Lost Hunting Grounds

I can relate too. In Texas damn near everything is private land and the owners want alot of money to lease them. I really wish Texas had more BLM or state forests for hunting.

 

They have to allow access to the lands for officials, but they do not have to allow the public.

 

To add to my post, I am not against hunting. It is needed and some of the deer on my 200+ acres do travel outside the property lines (I posted it all but they seem to not read ) where they are fair game. We have the same 9-11 deer every night that we feed and occasionally (more through the winter) have up to 40 in our back yard.
I found like so much of today, the lack of respect, accountability and the over abundance of entitlement ruins any chance of trying to return to the “good ole days” of whole communities being and being able to share resources, at least in much of our area. I have caught poachers on my place (again it is all posted) with high powered rifles, ready to pull the trigger, with no ideal where my house or shop is.
WV land owners do not need a hunting license on their own land and coyotes are open season year round, I do kill all of those I can, a 338 Lapua can make a mess of a ‘yote, 450 yards away, trying to find a fawn that’s waiting for her mother whose trying to lead them away. The packs of coyotes here migrate around and will gone for 4-6 months before returning for about the same period of time. It’s great, like this year, when they are absent through the late spring and early summer when the fawns are being born. The mothers usually bed in our front and back yards because of the security and observation from our flood lights. We’ve had triplets in previous years that the coyotes or a bobcat would get one or two. We often, like just last night, have twins here and they are fun to watch. A friend used to hunt turkey here and has many mounted ones that he calls record sizes from our place. It’s not unusual to come across them in groups of 50 or more, however, the last few years we’ve not spotted many chics. Our dog, (wild but now somewhat domesticated) has a fancy for the taste of their eggs. I hope they are bedding further from the house and that’s the reason for their lack of being spotted. We have a male bear that lives to one side of our land and a female on the other. She has 2-3 cubs at a time and are very fun to watch when they show up on occasion for apples. Our place is enjoyable, to us, like it is.

 

You got that backwards. Private land owners can't restrict access on a road they don't own. They can try and many get away with it until legally challenged. This is true in every state. If It's a Forest Service or BLM road then only the Forest Service or BLM determines whether their road remains open or closed and who passes through.

 

Exactly, and there isn’t always a road for access. Some don’t understand that.

 

I live here and public land is inaccessible. Here's a link on the subject and how it can be blocked off. https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.2/public-lands-why-wyomings-public-lands-are-locked-up

Use Google before assuming you know about other states, because land rights, especially private, vary by state. It's a constant issue in my state, even if it's not one in yours.

 

I explained that some public lands have no access at all in inaccessible areas. There are usually no roads at all within miles. AK comes to mind. ANWR. Need a parachute there. Very few public lands have zero access where the only way in is through private property. Not saying it doesn't happen, but certainly not the norm. I simply stated that private landowners can't legally restrict access on a "Federally" owned road. Some don't understand that.

 

Not assuming anything. Read my posts closer. You are talking about state lands in your link. Of course each state can deal with how state public owned lands are accessed. Similar situation here. Google how the Feds deal with access to FS & BLM public lands that they are responsible for. There is a difference. I never mentioned state land access in my posts.

 

I gotcha, just meant people that haven’t been out west can’t fathom land locked public land. I was surprised first time I ran across it.

 

I fully understand land owner rights, I dont want folks all over my place, I always ask if I can hunt or fish, 99% of time the answer is no. Many years ago things were different, you could ask and 99% was a hell yes go ahead, just close any gates behind you and pick up any trash and dont leave any trash. When hunting the rule was if you see a yote shoot it, no matter what.

As those land owners passed away, land was passed down or sold, younger folks started saying no, then leasing got popular and folks found out they can get some folks to pay thousands of $$$ to be able to hunt and fish, greed took over from there. I get it, its their land not mine they do as they wish. No issues there.

Just sad to me to see things change like that.

Then you have those folks who think rules dont apply to them, screwing things up for everyone else.

 

I do get a laugh at folks who complain about deer on the highways, yet they have land and refuse to let folks hunt, try to explain to them the benefits of hunting and herd control, nope wont hear of it, but something needs to be done about all the deer on the highways LOL.

 

Later on this morning I'm heading up to Dakota Hill and passing through the 1400 acres on the FS road to go to my friend Marvin's 28 acres. An unusual situation getting there. The FS road that Marvin used for over 30 years to "get" to his private property was closed 3 years ago. No warning. None. To access his property is by way of another FS road that is basically a narrow jeep trail. Tunny gets scratched up good every time I drop down to get to his place. He's been fighting with the FS ever since. Feds have the power that states don't have. Not very forgiving either.

 

Here's Federal lands that are land locked, because Wyoming is big on private land rights. It's just a double edge sword.

https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/...-public-land-is-landlocked-in-wyoming-so-what

 

I worked a ranch when we moved here in 1979, I was 13. Got a job the spring of 1980 and had turned 14, fixing fence, hay hauling that summer etc. Good old manual labor farm work.

I asked the wife of the man that owned it if I could hunt that fall for deer, oh she shut me down and said no one hunts here. Then she said Ree, she had nick named me Ree, adapted me into her family. Sit down.

She told me why no hunting was allowed. Years before she said it different, then one day a man showed up and asked to quail hunt one of her pastures, sure go ahead she said.
She said heard lots of shooting that day and a few hours later the guy left, gates open did not stop at the house as requested.

She drove up to her fields and what she saw pissed her off seems that guy had shot and left lay over 50 quail, whole intact birds and shot gun hulls everywhere. Of course she called the game wardens, but after that all hunting was off limits. Only family could fish it, even her kids could not hunt.

She looked me right in the eyes and said Ree, you are like one of my own, you can fish and camp all you want, but if I ever catch you hunting my land I beat the fire out of you.

Yes maam, can I go now...LOL

 

Stolen property, my bbq grille shot full of holes, fence cut. ATV tracks all over my property. A total disregard for "my" property I own and pay taxes on. Our Game Management Unit is #83. One of the few in the state that is restricted to landowners and special draws. The state was forced to do it because of all the illicit hunting, break-ins, horses and cattle stolen. Landowners are tired of the crap going on our properties. Hunters with New Mexico plates have been seen on the properties. 55,000acres of privately owned land fully posted and Yahoo's still do what they want like they actually owned some land there. Not sympathetic at all.

 

I understand the situations, but I think we may have crossed messages, the post you quotes was a sarcastic comment about folks complaining about deer on the highways but are anti hunting.

 

It sure is. I'm very sympathetic with the landowners. The Feds seem to pick and choose how they enforce things. Overreach or nothing it seems at times.

 

Matt, I owe you an apology. I got shitty with you and I'm sorry. I didn't sleep for crap and I've got a borderline migraine hitting me, and my tact suffered as a result. It's no excuse for my poor attitude, and I do apologize.

 

It's elk down near my property. Ha! One of largest herds in the state roams around there. Don't want to hit one....

 

You made a good point. No worries. We are on the same page, just different paragraphs!

 

As someone who very recently decided to start hunting this coming Fall, this thread is depressing. I see both sides of it. The thing that hits home is the lack of self policing in the hunting community. That makes total sense to me. It’s the same with “overlanders”. People pooping on the ground, leaving trash and beer cans everywhere they go are ruining it for those of us who actually understand “leave no trace”.

I’ve had it in my mind to buy some rural property for a few years now. My friends who own a farm are constantly chasing people away. Guys will walk up the creek to get onto their land, play dumb when confronted, and try again the following weekend.

It’s just tough getting away from the fact that people suck, even out in rural or remote areas.

 

Hunting has morphed into a hobby I simply can't afford anymore.

 

People that do that are not "overlanders", they are assholes, and most likely locals. So irritating.

 

Funny thing is I've never hunted on my property. I have 3 neighbors down there now that live off grid year round. They have permission to hunt on my property. I know them and deer and elk are all around and pass through. I've got no problem with them hunting on it. In return they will keep a look out for me and chase folks off the property that shouldn't be there. I do hunt on my friend Marvin's property but just grouse. I carry a signed paper property owners can issue to show the game warden. I have permission to hunt on the 1400 acres too but just grouse too. Deer & elk seasons are nuts up there now with so many hunters. Not much fun anymore. Grouse hunting is still enjoyable though. Easier to gut.....

An FYI...I used to get an over the counter private land deer license to hunt on Marvin's property. As of last year no longer available. Marvin can't even get one now to hunt on his property. He has to enter the general draw for that GMU.

 

I have three trail cams right now on my property. Too late to help with the fence post theft. I do know where the fence posts are but can't prove it. It's not any of my "immediate" neighbors but close by. Apparently "they" recently bought their property and needed some fence posts.

 

Well, I appreciate your understanding. I do appreciate the leniency in this community.

Totally understand this approach. If I owned enough to worry about it I'd only let those I know, or those they vouched for in. Anyone I didn't personally know would have to be providing a lot of identifying info, and even then I'd not be inclined to allow it.
People are generally shit. We no longer live in a society. We are all strangers who just happen to live close together. Seriously, used to be neighbors watched out for each other and their kids. Now days they sue each other because a kid's soccer ball rolls on their lawn, and then others think they are entitled to use your property because they want to. It's a for sure.


Yes, I see the irony of praising this community just before condemning society. Both are still true.

 

If anyone is interested in purchasing some property in Crawford County, PA shoot me a PM. Great hunting with a nearby creek, dirt road to a dirt road to get there kind of affair.

Family member is selling his 81 acres currently, has a house, garage, gas well, and hasn't been logged in over 30 years other than to keep existing trails open. $450k

 

Dang, didn’t know the western states are having such an issue. Certainly sounds like it has changed since the early 90’s when I lived in South Dakota. Things were certainly different then.