Fin,
I am positive you can still access and hunt OUR land legally. ................
- Cade
Cade - Yes, I can access this parcel. Anyone can access this parcel. But only for non-hunting purposes.
No, I cannot hunt this section of OUR land legally. Doing so without a Ranching For Wildlife tag would be in violation of a CO Commission rule, making that hunting on a public permit illegal.
No, I cannot get a BLM filming permit for purposes of filming a hunting episode if that episode ends up being defined as illegal hunting under Commission rule.
No, I cannot hunt this parcel with my public land tag. Per CO Commission rule.
No, other hunters cannot hunt there with the public land permit they might draw.
The parcels in question have been enrolled in the Ranching for Wildlife Program with Three Forks Ranch. As such, the only tags that are valid on these lands, even though they are public lands, are those purchased from Three Forks Ranch as part of their RFW. That is by CO Commission rule. I have piles of data provided to me, supporting this issue.
Yes, these are BLM parcels. Yes, I had burned points to draw the deer tag. Yes, I had everything lined up.
No, my public draw deer permit is not valid on public land enrolled on a private RFW hunting operation, even if it is public land. Once the RFW operator gets the BLM and CO P&W to agree to enrollment in the RFW program, the hunting on those lands is governed by the RFW rule. In other words you can only hunt it if you draw a RFW permit (residents only) or you purchase a tag from the RFW cooperator. Neither of which work for a non-resident trying to do a self-guided hunt on these lands.
No, the BLM cannot give me a permit where my hunting would be in violation of state Commission Rule, no matter how strange or obscure state rule may be. It is a Commission regulation that allows public lands to be enrolled in RFW programs, wherein hunting on those lands is turned over to a private enterprise.
Yes, it is screwed up. BLM and CO Parks and Wildlife feel that with this Commission rule in place, enrolling isolated parcels results in a net increase in public access, even if some enterprising guy might want to access it via air. Not saying the BLM or CPW staff agree with the rule, but with the rule in effect, they feel that enrollment increases access more than not enrolling under the law.
I would like to see those public permits be valid on all BLM ground, whether that ground is enrolled in a RFW operation, or not. The odds of some guy from MT getting the CO Commission to change that rule, is pretty slim.
The folks I deal with at CO Parks and Wildlife are great people. The folks I dealt with on this issue, both BLM and CPW were great people, but they have no choice but to follow their Commission rules. I hold no anomosity toward those staff and employees. They are doing great work for hunters, resident and non-resident and I continue to hunt CO and will hunt it again this year.
How this rule came to be and why it still exists is a mystery to me. If it is changed, I am a happy camper.
It does show what influence certain groups have over our public resources. Ridiculous influence. If ever I agreed with the term "privatization of wildlife," this would be the classic definition. For those of you who think Ranch For Wildlife, or similar programs, would benefit your state, I suggest you look into things like this before advocating such.
As you can see, this thread is from a while back.
Oh, and I have been told by Utah guys, that the same rule applies for CWMUs, the same concept as RFW in CO. I never looked deep enough into the Utah system to verify, but would not be surprised, given who is the promoter of such ideas in Utah.
, lets just hope this makes more people aware and something may get done too change this and hopefully it doesn't happen in any other state, and as far as the greatest OYO state, you can't beat Idaho, at least we can hunt wilderness without a guide, unlike wyoming unless of coarse you are one of the few that actually lives there, isn't that the same deal we are talking about here but this is public land benefiting outfitters.....:W:
