[Flycatcher]

I can see both sides of this issue. Private landowners have no business putting up deceptive signs that prohibit entry on land that is public, despite its close proximity to their own private holdings.

However, I can understand why they do so. If you can defuse the situation and talk to them, you'll often find that some of those that use the public lands nearby trespass -- sometimes intentionally -- onto their private holdings. Sometimes they poach or trash the place too. I can understand their frustrations and suspicions.

Now a true story: Back in the 1980s, I was out in the foothills of the Sierra looking for this 19-acre piece of land that was for sale. I stopped on the side of the road by a creek and a truck pulled up. He asked me what I was doing and I told him. He told me I was on private land and to leave. I wasn't within 500 yards of private land (I had my topo maps and real estate maps with me) and prepared to show him that fact with my maps.

He got out of the truck and showed me his shotgun.

It was then I realized he was drunk as all get-out too.

I left. Lol!

[Tellurian]

Hmm, ... 1980’s ... Sierra foothills ... shotgun ... inebriated .... Sounds like the gentleman may have been a squatter, protecting his crop of weed.

[GSWarrior]

When I was growing up in the town mentioned in the article in the '60s, my father and I would go fishing up in those hills all the time. We also used to cut down a Christmas tree each year in the area. No permission needed. Everyone knew us. We knew the owners.

Those days are gone.

[nmrancher]

For a number of years, I managed a 65,000 acre ranch in NM that was primarily US Forest Service land with intermingled blocks of deeded land.
During deer season there would be about 200 hunters on the ranch and nearly every year I would find at least two or three head of cattle shot and killed. These were not accidental shots; they were intended and in plain view.

I also posted the deeded lands and most hunters would respect that but there would invariably be some dummy who would park right by a No Hunting sign and walk onto private land! Did I trespass them? You bet I did and it would cost them a three year loss of hunting privileges.

My biggest complaint is that most of the camp sites were not cleaned up of litter. After hunting season, my employees and I would clean up the camp sites. I have pride in my management of private or public rangelands and I want the area to be clean of trash.

Another complaint that I have, and this really griped me, is that on the last day many hunters with campers would drain their septic tanks on the roads as they drove out to the highway. I think that is low-life and disrespectful of all landowners and users of land, private or public. They do this so they don’t have to pay the dump fee. They don’t realize this costs them more in the long run when they meet a disgruntled landowner.

We have had paying hunters on private land ranches and they are very respectful, appreciative, and interested in our management of wildlife habitat on our land. Many of them have become life long friends.
Most public land hunters are also respectful, appreciative hunters; but it only takes a few bad ones to ruin it for everyone else.

[glorgau]

i>However, I can understand why they do so.

Because they're lying, greedy jerks?