State and BLM land use?
 

The other day I went out on a local backroad (which I used to travel regularly) to a small dry stream to get some river rocks for the wifes flower garden. The road I was on was a NM county road. Mind you, the area is partly state, partly BLM. There is a rancher out there who leases the state land to run his cattle. Well I made it about 5 miles deep (2 more miles to my destination) and the rancher was out and about feeding his cattle. He has a vehicle parked on the road way so I slow down and he walks up to me and asks what I'm doing out there. I explain the situation. Me and my buddy have 2 .22 rifles with us in case we see any rattlers out and about in the creek bed. He tells us (with a 45 or 357 revolver on his hip) that it was state land and we weren't allowed out there, to turn around and head home. Avoiding conflict me and my friend do as we're told and head into town, straight for the BLM office to investigate this. 1. BLM told us we were definately on state land at the time, but our destination was in the BLM area. 2. BLM informed us it was turkey season for hunting and he had no authority making us leave. 3. That as long as we didn't get of the dirt road (county, which we didn't) that he had no authority making us leave. What would you all do to access this land when you have a man with a big gun telling you to leave?

go back on a later day and try again

Get a .44 Magnum.

I'd get my big gun and go back and tell him to shut the F up and go get my rocks.

Wouldn't have stopped in the first place ha just drive right by him

Tell him what the BLM office told you, and carry on. If he still has an issue, tell him to contact the authorities, and let them deal with it. If he gets out of line, contact them yourself. The last thing you want to do is get between a farmer, and land he thinks he has rights to...best to let LEOs deal with something like this, IMHO.

X2

X3

you dont want to piss him off, (because he has a big gun) but tell him you have the right to be out there and if he has a problem he can go to the authorities. then keep on driving (politely and on the road like the BLM guy said)

Or you could go on you local blm web site, & print off info stating you have full rights to access blm land from any state road! Present that to the farmer, then polity offer their number for him to contact them. Most farmers are cool you just gotta respect them, their heard, & "their land". You did good by listening to him the first time by turning around, if he's in his right mind he should respect you for that!

If you don't have a turkey tag you may want to get one especially if your carrying during hunting season, a small game tag is also handy as you can almost always be "hunting". this is a CYA for you as some areas of the country the Department of Wildlife or DNR can fine you or arrest you for poaching if they so choose or have "reason to believe". having a tag that is in season and valid also gives you the ability while on BLM or public land to have the DOW or DNR to give the rancher a visit because he is interfering with your ability to legally hunt in an area, this can also be enforced if someone is intentionally driving away game.

Thanks for the update! I understand the rancher was just worried about his cattle. I used to ranch for years and I was always worried about it with locals who would fish the river I ranched on and leave gates open and et cetera. I have since then had a County Sheriff speak with the guy and set him straight about BLM usage!

.44 magnum was choice # 2

Holy Weapons Batman! Since the thred got bumped by a big OL rifle there, I am going hunting on the same land in a week. Guy tried to run me off the road last week when I was scouting...I think he is a little mad about the Sheriff!

Lol

Hard as hell to hit anything with those.