Texas billionaire brothers block another Idaho road, prompting criticism over public access

[cuerro viejo]

Aw I see, because I’ve met them from a business standpoint many years ago I’m now a supporter because I believe in finding common ground instead of burning people out when they don’t open up their property to the general public w/o compromise. I got it.

As a landowner and watching posts on this thread I see why doors are getting closed daily. Maybe the problem is just as much us as hunters as it is them.

I’m a huge fan and contributor of both state and federal access walk in programs, your inability to see the other side is what is killing and or causing hesitation with lots land owners.


Talk about irony...Funny bunch of people mad about the lack of punishment for Mulie Freak dude.. 3rd criminal trespass with a firearm is 3rd strike felony in TX. Jail time, 10 of thousands in restitution and fines and no gun ownership and loss of hunting privileges .

 

[Mike 338]

I haven't been following it to closely but as I recall, Boise Cascade used to own that property and the road through it. Boise Cascade and the Country must have had some agreement about maintanence but as far as I'm aware, nobody can find any records of easements so maybe it's was never really a public road. Just a handshake agreement. New owner does what he want's with the road. If it ever was a public road, the gate would be torn out by now by the County and the Wilks would be foot'in the bill. All I know is that if I bought a house and dudes were used to crossing my yard to get from here to there, I'd put up a fence.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

Anyone know what they use the land for? Have they ever even set foot on it or any of the property they purchased in Idaho?

 

[C Bow]

Does no one have a winch or large bolt cutters in their hunting vehicles They are mandatory here in North Carolina because everyone locks the gates to public land because that is where they put their liquor stills Some places have a garbage can beside the gate to throw cut off locks in

 

[Reburn]

"I think this is pretty funny.
#1 good job forest service not having an easement. You better hope your federal government has it lawyers getting easements drafted up now. It wont take long for others to figure out this trick.
#2 You can't really be mad at someone who played the game by the rules and won.
#3 There is public land all over the western states and 100 year ground leases. What do you propose cutting a road through all these ranches to access 100 acres of public land? The construction cost alone would be astronomical.
#4 so you hunted there and now can't because a land owner worked within the law on their own property?
#5 Its still public land. You just must access through private to get there. And cant trespass."

Point #1: I think it was touched on earlier but isn't it a thing that if an access point is proved to be used consistently by the public for access, that it becomes a historical easement? I'm pretty sure this is the deal with the Crazy Mountains, the landowners there put up a gate on a trail and then after a while claimed that the trail wasn't used anymore. It's easy to see this is what these jokers are doing here in Idaho too..

Point #2: You should probably go understand some of the other things besides this that they and their employees have done here in Idaho since they bought the land in 2016 (ie: harassing people on public areas adjecent to their lands, putting up gates that are proved to be illegal with no reprucussions, etc.) So they aren't exactly playing by the rules to win my friend.

Point #3: There is literally no discussion about creating a road here. This is a road that has existed for many many years. This is a strawman point not even related to this discussion.

Point #4: People did hunt there that now can't. It had been Potlatch Timber land and timber land has a history of allowing public access. The attitude of a western timber company and that of rich Texas dudes is very different when it comes to large scale land ownership. The stark contrast on the surface caused a stir here in Idaho but I think most people understand that these guys bought the land and can restrict access to it how they would like. But again, you're redirecting the discussion because the discussion is centered on activities by these jokers in which they go outside of their purchased lands to put up illegal gates on historical public use forest roads just to test the waters and see what sticks.

Point #5 Again, see point #1 pretty sure historical continued use by the public has the ability to grandfather an access point through public land in. If you buy land with a public road, you purchased it with a valuation as such.

As I said in another post later if they blocked a legal easement it was a jerk move. I'm not taking the time to respond to all the counter points as you made it clear in your next post you feel all texans are egotistical A holes. But then you try to apologize to the "Good Folks" Think as you like and carry about your merry way. Have a nice night sir.

 

[Conundrum]

I personally know an Idaho rancher who was told to get off his own land by two armed fellows employed by the Wilks. He called the sheriff who sorted things out quickly. The rancher didn’t press charges but told them there would be a different solution if anyone approached him with firearms on his land again. The armed security said they were mistaken as to where they were.

I was born, grew up, and live near where this is all going down. The Wilks may well be within their legal rights but they are certainly pushing boundaries, not being good neighbors, and are definitely not making friends.

 

[@fulldraw]

Not sure what's to clarify? Its pretty apparent that they arent concerned about litigation to remove the gate.

Got it—I interpreted it to mean that there was something preventing litigation on the issue