Corner crossing support grows!

I really had to laugh at the one statement made in the Missoulian article that most private land owners already allow trespassing across their property to get to landlocked lands. That guy should be ashamed of himself for even opening his mouth on the issue with such a stupid statement. Then there was Legisltor Kerns saying that two other Bills would address the situation when he initailly had his name on this Bill and then pulled out. Both those Bills would require that substantial money be spent by the citizenry even if they happened to pass when this Bill would basicly open up those public lands for free. I'd like to hear later that day that so many people showed up to support blasting this Bill out of committee that there was a big traffic jam around the Capitol and it will be heard on the main floor!
 
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Was searching for a thread so I didn't have to make my own, but nothing has left me more speechless then the fact corner cutting is illegal.

Can some Montana landowners explain to me (besides the obvious attempt to control land you aren't entitled to) the reasoning for not allowing corner cutting?

Public land, is well, public land. For the ummmmmmmm. PUBLIC.
 
I would be willing to gather signatures as well. Sometimes the only way that you can bypass a special interest dominated legislature is with a citizen's initiative, inserting the will of the people.
 
Mule Deer said:
attempt to control land you aren't entitled to) the reasoning for not allowing corner cutting?

Public land, is well, public land. For the ummmmmmmm. PUBLIC.
Click to expand...

So first, I"m not a Montana Landowner, but as a landowner who has property that borders BLM land in Colorado, I can give you my perspective. I bought my property from a crap load of hard work, a lot of "not keeping up with the Jones's" which my kids didn't (don't) understand.
I can't tell you how fast my blood boils when I see someone walking through my property without permission. My property isn't checkerboard land that landlocks public land, but my property does limit access to anyone who doesn't want to put in a little extra work to legally access BLM.
Now, that is probably not the only reason landowners don't want corner crossing legal, but it sure doesn't help.
 
When I first moved to Montana I was very pleased and impressed with the hunting situation overall. However when I learned about the no corner law I couldn't believe it. Talk about common sense being 100% not involved with that law. That is completely fueled by private land owners wanting to rope off what is not theirs to have. So 20 years later it still blows my mind that we are kept from public land that you and I pay for all because of this extremely stupid law. The only thing more irritating than this law is land-lock public land. If/when we get this corner crossing changed I will drive 350 miles one way just to hunt a specific area that has been off limits to me for years. It's remote, I won't have much in the way of competiton, and the game will be abundant. How do I know? The landowner that has it all tied up lets me coyote hunt there all I want, but big game is off limits because Jackie Bushman and his Buckmaster's band of thieves have it all leased up. It would give me great satisfaction to boldly hike into their private boy's club hunting preserve. I wouldn't care if I killed anything or not, just being able to access what should rightfully be there for the public in the first place, would be satisfaction enough.
 
Jorgy said:
...
I can't tell you how fast my blood boils when I see someone walking through my property without permission. My property isn't checkerboard land that landlocks public land, but my property does limit access to anyone who doesn't want to put in a little extra work to legally access BLM.
Now, that is probably not the only reason landowners don't want corner crossing legal, but it sure doesn't help.
Click to expand...
I hold a valued respect for a person's property. I do not have near the acreage to concern myself w/ issues landowners in this subject face however, a corner where a boot goes from public land to public land w/ nothing but air possibly crossing a private landowner's property... and a private land owner compelled to give two shnitz worth holds a disregard for public land and what should be legal access to.
Of course, people crossing a person's private land w/ boots on the ground is one thing though this? There is no defense.
 
Sytes said:
I hold a valued respect for a person's property. I do not have near the acreage to concern myself w/ issues landowners in this subject face however, a corner where a boot goes from public land to public land w/ nothing but air possibly crossing a private landowner's property... and a private land owner compelled to give two shnitz worth holds a disregard for public land and what should be legal access to.
Of course, people crossing a person's private land w/ boots on the ground is one thing though this? There is no defense.
Click to expand...

you are correct, I guess I didn't finish my thoughts like I thought I did. If corner crossing would only be a boot in the air over your property, I don't see how anyone can bitch. But, in watching people without respect to peoples property over my years, I don't believe that is how it would work.

I'm not sure if Montana is like Colorado, but here, landowners do not carry the burden of marking their property, people have the burden of knowing where they are. If that is true in Montana, than anyone who believes in corner crossing better first figure out a way to get the state and federal government to mark our public land so you can actually corner cross. I've heard a lot of people believing with a gps you can find corners, well, you can't. Gps tech is awesome, and I use it all the time, but it's not exact.

If I were pushing for corner crossing in Montana (which i believe in), I would layer it with a way to mark these corners, or get a law changed on easements. Just allowing corner crossing doesn't change anything in my mind, because you can't physically do it in 99/100 (my guess only) times.
 
If corner crossing were made legal, I think having heavily used corner-crossings accurately marked would be a good idea. A professional grade GPS could do this. Also, where fences delineate corners, the installation of stiles for walking up and over fence corners would be a good idea.
 
Jorgy said:
If I were pushing for corner crossing in Montana (which i believe in), I would layer it with a way to mark these corners, or get a law changed on easements.
Click to expand...
I believe that would receive good support, There are typical forest private / public markers. Given the private land owners properly mark their land accurately and not slip their fencing onto our land. Many a times, it is not the public hunter that fails in the use of a gps (or the gps fails the hunter) it is the private landowner failing to keep his/her fence - boundry markers off our public property.

Basically, gps has enabled the best intent, ethically, to respect private landowner property while ensuring our public land is actually available.

Marking corners. I would volunteer time with one association or another in this process. I think that would be a great mutual agreement.
 
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