A fish and game club might put its facilities off limits if “irresponsible actions” continue.
PARIS – A local sporting group fears it may have to pull up the welcome mat unless people using its facilities act more responsibly.

The Norway-Paris Fish & Game Association has seen a building and signs on its Route 117 property become the targets of irresponsible shooters, said Mark Truman, an association director who also handles publicity for the group.

“We don’t have an estimate of damages,” he said Wednesday, but he noted that both bullet holes from rifles and pellets from shotguns have pockmarked association property.

Worse, Truman says, the group’s members fear that if people are shooting on association grounds in such a reckless manner, the same shooters could be aiming their firearms “in who knows what direction.”

He said, “The last thing anyone would want is for someone to get hurt.”

Norway-Paris Fish & Game facilities are near Streaked Mountain on the road that connects Paris and Buckfield. The grounds include both a rifle range and trap area for shotgun use.

Truman said the group has traditionally kept the grounds open to the general public, expecting that people will respect club rules, which are clearly posted. If the firearms-induced vandalism continues, however, he said that practice could cease.

“The irresponsible actions of just a few people could force the club to alter its position on the use of the property,” Truman said.

He said the association is asking its members and anyone who lives nearby or who passes by on the highway to keep an eye on the club grounds and report anything that seems out of order.

“Any activity that appears dangerous should be reported to local authorities immediately,” Truman added.

People who want instruction in the proper use of firearms are welcome to contact the club, he said. Members are willing to help people learn how to safely handle guns.

Truman can be reached at 743-7445.