STEVENS COUNTY, Wash. — Washington's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is shutting down Boggs Pit in Stevens County. It's a popular area for gun enthusiasts to practice their target shooting. DNR cites stray bullets hitting nearby homes combined with an overall failure of some to obey and follow general firearm safety rules for the closure.
KREM 2 News spoke with homeowners near Boggs Pit who claim the bullets are hitting their homes and cars. They say the situation has gotten worse over the last year.
A statement released by DNR says Boggs Pit has been plagued by irresponsible shooters, who have also sparked fires with exploding Tannerite targets.
DNR will be closing Boggs Pit on Thursday, October 5, 2023.
"They bumped it up a day because of the incident on Sunday where my husband almost got shot," a nearby homeowner, who KREM 2 News is choosing not to identify due to privacy concerns, said. She says her husband heard a gunshot whiz overhead while working on their roof.
The shot then traveled next door, nearly hitting another neighbor.
“The next thing I knew was I heard this whistling sound above my head," the second woman said.
Seconds later, she says another shot hit a shipping container five feet away from her.
“Which just brought me down to the ground because it was so scary and loud," the woman said. "If that thing hit me there’s nobody up here that would know because nobody is home. So yeah, pretty scary.”
The woman whose husband was almost hit says they live about half a mile away, well within range of some calibers. She showed three bullets, including two 9 mm and one .45, which she says have hit their property.
"It's been terrifying actually. We've lived out here a long time and never for the life of us have we thought we'd have to worry about being shot on our own property," she said.
KREM 2 News spoke with people using the shooting area Wednesday; none wanted to speak on camera but some asked why DNR doesn't post someone at the site to prevent unsafe shooting.
"We’d actually filed a petition with DNR and that was one of the things we’d recommended," one neighbor said. "We’re pro 2nd amendment. Everybody out here is.”
Neighbors say they're sad to see a long-time tradition go away and understand most of the pit's users are responsible. Though some are shooting over the high embankments, using improper backstops, or shooting across Sherman Road adjacent to the pit.
“We understand that this is a popular area for target shooting, but there’s no excuse for shooting homes or vehicles,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz in the DNR statement. “The irresponsible shooters at Boggs Pit are putting people’s lives in danger and have left us no choice but to shut down shooting here to ensure our neighbors are safe.”
Lawful hunting will still be allowed at Boggs Pit.
“Although the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office finds the closure of Boggs Pit unfortunate, we do support the closure,” said Stevens County Sheriff Brad Manke. “While the rules surrounding the use of the area on DNR land for shooting are clearly posted, they are frequently disregarded and have created a public safety issue. The Sheriff’s Office has responded repeatedly to Boggs Pit for littering, fires, shooting after hours, bullets ricocheting near adjacent landowners’ homes, people shooting incendiary targets, shooting during fire closures, and most recently a nearby landowner finding a bullet hole in their vehicle. There is a definite need for areas for the public to utilize for shooting enjoyment and sport, which we very much support, but when public safety cannot be reasonably be guaranteed due to the location, alternatives need to be sought.”
With an unsafe situation hitting too close to home, homeowners nearby say they're happy to see and hear the last of Boggs Pit.
"Enough is enough. Somebody’s gonna end up getting killed," one of the homeowners said.
You can learn more about DNR's recreational target shooting guidelines here.
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