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06/16/2005: "BOCC Concerned On Use Of Rifles"

Sheriff Cumming & Dave Zeretzke

A Staff Report entitled "Safe Shooting" was presented to the BOCC by SJC Administrative Services last Tuesday, June 14. The report was generated out of a concern expressed by citizens, and former Commissioner John Evans, that the time may have come to restrict the use of high powered rifles in San Juan County. In short, the report informed the BOCC that they have limited ability to enforce or restrict what type of guns are used in San Juan County.

In the report David Zeretzke raised and answered three questions:

1. How can the County restrict shooting on land it owns or control over? The answer is it already does so.

2. How can the County influence the DNR to restrict hunting? Some of the smaller parcels of DNR land in the county is already restricted, but the larger parcel are open to hunting. According to the Regional Manager of DNR lands, the restrictions could be expanded, if there are documented unsafe incidents to neighboring landowners.

3. How can the County get the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife to restrict hunting to shotgun use only (i.e. use of a slug as opposed to high powered rifles)? A spokesman for the Dept. stated the current County regulations requiring possession of written permission by anyone hunting on lands in SJ County has greatly reduced the number of hunters; but he went on to state the Department would be happy to discuss the matter with the BOCC.

Mr. McCauley spoke to the Board on his concern that the tradition of hunting in the County is long established, and families want to pass on hunting and shooting skills to their children. Mr. McCauley teaches a firearms safety course, and feels that education of hunters has been responsible for the lack of incidents.

Sheriff Cumming told the BOCC that in his opinion the time has come to restrict the use of high power rifles for hunting in San Juan County by requiring the use of slugs in shotguns for deer hunting. He later stated that a year from now the County does not want to be in the position of having had the chance to advert a shooting incident, and did nothing to help prevent it. The BOCC will take up the matter for discussion at a later meeting