how close is too close when hunting next to private land?

[BuzzH]

Keep in mind that the property lines on mapping services aren’t exact. I have a neighbor that is a surveyor. He said it is not uncommon for them to be 50-100 yards off.

I use GPS technology a ton and I've never, not one time, found a property line or established corner that was off 50-100 yards.

For the record, wardens in MT and WY carry a GPS with the same software and mapping programs (onX) that hunters use. That's how they determine if your animal is on private or public.

 

[marktole]

I shot a bull in Colorado last September (archery, obviously) that was 150 yards away from a property boundary. It was last light and it ran back to the ranch that we called it off of. Heard it crash probably 3-4 minutes later, like it had ran on to the private, into a draw, held up, and died.

Called the warden that night and left a message. Got with him the next morning and he called the ranch manager. Permission denied. He didn’t want anyone on the ranch unless he could be there to go with them. And of course, he didn’t have the time to come meet us. Warden couldn’t do anything else so the bull laid there to rot.

I spoke with the warden for a while on the phone and he told me that the two ranches near the public where I was hunting have had tons of issues with trespassing over the years. They were so sick of it they just wouldn’t allow anyone access for any reason unless they had the time to escort them.

The warden stressed the importance that I had “done the right thing” by calling instead of just going on the land to look for myself in the dark. Sometimes I guess doing what’s right doesn’t always yield the result you think it should. Oh well, lesson learned.

 

[Poser]

Curious what the groups thoughts are about strips of private land in NF that are mining claims and clearly abandoned, unmarked claims at that, though they do still come up as “private” on maps. I looked up the stated owner of one such claim and it is a long defunct LLC and the signs of mining activity are 30-40 years old. (It’s not like it’s a honey hole, just that one either crosses a privately held, abdomen mining claim, or one crosses a river or climbs thousands of feet to avoid it).

 

[Mattyq17]

Curious what the groups thoughts are about strips of private land in NF that are mining claims and clearly abandoned, unmarked claims at that, though they do still come up as “private” on maps. I looked up the stated owner of one such claim and it is a long defunct LLC and the signs of mining activity are 30-40 years old. (It’s not like it’s a honey hole, just that one either crosses a privately held, abdomen mining claim, or one crosses a river or climbs thousands of feet to avoid it).

I am curious as well. There is a couple acre piece of private property in NF where I hunt in Ca. 2 hour drive into NF, then a 2 mile hike past a forest gate that has been locked for 15 years, that I found on OnX. No private property signs, some very old half fallen down barbwire fence is all that marks part of it. You wouldnt know its private unless you had a map or OnX.

 

[GunsAreFun]

I use GPS technology a ton and I've never, not one time, found a property line or established corner that was off 50-100 yards.

For the record, wardens in MT and WY carry a GPS with the same software and mapping programs (onX) that hunters use. That's how they determine if your animal is on private or public.

They probably use it because they aren’t trained surveyors and it’s the best tool they have at their disposal. If those lines were precise, then the surveyor profession would not exist.

My neighbor has actually showed me an example where a property corner was nearly 100 yards different than what the map showed.

 

[LostArra]

There are also ranchers that have their cowboys ride the fences to keep elk on the private side.

Last season I saw cowboys on horses with dogs gathering stray cows and they pushed the elk OFF the private land. It didn't last long though.

 

[T28w]

I shot a bull in Colorado last September (archery, obviously) that was 150 yards away from a property boundary. It was last light and it ran back to the ranch that we called it off of. Heard it crash probably 3-4 minutes later, like it had ran on to the private, into a draw, held up, and died.

Called the warden that night and left a message. Got with him the next morning and he called the ranch manager. Permission denied. He didn’t want anyone on the ranch unless he could be there to go with them. And of course, he didn’t have the time to come meet us. Warden couldn’t do anything else so the bull laid there to rot.

I spoke with the warden for a while on the phone and he told me that the two ranches near the public where I was hunting have had tons of issues with trespassing over the years. They were so sick of it they just wouldn’t allow anyone access for any reason unless they had the time to escort them.

The warden stressed the importance that I had “done the right thing” by calling instead of just going on the land to look for myself in the dark. Sometimes I guess doing what’s right doesn’t always yield the result you think it should. Oh well, lesson learned.

i was interested to see if anyone had direct experience not being able to recover an animal.......sucks that the landowners have been taken advantage off as much as they have to become that jaded about letting anyone on the land. not blaming them, just sad that it has come to that.

 

[BuzzH]

They probably use it because they aren’t trained surveyors and it’s the best tool they have at their disposal. If those lines were precise, then the surveyor profession would not exist.

My neighbor has actually showed me an example where a property corner was nearly 100 yards different than what the map showed.

Right, so if the Warden is basing whether you're on private or public, and is using the same way to determine that...then you're good to go. There isn't 50-100 yard differences between GPS units, even if on different map datums.

Determining land ownership and boundaries is NOT going to come down to a survey, but the best available way you have (map, fenceline, or in about 99.9% of the cases, GPS technology) to determine if you're on private or public in a hunting situation.

You're requirements are to the best available means, you don't have to pack a surveyor around when you're hunting.

 

[neil.hansford]

I have seen a couple of cases, and heard of several more in MT where a landowner doesn't allow for the retrieval of game. It's a risky proposition shooting an elk or a deer, especially with a bow, near private property.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[LongWayAround]

They probably use it because they aren’t trained surveyors and it’s the best tool they have at their disposal. If those lines were precise, then the surveyor profession would not exist.

My neighbor has actually showed me an example where a property corner was nearly 100 yards different than what the map showed.

Property lines can be off quite a bit from what an owner believes. But more often, the fence just isn't on the property line... for a variety of reasons. Also, onX uses county gis data and occasionally their imagery is shifted which in turn shows up erroneously on gps maps.

I am a field surveyor and use my onX often to find section and property corners.

My cow this year died fifty yards from a property line after I watched the herd cross the fence.

 

[Wilks54]

Sometimes if that fence has been there long enough, it becomes private property too. At the minimum it’s an argument that could turn into a court battle.

also depends on which way that animal is going. If it’s headed from private, I’d be more apt to take a shot close to a property line vs having that animal headed toward private property.

 

[Tradit]

I can't imagine someone not letting you recover an animal that was shot legally on property adjacent to theirs. But, then again, I can't imagine the actions of many these days.

 

[Indian Summer]

Yes landowners can and do refuse to let hunters recover animals. Nobody wants to go home after a hunt knowing there’s an elk laying there rotting away. So my advice is to ask the landowner in advance if he will give you permission to retrieve animals. If not you might want to take that into consideration when you plan your hunt.