Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Coyote, Small Game, Varmints => Topic started by: mtmn35rem5 on February 06, 2017, 09:59:07 AM
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Hey guys,
I was down between Colfax and Ritzville over the weekend checking out some small pieces of public with the OnX hunt chip, mainly looking for coyote areas. I was wondering what everyones experience has been with the accuracy of the chip? I haven’t used it that much in WA but have quiet a bit in WY and SD and it has always been spot on.
I was driving along and spotted 3 coyotes on what appeared to be a dead cow. I looked down at the gps and it said I was right in the middle of a 640 acre chunk of state land. The road divided the section in half. However, there was a “no trespassing” posted sign on the fence. It wasn’t a super old one either. I really wanted to hunt the spot but decided not to because of the sign. So, was the chip wrong, or what? What have you guys seen?
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I don't know for sure but Whitman county on mine is very spotty. I updated this fall and haven't been back down to check it out
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There is also a fair amount of "landlocked" public land in northern Whitman co that you would have to parachute into to be legal. And they are 5-800 acre chunks
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I have been consistently within 20 feet of where OnX put me on the map, tested on roads, trails and marked property lines in Western Washington. I'm not sure how often the ownership layer gets updated, but there was just a software update on Jan 31.
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Accuracy depends primarily on the data they get from various counties. If the data they receive from a county is current, the maps should be as accurate as the GPS allows.
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Lots of state land is leased, same with BLR and BLM lands. I carry a small computer in my truck with me to access the county assessors records/maps to double check when I find a discrepancy between BLM maps and GPS mapping(kirsch chip). I have found a number of places that "no trespassing" signs have been placed on public lands. On state leases you need to find the leasing agency and find out about the leases, on BLR lands there is a BLR office in Ephrata to check the lease and BLM leases do not cover public access. Hi-tec hunting, I hunt all over the west and just one fine for trespassing is more than all my high tec tools and a lot less than even one rifle, well worth the investment.
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Experienced this winter bird hunting in Whitman County, several pieces of land marked state land on OnXmaps, that were not. We were confronted by a land owner claiming it his property, the cops called, big ordeal. We left amicably since we had a GPS showing we were legal, but a follow up with the assessors and the sheriff confirmed it was indeed private.
That being said, I've only known it to be accurate other places in the past, I think Whitman county is a tough one with no online property owner database.
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Remember, Whitman County is the single exception to the OnyX map family--there is no data set for that county, so the Hunt OnyX maps are blank for that area. Stupid, but true.
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They do not show private landowner information, but do show state land parcels and boundaries. They were just incorrect.
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Good to know. Glad I decided to pass up on the spot..
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Used it on a Montana mule deer hunt last year and it put me right on the land lines. It's worth it's weight in gold. So accurate that Montana F&W uses them. If you use it, you will be fine. It unlocks sooooo much land that you otherwise would never know is public. Get it!!!!!!
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I think I have heard that game wardens use onxmaps for boundary lines is that true?
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I think I have heard that game wardens use onxmaps for boundary lines is that true?
In some states yes.
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I've also found some errors in the land ownership map.
In situations like you're describing, I don't believe the map. The land was posted and grazed, so probably private. If you suspect the land is actually public and shouldn't be posted, follow up with the county before your next trip out there.