Montana’s decision to roll out Stage 1 fire restrictions across a dozen Fish, Wildlife & Parks sites in Big Horn and Roosevelt counties is more than a seasonal precaution—it’s a reminder that the same public lands Second Amendment supporters fought to keep open are now subject to ever-tightening seasonal rules that can limit how, when, and even whether you can carry or train. With restrictions hitting everything from Grant Marsh and Bighorn FAS to Tongue River Reservoir and Chief Plenty Coups, shooters who frequent these dispersed ranges and back-country plinking spots will suddenly find campfires, charcoal grills, and—by extension—many overnight stays curtailed, forcing a scramble for private land or indoor alternatives just as summer training calendars peak.

The ripple effect for the firearms community is practical and political. On the practical side, hunters zeroing rifles for the upcoming season or families introducing new shooters to safe gun handling now have fewer legal places to light a lantern or run a generator, nudging more of them toward private gun clubs or mobile ranges that can operate under stricter fire plans. Politically, the closures underscore why pro-2A groups continue to push for year-round access guarantees and liability reform on state land; every time a seasonal restriction is announced, it becomes fresh evidence that “multi-use” promises can be dialed back without legislative debate, reinforcing the argument that the right to keep and bear arms is hollow if there’s nowhere left to bear them.