Every citizen who can lawfully own and carry a handgun should be able to do so in state forests. Crime happens everywhere. The "why do you need a gun in the forest" people are exercising wishful thinking at it's worst.

Crime almost ALWAYS happens where we do not think it will. Think about it - would you go ANYWHERE where you thought a crime was likely to occur? Of course not!

Regulations against guns do not affect criminals. They are, after all just that - criminals. We could just put up signs "No crime allowed" and be done with it, but that would not work.

Concealed handgun permit holder are one of the most law abiding demographics in the nation. To have to actually ask for permission to protect ourselves is in itself silly, but here we are - doing just that.

Let's do the right thing and let lawful gun owners keep their pistols on them more often. We all benefit. To those who are afraid of coming up on some "pistol packing" hiker - please cite ONE EXAMPLE of where a person with a concealed permit committed a violent crime against someone on a forest, state park, etc. It's so rare it's not even worth mentioning, if you could even find one.