Hunting Banned Along Paradise Road

So far as I know, there hasn't been any hunting incidents or problems there, but now we're closing it to hunting because some hunters might accidentally enter residential or recreational areas? Why does this smell so much like an anti-hunting bias?

If the area has become too populated with other recreational users to feel safe about adding hunters to the mix, say so. Hunters and shooters are tired of being closed out of ever increasing spaces and painted as the bad guys when they have always been among the most responsible, considerate, and respectful users of the forests.

I agree with you Becky. Hunters get a very bad rap that is very undeserved. Responsible hunters do more to help ecosystems than hurt them. And most of them want to stay well away from recreational areas anyway.

It would be helpful for Los Padres to release a map that tells us where we can hunt reather than just making announcements about all the new places we can't.

Seems pretty sensible to me, I wouldn't take it personally. Why would anyone want to hunt along Paradise Rd which is the main traffic corridor along our part of the SY river anyways? There are campgrounds with families, cars, hikers, bikers, equestrians, vacationers, and other people all along the road. Plenty of places to go bow-hunting or whatever elsewhere in the LPNF.

@Becky: "been among the most responsible, considerate, and respectful users of the forests"

Sorry, but this is utter and complete nonsense. Let me direct you to the vile trash piles that are the "shooting ranges" on Figueroa Mountain Rd and East Camino Cielo. There are no larger collections of garbage and refuse anywhere in the national forests than these two site. Hunters and shooters are in fact some of the very LEAST responsible, LEAST considerate, LEAST respectful users of the forest.

Regards,

Jeff Butler,
Solvang

Sorry Jeff Please don't put the shooters that abuse the heck out of forests and leave trash at their shooting sites in the same category as Hunters. There is a huge distinction there. I have been shooting for years and neither myself or my friends ever leave an ounce of trash when shooting. Like everything else, there's always a small portion of idiots that ruin it for the vast majority of folks out there doing the right thing.

I would like to clear up a couple of mis-conceptions about the article. As I provided the info to Matt, I'm a bit surprised at what he wrote.

The hunting ban has nothing to do with a few stray jackrabbit hunters accidentally wandering into the residential or recreational areas. The hunting ban was enacted because there are a few hunters who consistently, persistently, intentionally hunt within the residential areas, contrary to common sense and state law for keeping a proper distance from buildings and occupied homes - even when asked repeatedly to stay away from the homes and cabins.

As the federal land manager, I have some responsibility to try and protect my employees, their families, recreational residents (cabin owners), and the general recreating public.

Enacting this ban on hunting within the recreation area along the Lower Santa Ynez will not prevent law abiding hunters from accessing their hunting areas outside of the recreation area. Unfortunately, it will also not prevent those few hunters who cannot follow the rules from breaking those rules and potentially endangering others within the area.

What it will allow is for law enforcement to take action against that small minority of hunters who will not abide by the rules, who consider themselves above the law and don't seem to care that they potentially endanger others in their pursuit of game.

Douglas Dodge
District Ranger, US Forest Service
Santa Barbara Ranger District

Good clarification.

It defies logic why some hunters would do such a bone-headed thing as to shoot firearms or arrows in areas where there are people living and recreating.

Americans in general are such individualists and hate it when governments "tell us what to do". But now we know why rules and regulations are needed. Even when you'd think common sense should be enough ... we have to protect ourselves from ourselves.