Trespass fee for access to secluded public land?

poboy2214

FNG
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Mar 5, 2019
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I'm trying to hunt an area that is about 6 miles from a public access, but I'm talking to someone that lives on the private land surrounding this area of national forest that would make it a 1.5 - 2 mile hike in each morning. For those of you that have made deals like this before, what is a reasonable fee to pay for basically parking? I also offered manual labor instead so we'll see what he says.
 

ewade07

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I'd first start by just asking, not mentioning a trespass fee. You might get lucky and the landowner may just allow you to pass through his land. If a fee is necessary, my guess is that they will set the price.
 

Augie

Lil-Rokslider
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Apr 21, 2022
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I guess to me it would depend on the state its in, species you're after, and how good the hunting is in that area. I won't name spots but I have been to an area that a landowner has about 15 acres only about a hundred yards wide but extremely long and acts like a wall between two nearly impassible terrain features. Beyond that property is thousands of acres of state and BLM land. This is in a unit managed for trophy elk and the elk stay right near that property during the rut with nearly no access due to the private on the other side plus it being an 8+ mile hike on the public if you did get access. there. I'd imagine the trespass fee for that property (if they would allow it at all) would be pretty steep with the amount of outfitters and tag holders waiting 10+ years to draw the unit knocking on their door. Big price to pay to be within a 500 yard walk from the road to screaming trophy bulls.
 
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In someone's favorite spot
I'd first start by just asking, not mentioning a trespass fee. You might get lucky and the landowner may just allow you to pass through his land. If a fee is necessary, my guess is that they will set the price.
This.

For years I walked through 1/2 mile of private to access about 8k acres of BLM land in New Mexico, with the landowner's permission. She was an elderly lady who lived alone on a sheep ranch. All she asked is that I stopped by and visited with her for a while when I came out. So I just planned in an extra hour or so each trip, and she was happy to have me out there.

When I left, a friend of mine had met her and she also gave him permission to walk through. That was, until he quit stopping by to visit with her and then she told him he couldn't pass through anymore. LOL

I agree just start by asking politely. Sometimes money gets in the way of a good relationship.
 

rclouse79

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I got access through private to a piece of public I use for antelope hunting through a friend. There was never any mention of a fee, but I always drop off a nice bottle of whiskey when ever I use it to let them know it is appreciated.
 

ewade07

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This.

For years I walked through 1/2 mile of private to access about 8k acres of BLM land in New Mexico, with the landowner's permission. She was an elderly lady who lived alone on a sheep ranch. All she asked is that I stopped by and visited with her for a while when I came out. So I just planned in an extra hour or so each trip, and she was happy to have me out there.

When I left, a friend of mine had met her and she also gave him permission to walk through. That was, until he quit stopping by to visit with her and then she told him he couldn't pass through anymore. LOL

I agree just start by asking politely. Sometimes money gets in the way of a good relationship.
Poor old lady just wanted someone to talk to!
 

92xj

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I know of a public pond that holds large amounts of waterfowl, that is a very tough 3 mile walk from the closest public access point. The farmer that has land that borders the public, 50 yards from the pond, leases the rights to his land for 5k a season.
Not how I would spend 5k, but someone does and will continue for years to come.
 

KHNC

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In Leadore Idaho, there is an outfitter that has locked up miles of public land. He hunts it with clients and it is full of elk. He is a great outfitter, even though i have never hunted with him. Takes 3 miles of extreme hiking to go around and access the same area that he and his clients get to by parking and walking 100yds. Unfortunately , nobody lives there to talk to about access. Tough area.
 

ODB

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I know of a public pond that holds large amounts of waterfowl, that is a very tough 3 mile walk from the closest public access point. The farmer that has land that borders the public, 50 yards from the pond, leases the rights to his land for 5k a season.
Not how I would spend 5k, but someone does and will continue for years to come.

Nuts.


I knew of a hunt group in your neck of the woods (a friend paid in one year) that used to 'lease' access to certain duck hunting spots. They gave specific directions to these spots where you would pass "Private Land" and "No Public Access" signs on the way in. This in the days way before ONX or google maps. When I went with him, we got lost as it was super foggy. We accidentally found the fully public access to this same area from a different direction. Whole thing was a scam. He got his money back.
 

WCB

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Just to park and walk across the property I might drop a hundred bucks or so. If it is an area I might be able to hunt for a couple weeks or multiple species and I have access the entire season. However, I have places a couple cases a beer a year and maybe pickup the landowners bar tab a night or two gets me year round access for anything I want to hunt on a couple thousand acres

Another spot... just good conversation, some .22 lr when finding it was tough, and my wife chatting up the farmers wife for a couple hours about gardening, I have unlimited access to 2 large properties and as many vegetables as we can handle when we visit. All we originally asked for was to walk 75yards across his field to get to some trees to bow hunt on a WMA and not have to walk 1.5miles from the other side. And I know 100% people have tried to lease his property and he tells them it is already locked up by us.
 
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Apr 13, 2019
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Correct! And she was a cool lady. Always had a loaded Colt .45 on the coffee table during our visits and she had a Dachshund named "Cowboy." Those were good times. Solo access to 8k acres of excellent mule deer hunting on resident OTC licenses. I miss it!
My buddy has a connection to hunt his buddys hunting lease, his buddy has had this ranch tied up for years for archery elk, we can hunt it for mule deer or rifle elk for a modest fee, but we've got specific instructions NOT to talk to the old gal that lives on the place, lol.
 
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