Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Thoughts on buying land for hunting

Jim, a couple of things�.

22WRF spoke to the loss of access as presenting a potential �business opportunity� for ferrying in hunters to these land-locked parcels. All commercial activities on USFS land require a permit, which today are extremely difficult to obtain.

In so far as an individual landing his personal ship on these parcels, there are a myriad of restrictions that are applicable. Fundamentally, the land use category must allow for mechanical activity. With the exception of some sites that were specifically provided for in Congressional legislation, you cannot land in Wilderness Areas. In non-Wilderness areas, parcels that are subject to special land use objectives, ESA considerations, study areas or have other Permitee activities, may not be available for landing as well. It is not the flying (as long as you are 400� above the ground), but the landing where you can find yourself crossways with USFS. I have spent scores of hours flying over and landing on USFS land over the years, but times they are a changing, and you really need to have a conversation with the Agency before you put your skids on their ground. CP.

GADS!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like another S.N.A.F.U.

Jim

Oh, but there is more�

Mix a helicopter with guns and hunting and you will also find that many States will exercise their authority to regulate and restrict your activities as well. CP.

I have a feeling that many in government are getting frustrated from hearing about all of this public land that is not accessable due to private land restrictions. I suspect that if it were made a political issue some permits could be obtained.
After all, public land belongs "to the public" and is therefore fodder for political activity.

LOL! Just got back from "helicopters, guns and hunting", but that was OCONUS with Uncle Sam over land I don't want to own.

The wife and I bought 44 acres last year in middle GA. 35+ with timber, the rest hardwoods/clearings/pond and a house. Great location close to a small town, great neighbors, lotsa deer, some turkeys/quail/doves/ducks and no hogs.

Hunting lease prices just keep getting higher and higher here in the SE. I'm sure it's the same in many states. Can't even begin to say how happy I am to have my own place now. Do your homework, look around and find your slice-o-paradise. You won't regret it.
Sako

GonHuntin if you look at a map showing public land in WY (and I imagine its similar in many western states) it looks literally like a checkerboard in many areas. Blocks of public land within areas of private land, over and over. If the government forced every private landowner to provide access to every tract of public land the private landowners would be screwed. I like it that there is so much public land in my state that people dont have to trample my private property and tear up my fences to get to some of it via a government mandated easement. Theres more than plenty that is accessible to anyone.

Its not the land locked parts that I have issue with if its locked by land alone. Its the dang ones that have/had a public NF road going in but someone bought land on either side of it and gated/locked the road with NF permission. Thats the ones I just can't quite see being legal somehow.

BTW I suspect any state or agency can regulate about anything. Its illegal to fly hunters in by helicopter in AK for hunting. By state law. Thats a good one in my opinion too, there are fewer and fewer pristine areas out there. I hope we don't loose more.

Jeff

lodgepole

I am a landowner and you can forget about trying to convince me 'cause it ain't gonna happen......if it's public land, it should be accessible to the public....PERIOD! The idea that someone can buy a relatively small piece of land and tie up access to hundreds or thousands of acres of public land borders on criminal in my opinion!

I second that.

GonHuntin if you dont have a problem with anyone who pleases crossing your land whenever they want thats your business. I have a big problem with it. My home is located there, my wife and grandkids are often there alone. My livestock and equipment are all over the place. Who will be there to see to it that only legitimate law abiding people use the government mandated easement you advocate?
What would be criminal is for the government to force me to leave my gate standing open and give the general public carte blanche to enter upon my homestead at will. I understand about public land being for public use but do we want to violate a person's right to private property in order to allow people to hunt or fish a particular piece of land? I think the right to be secure in your property trumps the general public's right to recreation. I am quite aware that those members of the general public who are not in my situation disagree and think me greedy and selfish, but if they were in my position they would think differently.
By the way a few people have approached me and asked for permission to cross my land, and after talking to them and deciding they were OK I granted it.

lodgepole

First, this issue is not about you or your personal situation, it's about the absolutely ridiculous idea that a private landowner should have the power to control access to PUBLIC land........

This shouldn't be an issue of anyone crossing your land, because you shouldn't have the right to block access! In other words, there should be an easement that you don't own......period! If such an easement existed, and you purchased land around the easement.....well, that is your decision.......it's nice that you have allowed a "few people" to access public land, but you should not have the power to make that decision.......it's not personal, you have every right to do as the law allows, I just think the law is WRONG........and I think the Government should either sell the land at market value, close it to ALL access (including you) or acquire an access easement, by force if necessary, for public use.......you shouldn't have a private playground at the expense of every tax paying US citizen.....and that is basically what you have.