Crowd at Hap Baker

[RDavidP]

I am not sure when MD hunting season starts and I don't know how you all keep up with which weeks you can hunt what with what weapon, but I am pretty sure that hunting season comes in soon. I know right when hunting season starts, Hap Baker is a mad house. Anyone know what the crowd is like at Hap Baker right now? Not sure if hunting season has started yet. About three weeks ago I went on a Friday afternoon and had my pick of lanes, same with Saturday afternoon around 3pm. Anyone know if the later afternoons are still good? Or has Saturday morning become the best time because everyone is now out hunting? Hap Baker is a one hour one way trip for me, and I am not about to drive out there if the place is packed and may only get up to one hour of shooting.

Also I am taking my wife, who is just starting to shoot with a .22, and not able to handle all the "boom" from the large caliber hunting rifles. She had no problem on a Friday afternoon when there were only a few shooters.

 

[steves1911]

Muzzleloader starts in 16 days so expect lots of guys sighting in for the season. Even if only a couple guys are on the line with smokepoles you have to time your shots in between the smoke clouds. Rifle season starts the saturday after thanksgiving. If you can go on a wednesday or thursday in middle of the day it shouldn't be bad.

 

[Benanov]

I am not sure when MD hunting season starts and I don't know how you all keep up with which weeks you can hunt what with what weapon, but I am pretty sure that hunting season comes in soon. I know right when hunting season starts, Hap Baker is a mad house. Anyone know what the crowd is like at Hap Baker right now? Not sure if hunting season has started yet. About three weeks ago I went on a Friday afternoon and had my pick of lanes, same with Saturday afternoon around 3pm. Anyone know if the later afternoons are still good? Or has Saturday morning become the best time because everyone is now out hunting? Hap Baker is a one hour one way trip for me, and I am not about to drive out there if the place is packed and may only get up to one hour of shooting.

Also I am taking my wife, who is just starting to shoot with a .22, and not able to handle all the "boom" from the large caliber hunting rifles. She had no problem on a Friday afternoon when there were only a few shooters.

Sunday is a nice quiet day, at least the one time we went there. Friday should be *very* quiet.

 

[dev]

I was just there today. Stink bugs everywhere. Lanes were open for the most part.

 

[Engine4]

Got crowded this afternoon, there was a waiting line when I left.

 

[RDavidP]

So, what time was DEV there, and what time was Engine4 there?

 

[marko]

Get there early.
The handgun lanes are pretty open.
Long gun - wait. You need sights for a shotgun - no beads....

 

[dev]

So, what time was DEV there, and what time was Engine4 there?

I got there at 2:30 and had a lane. Both 100yd/200yd lanes were empty and about an hour later it started to pick up but I only seen two people waiting for a lane which they eventually got.

The most unpleasant part of the day for me was when they unloaded the septic tank in the Porta John (gross I was going to vomit).

Here is a tip for the fall. Try not to get lane number one because the stink bugs love it there.

 

[JCB003]

Sunday depends somewhat on what time the Ravens play. If its a 1pm game it will be busy and a wait until people start packing up around 12 to go watch the game. Then it will open up. We waited for 2 hours last Sunday and didn't get a lane on the rifle range, when we left to go watch the game so did a lot of others.

 

[Engine4]

The most unpleasant part of the day for me was when they unloaded the septic tank in the Porta John (gross I was going to vomit).

Lol, yeah that was a bit ripe!

 

[llkoolkeg]

The most unpleasant part of the day for me was when they unloaded the septic tank in the Porta John (gross I was going to vomit).

What...did it somehow manage to overpower the ever-intoxicating essence heretofore known as eau de décharge publique?

 

[dev]

What...did it somehow manage to overpower the ever-intoxicating essence heretofore known as eau de décharge publique?

It was so bad that I was about to crush up a bunch of stink bugs to make an air freshener.

 

[BradMaryland]

I'm going first thing AM Saturday for the first time any suggestions on time to get there?


GDRFB

 

[dev]

I'm going first thing AM Saturday for the first time any suggestions on time to get there?


GDRFB

Get there at 9AM sharp and hopefully you will get a lane. It will be an hour wait before the line goes hot. If you get there later and you get a number that is more then eight, then you can go grab a quick breakfast and come back.

If you go after 1:30 then you maybe able to get a lane without too much trouble as most tend to clear out around that time.

Whatever you do make sure you point the rifle up when transporting it to the shooting bench and back to the bench where you store everything. Do not under any circumstances touch your gun during a cease fire until the range goes hot again. This also includes removing your rifle from the case and placing it back.

 

[dev]

One more thing, make sure you open your actions on all of your guns if you have them out during a cease fire. They will come by and check to see all of the guns are safe before they send people down range to post targets. The ROs rules are there to insure your safety which is badly needed considering so many do stupid things.

 

[BradMaryland]

Get there at 9AM sharp and hopefully you will get a lane. It will be an hour wait before the line goes hot. If you get there later and you get a number that is more then eight, then you can go grab a quick breakfast and come back.

If you go after 1:30 then you maybe able to get a lane without too much trouble as most tend to clear out around that time.

Whatever you do make sure you point the rifle up when transporting it to the shooting bench and back to the bench where you store everything. Do not under any circumstances touch your gun during a cease fire until the range goes hot again. This also includes removing your rifle from the case and putting it back.

Thanked dev. I appreciate the heads up. Brad


GDRFB

 

[dev]

Thanked dev. I appreciate the heads up. Brad


GDRFB

If you have any doubts you can ask the ROs for clarification, they will be happy to instruct you. There are rules posted outside by the vending machine I highly recommend you read it. Apart from that good shooting just make sure you don't get lane number 1.

 

[BradMaryland]

Also good heads up I hate getting assigned bad lanes.


GDRFB

 

[J.T]

Here now. Waiting line for pistol range. Rifle range approx 1/2 full. A lot of people just hanging out it seems

 

[ktigerJ]

I really wanted to be there today but stuck on a never ending problem at work....