Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: LDennis24 on March 01, 2014, 07:19:21 PM

Title: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: LDennis24 on March 01, 2014, 07:19:21 PM: Does anyone know if it's legal to hunt on Bureau of Reclamation lands?
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: LDennis24 on March 01, 2014, 07:37:14 PM: Looking for the short answer if anyone's got it! lol!
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: Kazekurt on March 01, 2014, 07:53:36 PM: In Montana the answer is yes as long as there is legal public access. I believe this is also the case in Washington and in many cases the land is overseen by the WDFW. There are also parcels that are leased and developed(like some DNR parcels) and there could be restrictions based on safety on some of these parcels. BigTex can you confirm this?
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: GoBeavs85 on March 01, 2014, 07:56:36 PM: I called this fall on a field for bird hunting and was told it was OK. They had to check the access easements for that specific section and township to make sure there weren't any cattle rights or other restrictions. The guy made it seem like if there were cattle rights on it then I wouldn't be allowed to be shooting a shotgun. after getting permission and recording the guys name who i talked to, we hunted it, and found a few birds. There were some neighbor farmers around and nobody gave us any grief.
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: Curly on March 01, 2014, 08:18:31 PM: You can hunt on BLM land (unless it is illegal). In other words, if it is just BLM land out in the middle of no where, yes you can hunt there.......(why wouldn't you be able to)?

Here is a link that may help.......BLM (http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/recreation/index.php?page=1)
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: superdown on March 01, 2014, 08:22:49 PM: Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation are not the same.
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: Curly on March 01, 2014, 08:25:08 PM: Quote from: superdown on March 01, 2014, 08:22:49 PM
Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation are not the same.

Oh man! I misread the post. I thought it said BLM. :DOH:

:sry:
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: Curly on March 01, 2014, 08:29:47 PM: Looks like maybe it depends on the area. For example, Esquatzel Wildlife Area is owned by B of R and is managed by wdfw for recreation (including hunting).
Quote
The Esquatzel Coulee unit is located just north of Mesa in Franklin County. The property is owned by US Bureau of Reclamation but WDFW manages the parcel for public fishing and hunting access.

Here is a website where you might find the area in question and it might tell you about hunting: Link (http://www.usbr.gov/pn/recreation/index.html)
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: bigtex on March 01, 2014, 09:11:13 PM: Quote from: Kazekurt on March 01, 2014, 07:53:36 PM
In Montana the answer is yes as long as there is legal public access. I believe this is also the case in Washington and in many cases the land is overseen by the WDFW. There are also parcels that are leased and developed(like some DNR parcels) and there could be restrictions based on safety on some of these parcels. BigTex can you confirm this?

All BOR lands in WA are open to hunting, with the exception of the obvious areas like campgrounds, dams, and other "developed areas."

A large majority of BOR lands are BOR owned but managed by WDFW as "Wildlife Areas." In fact, most WDFW "Wildlife Areas" in Grant County are actually BOR lands.

Regarding the BOR lands leased for agricultural purposes, per BOR those lands are still open to the public for hunting. Now will some farmer get pissed seeing somebody walk through "his" apple orchard and cause a fuss? Yes, but per BOR those lands are open. WDFW and BOR have been working for the past year to inform their leases of the hunting "issue," so not all of them may know about it at this time.
Title: Re: Hunting on Bureau of Reclamation land?
Post by: LDennis24 on March 01, 2014, 09:32:05 PM: Thank's bigtex, that pretty much answer's my question. :tup: