Arming Maine Forest Rangers

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When I was a kid we used to go cut firewood all the time on DNR and FS land, never had a problem only cut what was down and in a marked firewood area, occasionally the DNR dude would show up and check our permits but it was never a big deal.

The last time I got a DNR wood permit its was like the ****ing circus was let loose... wild eyed yokels everywhere, and if it wasn't already on the ground they didn't have any problems with falling 4-5 for themselves, needless to say I didn't actually get any wood, there was nowhere to park where I felt even remotely safe, and they shut the whole thing down the next day.
 
I guess grow operations and meth labs aren't part of SlowP and northman's forestry world. I wouldn't take a Forest Ranger job in many parts of this country without being allowed to be armed.
 
Don't forest rangers already have badges? I think they can write tickets even tho they aren't armed. Maybe they have different categories of rangers. Been my experience that if you're mostly legal, not obnoxious or a smart azx they aren't going to bother you. I say mostly legal cause I was missing a bucket once & a little off on cutting distance to a creek. The le didn't get too excited.
 
AKDoug said:
I guess grow operations and meth labs aren't part of SlowP and northman's forestry world. I wouldn't take a Forest Ranger job in many parts of this country without being allowed to be armed.
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Grow operations are mainly indoors now. Plus, it is semi-legal here. The rules just haven't been worked out yet. According to our guy who does carry a gun, and this might be outdated, but since it is now required to show ID and a record is kept of who buys allergy and etc. pills with ephedrin, meth labs in our county have virtually disappeared. It is easier to import the finished product here from Mexico.

Those are non-issues that are kept alive by TV shows in this part of the woods. Now there are the anarchist woodcutters who don't want to follow the rules that the majority of folks follow. If caught, they contribute their firewood to be auctioned off for the good of the treasury. Haven't ever heard of any gunfire during that. One local bad guy, who always has a warrant out on him, did a TV stunt of weaving back and forth so firewood chunks would fall out and deter the LEO during a low speed chase.

Most busted firewood thieves are on the sheepish and embarrassed side.

The guy who got in my face and predicted the end of my job after the 2008 election, was mad because I would not mark a blowdown for him to cut in an area that was off limits. Guess he thought he was special?
 
miss P is correct, grow opps are indoors or in backyards now, and the meth labs have pretty much dried up, or well burnt up. We still get plenty of tweekers, but they tend to stay in populated areas. And as far as being messed with by the police (read harassed) grow your hair out and get lots of tattoos and ride around in a beat up ole pick up, or buzz around on a loud as Hel copper, then come tell me police don't mess with people doing nothing wrong, Or better yet work night shift while living in a small town.

I've had more guns pulled on me by police then civilians, and lots of civilians have pulled guns on me (tweekers). I've never been arrested, but I have had the pleasure of fighting ******** tickets in the court system, and I guarantee the police report never matches what really happend. And the last time I had to draw my pistol was on... a ****ing cop. The only reason I didn't shoot the bastard is because he was a cop, and the only reason I learned that is I noticed the badge on his shoulder as he was throwing me against my house, no lights, no sirens, just you your under arrest for reckless driving. I didn't find out his name until I talked to the public defender. Oh yeah he got fired a short time after this.

Keep in mind folks this little town I live in has gone through 3 police chiefs and countless officers in the last 3 years: 1 indicted on fraud charges (ripping off a retirement home) 2 entangled in a drug ring (through a church no less) the third wouldn't play ball with the latest crooked mayor, so as of March 1st we get to have the sheriffs take over, at least they are accountable for their actions.

I'm sorry for the rant. Peeps that respect police confuse me, or they have never seen the bad side of law enforcement, Granted I've met and am friends with very many officers that are usually pretty good folks, but there are an awful lot that a shinny brass badge and a uniform makes them think they can do no wrong.
 
Ok, a little more on this:
- here in Maine, Forest Rangers are State Law Enforcement, they're not feds and not parks
- they have full powers of arrest and state-wide jurisdiction
- they are the ones who do the law enforcement for all kinds of wood theft, fuel theft, equipment and gate vandalism, christmas tree and bough theft, arson and on and on
- they write tickets for criminal and civil violations
- they aren't foresters; Maine has those, too and they aren't LEOs
- yes, they fight/manage wildland fires, too

This is the heart of the issue:
I think this is important to Maine's entire timber industry because Forest Rangers keep the skidders and harvesters from being messed with. They get victimized landowners the money they deserve for their timber.
The issue of arming them leads to the issue: who will protect Maine's biggest industry if Forest Rangers don't? State legislators have realized that they have a work force in harms way and now have a duty to act to protect the employees. The options are to train and equip them like every other LEO in the state, or remove them from their workplace.

I didn't realize readers had to answer some questions just to read the article. Google them. I did. There's lots of stuff on them including a Facebook page with some great pictures and good insight into their jobs. Cool air ops stuff, too.
 
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I'm sorry. I forgot that the forests of Oregon and NCal represented all of the U.S. My bad.


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My little .38 derringer stays ready in the woods, However in the last 5 years i've only needed it once.
The question is, Does the need outweigh the want?
 
northmanlogging said:
cause you stick a gun and a badge on someone they suddenly get the urge to feel authority, and then go out looking for trouble where there isn't any. And since I have enough problems with law enforcement trying to arrest me for stuff I don't do, I don't need that while I'm trying to go camping.
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I refuse to step foot in a Colorado State Park for this exact reason. CSP rangers are downright scary. The culture of the SPs creates/attracts a certain type of person. No thanks.
 
i live in maine and theres no reason for a forest ranger to have a gun if they run into a problem they can just call a warden most of maine is just woods that there will be an occational hunter on which they don't even deal with i honestly don't think ive seen a forest ranger more than a handful of times.
 
So, for a private industry perspective. It varies by company whether you can carry a handgun or even a rifle. Some will let you have a rifle but no handgun. Some will let you carry a handgun. Last company I worked for let me carry both. I didn't cause I was working with another guy all the time. I know a couple guys that carry a handgun at work. Neither was allowed to and one actually was the head of security. There are guys out there that do and do feel a need to. The rifle is for your hunting pleasure by the way.

Patty, Northman; we still find grows out here every now and then. They have actually developed plants to grow in shaded areas like RMZs; mostly cartel activity.

WA DNR actually has law enforcement officers that carry guns. Same with the Forest Service and the Park Service. I don't have a problem with us foresters carrying. I don't think we have to be armed tho. There may be days I choose to and days I don't. A day I would carry would be if I were working next to a place that looked like it had a bunch of tweakers. But for the weight issue every ounce counts so wouldn't carry so much. I will say I've carried before while dong inventory. Luckily I didn't have to carry everything under the sun so it didn't bother me. Was a couple seconds slow on shooting a yote with it too lol
 
I don't know how it is elsewhere but everytime I've run into a official in the woods they have had a firearm. I know someone mentioned "most wildlife runs off" but I do know I wouldn't be able to outrun a aggravated bear, mountain lion, moose, or whatever if the situation arose. In Maine, chances are you'll run into one eventually, especially if your in the woods everyday. I would think it would be mandatory.

Maine FR's have full authority? If that's true, I believe if you have authority to arrest, write summons, tickets, etc, like most PPL in uniform I've encountered in the woods have, you should have some sort of protection. We all know how some PPL react to authority. These rangers who have law enforcing authority shouldn't have to wait on a warden (who's probably hours away) when they are in a jam, no matter what the situation.

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Cal Fire rangers and State Parks rangers are all armed and for good reason around here. The big grows have not moved indoors and are run by the Mexican cartels. The grows are guarded and gunfire exchanges between guards and cops are not uncommon at all. Theses are not little grows for personal use but huge polluting industries where those working have family held hostage in Mexico. They produce or family members die. Weed is not always the way it is portrayed by the advocates. It is mean and nasty. Arm the Rangers.

The State Parks are Meccas for bikers. Nothing but trouble. Worse than gang bangers. Arm the rangers.
 
I don't feel the need to carry in the woods on account of wildlife, although I think there is some risk. Few years back we had a sick fox that kept bothering us in a pine job, thing would sneak up and do a little attack on you, stalking all the time, tearing pants even with the saw running and sometimes swung at fox. Finally Arthur put a hookeroon thru his skull. We knew the fox was not normal. There are more concerning things out there certainly and encounters can and do go bad. I had a restraining order against some methheads for a while, one of them threatened me in open court. I was concerned they would find me alone in the woods. I carried then, especially after the DA said it would be wise "they will look for you" is what the DA and LE told me. Funny how light the plastic gun felt with those words in my head.

Found a 'grow' on a job once years back. Stupid me, I had no clue what all the plastic was, walked up to it and had shouting and guns pointed at me. Lucky for me it was LE. I had no problem convincing them I was ignorant. I walked into a sting I guess. It was the size of an average garden around here. I was disappointed there were no peppers.

If I were expected to deal with the general public, which includes a special segment of the population and be in any position of authority I would want equal rights with the public.
 
Wildlife in general around here don't bother me but we have some really high cougar populations in my specific area. Lots of guys getting stalked and cats getting close. Had one 15 feet from me hunting one time. coming into a T intersection he was on the left hand part of the T. We both got there at the same time. Ran out in the road and thought I'd get a Texas heart shot on him but right as I let fly he bailed into the reprod. No blood. The old man went back the next day cuz I had classes in the morning and afternoon in town and cut his track and then heard him jump after he tossed a bottle he'd found. Two cougar were killed this year also due to depredation. One ran right past the neighbor after killing one of his goats the other killed another neighbors Llama. Dad put one of our game cams on the carcass, it was 40 to 50ft off the county road. It came in 15mins before he checked the camera and game dept came out and nailed it a couple hours later. Another neighbors dog had a big cat treed right by the house. All of this activity is within a 3mile stretch of valley. I'm not scared of cougars, just leery of running into one that sees me as the main course.
 
Those cougar scare me a little, only seen one, but some of them showing up locally, prolly not as many here as out there. Seen their tracks on top of mine several times, never saw the critter. Reason they make me nervous is we have a couple of somewhat domestic cats around here, they are like 12lbs, and they enjoy jumping out of trees in the dark, landing on a person and biting and scratching, they think it is a game. When I think of the size of a cougar, it makes me think twice as the darn 12lb cat stalks me and pretends to kill me.

WI DNR put out a statement a while back something to the effect 'there is no reason to fear a cougar in the wild, however if you do see one never under any circumstances turn your back on it or run'. That amused me a little.

I am more scared of malls schools and movie theaters than the woods overall. My sister was in the movie theater in Aurora CO a day before the event out there.

be safe- dave
 
Holy crap! Lucky. Anyways off that can of worms and back to the discussion. If cats (Cougar) have enough prey not much of a problem. But the population is high enough to create allot of competition and know of a few people that were attacked and did and didn't survive. Couple of boys hunting with their dad had separated. Boys went one direction dad went another. The older boy got a funny feeling and turned around and shot a cat that was closing in on them. Lots of depredation is by young cats that have been kicked out and the only unoccupied territory is near population. Plus without hound hunting the population has really increased. Years ago you didn't hear about people seeing cats, they tried to avoid humans as much as possible. And best advice is make yourself seem bigger than the cat if you ever have one stalking you. If you run it triggers their predatory instinct. Cat playing with a mouse anyone?
 

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