government shutdown has devastating effect on U.S. nature photography

Tom, why not just hike into the park? I live within walking distance from a National Park, and while the gate is indeed closed, there are many trails leading into the park and nobody is stopping anyone from hiking in.

SVTmaniac wrote in post #16338742
Tom, why not just hike into the park? I live within walking distance from a National Park, and while the gate is indeed closed, there are many trails leading into the park and nobody is stopping anyone from hiking in.

As long as you're OK with risking arrest and prosecution, be my guest.

SVTmaniac wrote in post #16338742
Tom, why not just hike into the park? I live within walking distance from a National Park, and while the gate is indeed closed, there are many trails leading into the park and nobody is stopping anyone from hiking in.

For several reasons. The area I was planning to photograph at later this week is national wildlife refuge. As per refuge rules, no one is allowed to hike in the refuge - you must remain at or near your vehicle. This is typical for many wildlife refuges. Secondly, any entry into the refuges and parks is ILLEGAL because of the government closure. You are not allowed to walk into the park, hop a gate, etc. And neither am I.

Also, the areas where the deer are are roughly 6 miles from the entry gate. So, even if I thought I could enter the refuge and not get arrested, that would mean a 12 mile round trip hike. That is simply not going to happen, not with 30 pounds of photo gear, food, water, etc. But that is really a moot point because it is illegal anyway.

All law enforcement personnel in both national parks and wildlife refuges will still be working, and on duty - so they will be patrolling the parks and on the lookout for anyone who enters illegally. The rules/laws about this are very clear, and I am surprised that there is any misunderstanding about what you are allowed/not allowed to do.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #16338769
For several reasons. The area I was planning to photograph at later this week is national wildlife refuge. As per refuge rules, no one is allowed to hike in the refuge - you must remain at or near your vehicle. This is typical for many wildlife refuges. Secondly, any entry into the refuges and parks is ILLEGAL because of the government closure. You are not allowed to walk into the park, hop a gate, etc. And neither am I.

Also, the areas where the deer are are roughly 6 miles from the entry gate. So, even if I thought I could enter the refuge and not get arrested, that would mean a 12 mile round trip hike. That is simply not going to happen, not with 30 pounds of photo gear, food, water, etc. But that is really a moot point because it is illegal anyway.

All law enforcement personnel in both national parks and wildlife refuges will still be working, and on duty - so they will be patrolling the parks and on the lookout for anyone who enters illegally. The rules/laws about this are very clear, and I am surprised that there is any misunderstanding about what you are allowed/not allowed to do.

No reason to get so defensive over it. I saw plenty of people walking in Saguaro National Park this morning doing their normal jogging and hiking as usual. Nobody was there "arresting" anyone. It's all smoke and mirrors.

There are six national forests in Washington State. They will be open except for the facilities and developed campgrounds. Here in Arizona the national forests contain many lakes and streams and much if not most of the wildlife in the state. There are also thousands of acres of reservations that are still available for photography.

Didn't we go through a shut down a few years ago? Maybe I'm thinking of state (lived in WA, OR, and FL, so it could have been one of those). The shut downs usually don't last too terribly long, and I would think there is a decent chance of everything back up and running in a few days, but.... I'm not really following this too closely.

KirkS518 wrote in post #16338791
Didn't we go through a shut down a few years ago? Maybe I'm thinking of state (lived in WA, OR, and FL, so it could have been one of those). The shut downs usually don't last too terribly long, and I would think there is a decent chance of everything back up and running in a few days, but.... I'm not really following this too closely.

Internet says the last one happened in 95, but I don't think anyone really remembers, because it wasn't the worst thing to happen during the Clinton administration.

Kolor-Pikker wrote in post #16338836
Internet says the last one happened in 95, but I don't think anyone really remembers, because it wasn't the worst thing to happen during the Clinton administration.

Yes......gooberment shutdown?? Yawn

KirkS518 wrote in post #16338791
Didn't we go through a shut down a few years ago? Maybe I'm thinking of state (lived in WA, OR, and FL, so it could have been one of those). The shut downs usually don't last too terribly long, and I would think there is a decent chance of everything back up and running in a few days, but.... I'm not really following this too closely.

Both sides are digging in their heels, so this could last awhile.

Even here in Wisconsin, Horicon Marsh - run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is closed.

"Due to the lapse in appropriated funds, all public lands managed by the Interior Department (National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management facilities, etc.) will be closed. For more information, FAQs, and updates, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown."

So if the park rangers are not "on the clock" can they stop you from being on the property? Similar to can an off duty police officer or a police officer on leave do what he normally does?

Kolor-Pikker wrote in post #16338836
Internet says the last one happened in 95...

In that case, the last shutdown occurred the same year as the discovery of the Hale–Bopp comet, which also caused global cataclysm.

Hi everyone... just a suggestion. Check out some of your awesome state run parks, and wildlife refuges.
That's mostly what the wife and I have always done... also a lot of county governments have public land run by the county recreation department.

State parks, state forests, national forests still accessible; what at the longest will likely only be a few weeks worth of no people trampling all over and littering the national parks. And if it's anything like the shutdown in 95, the stock market should improve while things are shut down (did close up today); and there's even a chance on the backside of this taxes could be lower.

Nope, absolutely zero devastation here (the title did make me laugh; and nope, no devestation from the sequester yet either); and I routinely see parts of the local National Forrest and some state lands shut down to give them a chance to recover from human touch, if this does go on for a few months, hopefully an undisturbed autumn will make for a much better spring to photograph.

Tom (OP), take a serious look into going and finding something new in a state land to go photograph, I highly doubt that all the deer in the state are in the same spot, or that deer are the only subject out there to be photographed. Don't look on the plans lost, but the opportunity to expand your horizons, go on your vacation and try something completely new to you. Also most NPs I've been to have private land around them that's untouched, so if it must be that general area, take a look at campsites and similar areas that have private land that's preserved; may not always be well advertised, so it will probably require picking up the phone and trying a few locations.

The only time that I was turned away from a National Park through it being shut down was 11 September 2001 - Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado. Thankfully, the circumstances of this shutdown are not the same.