doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Stupid California... A Rant

I just don't see how sportsmen can keep living there, and keep complaining each time it gets worse. Evidently it's been so long since you've known what freedom is that you've become like the frog sitting in the water pot on the stove as it gradually heats up until it eventually kills him.

They haven't banned or taxed reloading yet but that is sure to come. Gotta get crime down somehow...

That seems to be accurate. I have a lifetime supply of lead hunting ammo, which is no longer allowed for hunting anything in CA, so most of my hunting is done elsewhere, except for waterfowl. And I have an adequate supply of non-tox for ducks, geese and the occasional pheasant hunt. When i go over the border to hunt, i take pics of all the ammo that's leaving CA, with GPS coordinates to prove it was mine when I left CA. And I have half a dozen loading presses in case any more fecal matter hits the fan around here.

And for those of you who may not be aware, all ammo transactions (including gifts), must go thru an FFL or a store with an ammo license (expensive), and the purchaser must pass a background check (with an additional fee). Even if you are buying a gun at the same time, with a background check and ten-day waiting period, there is a separate background check for your ammo. And the last couple of times i had ammo shipped to an FFL for transfer, they told me they were required to open the factory sealed flats and then open each individual box to ensure the ammo is as marked on the box. For that, they wanted to charge an additional $1 per box. Was told this by two different FFLs, so I stopped buying ammo, except for some speciality stuff before the excise kicked in.

Could it get any more ridiculous? The bastards will find a way.

How would the state know?

They are sneaky bastards. There are Border Patrol stations on most of the rural highways in my part of Southern California. Sometimes they stop you, usually not. I've never been checked there, and they are feds so probably a non-issue for them, but there are often a couple of CA highway patrol cars there and they may care. The bigger problem is the agricultural check stations coming in from AZ. There are ag cops there, no problem. But sometimes there is a contingent of game wardens who will pull trucks out of line at random for roadside inspections and bird counts. I have been inspected by them, and it's a big pain in the ass. i have been told by reliable sources that game wardens do not need probable cause to pull you over and inspect your stuff.

In my state the game warden can stop you in the field and check your license/permit, but only visually inspect your stuff. what that means is they can look in your boat, or look at you or look in your car, but cannot open a cooler, open a trunk, or ask you to surrender your game vest if you are in the field unless the game is visible such as a rooster tail feather protruding from the game bag. they can inspect your firearm, and even check the plug if there is a 3 shot restriction since the firearm is visible. they can observe if you are wearing hunter orange if required, and check the shells in your firearm to ensure they meet any nontoxic requirements, which includes unloading those in the chamber and magazine since they are part of the visible firearm. I am not a lawyer and dont push it with the wardens, and abide by the rules, so i try to be friendly and even ask them for information. but the warden always asks when fishing when i have fish in the live well with the lid shut if he can see my fish. i can agree or say no, but I always am happy to show him our catch. I am not sure of checkpoint rules which may differ between state wardens and USFW federal waterfowl guys.

Priceless. Punitively tax law abiding US citizens, gets crime down. Only in kalifornia. Used to be a favorite state to visit, fifty years ago.

In my experience, the Federal variety are harder to get along with, and seem like they have something to prove. The last time I was out, one of the Federal guys was checking gates on a big WMA, and ignored the dog and I, but, it was about 15 degrees. After he left, I had the place to myself. Made it a couple hours, with memories of Al Gore Jr warning about 20 years ago that snow and cold were going to be a forgotten memory.

Supposed to be -11 tonight.



Best,
Ted

I have heard stories, (unverified) that undercover agents will monitor the Reno Nevada Cabela's, follow an ammo purchaser to the parking lot to see if they have California plates, follow them across the border and nail them. The stupidity of the law is, that as a non California resident I can purchase all the ammo I want in Nevada and take it in to California and not break the law. All ammo purchases for California residents require a background check and a fee. Technically, this includes you loaning a single round to someone on the range. Obviously, these stupid laws are not enforceable.

We were warned:



Best,
Ted

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