This past season I was Mule deer hunting in the boghorns, unit 53. According to my hunt Wyoming GPS chip and my DIY topo hunting map I was 1 mile from land owned by Bischoff (or something like that can't find my map or chip right now). I found what looked like a really cool place to hunt when all of a sudden I noticed a sign marking it as private property with the Bischoff name on it. Even though according to the GPS and map I was a mile away from his private land I decided to not push the issue and just found some other place to hunt. At the time I was upset and I wanted to call the G&F department and bring this to their attention or ask them about it. Unfortunately I did not have cell phone coverage and I never ran into a warden to ask him. What do you guys think was this illegally marked? The signs were old so I know they weren't new. My gps chip and map where both up to date. Do ranchers do this a lot, by that I mean marking a little farther out from where there land actually is? Is this ok? Would it have been illegal to hunt there even with my GPS and map saying it was public land?
Illegally marked?
- Thread starter islandlaker
- Start date
Sawfish
Very Active Member
Yes. they do this more than you think. No simple solution. You will have to go to the G & F or BLM office, and convince them of the problem, then they will either go out with you, or contact the landowner and have him take down the posting. Locking BLM gates is pretty common. Especially in CO.
In God We Trust
Very Active Member
They should hammer the guys that do this with a trespassing fee that is identical to what a guy would get for hunting on said individuals land. If they are caught twice doing this then a felony is in order. These guys do not want hunters trespassing on their land which is understandable and the public does not want them jacking around with ours.
Againstthewind
Very Active Member
Its hard to catch them for doing that unless someone was to complain and talk to the warden or something, but then the warden would look at you just as hard for where you were and how you got there. I don't think the GPS has any legal bearing. The wardens take it into account that you thought you were on public with the GPS, but if the land is actually private you could still get the trespassing. Tough situation. I hope I didn't lead you into trouble. I thought I remembered someone on here going close to the Bischoff property last year. The sign placing problems probably happen quite a bit.
BLM gates could be locked for other reasons than just trying to lock out an area. Sometimes they close areas for research, rehabilitate an area, stuff like that, but I am sure sometimes people just lock them to keep hunters out, too.
BLM gates could be locked for other reasons than just trying to lock out an area. Sometimes they close areas for research, rehabilitate an area, stuff like that, but I am sure sometimes people just lock them to keep hunters out, too.
missjordan
Veteran member
One area I frequent in montana has the same problem right off the main road. Mt gps chip says left side of the road is private but right side is completely fair game, however there is orange every few trees on the right side. Never was there until two seasons ago but nobody's addressed it yet. Kinda bizarre If you ask me
tdcour
Veteran member
So can you get in trouble by still hunting the land that is illegally posted? Are you going to get slapped with a tresspass fine even though it isnt their land?
Againstthewind
Very Active Member
http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/wy/information/docs.Par.1305.File.dat/publicaccess.pdf
Sorry I didn't say that very well. If it is really public you wouldn't get in trouble I don't think. If the GPS was wrong and you were on their lease and it was posted, I think you would still be responsible. Its all up the warden and everything. That was what I was trying to get at. I think in the case above you could take the warden to the sign and investigate, its just that in my experience I am usually the one who messed up and I would end up blowing the whistle on myself, lol.
An area that my brother hunts in AZ is "state trust land". Several ranchers have grazing rights in this area and frequently post no trespassing signs at gates that access the state trust property that is open to hunting and fishing. Sometimes the sheriff is needed to tell those ranchers they are illegally posting those signs. Some of the ranchers do it every year.
shootbrownelk
Veteran member
Contacting the BLM will get you nothing. The biggest problem there is to find someone who works for the BLM, and when you ever do...it will go nowhere. Contacting the Landowner who posted public ground will get you an argument at best, or a fist-fight at worst.
Getting the G&F to do anything to a Rancher....well...good luck with that. My hunting partners and I got into a verbal spat over land ownership/grazing lease differences a few years ago. We had a GPS, they had a GPS...it said the land was leased for grazing from the State, the rancher didn't own it. That fact did not stop the overbearing,loudmouth jerk from continuing his rant about him "Controlling" the land in question. We just left before it escalated into something dangerous....with him still bitching. I never went back.
coloradoshedhead
Active Member
I have run across this on national forest property. My older blm maps told me there was a section where the corner dipped down onto a usfs road. On the road where the property is supposed to cut through there is a couple pp no trespassing signs. Also, a couple miles before on the road a sign says there is no public property for 6+ miles.
I wasn't gonna push the subject until I got the gps with the hunt map chip which confirms the public property bordering the public road for at least a 1/4 mile. I believe on usfs roads you are only allowed to park in designated parking areas which would be further up the road a couple miles? Although going up the mountain at this point would shave valuable hiking time off my route.
This kind of sounds like the same thing other guys have experienced. What would you guys do? I figured if I contacted a warden or ranger it might bring added attention to a sticky situation? I'm with In God We Trust with these landowners should be punished just like a regular joe whos trespassing.
I wasn't gonna push the subject until I got the gps with the hunt map chip which confirms the public property bordering the public road for at least a 1/4 mile. I believe on usfs roads you are only allowed to park in designated parking areas which would be further up the road a couple miles? Although going up the mountain at this point would shave valuable hiking time off my route.
This kind of sounds like the same thing other guys have experienced. What would you guys do? I figured if I contacted a warden or ranger it might bring added attention to a sticky situation? I'm with In God We Trust with these landowners should be punished just like a regular joe whos trespassing.
Matthoek21
Veteran member
Some of these landowners are crazy. We had an incident where we were hunting turkeys on the opposite side of the road from a land owners property. The land we were on was national forest that butted up to my buddy's property. We shot a turkey 300 yards across the national forest on my buddy's property. When we walked out this guy was standing at our truck swearing we had shot the turkey on his property. He was raising cane saying we better not have done this, that, and the other. And this guy had gone to school with my buddy but was known as an a$$hole and sure proved it there. It could of gotten ugly to. Not a cool situation when everyone gets heated and is standing there with a gun in their hand. It really pi$$Ed me off but what can you do?
Hilltop
Veteran member
Call the sheriff and or the game warden for the area. Harassment of hunters is illegal. If you don't do something about when things like this happens then these guys feel more empowered in the future.
Murdy
Active Member
I was hunting near Buffalo last fall and talked to some guys who got a trespass fine for hunting in an area that their GPS showed as public. Apparently it was private land that had previously been in public-access program but had been withdrawn, and they hadn't updated their GPS chip. BLM and such probably doesn't change like that too often, but walk in boundaries and the like might from time to time. They apparently got no sympathy from the warden despite having tried to do the right thing.
COLOelkman
Member
Just a note on a similar topic, in CO, most of the State Trust properties I know of are leased as the purpose of the land setup is to generate revenue for schools. I actually was looking into one of these earlier today and the Game Warden said it was leased and the land is basically treated as private so you cannot even cross the property to get access to other public ground which was my desire. Other states may be different so just to note that even if a GPS says it's State property, doesn't mean it's open for public hunting.
Jrod
Active Member
A guy I worked with had a problem with a landowner. I think in CA, at the time at least, you could trespass private property to access public property. They were outside of Likely hunting antelope. ANyways the landowner ran them off and told them a line of BS when they responded they were just getting to blm to hunt. He said he didn't care. THey went to the blm office in Alturas and explained the situation. They gave the blm guy his name. The blm guy told them to go back and tell him if he wanted to get his cattle lease next year the gate better remain open. Upon returning to be greeted by the same cowboy, they said what they were told to say and that guys song flipped like a coin. "Oh why didn't you say were hunting" was the next sentence.
Good luck out there and go with your gut. Cheeers
Good luck out there and go with your gut. Cheeers
Matthoek21
Veteran member
Yeah looking back on it we probably should have, but at the time honestly it didn't even cross my mind. Had rather just kicked his arse and called it good. You can't teach stupid and this guy was plum stupid. They had trouble with his whole family, and they were kind of known to be crazy.
Matthoek21
Veteran member
In God We Trust
Very Active Member
Sometimes a good ass whooping takes care of a loud mouth overbearing piece of garbage in the wrong!
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shootbrownelk
Veteran member
IGWT, I know you're right. Unfortunately old age has caught up with me. I would have turned that butthole inside out 30 years ago.
But better judgment prevailed. After all, this being Wyoming and him being a rancher, you can imagine who would have ended up in jail had a fight ensued.