Jeff Ovington

Went hunting this morn. Turned off toward a Lake Resort and wanted to drive into the back of this country to hunt on crown land.
Got way back there park my truck started working my way down
the rim rock sage brush Coulies that over look this lake.
Down at the bottem are ranching fields.Deer work their way up and down this slope all day. I always carry a GPS that traverses all area I walk.I had to get stuff hung up and Pumkins carved for Halloween this afternoon so I left at noon to be back home in time to get started.Anyways Im driving home and a truck Was coming towards me so I pulled over to chat. Well he's the owner of the Ranch fown below and asks me where I was hunting told him where I was.
He then procedes to tell me it's private property and I had no right hunting. I look at him and said do I look stupid? Went to my truck
grabbed my binder with all the land tiles and property that are held to the public private sector and leased.I said you don't own where I hunt. I didn't treespass your property to get there and said are you
done yet?I told him I don't give a godamn crap where you think people should hunt. The fact is I am miles away from any major road or building Or structure,well within my legal bounds. You try stopping me from hunting this area it's your livelyhood going down not mine.You may pull this **** off with other guys but you ain't going to happen to me.The fact is your fields boarder crown land, and if you do anything to hinder me from hunting I will be the one doing the reporting and I showed him the British Columbia Provincial Regs that states Report anybody who prevents or blocks access to crown land.I told him if I see the ditched or posted it's your ass. Then I got in my truck told him to take my license plate of he had a concern but I'm leaving and I'm coming back in tomorrow.He drove off pissed.
I drove off shaking my head. Some peoples mentality.

reds10ss

yea ive been there too. its funny 2 years ago we had a guys come on our property and tell us we were on their buddies property. they failed to notice the NO TRESSPASSING signs they walked by onto our land..

kswild

Sounds like the rancher had a run in with you! Hahaha Good for you Jeff! Way to read him the riot act!!!!
Live it up! Doug

Jeff Ovington

I don't know I don't know what to think of this.The fact is I know where I am at all times and I know the laws inside out and I provide back up to prove it. It began when I was 10 and taking my CORE. During the practical exam of the test my instructor asked me what I do when I want to cross a fence. My answer. Am I allowed to hunt the property on the other side of the fence.Fences are often boundaries and I want to know and I want permission. The Instructor was floored. Nobody in his years ever ever responded that way. When he said yes I showed him how to safely unload and cross.Every year I'm down at the ministry of lands and titles getting the most current info.I know his land is private I know the boundaries. It's on my GPS downloaded the most current info that was only one month old.It wasn't for sale and won't be leased made sure. And the thing that frustrates me the most is I help these people more than they know. I'm lucky that I don't need to ask to hunt land but I do take advantage of private. One can go to any land titles crossreference with google earth and refer to you hunting map regs and find loop
holes every where. 3 years ago I went on Cadastre, Google Earth,
and the Ministry of Kand and Titles, and found out that there was
legal crown land that could be hunted between 2 private properties.
Very very few people new this besides me, maybe a handleful the
landowners and that's about it. It was about a hundred meters off the
highway a small area but deep gully steep hillside lots rimrock between two pieces of private property. Lots of deer are seen but
3years ago it housed 19 bucks over the spring and summer.The deer considered it a was a safe zone although it was on legal huntable
land. I knew about it, but never ever shot that area cause I personally considered it an unsafe place to shoot.But because this road is not maintained by the Provincial Government of Highways or
City, and the land on both sides of the highwayswhere private the
Regs stated that you could shoot right off the main highway so long
as you where off the paved surface.The ditch sufficed.Lots were shot
this way, some legally most not but regardless after I saw all these
bucks in the summer I knew that these Ranchers would have a
problem when the season started if people found out it was crown
land. During a Wildlife Federation meeting I brought this concern up
to members and together we changed the law about shooting off the highway, to save people driving down the highway the Ranchers themselves and their families and domestic animals before a potentially serious problem occured. Managed to get it done before
the season started.A manadatiry min legal shooting distance was set
on this highway for strectch of 6 km, to include this piece of land and
some others that where found later.I don't like being lied to. I was
well within my legal right, to be where I was or anybody else for that
matter. I'm sure he is the minority of the Ranching community, but it
gets me wondering just to what lenghts some people really really go
when it comes to protection of area that isn't even theirs and greed.
It's Sad.

Backwoods7

Good job I've had a similar problem a guy was on my land in a stand my cousin has well I asked my cuz if he minded me sitting there one morning he had no problem with it so Monday mornin gets there I go to get in the stand there's a guy in it and he tells me that he has permission to hunt it I said oh really who the f*** gave it to you he said some name I never herd so I told him well it's not there land it belongs to my dad and my uncle and we don't like tresspassers and that he needs to leave and if I see him on it again I'd call the DNR had no trouble from him since.

ADVWannabee

I was hunting on a timber companys land that allowed hunting. A guy walked all the way up the hill to where I was sitting. He started to explain to me that he and his father had the land leased. It was my first time there, but I was pretty sure he was full of it. I didn't know this guy or what he might do but he was unarmed as far as I could tell. I shifte my rifle to where it was pointing a little closer to him but not at him and put my finger near the trigger but not on it. He got nervous and told me I could finish hunting that day.

Turned out he was lying and he and his dad had actually posted the land once to keep people away and the game warden made him take the signs down.

country1

Maybe there is more to the story, but I would like for you to consider the following. Maybe the rancher did not know it was available to hunting. Maybe he has had problems in the past with livestock being hit. Maybe he has had bullets flying over his head in the past. If he knew and lied, that is not right. If he was not aware, you may have lost additional land on which to hunt.

Here is a suggestion, and you can take it or leave it. You stated you already have copies of all the land titles in the areas you hunt. Notify land owners of the bordering lands to let them know you may be hunting in the area. It is reassuring for landowners to at least had contact with the people firing guns near their property. If the landowners have an opportunity to get to know you and feel you are safe, they may offer you to hunt on their land in the future.

Getting into a war of words with landowners and locals is not going to benefit you in any way. Again, I don't know the whole story. However, with what you described a lot of land owners who have livestock would find your actions and attitude out of line. When the rancher tells his story, you would appear as a hothead who has a short fuse, and no landowner wants someone like that firing a gun anywhere near their property. If you truly feel that you were out of line, contact the rancher and apologize. If you don't feel you were out of line, don't contact him to apologize.

mnprohunter

good point Country1. I have a good relationship with all the landowners around my lease grounds, never know if the deer you shoot will run onto their land....and it sure makes recovering easier if you can approach them witha good attitude and relationship in hand.

Jeff Ovington

These Ranches have been around since before I was born.
These Ranches are probably 100 years old if not more.Nobody
buys property and doesn't know where their property ends and what's next to it. You get a map when you purchase land or even if your interested about buying it. The Real Estate agent gives it to you and explains it you sign documents.Documents must be signed be a Notry Public and you infront of him. Common. As far as Deer running onto has kand Im positive it has happened. I'm positive deer have been shot on his land I have never been personally responsible for it, but I do take the blame for being a hunter. I am part of Wilderness Watch program Watch Observe and Report.I have turned fellow hunters in for
not following the laws. Reguardless Im not going to appologize he outright lied, and if If he tries it again I will watch observe and report his ass to court.

halfbakedi420

was he there again today?