BLM Grazing Lease Holders, Harassment, Misrepresentation

[WV Mountaineer]

I love it when I see a property for sale, and the listing starts off with something like this: "600 deeded acres, and 12,000 leased BLM acres for only $20 million". Do people really think that they own that public land that they run cattle on.......or think they will own it if they buy it? $20 million.......SMH.

Nope. They want the increase in value the BLM land offers them in assessment. Which means there’s no room for anyone exercising their right to be there. Except for them.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Most my family and a lot of my friends are cowboys. Yes cowboys, ranchers and farmers are tough, they work a lot and everything. I wouldn't say they're all badasses though. Very few have time to workout and usually drink too much.

I do agree that getting in folks faces is the wrong approach though. I usually just try to be polite and show I'm in the right and that's all you have to do. Go out there trying to get all rowdy with everyone is a good way to get shot.

Not all are bad people, but there is always a chance.

When you are wanted or a felon..linecamp ain't a bad place to be. Especially if paid cash

Exactly. Some of these replies are shocking to me. Do people really think you can’t run into some sketchy as f@$k people out in the middle of nowhere?

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I would caution against this…I work in the cattle industry and the type of men that live their life horseback at remote cattle camps are not the type you want to tangle with. They are stronger than you, and just about all of them are armed. Some of these people don’t live by the rules. In my part of the world we hear about human bones found way out in the sagebrush by hunters or hikers every few years. Not worth it.

Yep. Just move on. That’s what all those tough guys want.


I doubt rarely will any guy living on a horse will be stronger than me. And, I doubt very seriously he’s trained more than me.


Step up and be the man or pack up and move. But, no cowboy is going to make me do that. That same desolate place offers everyone the same options.

 

[mtwarden]

mtwarden, regarding the hunter harassment laws, if someone comes into your camp while you are not actively hunting (lunch break or whatever), are they in violation of the hunter harassment laws? Or is it only if you are actively hunting, say on a deer stand or out in a blind and they approach and start acting like a fool?

If you’re camped on public for hunting purposes and someone tries to wrongfully kick you out, the hunter harassment law would still apply.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Yep. Just move on. That’s what all those tough guys want.


I doubt rarely will any guy living on a horse will be stronger than me. And, I doubt very seriously he’s trained more than me.


Step up and be the man or pack up and move. But, no cowboy is going to make me do that. That same desolate place offers everyone the same options.

No offense but I had a banjo playing in the background when I read this haha . I’ve been way more cautious in Appalachia than I ever have out west…

 

[Poser]

SSS

 

[TylerTheTerrible]

Read the hunt harassment law of the state you hunt has one.

Keep this in mind if there is a run in, being overly aggressive or acting like a dick won’t help your case. The landowner or designee being a dick will help.

lo- “This is my land” you- “do I need to leave?” if he says yes, you’ve met the burden- in Montana anyways.

This is great. Almost certain I will be using this in the future. If we were hunting I would've called the warden but given we were not and their is no open season we did not opt for that route.

As for the rest of you talking about tough guys and standing up. I certainly stood my ground short of escalating. We (me and the grazer) were both armed. I got his picture, tried to talk to him, called the sheriff and we certainly stayed in camp for that night as planned. I would like to avoid getting into gun fights with entitled morons.

 

[Gutshot007]

Yep. Just move on. That’s what all those tough guys want.


I doubt rarely will any guy living on a horse will be stronger than me. And, I doubt very seriously he’s trained more than me.


Step up and be the man or pack up and move. But, no cowboy is going to make me do that. That same desolate place offers everyone the same options.

Agree on Wva, used to hunt with folks from wetzel county years ago . Family still goes down there . Some crazy dudes down there from the mines . Blood oath scottish folks down there . some appeared not to concerned about livin or dyin and at what cost . Most are gone now from "hard living" , but theres a few buddies still around that have settled down and lucky to be alive . So yes, parts of appalachia can be a little rough and tumble like the west. Lol

 

[TheTone]

I would caution against this…I work in the cattle industry and the type of men that live their life horseback at remote cattle camps are not the type you want to tangle with. They are stronger than you, and just about all of them are armed. Some of these people don’t live by the rules. In my part of the world we hear about human bones found way out in the sagebrush by hunters or hikers every few years. Not worth it.

Sound like typical bully behavior and people that never got put in there place when they were younger and it would have mattered. Being a piece of trash doesn’t make them right

 

[WV Mountaineer]

No offense but I had a banjo playing in the background when I read this haha . I’ve been way more cautious in Appalachia than I ever have out west…

No offense taken.

Agree on Wva, used to hunt with folks from wetzel county years ago . Family still goes down there . Some crazy dudes down there from the mines . Blood oath scottish folks down there . some appeared not too concerned about livin or dyin and at what cost . Most are gone now from "hard living" , but theres a few buddies still around that have settled down and lucky to be alive . So yes, parts of appalachia can be a little rough and tumble like the west. Lol

I’ve spent a lot of time in wetzel county over the years. Hunting and fishing with friends from college. Great place. Great folks. But, when people visit, they’d better mind their manners. So, those folks will mind theirs.

It’s really no different than any rural community in Appalachia. Or, any where else.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Yep. Just move on. That’s what all those tough guys want.


I doubt rarely will any guy living on a horse will be stronger than me. And, I doubt very seriously he’s trained more than me.

Go hang out in the amateur rodeo circuit. Something about manual labor from early childhood makes some of these guys incredibly strong. There are some dudes running around out there the size of NFL players that for whatever reason never played organized sports. Probably because their parents needed them to work.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Sound like typical bully behavior and people that never got put in there place when they were younger and it would have mattered. Being a piece of trash doesn’t make them right

Nobody said they are right, I was just pointing out the fact that they exist. And starting an altercation over your desire to hunt such and such drainage to fill and inconsequential tag could have life altering consequences. Just walk away.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Go hang out in the amateur rodeo circuit. Something about manual labor from early childhood makes some of these guys incredibly strong. There are some dudes running around out there the size of NFL players that for whatever reason never played organized sports. Probably because their parents needed them to work.

Around these parts and many others outside the west, kids don’t have time for the rodeo. They work the farm, clearing acres by hand. Cutting and splitting firewood. Construction. Landscaping. You know. Doing the things you imply make men out of boys. It’s not a west only thing. It’s called rural living.

 

[307]

I'm fed up with lease holders misrepresenting their ownership of the land, being aggressive, and just plain shitheads taking pictures of my license plate and riding their 4wheeler into my camp and almost hitting my dog on purpose. I've had 3 run ins with lease holders in the past year.

Some fun quotes for your entertainment include:
-"You're on my land" "This is public" "I graze here"
-"This is my land" when challenged, admits it a "Small sliver of public". I was on a 1200 acre piece of BLM.
-"What seems to be the problem, isn't this public? "Just barely!!!" when we were 1/2 mile from the nearest private.

In the most recent run-in, we called the undersheriff and he knew exactly who we were talking about. What can be done about these liars? Are there repercussions and the possibility of them losing their lease?

Step 1: Contact the Rainbow Family and volunteer as an event coordinator.
Step 2: Notify your local shitheads about the magical opportunity coming to their area.
Step 3: Smile and wait

 

[TheTone]

Nobody said they are right, I was just pointing out the fact that they exist. And starting an altercation over your desire to hunt such and such drainage to fill and inconsequential tag could have life altering consequences. Just walk away.

So a butthead rancher with no right to should be given leeway to kick someone with a legal right to be somewhere off public land because they may just kill them. Got it

 

[Billy Goat]

An area I use to hunt had an old Vietnam vet for the cowboy. He was a nice guy, I got along with him really well, would invite him to camp for dinner, usually every trip he would swing by for a meal.


He enjoyed the solitude, had seen enough and didn't really care to be around people. I think that's a common scenario for that type. Likely leads to or is because of some instability, I don't care to test it. I don't think it would be far fetched for many of them to actually be running from something. Not speaking of ranch hands necessarily, but the ones out living with the stock.

 

[Billy Goat]

So a butthead rancher with no right to should be given leeway to kick someone with a legal right to be somewhere off public land because they may just kill them. Got it

Do you walk the streets of DC or Chitcago @ 2am?

I think the point is being aware of your situation, and determining how to handle it.


I don't think the 2 compare, but you never really know what you are dealing with. I mean, people get shot just for driving like an idiot, never no what kinda mood someone is in.

 

[fwafwow]

 

[Marbles]

You can run into people who will eat your lunch anywhere. From city spiff to cattleman, to hillbilly. Same goes for people who think they are tougher than they are.

Respect everyone, fear no one, and if you are going to fight be sure it is worth being maimed/dying over or maiming/killing for.

You may be picking a fight you can win, but the person trips backwards and hits their head on a rock an dies, now you spend some years in a jail cell. On the flip side, some fights must be picked, even if the outcome is sure to be your death.

 

[Mt Al]

Nobody said they are right, I was just pointing out the fact that they exist. And starting an altercation over your desire to hunt such and such drainage to fill and inconsequential tag could have life altering consequences. Just walk away.

Just walk away? Not one person I hunt with after decades of hunting public land across Western states would or has backed down from someone who thinks they're an authority. Zero. I'm the farthest thing from a badass and laughed at two cowboys in two separate incidents, both miles off any road, and asked them if they really thought they were going to stop me from hunting public land. Both could have kicked my ass easy. But walk away? Get real. One even apologized and we hunted together for a few hours, said he'd never met anyone dumb enough to walk that many miles to shoot wild birds. I thanked him for not kicking my ass or tossing me in a mine shaft. He said, "the day isn't over..."

Honestly, do you actually know even person would answer "well....OK....I guess I'll leave and not hunt here since you seem to be in charge...I'll just walk away...I heard rumors on Rokslide about human bones in the sagebrush..." if a "live off horseback" cowboy got in their face? I admit, I have one friend who did because his young daughter was with him: circumstances. He went back the next day though.

95+% of cowboys, ranchers, leaseholders I meet way off the road are awesome, friendly people and I've met a ton. I have a pile of multi-generation cowboys and ranchers in my family. They might get a kick out of this thread.

Thanks Marbles: "Respect everyone/fear no one".