Colorado land access

[Poser]

For academic purposes here is the photo of the gate/fence. The grate on the right is big enough for an ATV and the wire across the main road is not able to be opened unless you remove a bunch of wire. It only blocks about 2 miles but it is a relatively important road if you came in from the North (Saguache) and were planning on camping down by La Garita creek to hunt that valley. The only other road access to that valley is from the South (Del Norte).

An additional note: This location is one of the few places in the area you can get Verizon reception.

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Are you certain that you don’t just unhoop the wire at the top of the wood post and open the “gate”? -I’ve seen a number of similar types of gates before.

 

[SuspiciousFish]

Are you certain that you don’t just unhoop the wire at the top of the wood post and open the “gate”? -I’ve seen a number of similar types of gates before.

It looked like it was wrapped around on the top and bottom but based on the 2 poles on the left that may have been the initial design. It didnt really affect us too much as we just went up to glass but it makes for a tricky call if someone needed to get a vehicle down there. How much are you able to 'undo' a fence to gain access without getting into hot water? Especially with the crap those 2 hunters are going through in WY for cutting a corner.

 

[svivian]

For academic purposes here is the photo of the gate/fence. The grate on the right is big enough for an ATV and the wire across the main road is not able to be opened unless you remove a bunch of wire. It only blocks about 2 miles but it is a relatively important road if you came in from the North (Saguache) and were planning on camping down by La Garita creek to hunt that valley. The only other road access to that valley is from the South (Del Norte).

An additional note: This location is one of the few places in the area you can get Verizon reception.

View attachment 453708

First of all those grates you see on the right were put in years ago when SXS were not a thing. ATV were by far the most used OHV back then. Secondly you can easily open the gate by pulling the top and bottom wire off of the wood post on the left side. These are all over colorado.... very common

edit: also just because there is a gate doesnt mean the road is open to access. there are seasonal closures that the BLM will do. They typically post this with a sign but there are folks who do not like this and rip them down.

 

[SuspiciousFish]

First of all those grates you see on the right were put in years ago when SXS were not a thing. ATV were by far the most used OHV back then. Secondly you can easily open the gate by pulling the top and bottom wire off of the wood post on the left side. These are all over colorado.... very common

edit: also just because there is a gate doesnt mean the road is open to access. there are seasonal closures that the BLM will do. They typically post this with a sign but there are folks who do not like this and rip them down.

Thanks for the heads up. This was my first time hunting and I had not seen a gate like that before. I did not know about the top and bottom loops or it was constructed that way to easily undo and put back.

 

[BUCKELK]

It's not at your expense. I hate to tell you this but they pay MUCH more money to use that land than you do and you both still are able to use it.

This is becoming more and more of a problem. Ignorant city dwelling hunters fighting against the other uses of public land. Hunters, ranchers, loggers, etc. all need to realize we are on the same team when fighting the government for our rights.

 

[Poser]

It looked like it was wrapped around on the top and bottom but based on the 2 poles on the left that may have been the initial design. It didnt really affect us too much as we just went up to glass but it makes for a tricky call if someone needed to get a vehicle down there. How much are you able to 'undo' a fence to gain access without getting into hot water? Especially with the crap those 2 hunters are going through in WY for cutting a corner.

It’s just a cattle gate on a public road. The only purpose it serves and the only thing anyone cares about is the cattle not getting out. I understand it can be intimidating if you are new to fencing and public lands, but cross referencing a couple of courses such as a COTREX app and OnX should confirm the status.

 

[SuspiciousFish]

It’s just a cattle gate on a public road. The only purpose it serves and the only thing anyone cares about is the cattle not getting out. I understand it can be intimidating if you are new to fencing and public lands, but cross referencing a couple of courses such as a COTREX app and OnX should confirm the status.

That is good to know for next time. We hit quite a few fences over the week hiking around and kept checking OnX to see if there was private land if the OnX database was not up to date. You end up getting a pretty good system down of lowering your packs over the fence then one guy holding the wire for the other to slip through.

 

[def90]

For academic purposes here is the photo of the gate/fence. The grate on the right is big enough for an ATV and the wire across the main road is not able to be opened unless you remove a bunch of wire. It only blocks about 2 miles but it is a relatively important road if you came in from the North (Saguache) and were planning on camping down by La Garita creek to hunt that valley. The only other road access to that valley is from the South (Del Norte).

An additional note: This location is one of the few places in the area you can get Verizon reception.

View attachment 453708

That stick to the right of the tall post just unhoops from the wire and then you pull the wire gate aside. Basically pull the wire up off the top of the stick, then lift the stick out of the bottom loop, then pull the wire that is attached to the stick to the side and drive through. Reverse the operation to close the gate. It's not a fence.

Always return any gate that you come across to the state that is was in when you went through. If it's closed open it, drive through and then close it behind you. If open, then just leave it open.

 

[streetdoctor]

US National Forest and BLM land both have areas that are open for grazing leases. Hunt north of Steamboat Springs some day and you might run in to a heard of 10,000 sheep in the middle of the forest.

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**** those sheep and the dogs that "protect" them.

 

[fmyth]

Not in this case. OnX clearly shows its a vehicle road and the road had wide tracks. No sign indicating it was a ATV only trail. The grate is where the yellow SXS marker is. I am going to have a talk with the local Ranger District. They could have at least but a gate or something. I took a picture and can post it later this weekend. It was the last day of our hunt and I was pretty heated about it as we were in a last ditch to try to get into the valley.

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Ranger

National Forest? If so did you check the MVUM?

 

[Ragnüs]

Are you certain that you don’t just unhoop the wire at the top of the wood post and open the “gate”? -I’ve seen a number of similar types of gates before.

this is what the gate I came across was like. With my unfamiliarity with the cattle ranchers leasing public land from the government I decide to turn around. knowing this now I will have zero hesitation as it was a huge bummer on my first western mule deer experience... moral of the story, I need to do better preseason scouting.

 

[Ragnüs]

If it had been private, the sign wouldn’t have asked that you close the gate.

yea that's fair. but not knowing whether it was public or unmarked private property was the issue. Wish i knew about the cattle ranchers leasing property beforehand

 

[jayhawk]

Colorado is confusing. Landowners don't have to post their property, but OnX (and other maps) is very approximate in its measurements/layout, and if you cross onto unmarked private property it's YOUR fault.

Be careful out there everyone! Always double check your maps.

 

[Newtosavage]

this is what the gate I came across was like. With my unfamiliarity with the cattle ranchers leasing public land from the government I decide to turn around. knowing this now I will have zero hesitation as it was a huge bummer on my first western mule deer experience... moral of the story, I need to do better preseason scouting.

Most likely it was a wire gate. We call them "wire gaps" around here. I've built plenty. If you're lucky, you won't need a stretcher to open and close it. Sometimes there is a stretcher attached to the opening end of the wire gap. It will be a short section of pipe or a sturdy stick hanging from a chain or rope. You use it for leverage to bring the post on the open end toward the H-brace, then just lift the wire loop over the top of that H-brace post.

I've been opening wire gaps since I was probably four or five years old so I never even considered that someone might not know what they are.

 

[GringoBling]

Like everyone else has stated, it's definitely just a wire gap. They're all over Saguache County, I'm surprised that's the only one that you encountered.

Also, for anyone thinking that OnX is the bible on property boundaries, think again. It's good for approximations, but it is so very wrong in many instances. We have a boundary that OnX shows to be public, but it goes more than 100 yards inside of our fence (and our fence line is accurate). In CO anyone using OnX should know it's not the property owner's fault that 3rd party software is wrong.

And you've already pretty much admitted your ignorance, but just know that "cattlemen" do way more work on improving and maintaining "your" public land than you will ever do.

 

[BUCKELK]

Like everyone else has stated, it's definitely just a wire gap. They're all over Saguache County, I'm surprised that's the only one that you encountered.

Also, for anyone thinking that OnX is the bible on property boundaries, think again. It's good for approximations, but it is so very wrong in many instances. We have a boundary that OnX shows to be public, but it goes more than 100 yards inside of our fence (and our fence line is accurate). In CO anyone using OnX should know it's not the property owner's fault that 3rd party software is wrong.

And you've already pretty much admitted your ignorance, but just know that "cattlemen" do way more work on improving and maintaining "your" public land than you will ever do.

Truth!

 

[def90]

Like everyone else has stated, it's definitely just a wire gap. They're all over Saguache County, I'm surprised that's the only one that you encountered.

Also, for anyone thinking that OnX is the bible on property boundaries, think again. It's good for approximations, but it is so very wrong in many instances. We have a boundary that OnX shows to be public, but it goes more than 100 yards inside of our fence (and our fence line is accurate). In CO anyone using OnX should know it's not the property owner's fault that 3rd party software is wrong.

And you've already pretty much admitted your ignorance, but just know that "cattlemen" do way more work on improving and maintaining "your" public land than you will ever do.

If that's the case you should bring it up to your county assessor. OnX gets all of their data from local government GIS maps.

 

[Fitzwho]

Lots of wire-gaps in Texas on leases/ranches I have hunted. Cheapest gate there is. Run into a bunch in New Mexico on more than one hunt. Also had to deal with quite a few in Wyoming last week as well. If it's built correctly, they are pretty easy to pop up and down. I have also removed the vast majority of a finger nail on one not built nicely. Literally from last knuckle to finger tip... Still gives me a shiver thinking about it.

 

[txhunter581]

It's not at your expense. I hate to tell you this but they pay MUCH more money to use that land than you do and you both still are able to use it.

Not really apples to apples comparison. I hike public land, and maybe hunt and fish, but rancher’s animals are grazing the grass for a business and ranchers sell their cattle/ sheep for a profit.

They pay much less than market values to lease public lands, so they are getting a break at our expensive.

And FYI, I am a rancher myself, and I am glad some lands are available for this purpose, but you can’t compare our use of public lands for hunting to their use for profit. And I have seen abuses of overgrazing, cattle destroying watering holes elk use, ect. Even been on some hunts where areas where there are normally elk were devoid due to overgrazing.