Public access or not? What do you think?

[dietter700]

I have a phone call into the game commission here in PA. I drove by this part I have marked with a yellow “ A “ . It definitely doesn’t look very inviting . There are no signs that say state game lands on etc. it just looks like a part of this guys farm. Let me know what you think. I know OnX can be wrong at times.

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[Sekora]

I would double check it against the tax parcel maps for the county if they are available online. It is very possible that the strip of land in question was originally laid out the way it is to provide road access to the parcel that is now gamelands.

 

[Newtosavage]

I would double check it against the tax parcel maps for the county if they are available online. It is very possible that the strip of land in question was originally laid out the way it is to provide road access to the parcel that is now gamelands.

What I was thinking. Could have been a legal recorded easement that went with the tract that is now state lands, and the landowners on either side just count on people not knowing about it. Heck, sometimes they don't even know about it themselves! LOL

Using OnX this season, I found a strip of BLM land that was 1/2 mile by 176 feet wide, along a county boundary. It gave me access to a few thousand acres of BLM land that I am not sure anyone else knew about. Mine were the only footprints I saw on that strip of ground all season.

Good luck!

P.S. sometimes you have to help educate the game wardens, so have your facts and documents ready to go when you talk to them.

 

[Wiscohunter]

I would double check it against the tax parcel maps for the county if they are available online. It is very possible that the strip of land in question was originally laid out the way it is to provide road access to the parcel that is now gamelands.

This ^^ OnX is great, but the county tax map would confirm it. The parcel looks like it might be a drainage, which Natural Resources agencies love to buy and might give access as well.

 

[dietter700]

So here is the tax map says when I click on that strip. See photo.

Also the other thing that leads me to believe that it was made for an access is because the other side that looks like the same strip is owned by a normal land owner that owns the property around it. The side in question says it’s owned by the game commission.

I would like to talk to the land owner as well bc ideally I would want to park there as well and there’s not really a parking spot . Just his field and dirt road .


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[elkguide]

That's the best approach. And go sooner than later. Be polite and talk with him about his property, the wildlife around the area and ask if there is anything that you could do to help him out. I find that being friendly and helpful opens lots of doors.

 

[jspradley]

Better to have a good relationship with the neighbor if you can than just "It's public so suck it!" even if it is public and he can, in fact, suck it if he doesn't like you accessing that.

 

[dietter700]

For sure

 

[Newtosavage]

Just expect to have company if you park right there and someone sees you walking in. Been there, done that. If it were me, I would ask one of the neighbors if I could park on their place. They probably won't go for it, but it's worth a try. If you get permission to park on private and then walk in, other hunters will probably think it's private and leave you alone.

Sometimes you gotta get sneaky to cut down on the competition on public lands.

 

[Fordguy]

I have a similar question about a piece of public in Wyoming. OnX showed an access point at the end of Rosetta Lane outside of Cheyenne. Rosetta lane ends in a T and the road at the top of the T seems to be private. However, OnX shows the access crossing the private road onto public property as if rosetta lane continues through. All fenced and cattle on the public on the opposite side of the private road, but thats normal in wyoming.
Plenty of potential opportunities that may or may not be even with OnX.

 

[Rich M]

Looks like an access path to me. Just like has been said - get dropped off and do not park there.

Betcha bump a buck outta that ditch line.

 

[psalm1715]

I would just talk to the farmer. Some Public land in PA is really strangely landlocked or the access points are really far from anything worth hunting. Just be super polite! I'm sure property owners around public land have had a lot of terrible experiences.

 

[FLAK]

I once "made" a new parking spot by plowing through some roadside brush/briar patch, which led to some great hunting
on NF Land. Didnt take long, became real popular.
In retrospect I should have parked across/down the road and snuck in when no one was coming.
Dont advertise your new found location.

 

[Jburr]

I have found several narrow strips of land like this that give access to thousands of acres of public land otherwise inaccessible