Follow the rules or lose access

[Rotnguns]

This is a conversation that I bring up to a lot of hunters and have mentioned on forums before especially as it relates to ATV usage. Timber companies in northern Idaho have a long history of allowing public access for hunting, fishing, and foraging at no cost to the public. In much of northern Idaho that changed in 2019. At that time, several companies voiced concern to IDFG that they would no longer allow public access due to road/gate damage, vandalism, trash, illegal firewood cutting, and other bad behaviors. Since then IDFG has paid a lease fee to those companies to keep the lands open to the public. The same is true of State land (Endowment lands) the public no longer has free access to those lands; IDFG is paying a lease fee for us. Nearly all of these lands are closed to motorized use, target shooting, camping, and fires. They are open to foot travel, cycling, and day use.

Timber companies and F&G agree to leases for public access to private timber lands

idfg.idaho.gov

Every year I flag down a handful of hunters who are violating the access rules (mostly ATV violations behind closed gates) for those lands and ask them to abide the restrictions so that we continue to have access. I am most often told to F-off. Timber Company and State Lands account for a lot of good hunting ground and provide thru-access to national forest lands.

The location in the article below isn't an area that I frequent but it shows how we could lose access in other places as well. Congratulations morons you did it!

8,600 acres in North Idaho removed from Large Tracts Program by private landowners following repeated unauthorized use and rule violations

Manulife Investment Management recently removed nearly 8,600 acres of land from the Large Tracts Program in Unit 5 near Emida due to persistent violations and damage to property. The acreage has been divided into two parcels that will be leased for exclusive access.

idfg.idaho.gov

Edit: Point of clarification - State Lands are open to camping and camp fires, however, the Timber company lands are not except for some cases where some companies/lands have a system of reservations and allocating camping at specific sites.

Well said. Sad commentary that it only takes one or two jerks to ruin access for thousands that follow the rules.

 

[IdahoJoe29]

i often wonder how these timber companies got this land in the first place? They obviously bought it from national forest or it got traded to state land and sold at one time and now they control 90% of the access into a ton of forest service land. Now they start shutting it down and we lose a lot of access to our public land.

 

[WoodlandCritter]

Does anyone know of a set of lightweight packable stop sticks? Hear one coming in the dark as you hike in… cut your headlamp and jump off trail… deploy stop sticks and let them ride by…

(TM, Patent Pending)

Hmmm, a nylon spike strip or a little pack of titanium caltrops wouldn't be too hard to pack in.

 

[Weldor]

On a slightly different side, we saw a bunch of SXS's way off the trail. Contacted local FS, in this particular area they are allowed to retrieve game out to a mile off a trail. Kind of took us by surprise.

 

[Customweld]

i often wonder how these timber companies got this land in the first place? They obviously bought it from national forest or it got traded to state land and sold at one time and now they control 90% of the access into a ton of forest service land. Now they start shutting it down and we lose a lot of access to our public land.

A lot of it was railroad land grants. Strategic homestead purchases and land swaps also contributed.

 

[Burnsie]

This won't hurt the slobs, they don't follow the rules anyway I'm guessing they will just continue to drive around gates, litter...etc. As usual, its those who follow the rules that get screwed.

 

[TheTone]

A lot of it was railroad land grants. Strategic homestead purchases and land swaps also contributed.

Sure did a lot of good on getting rails built…

I’ve seen some timber companies purchase agreements form the 90’s and 2000’s that had purchase prices of $1/acre. Obviously BS but that’s what the county was lead to believe for tax purposes.

Nothing about land abuse surprises me in north Idaho, it’s practically culture, I’m just hoping this doesn’t influence other timber companies in the area

 

[Jpsmith1]

From what I see ATV users is right, but I think allot of them call themselves hunters. We hunt just north of there and just about every hour of every day during the season you can find someone in a side by side or 4-wheeler going around gates, tearing things up, littering, you name it.
When they instituted the travel restriction maps you couldn't even tell. Folks on ATV’s still drive everywhere they can, and make trails around the gate or obstacle if needed.

I've had them ride under a tree stand in archery season.

Incredibly frustrating

Then there's the trail damage, mud and erosion...

I sometimes feel like channeling my inner Ed Abbey

 

[wowzers]

i often wonder how these timber companies got this land in the first place? They obviously bought it from national forest or it got traded to state land and sold at one time and now they control 90% of the access into a ton of forest service land. Now they start shutting it down and we lose a lot of access to our public land.

Where are you losing access to public land? I’m vaguely familiar with the land in this situation but the only stuff I’ve seen gated off and blocked is roads that only access one of those entities ground solely. The intermingled ownership mainhauls are open.

None of this was even possible until the Wilkes got Boyle to help change the law on the requirements for posting private property. It just wasn’t feasible to legally post land blocks like this. Now you don’t have to post it.

 

[Dmoua]

I’m sure people not following the rules is a factor… but I’m pretty sure the primary reason is money. Manulife just pulled out of Oregon’s similar program. And I think the underlying reason is that it’s more profitable and less troublesome to go to leases.

This happened last year in Eastern Washington. Lots of hunting ground went out the door unless you’re willing to pay ridiculous prices to hunt in high predator areas. Some sections were listed above 50k as the starting bid.

With that said, I’m not surprised they went this route in Idaho as the amount of people that ride behind gates is pretty pathetic. I’ve seen a handful of gates get cut. Wouldn’t be surprised if all the other timber companies follow suit.

 

[Customweld]

Where are you losing access to public land? I’m vaguely familiar with the land in this situation but the only stuff I’ve seen gated off and blocked is roads that only access one of those entities ground solely. The intermingled ownership mainhauls are open.

None of this was even possible until the Wilkes got Boyle to help change the law on the requirements for posting private property. It just wasn’t feasible to legally post land blocks like this. Now you don’t have to post it.

….and with the passage of SB1326 CO’s will have a much harder time investigating poaching incidents on these enormous tracts of land.

 

[Baddog]

I’m sure people not following the rules is a factor… but I’m pretty sure the primary reason is money. Manulife just pulled out of Oregon’s similar program. And I think the underlying reason is that it’s more profitable and less troublesome to go to leases.

It’s this. People are willing to pay big bucks. Some clowns riding down a closed road don’t hurt future timber harvest.