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Shooters who blasted trees and left hundreds of shell casings strewn about have prompted Ottawa to ban target shooting in the Marlborough Forest, a huge swath of land southwest of Richmond.

For years, the forest has been a common place to go for people to practise their marksmanship skills, without any major incidents.

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But a recent spike in the number of people apparently using the forest in a “dangerous and disrespectful manner” has forced a crack down, the city says.

Pictures speak for themselves. A sign at the forest’s entrance, paid for by sponsors, was riddled with bullets, while garbage and debris from target practice was piled up and the ground left littered with red, green and blue shell casings.

Meanwhile, trees — some greater than 20 centimetres across — were pumped so full of shells that they were severed or had to be cut down.

City of Ottawa

One area in particular, off Paden Road, was ground zero for numerous complaints to police, bylaw officers and the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources.