Trespassing / Posting Public Land Stories

[Dos Perros]

I kind of do to...but when they try to push the issue when you are face to face with them is like a two year old with chocolate on their face shaking their head no. It's like come on we both know just give up.

Pretty much. I’ve yet to be confronted. Have been borderline harassed, more like questioned, when hunting BLM or state. Mostly kind/respectful.

I am learning to be driven researching access. I contact county folks, game wardens, BLM offices, etc. Even the more remote counties are getting good at publishing online GIS data of county roads and such.

 

[Marble]

2011 on a special draw Elk hunt in CA. We were driving roads bugling each corner and got a response. Went back and forth and then decided to go after him. He was across a canyon and there was a road on the other side. While we were getting in the truck, a homeowner about a half mile down the canyon starting lighting off fireworks and making noise. We got in the truck and went after him...

We got over to within 1/2 hike of the bull and started in. About 300 yards in a guy appeared in the woods and said we were trespassing. I politely told him I knew we weren't. He had put up no trespassing signs all over but it was lumber company land. And I knew it. The guy proceeded to walk with us and argue and threaten us. It got to the point where he said he was going to go up and ruin our hunt. I then informed him that if he did that, he would be in jail, tonight. He said well it takes hours for law enforcement to get here so he didn't care. My comment, "They might be closer than you think..." He knew what I meant. He kept talking about his "water system" which I knew was code for a weed grow. I made sure he knew we didn't give a shit about that. He then says, "Well if you kill one ill personally help you get it out." He then split off and went into the canyon.

We made it to the top of the hill and saw where the bull had been bugling from in the fresh prints in the road. One cow call and a bugle and the bull appeared at 70 yards bugling. We killed him. Very nice 6x6. 15 minutes later we hear the guy walking up to us. He tells us he's a man of his word and he'll be right back. He proceeds to get help, another two guys and drives an old mid 80s Toyota pickup right to the bull in the middle of the woods. It is the only bull to this day I didn't have to cut up in the woods.

That crazy old Vietnam vet was a man of his words.

 

[Cowbell]

2011 on a special draw Elk hunt in CA. We were driving roads bugling each corner and got a response. Went back and forth and then decided to go after him. He was across a canyon and there was a road on the other side. While we were getting in the truck, a homeowner about a half mile down the canyon starting lighting off fireworks and making noise. We got in the truck and went after him...

We got over to within 1/2 hike of the bull and started in. About 300 yards in a guy appeared in the woods and said we were trespassing. I politely told him I knew we weren't. He had put up no trespassing signs all over but it was lumber company land. And I knew it. The guy proceeded to walk with us and argue and threaten us. It got to the point where he said he was going to go up and ruin our hunt. I then informed him that if he did that, he would be in jail, tonight. He said well it takes hours for law enforcement to get here so he didn't care. My comment, "They might be closer than you think..." He knew what I meant. He kept talking about his "water system" which I knew was code for a weed grow. I made sure he knew we didn't give a shit about that. He then says, "Well if you kill one ill personally help you get it out." He then split off and went into the canyon.

We made it to the top of the hill and saw where the bull had been bugling from in the fresh prints in the road. One cow call and a bugle and the bull appeared at 70 yards bugling. We killed him. Very nice 6x6. 15 minutes later we hear the guy walking up to us. He tells us he's a man of his word and he'll be right back. He proceeds to get help, another two guys and drives an old mid 80s Toyota pickup right to the bull in the middle of the woods. It is the only bull to this day I didn't have to cut up in the woods.

That crazy old Vietnam vet was a man of his words.

Thanks for sharing - this is greatness

 

[Bubba94]

I did take this thread off topic.

Did the title change a bit? I didn't think the initial title had public lands. But my reading comprehension is low, apparently that's a thing around here.

The title hasn’t been edited. Any stories regarding actual trespassing or people claiming public land as their own are welcome. Thanks for posting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cowbell]

I have private access to some prime elk and MD ground in WY. I have issues with outfitters harassing me to "guide" for them - downright pushy about it. In the same conversation, they also like to tell me how many more animals we need to take off the place than we do. SMH

Most of the poaching issues I deal with at this location are the locals - guys that roadhunt and corner-hop just to end up shooting an animal standing on private ground. Happens almost every year.

 

[KSHunter270]

I have been escorted off family land by trespasser at gun point. Of course they were gone by the time the sheriff shows up!

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

Busted a road hunter once that poached a doe. Suburban full of crying kids when the GW showed up. Almost felt bad. Almost

 

[Fordguy]

(Details left out deliberately on this one) Hunting a friend's property last year, someone shot from a neighboring property and killed a big game animal 20 yards in front of me. The individual then attempts to cross the fence but panics when he sees me, falls down and then takes off running. Left the game animal dead on the ground. So, I called the game warden. Warden ends up catching the guy. He's a felon, on probation, has just committed multiple crimes while in possession of a firearm. The real kicker- his only penalty was an additional 6 months of unsupervised probation. No fines, no prison time, no revocation of hunting or fishing licenses, just 6 more months of unsupervised probation which is pretty much nothing. He doesn't even have to check in regularly with a probation officer.

 

[Customweld]

There used to be quite a bit of public land that was posted in a particular area that I use to hunt. Someone eventually raise enough hell to get it taken care of. There are a lot of wealthy folks moving in and buying chunks of property that had previous access passing through it and closing it off. Most rural Idaho counties or the Forest Service don't have the budget or appetite to fight it.

 

[Aces11]

This isn’t a public land story, but involves farmer posting land that wasn’t his. There was a strip of cattails that always had pheasants in it and wasn’t far from the owners house. He never posted it, but we always stopped and asked to hunt. The guy was always tinkering in his quonset, and always let us hunt. Opening day came and It was just me and my young son, so we stopped in and got permission. It was an easy walk, so I figured it would be great for my son. I could walk the cattails and my son walk in the short grass on the outside. My son was to young to carry a gun, but would be a perfect little walk. We drove around to park and to my surprise there was a posted sign on the gate. It had a different name on it than the owner, so we drove back and talked to the owner. He was surprised it was posted, and said that was the guy that farmed it. Told us the guy had no right to post it and we should go hunt. So we drive back around and get ready to start walking. Of course the guy that posts it drives up and starts chewing me out, telling me how I can’t hunt, and says can’t you see it’s posted. He was being a real jerk. I told him I had just talked to the owner and he told me you have no right to post it. The guys demeanor quickly changed. Then in his calm voice he said “even though it posted you plan to hunt, because I have a group of guys that was going to walk it later”. I told him that was the plan and turned around and started hunting. Next time I went out there the posted sign was gone.

 

[540-Virginian]

There used to be quite a bit of public land that was posted in a particular area that I use to hunt. Someone eventually raise enough hell to get it taken care of. There are a lot of wealthy folks moving in and buying chunks of property that had previous access passing through it and closing it off. Most rural Idaho counties or the Forest Service don't have the budget or appetite to fight it.

I have friends in Montana who said the political landscape changed and now the state won’t fight the rich jerks who block off access to public land, specifically the last administrations pick for department of agriculture and them not giving a fudge. Again all political was their complaint. Wondering from a lot of these stories similar to this if politics play into it.

 

[Customweld]

I have friends in Montana who said the political landscape changed and now the state won’t fight the rich jerks who block off access to public land, specifically the last administrations pick for department of agriculture and them not giving a fudge. Again all political was their complaint. Wondering from a lot of these stories similar to this if politics play into it.

I don’t know much about other states easement laws, but it’s tough in Idaho to get access back once a landowner locks it up. I know research is required for easement dedications, and if there aren’t any recordings, it’s even harder.

 

[82ndshawn]

A few years ago on one of my farms in Kentucky we had a deal that takes the cake on any encounter I have ever had. It was opening weekend of bow season and my farmhand at the time and me had hunted another farm that morning. So for the afternoon hunt we were walking about 3/4 a mile back to were we split up to go to different stands. I got almost to my stand and noticed someone was sitting in my stand. I walked up to the stand and ask the guy what he was doing. He starts screaming at me that I'm trespassing and to get the f$$k out of there. I kept my cool and told him he was in fact the one trespassing and he needed to leave. The longer this went on the madder and louder he got. I was about to explode so I told him to enjoy his hunt and be prepared to meet the game warden when he came down. About halfway back to the truck I tripped and busted my tail and that was the straw that broke the camels back. Hearing all the commotion my farm hand had come out of the woods and was waiting at the UTV which happened to have a chainsaw in it. We drove back up there and asked the guy to leave which resulted in more yelling. Needless to say he came out of the tree quick when my farm hand fired the chainsaw up and started walking towards the tree. He left running his mouth. We messed around for awhile and then headed back out towards truck. When we got there the sheriff was waiting and said the guy had called and said we tried to cut a tree down with him in it and were trespassing. After explaining the situation a bit the deputy just kind of chuckled and said I guess its not against the law to cut down trees on your own property. Needless to say we have had 0 issues on that farm since.

 

[Biggie]

Had a nice gentleman in Western SD cut me off on a public road and approach me with a gun. I was told to leave or start digging a hole. Quick call to the sheriff confirmed it was a public road and I made sure to travel with the pistol between the seats after that.

 

[YippingCoyote]

I've never had much problem here in Nebraska, but growing up as a land owner, I always make sure I don't trespass, at least not intentionally. And honestly, most people in Nebraska are super nice. I have heard the horror stories from out west though. It's too bad more people don't place as much an importance on public land as they do on private.

I am a huge proponent of public land and equal access, but when I get out to my spot and see someone else I always think of the quote from John Gierach.

"There are two types of fishermen: the guys in your party, and the a$$holes."

 

[Fordguy]

When I was a teenager and in highschool I made my spending money by training horses for other folks. Always had horses on my parent's place, some of mine and some that I worked with for others. I hunted quite a bit back then too. Anyway, I was out in one of our fields doing a little horse work, not close to any property lines when a guy walks up to me, gun in hand, angrily tells me I'm trespassing and that I have to leave immediately. I smiled and said "Really? Because if that's true Ive been baling hay in someone else's field for the past 10 years. Why don't you wait right here while I go get my step-dad." The guy left immediately but my step-dad raised all kinds of hell with the neighboring property owner. Turns out the guy was his nephew. We eventually had to have the property surveyed to keep them off of our place. Funny thing is that we have 40 acres. They have 450 acres.

 

[Bubba94]

Reviving this thread.

 

[Customweld]

Reviving this thread.

The legislators are back in town!

 

[Bubba94]

The legislators are back in town!

I just enjoy the stories and haven't been on the forum for awhile, that's all.

 

[Mt Al]

OK, I'll take the bait. I have had quite a few.

Years ago was hunting public that stretched into private. Shot a nice mulie. Was quartering it out when the rancher's son comes up telling me that I owe him $5000 (roughly 1997-ish dollars) for that deer, his client was going to shoot it, etc.. I showed him the map, with the right color of land, the GPS coords. He started yelling and I told him to call the sheriff, I would be making a few packout trips and they could just apprehend me on the way out and I'll pay him his money if I'm wrong. He walked off huffing and puffing.

Was on public land and shot a white tail and a guide comes driving up cross country with a suburban load of clients/dudes and he bails out yelling that I took a deer from his paying clients. Showed him a map, told him he's driving and guiding on public land and harassing a hunter. His clients kept asking him to calm down. I knew his dad, where he worked in the electrical trade and he finally drove off. He is or was in the hunting video business. Actually a good dude, just a bad day.

In Eastern MT was antelope hunting on BLM way off the road. Across the sagebrush, comes an outfitter's truck. Easily recognizable outfitter company from the logo on the door, took a picture, called the warden and asked him exactly what would happen once it was clear that he was breaking the law and the warden starts lecturing me about rights, guiding business challenges, etc..

Was on state land bird hunting. A guy comes up on a four wheeler and asks me what I'm doing, and did I know his ranch dog could kill my city/hunting dog. I asked him to please keep his dog under control, hope it doesn't come to this but I will protect my dog and what does he want to do now? He drives off. I was in the same car a year later hunting antelope nearby. Come back to the car with the rear window broken out. The car was way off the road so it was done on purpose. I called the sheriff, told him about the psycho up the road, how it could have been anybody - but had to be him, that there would be no proof obviously. Sheriff called back saying there were several complaints, one person had a picture of him doing it, got busted. From then on I called the guy, told him I'd be hunting public near his ranch, just wanted him to know and could I bring him anything from town and it has gone well for 15+ years.


If this happens again, and it will, I'll bring out my cell phone, turn on video and start recording and tell whoever's squealing that this conversation is being recorded, is being uploaded to the cloud as we speak and know that everything that's being said will be available.

As we all know, there are insane people out there looking for hero shots to raise their creds for whatever reason - and some of them have lost all reason. There are mostly wonderful people out hunting and I do enjoy running into people way off the road, but only non-crazy people!