# public road access to national forest blocked by land owners



## Bkeepr (Oct 20, 2013)

I have hunted on and have friends that like to hunt Double Head in White county.  You enter on Rose road in Mountain Lakes subdivision on Alt. 75.  If you drive to end of the road there is a place to park.  The forest is beautiful and there is game.  Unfortunately one landowner has put up wooden posts to inconvenience hunters wanting to park.  You can see that trees on the marked national forest have been cut and a path made.  And now there is a padlocked gate blocking the road so there is no access at all. The game wardens say that they can't do anything since this is national forest, so we will have to get USFS rangers involved.  Does anyone know of a quick way to get their attention?

Why do people buy land adjacent to public forest and then get mad at people that want to hunt?


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## tree cutter 08 (Oct 20, 2013)

I have Delt with similar situation in the past. Its nothing but a pain in the rear.landowner thinks there always right. I know where your talking about but haven't went in that way. Always come through white oak gap from Chattahoochee. Just call the gainesville office or maybe the number on your hunting license.


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## j_seph (Oct 20, 2013)

If the gate is on their property I do believe there is nothing you can do. They do not have to allow you to cross their private property to get to it.


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## Bkeepr (Oct 20, 2013)

The gate is across the road.  I went and looked at a internet map of White county roads and Rose road is a private gravel road.  It still irks me that they are cutting down trees on public land and landscaping a path, so I hope the rangers look into that.  Guess we will use another way in there too.  But we are still going to hunt in there!


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## mmcneil (Oct 20, 2013)

Hook a chain to the gate then hook the other end to your trailer hitch and get their attention.


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## tree cutter 08 (Oct 20, 2013)

Id think if the forest service keeps the road up from the forest service gate back then there should be a easement for access? I know of a couple of places where a forest service road has easement to cross private property for a ways before it becomes nf land. What happens is you get somebody new to the area and wants to put a stop to u having access to enjoy it. I have seen this happen with a lot to fishing areas along the rivers also.


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## Bkeepr (Oct 21, 2013)

A friend told me that the USFS line comes to the middle of the road.  So while it may be a private road, they are still blocking access by rangers, while cutting down trees and creating a personal fiefdom!


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## Bkeepr (Oct 21, 2013)

Now I am reading about private roads...not owned or maintained by the county, but it still sounds like the public has the right to use it to gain access.


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## Woodsong (Oct 21, 2013)

A private road is just that...private.  If it is not publicly dedicated right of way then they can close the road if they want.  The USFS would not have the right to cross private property to get to their USFS land either so sounds like an alternative route of getting to your spot may be necessary unfortunately.  Private property is private property.


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## j_seph (Oct 21, 2013)

Woodsong said:


> A private road is just that...private.  If it is not publicly dedicated right of way then they can close the road if they want.  The USFS would not have the right to cross private property to get to their USFS land either so sounds like an alternative route of getting to your spot may be necessary unfortunately.  Private property is private property.


If that was the only, only way to access that forest property then yes there would be an ingress/egress easement. Like he said, private is private and I respect that. Maybe go and talk to someone there, get to know them and see if they would allow you a key to the gate.


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## goshenmountainman (Oct 21, 2013)

You can get on White county land parcel maps to see where the property boundaries are, and then get in touch with the national forest service office in Tallulah Falls and tell them your story. If the national forest comes to the middle of the road I dont think there is a whole lot the landowners can do.


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## j_seph (Oct 21, 2013)

Bkeepr said:


> The gate is across the road.  I went and looked at a internet map of White county roads and Rose road is a private gravel road.  It still irks me that they are cutting down trees on public land and landscaping a path, so I hope the rangers look into that.  Guess we will use another way in there too.  But we are still going to hunt in there!


Looks to me the only way to access it from Rose is by crossing private property (did not label but you can see the big chunk of NF on West)


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## Bkeepr (Oct 21, 2013)

OK, thanks.  Will hopefully negotiate to get a key!  The owner doing the most bullying and tree cutting on marked public forest is roundly disliked by the other owners.


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## tree cutter 08 (Oct 21, 2013)

Was there a forest service gate in the road?


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## mmcneil (Oct 21, 2013)

I've run into this in Colorado before.  NFS land has to be accessible, but that doesn't mean accessible by road.  We were told the nfs road became private when it entered private land and became public again a mile later and the land owner was allowed to deny access to nfs land because the road was through his property and we could access it from a 3 hour drive and 5 mile hike across public land.  We were told we could not use the road past the gate or we would be trespassing.  They provided access through bordering blm land.  Not the easiest access but you did have access.


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## Bkeepr (Oct 22, 2013)

I have also heard that this road was once a forest service road and has been used by the public for years.  the gate was put up by a property owner.  A friend has talked to a local game warden and left a message at two different levels for USFS Rangers, waiting on return call.


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## Unicoidawg (Oct 22, 2013)

I called the NFS office in Gainesville and the guy said they were aware and that they had this issue last year. This road has a easement to the NF land (what the NF office said). I have lived here my entire life and family has been here for generations. For as long as I can remember the road has been the access to this particular area. The road was there LONG before any  of the houses were. Just another example of some move in yahoo thinking it is his way or nothing. NF office advised the issued will be handled, now just to wait and see I suppose... Oh yeah if you wanna call and complain to make sure they know folks aren't happy about it. The NF office number is 770-297-3000


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## Bkeepr (Oct 22, 2013)

I emailed them, will wait a few days and then call. Thanks for stepping in!    I am a flat-lander but I sure do love hunting the mountains.  It is hard work though!  The Piedmont is easy-peasy compared to the mountains.


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## Bkeepr (Oct 23, 2013)

Update:  USFS law enforcement Jeff Angel said that the fence has to go down and he will be paying them a visit.  Thanks everyone!


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## NCHillbilly (Oct 23, 2013)

Good. Let us know how it turns out.


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## Unicoidawg (Oct 23, 2013)

Bkeepr said:


> Update:  USFS law enforcement Jeff Angel said that the fence has to go down and he will be paying them a visit.  Thanks everyone!



That's good news...


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## greg_n_clayton (Oct 26, 2013)

I know Jeff very well !! He will be on the right side !! That you can take to the bank !! He is well liked in these parts !!


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## Bkeepr (Oct 26, 2013)

Update:  Jeff left me a voicemail.  He is going to send a USFS surveyor to check things out and then go from there.


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## birddog52 (Oct 27, 2013)

like he said make a call to usfs office in tallulah falls and tell them the subject is cutting trees on there land and they will make live miserable for them payed a fine myself yrs ago cut a small green tree near a campsite expensive tree


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## Fire Eater (Oct 28, 2013)

I had a similar situation in another county..."private road"(yep, that's what the sign read) went through private property and up to and through NF land. A call to the NF office had the ranger tell me they had an "easement" over the road so anyone could use it for access. An individual approached me to say that "hunting was not allowed" when I was leaving my vehicle. I informed him that we were on NF land and would he like to call the ranger. He departed and I hunted.


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## Bkeepr (Oct 28, 2013)

Yep got the ranger phone # stored on my phone.


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## Bkeepr (Oct 28, 2013)

PS lots of those bozo land owners put out corn feeders so they can watch the wildlife.... just sayin'.


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## bfriendly (Oct 31, 2013)

Bkeepr said:


> PS lots of those bozo land owners put out corn feeders so they can watch the wildlife.... just sayin'.



Keep on keepin on Bkeepr! would like updates.......maybe photos of the crime scene

I just hope noone messes with your vehicle


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## The mtn man (Nov 5, 2013)

I know exactly where your talking about,I always thought that was public access, I have a different situation, I bought land that borders FS in Hayesville, built a road then my house, Fs line is 30 ft from my garage, now folks think they can drive my driveway, park in my yard and access FS, although I wouldn't care if I know them, I won't allow folks I dont know park in my yard, I built the road. There was never a road here before,


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## Bkeepr (Nov 13, 2013)

Jeff Angel says the USFS surveyor checked out the plats, etc. and that unfortunately the landowners are in the right and can keep hunters and the USFS from going through the gate.  :-(


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## ChattNFHunter (Nov 13, 2013)

That stinks.  Try and find a land owner near by that will give you permission to access the Forest Service property from their land?


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## gobbleinwoods (Jun 19, 2014)

Bkeepr said:


> Update:  USFS law enforcement Jeff Angel said that the fence has to go down and he will be paying them a visit.  Thanks everyone!



I drove in there today just to see if the situation had changed.  Nope the gate is still there.


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## riskyb (Aug 12, 2014)

What a jerk-, he should be spanked behind the wood shed,if u wanna be a tree hugger or a ***** move up north somewhere ...lol
That really does suck if I could find another way in and it was  lose I would go in and set up on property line just to return the favor


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## rosewood (Aug 19, 2014)

I don't own nothing but my little half acre my house is on.  But I can say if I had property next to Public land and folks wanted to cross my property to access, I would probably not allow it either.  There are a lot of hunters that use public land that I wouldn't trust, that give the honest folks a bad name.  You never know what yahoo is going to cross your property and possibly vandalize etc.  Now I would let friends cross, just wouldn't open it up for any public access.  Would you?  If it was a easement, then that would be a different story.


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## JWilson (Aug 19, 2014)

I kind of agree. I have run into some strange people on public land.


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## Resica (Aug 23, 2014)

Imagine there are just as many strange people hunting private land.


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## jigman29 (Aug 23, 2014)

We had a similar problem up here years ago.An old man let us hunt his land for years and when he died his family sold off the land.This land is completely surrounded by nf land but it has a road running in and out of it that is county maintained for part and its forest service for the rest.We drove in one morning to hunt the forest service part in the back and found a gate keeping us from it.When we ran into the new landowner he said he sisnt like us hunting back there so he put up a gate where it corssed his property.We got with the law and fought him for a while but the county ended up saying he could block it!Even the game wardens said they are breaking the law by letting him gate a public road but this guy and his buddy that own the 2 pieces of land behind the gate are big realtors here and I guess money talks.The game warden did say we could park at the gate and walk in and as lons as we didn't mess with his gate or block the road he couldn't stop us.So I hope it works out for you but if your fighting big money good luck.We have a lot of trouble out of the people moving in here and trying to run the show on government land.They are a pain in the neck to say the least.


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## Fire Eater (Sep 15, 2014)

jigman29 said:


> We had a similar problem up here years ago.An old man let us hunt his land for years and when he died his family sold off the land.This land is completely surrounded by nf land but it has a road running in and out of it that is county maintained for part and its forest service for the rest.We drove in one morning to hunt the forest service part in the back and found a gate keeping us from it.When we ran into the new landowner he said he sisnt like us hunting back there so he put up a gate where it corssed his property.We got with the law and fought him for a while but the county ended up saying he could block it!Even the game wardens said they are breaking the law by letting him gate a public road but this guy and his buddy that own the 2 pieces of land behind the gate are big realtors here and I guess money talks.The game warden did say we could park at the gate and walk in and as lons as we didn't mess with his gate or block the road he couldn't stop us.So I hope it works out for you but if your fighting big money good luck.We have a lot of trouble out of the people moving in here and trying to run the show on government land.They are a pain in the neck to say the least.



I bet if you took this issue to the FEDERAL ranger (USFS, Gainesville), the outcome would be different. I hunt a bloc of NF property accessible only by a PRIVATE road - USFS Ranger told me that they (Forest Service) have an EASEMENT over the road allowing public access to the bloc. 

Nearby landowner told me _"they did not allow hunting up there."_ I told him this was PUBLIC LAND and he needed to speak to the Ranger...he went away and I was never bothered again.


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## The mtn man (Sep 15, 2014)

Yea we had a lowland developer that bought 11 acres here, then put his own gate on a forest service easement that he was granted permission to use to access his land. Forest ranger told him to take it and the posted signs down . When he refused, they took it down for him.


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## swamp hunter (Sep 20, 2014)

I was accessing a WMA down here in the Glades thru a small piece of Private road that had WMA easement rights and the Home owner told me it would be a shame if my Truck caught on fire while I was hunting.
I told him it could be bad for both of us as that fire could spread and burn down his house...
He drove away muttering and I went hunting, for years..


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