# National forest trouble.



## mountainraider68 (Sep 22, 2012)

Does any one else have trouble defining the Boundarie lines on the federal land. I want to hunt Chattahoochee national forest this year, All the maps show this huge area to hunt. But most seems to be private land, Does any one know what i can look for? Really appreciate any advise!


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## Fire Eater (Sep 23, 2012)

You need a REAL NF map...this site has a link to "maps" including one to the CNF website. It is easily downloadable and you can print a DETAILED map of the area that you wish to hunt. "Green" blocs of land are those open to public access. On site, there should be red paint on trees and/or small yellow "NF property behind this sign" boundary markers.

I will concede that NF personnel could do a better job of marking lands to avoid conflicts with adjacent private landowners who occasionally create problems for hunters. 

You can also buy a hardcopy version from the NF main headquarters, located on GA Hwy 129 in Gainesville (near the big bridge over the lake). I think it is about $10.


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## mountainraider68 (Sep 23, 2012)

Well my problem with those maps there not very defined they pass a lot of private land and can get you in a bind if you step foot on the wrong place.


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## Etoncathunter (Sep 24, 2012)

Pull up topo maps on mytopo. The ones in the NF areas are pretty good about being marked well. The main NF maps are pretty good, but the ones on that site you can get down to 1:10,000 I think, which is real detailed. The areas in NF are shaded in green on those as well I think.


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## bamaboy (Sep 24, 2012)

Don't count on GADNR website to get you right,they have our deer camp that is privately owned and posted as National Forest land. Google maps does the same thing. The only way I can tell you to do it and be safe is to walk the property and draw a map on your own or mentally mark stuff in your head. National forest maps all over GA are wrong and I can tell you that by following a map and ending up on private land.


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## Fire Eater (Sep 26, 2012)

mountainraider68 said:


> Well my problem with those maps there not very defined they pass a lot of private land and can get you in a bind if you step foot on the wrong place.



Some of the blocs of property in Lumpkin are totally surrounded by private land with NO apparent access (i.e. bordered or cut by a road). Question for NF personnel: How do YOU access this property? Is it accessible under the same legal theory that allows the owner of a small lot in the middle of someone else's land to travel through it to get there?

I know of one bloc of NF property nearby (not Lumpkin) that has a private road through it, the only access point. A phone call to NF headquarters told me that NF has an "easement" over the road and the public can use it for access.

I am interested in hearing from anyone, esp. NF people, regarding this.


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## PappyHoel (Nov 12, 2012)

Is the land on the left side of the road at the ranger camp NF land?


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 12, 2012)

some of that private rd that runs along, or through, or to nf land is sometimes a heated topic depending on the landowner. if you ask 5 diffrent goverment employes about a specific area you get 5 diffrent answers. best way to find the boundrys is get a map to give a general idea and set out walking. some lines are marked go and some is not. best to do it in the off season so if you get across a line you cant be acused of hunting. it takes alot of walking to figure it out and rember it.


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## PappyHoel (Nov 13, 2012)

Got a map and you can tell private vs NF land.  Nice map.


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## Millcreekfarms (May 3, 2013)

Nf property boundries are marked very well with red paint and sighns yellow paint is private property in the mountains


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## Dr. Strangelove (May 3, 2013)

Check these two threads if you have a good GPS:

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=557993&highlight=wma+kmz+maps

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=745146&highlight=wma+kmz+maps

This has been a huge issue for me in North GA while as well, and quite frankly, I'm disappointed.  I'm from NC originally, but 15 of my 39 years have been spent living in GA.  

NC posts NCDNR signs on all trout streams/hunting land, letting you know exactly what is legal and what isn't.  Here, you have to rely on crude maps and keep a reg book in your car to know what is legal, and hope you are in the right place, if you haven't spent hours looking over regs and downloading maps into your GPS.

WMA's and NFS land overlap, and often aren't well marked or were 50 years ago and the markings are stolen, gone, or obscured.

It's tough, good luck.


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## Jelf (Jun 10, 2013)

mountainraider68 said:


> Does any one else have trouble defining the Boundarie lines on the federal land. I want to hunt Chattahoochee national forest this year, All the maps show this huge area to hunt. But most seems to be private land, Does any one know what i can look for? Really appreciate any advise!



Check my post in the Gmap4 thread

Joseph


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## trial&error (Jun 12, 2013)

Are these the maps your having problems with? 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/conf/maps-pubs/?cid=fsm9_029111&width=full


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