2 hours before trying my luck at finding another way out, google satellite showed no official way out but I am sure i could have found a way.

 

Gonna stake my Noob flag up high to wave in the PNY Winds here...

"pew pew" meaning?

Thanks in advance,

 

but with bullets

 

From there website, and my experiences most of DNR land is open to recreational target shooting. But its up to the person to put the effort into verifying they are shooting in non closed area. Down where I live you have to go an hour thru all the tree company land to forest service land, the forest ranger told me we have to put the effort in to make sure we are on public land because private doesn't need to be posted.

For the gate thing its just one of those things, usually they don't just lock them mid day ive always found most workers shut them as they enter but some are lazy. Now Hancock or weyerhaeuser if you dont have a key or the permit your probably screwed because there gates can be randomly open during the work week or closed at any time

OnX hunt or trails is a good app to have

 

Need to get those apps again, haven't used trails since my daughter was born. Good info, appreciated. My thought process was act in a way that I would if I were being watched the entire time. Also, if people picked up a little bit of trash on the way out, it would make all of our lives incredibly easier. Just one fricken trash bag per outing makes a huge difference.

 

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This with a tag with a GMRS/CB channel, or a note that you're out there.

I thought it was overkill until forest ranger actually got us on radio to verify once.

 

No shit, great idea! This is perfect, thank you!

 

Did the ranger say anything negative about it? We are about 10 min from the gate, never heard of this but with CB and cell phone info on it, I dont know why they wouldn't be 100% cool with that.

 

Never on DNR land, but once on National Forest land in eastern Nevada. Waited at our pickup location for two hours in a mid-June snowstorm before hiking down the forest road to the highway, only to find that someone had locked the gate and the group picking us up had driven off looking for another way to get to us.

 

Never.

But I got locked on a pier in Myrtle Beach while fishing. That sucked. At one point, I was seriously considering jumping off the pier. Thankfully a police officer spotted us and called someone to let us off.

Neither the police officer or guy that runs the fishing department on the pier was happy.

 

God forbid someone use common sense and check the main area before locking you on the pier. Why in the world were they not happy with you? Did you sneak on or was it during a storm or something?

 

That would have sucked big time.

 

nah. Said it was cool had never seen it before but was a good idea.

 

That's why I carry a master key, rather get in "trouble" for cutting a lock than wait for someone from an understaffed department to answer the phone, if you even have service

 

No, I didn’t sneak in.
I had one of the piers fishing poles.
You can “rent them” , it’s basically a deposit. You get the money back when you return the rod.
As for them not being happy? I don’t know. Maybe it was because we were tourists or vacationers?
There were times posted for the hours on the pier, but I never bothered to read them or look for them? It was my fault. But I do agree, you’d think they would check the pier before locking it up???

 

It had three locks under this weird box that didn't look like it had enough room to cut the locks. Also there were hikers there that would love nothing less than to use their cell phones to tattle. I like the thinking though. However, the lock with cb/cell info seems to be the best option. Just baffled that they lock those mid day on a beautiful day and don't even bother checking the main areas that people park, not even 10 min drive.

 

that's why I always have a 30" bolt cutters with me when I'm exploring DNR lands, or anywhere they might be a gate.

 

I bring this

 

that'll do it! I hate relying on battery powered things, other than my truck...but then I have a back up/ dual battery so yeah.

 

I bring a charger and a Jackery as well, and always have a few spare batteries, also goes with the impact gun. Never know what might break