Land Access Question

[EWUEAGLESHUNTER]

Ok so I found some birds. I asked the farmer for permission to hunt he said he rents/leases the hunting rights out. So it was a no go. But as I was driving by the location the birds were on I noticed a small piece of public hunting ground, posted with signs. So I did some research, thinking that maybe I could set up close enough to the birds I could pull them in onto the public section. According to the go hunt map, and mapsifter, the public property actually extends about 75 yards into the farmers stubble field. So my question is, can I technically hunt that 75 yards into the stubble field that both the go hunt map and mapsift show the state owning?

[lokidog]

If it truly does.  The problem is, I would think, that you have to be able to find a hard point property marker to show the guy or cop who shows up.  Growing up in farm country, I knew of a lot of farmers that each year would cut their field a foot or so wider, especially if there was no fence. This seems likely the case where it butts up to public land if no fence was there.   

I would get the aerial photos of the properties with the property lines showing from the county's website.  This might be enough to get an annoyed farmer to leave you alone with the implied (or real) threat of contacting the public agency for a property line review. 

[Bob33]

It is most likely legal but the landowner will not agree. You might check with your local enforcement officer first to get his support.

[bobcat]

There's no way to know if you're legal or not, in that situation. Unless you actually find monuments showing where the property corners are located. You can take your chances but the landowner will probably have an issue with it. Best thing might be to talk to the landowner first and ask if he knows exactly where the line is.

[EWUEAGLESHUNTER]

There are some pretty specific land markings where the property lines are drawn according to mapsifter and the go hunt map. The public property extends into the stubble 75 yards deep by 400 yards wide. So it is a pretty decent sized section.

[Humptulips]

I would want to talk to enforcement about this first. If you just go ahead even if you have some maps with you showing the discrepancy enforcement still might write you a ticket. You may well win in court but that is going to be a big hassle.
If the land owner doesn't want you on the place I doubt he is just going to say go ahead. Maybe you got a different read from him and that is wrong. Is he agreeable to you hunting but legally restrained because of the lease? If you think that I would talk to him.

Giving it more thought I would talk to the landowner and at least tell him what is going on.

[CAMPMEAT]

Here we go again......

[Bango skank]

Wait, are you telling me people still care about private property boundarys?  Something smells fishy....   

[Knocker of rocks]

A lot of the county assessors map are screwed by several tens of feet from reality.  You can tell this when you bring up an aerial photo overlay of the property lines and street, and see that they don't coincide with the location of the roads.

A common hiccup in GIS data.

So since your go hunt map is derived from these same sources, I would be hesitant to say the 21st century data is in fact correct.

[lokidog]

A lot of the county assessors map are screwed by several tens of feet from reality.  You can tell this when you bring up an aerial photo overlay of the property lines and street, and see that they don't coincide with the location of the roads.

A common hiccup in GIS data.

So since your go hunt map is derived from these same sources, I would be hesitant to say the 21st century data is in fact correct.

You can usually get a pretty good idea of the offset by comparing the lines to roads and other fencelines.

[Knocker of rocks]

A lot of the county assessors map are screwed by several tens of feet from reality.  You can tell this when you bring up an aerial photo overlay of the property lines and street, and see that they don't coincide with the location of the roads.

A common hiccup in GIS data.

So since your go hunt map is derived from these same sources, I would be hesitant to say the 21st century data is in fact correct.

You can usually get a pretty good idea of the offset by comparing the lines to roads and other fencelines.

Exactly

[EWUEAGLESHUNTER]

I just spoke with a deputy sheriff, who then put me in touch with a game enforcement officer.  After speaking with both of them, they both agreed that with the information provided online they would not ticket me unless I opened, cut or damaged privately made fences with clearly posted no trespassing signs. They also said that if there is an open gate, they would not ticket me as long as i stayed within the estimated boundary given to me by the maps posted online.

[Bob33]

In Wyoming the Hunt GPS maps are gospel. Their officers  use the same maps. If they show you are on public land, they will consider you to be on public land.

[bobcat]

The problem is what we're talking about here is an actual line on the ground which the landowner apparently feels is the property line. It's no different than if someone built a fence on what they feel is their property line. In this case I would not trust the GIS map to have the line in the correct location.

Which state agency owns the state land? I assume it's either DNR or the WDFW. I would contact that agency and ask them about it. Both agencies have their own land surveyor and that may be who you might want to talk to. If the farmer is growing his wheat 75 yards onto state land, I'm sure they'd like to hear about it.

If he's completely on his own land, then the maps are wrong. Which is very common.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I don't know.. 
In my opinion, I would stay on the clearly marked side, and talk to the landowner.
State your position, and see if he can put you in contact with the leaser/renter.
Having good relations with the guys in the next blind is more important than a few birds, and it is possible you can make a new contact.
Migratory birds (this is the waterfowl section) fly over and through the airspace, those guys with the lease might rather have you sit in their blind than shoot birds on the way to their set-up.