onX hunt inaccurate property lines

[Rich M]

F that. Never once had someone trying to run me off public that was polite and considerate. Most seem like the type that beat their dog for the fun of it. Had a fun 1 yesterday. Truck was driving cross country all over private and public land. Comes flying up to us literally dead center of a state section.
"You lost"
"Nope"
"I own this land"
"Me too"

He hadn't heard that one before, started stuttering for a bit. TFF.




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I'm usually 99% sure of where I am but then comes Joe Tuff Guy to try and intimidate me out of whatever area I'm in. You'll get a polite answer and a chance to prove yourself, then you get the other face of the coin.

If it is a property owner, he deserves respect, especially if you're on his dirt. If it is some idiot trying to pull one on you, then he deserves different.

I deal with this crap almost every weekend on public quota hunts (sounds like you do too), which is about all we have left around here. The aggressive"uber" hunters are usually younger jerks who think they are something special.

What usually happens is that they piss off enough folks that someone complains and then we end up with additional regulations. I want more access and less regulations to worry about.

 

[Dos Perros]

With all the maps, deeds, surveys, aerial photography, GPS and public records available....has anyone thought to ask?

It’s kinda like this:

Hello sir or madam. My name is Joe Rokslide Jr. I’ve been looking over some maps at an area I’m planning to hunt this fall and it appears to border your property. I want to make very sure that I’m in the correct area. Would you mind taking a look at this map with me?

Or...

Hi Mr. or Mrs. Forest Service representive. My name is Joe Rokslide Jr. I’ve been looking over some maps at an area I’m planning to hunt this fall and it appears to border several privately owned properties. I want to make very sure that I’m in the correct area. Would you mind taking a look at this map with me?


Yeah, you might hear “get the hell off my lawn” or you might hear “well honey, ain’t nobody hunted here in a coons age. You can hunt over there too. Let me find a pen and I’ll write you a permission slip. You know, I ain’t had no back straps since Wilbur passed. Maybe you could bring me some...”

Rumor has it a loaf banana bread once opened the gates to some primo turkey spots.


Have some phuqqin balls and talk to people.

Late reply, but wanted to mention one time I contacted BLM about a tiny sliver of BLM that granted access to some other stuff. Only problem was there was a fookin' barn built right on top of that sliver. I tried multiple times, and avenues, and never got even a phone call or email reply back.

 

[16Bore]

Some roads have dead ends, some roads don’t.

 

[jaksquatch]

I came upon a group of hunters driving the woods during the gun season on the deer property I've leased for years. One guy was standing a clear 30 yards out into my field. They had their phones out and began pointing out how the farm they were on (claimed that they were on) belonged to a different farmer. The lines, which come from the state maps of county tax lines, clearly but erroneously show the property line not just to encompass the woods, but running way too far out into the agriculture field. The landowner and other surrounding farmers all know the lines that show up on the state website are inaccurate, and since they've been farming the same properties for 50+ years don't give much thought to it. I see this being an issue in which once someone knows they can beat a trespassing charge due to inaccuracies in GPS or phone maps, it will simply embolden themselves and their friends to take liberties with what are otherwise well known property lines. They can produce these e-maps in court and show the position in which they were "caught" if need be and how it's not beyond reasonable doubt. Goes to show that you unfortunately still need plenty of no trespassing signs. Overall though, I wouldn't put this blame on OnX.

 

[ahhyut]

OnX has issues with their CAMA too. I use Huntstand where I live because the property owner information is more accurate. What would be nice, is with the amount of $$ OnX charges they should go to some of these disputed areas and adjust what their maps display.

On the topic of prosecution, if someone were to be ticketed and fight it, and during the recorded legislative comments on the bill it was cited that the GPS data is reliable enough for anyone to "know where they stand" and it is now on the recreator to know where they are at all times. Then I think a judge would take that into strong consideration and say that it is the duty of the local agency to have accurate data in order to enforce the property boundary. What I assume is most people wouldn't fight it and if they did fight it a DA wouldn't care and would toss out the case or file the case.

 

[Dos Perros]

Yeah, the county to whom you pay your property taxes should know where your property is, and reflect it accurately in the data they publish. And if they don't they are impotent to prosecute.

 

[prm]

OnX has been significantly off in one area I hunt, but it was a result of the county GIS being off. I just checked the county GIS and it has been updated, but OnX is still way off.

 

[Jbake108]

In the past I had wrote in an email about property lines being shifted to the west in my area ( me and neighbors ) it took some time but they did fix it eventually

 

[prm]

OnX, and every other map provider, are at the mercy of the country GIS data. So I always thought that if one is off, they are likely all off. The same area I mentioned in a previous post where the county has updated their GIS data but OnX is still off, BaseMap is correct. So, I guess always check the lines on your app of choice with the official source.

 

[fatbacks]

They are missing a ton of private property parcels that lie outside of the boroughs in Alaska. I emailed them and they said they’re working on it but it could take a while to show up in updates.


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[BFR]

I use both OnX and Garmin and there is some variation of lines. I was in a situation last year during the youth days that could have gone south badly. Was hunting state land, that had a small parcel of deeded land in it, both gps’s had us solidly in state land by about 100 yds. My grandkids shot bucks from the same group within 25 yds of each other and dropped them in their tracks. After field dressing and getting them to the road the owner of the small parcel drove up and asked where the deer were when we shot them. I showed him and he said that it was actually on the deeded land. We located the survey corner marker and both got out our gps and zoomed in as close as possible, interesting things happened, OnX showed us on state land, Garmin on the line, we took a step toward where we had shot from and was now well into state, took a couple steps back and we were well onto deeded. This area has no cross fencing so hard sign wasn’t available and is used strictly for grazing. Luckily the owner had already said he would not push it before we did the gps thing, helped us load them and congratulated the kids. Bottom line was he approached me respectfully and I did the same, respect goes a long way.

 

[manitou1]

I haven't read all the posts regarding this issue, but keep in mind that there are many inaccurate fences and property lines. I used to work for a surveyor part time and cannot tell you how many fences were "trespassing"! We have surveyed property disputes where a Looong fenceline was 200' off the line.
Keep in mind that many old historical surveys (surveys, once completed are filed at the courthouse in this state and are a permanent historical record) would read (example): "125 feet Northwest of the large rock for a distance of 300 feet..." You get the idea. If a rancher has used that same fencerow based off an old historical survey... or even "eyeing it up" from 120 years ago, things can be wanky.
I think the key is consideration and tact on both party's accounts. Avoid hugging property lines, respect the landowner and vacate if you aren't 100% sure. Be cordial and error on the side of caution, not appearing to be a slug. People overreact. If it is an accident and the guy isn't purposely trespassing there is no need to be an ass either. The world is getting crowded ain't it?!

 

[Titan_Bow]

If I’m going to be hugging a property boundary, I make sure it’s well marked. I had a spot I hunt in Nebraska where a little finger of public land hits out with a small creek bottom. It make a fantastic funnel. However it’s very clearly fenced and marked so there’s no confusion. I have a spot I elk hunt, where the old trail/road goes into posted mining claims. It keeps a lot of people out, but you can pretty easily box around the private and continue on the other side. I spent a morning while scouting and found the actual survey markers, and marked those on ONX. Surprisingly, they were damn near dead nuts on my phone too.


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[11boo]

It’s a guide not a gospel.

 

[stumpknocker]

Not to beat a dead horse but as a frequent GIS user-
It's not a surveying error that causes every line to be off by a uniform amount.

Any error in OnX maps that is manifested by a uniform shifting of property boundaries is (very likely) a projection issue, a common GIS mistake.

The same coordinates can show up in different spots depending on the projection. Most states use state-specific projections in their county maps.

My guess is the numerous county maps OnX compiles use different projections and there were mistakes in translation to the continental scale. I use GIS every day and see these errors all the time in published maps.

 

[Still Hunter]

I have always tried my best not to trespass. I use GPS, and ONX to help me avoid doing so. Goggle Earth and My Garmin GPS have been off with one another as much as 300 feet often with GPS Coordinates. As a rule of thumb I try to stay 100 yards away from property lines when hunting. I am certainly trying to hunt but I try my very best to avoid trespassing. When in doubt, I back out.

 

[HankNM]

I too use onx & a Garmin. Stay off property lines a ways if hunting,usually.
Had my place surveyed a few years ago & knew where corner markers were. My GPS was at most 3ft. off.Always heard GPS was within 3-5ft....
Surveyor's GPS system was also right there within 3ft,when she set up baseline on corner marker it all dialed in.
Counties Township markers are from original surveys for homesteading. I find the private split lines to be usually off a bit here.
I have found several ways into public lands off public roads that line up with BLM & state maps.
Very different in steep country & near Federal/private lines IMHO.....

 

[Snowcrest6]

The satellite images are also at least 15 years old in some cases.....theres a spot i hunt that has a house on the adjacent property that has been there for quite some time that isn’t shown. Forces a guy to wonder how old the property ownership and boundary line info is

 

[work765]

I haven't read all the posts regarding this issue, but keep in mind that there are many inaccurate fences and property lines. I used to work for a surveyor part time and cannot tell you how many fences were "trespassing"! We have surveyed property disputes where a Looong fenceline was 200' off the line.
Keep in mind that many old historical surveys (surveys, once completed are filed at the courthouse in this state and are a permanent historical record) would read (example): "125 feet Northwest of the large rock for a distance of 300 feet..." You get the idea. If a rancher has used that same fencerow based off an old historical survey... or even "eyeing it up" from 120 years ago, things can be wanky.
I think the key is consideration and tact on both party's accounts. Avoid hugging property lines, respect the landowner and vacate if you aren't 100% sure. Be cordial and error on the side of caution, not appearing to be a slug. People overreact. If it is an accident and the guy isn't purposely trespassing there is no need to be an ass either. The world is getting crowded ain't it?!

Have you ever heard of a surveyor fudging the lines of a property because it was someone they knew or got bribed?


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[work765]

I just recently purchased a home and funny enough onX is saying that I own more land than a barbed wire fence is indicating.


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