Between April 2, and May 8, 2026, multiple suspected destructive devices were recovered in Carson National Forest, near the Tres Piedras Ranger Station in Tres Piedras, N.M. On Aug. 10, 2026, an additional device was turned into the Canjilon Ranger Station in Canjilon, N.M. by a citizen who found it.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the placement and/or use of suspected destructive devices in the Carson National Forest, which is in northern New Mexico. The items recovered in these incidents are more commonly referred to as improvised explosive or incendiary devices.
The case, which has not yet been solved, is a timely reminder for every hunter. Weather, falls, getting lost and freak accidents are not the only risk for hunters whose opening day begins on public land.
The perils are not new, and whether it’s IEDs or armed criminals, the primary culprit for those life-threatening wilderness encounters nationwide is the drug industry. There are other suspects in the above case—including land grant activists, eco-terrorists and others—but in 2013 the marijuana sites were making headlines.
Pot Plantations
According to a White House statement that year 3.6 million marijuana plants were removed from 5,000 illegal outdoor grow sites nationwide. Forty-three percent of those plants were on public and tribal land.
Also in 2013 the risk to sportsmen made news. That’s when a father and son bowhunting on the White River National Forest in Colorado discovered a grow site. The pair immediately reported it and, as it turns out, lucky the location was trip-wire free and unguarded.
When officials arrived they discovered 3,375 plants at the location, with a street value estimated at $8.4 million. Despite that financial setback, operations didn’t move away from the area. According to the Seattle Times, law enforcement found two more nearby were in the five years that followed.
Legalization of marijuana in some states grow-sites don’t garner as much media coverage as they once did, despite their perils to innocent outdoorsmen and women. The discovery of one that covered 13-acres of Sequioa National Park—which has nearly 1.5 million visitors annually—a year ago made headlines more for its “under everyone’s nose” novelty than anything else.
Meth Labs
The advantages of rent-free outdoor scenery away from prying eyes, unfortunately, has not escaped notice of the amateur chemists who cook meth. A U.S. Forest Service issued bulletin warns, “Meth labs are found in remote areas of some of our national forests. As an environmental hazard, the byproducts of meth labs contaminate their surroundings with harmful fumes and highly explosive chemical compounds. Abandoned meth labs are basically time bombs, waiting for the single spark that can ignite the contents of the lab. In the hands of the untrained chemists simultaneously using meth and working with the flammable chemical components, a working meth lab is just as unsafe.”
It advises outdoorsmen who believe they’ve found a lab to leave the area immediately and contact authorities. Failure to do so can be dangerous confrontation.
Should you walk into one it warns:
- Do not open any coolers.
- Do not touch any items.
- Handling methamphetamine waste residue can burn your skin and eyes, and breathing in the gases can send you to the hospital.
- Handling these chemicals with unprotected skin, or getting the dust in your eyes, can cause serious damage.
Others
On July 16, 2026, two female U.S. Forest Service biologists were kidnapped and held hostage on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The situation armed standoff came to an end after 15 hours, with the hostages released apparently unharmed. A federal indictment was announced on July 30, 2026, although what exactly prompted the incident remains unknown.
What motivated the people or persons that placed the incendiary devices on the Carson National Forest is also uncertain. Currently we do know Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) certified explosives specialists and certified fire investigators collected evidence from the scenes. Forensic examination is currently underway and ATF is now the leading investigating law enforcement agency.
ATF reminds the public never to handle suspicious objects. Improvised explosive and incendiary devices can be extremely unstable and cause severe injury or property damage. Anyone who finds a suspicious item should immediately leave the area and call local law enforcement. Readers with information about the Carson National Forest incidents should contact ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). Readers can send tips to [email protected] or at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips.
