Hunting Land Posted

[Henry]

I am not a hunter and I know a lot of people get upset about land being posted.  I can remember when you could find cars parked all over the place up here on the Fletcher Road as hunters went off into the fields and woods to hunt deer.  Had a guy that used to come in the fall of the year and ask permission to hunt racoons. 

With all the housing developments we have around here, not a safe place to shoot off a rifle as a stray bullet could easily hit someone.  When our kids were small, we never liked to have them playing out in the back yard, for that reason alone.

The shooting last night of a man in his house would appear to be something that may have happened just in that way.  Any of you that travel down the Woods Hollow Road know the type of land and woods that are around there.  Haven't heard the real story on the shooting, however, after the young man down at St. Albans Bay came forward and admitted to the shooting, then was placed in jail, there may be nobody coming forward to admit their guilt.

[Loctavious]

     I share your sentiments Henry.  I had a bad experience with a hunter on my non-posted-at-the-time-land and him statting he had the right to be hunting there.  It REALLY crated a huge INTOLERANCE for them in me.  For 2 years after that i did everything in my power to hinder success for hunters on and near my property.  I too would refrain from lettign my kid play outside during hunting season and alos from hiking, biking and walking.  Scary stuff to see men with rifles walk out of the woods in front of you on a bike ride let me tell you
    THEN, one winter day, on my way to basketball practice in Fletcher, i hit all ice and went off the road.  That morning I'd been really bashing hunters again, due to seeing them walkign down our road rifles holstered.  The first people to stop and help were ... guess who?  Hunters.  within 15 minutes, there about 10 guys of all ages and lifestyles and vehicles stopped to help out.  One guy drove 5 mile sdown the road to get a tow rope.  They were good-spirited and helpful folk who i couldn't thank enough.  I was out and on my way to practice in 20 minutes.
     Right when the first guy pulled over and i saw his rifle I realized i was being taught a lesson about judging folk without knowing them.  Call it god, call it fate, call it my subconscious having a ureka moment, but i learned that day that people have different takes on life.  They have different ways of existing that may offend others.  BUT, i think the one thing we need to remember, is to be sure to NOT judge until you know them.  I've always respected folks who NEED to hunt for food as it's a necessity that justifies the act.  It's the folks who do it for the hell of it, the sport that bothered me - truthfully they still do.  BUT, i have come to accept their choices and the fact it doesn't make them bad people on the whole.  I'm much more tolerant of hunters now............... providing the respect the law, land, and safety of others.

[NorthFairfaxBoy]

A true outdoorsman will always stop and ask for permission to hunt or fish or even just walk on a parcel of land.  The ones that do not, have no respect for the outdoors, or even them selves thus their ignorance in getting permission.  I was taught one by my father and second in hunters safety course, that the land owner is the most important.

[Loctavious]

Indeed they are.  I'm not one to use ATV's or snowmobiles, but i've heard that landowners have increasingly posted their lands and some have renigged on some permissions>  I've seen VAST flyers/notices on community bulletin boards stating there's risk of losign some land use and they plea for tolerance and understanding.  To be fair a few notices, the more professional looking ones, have touched upon the issues bothering land owners ( litter, disrespectful use of the land in terms of times used and using according to the law, destruction of land, damage to crops, etc).

It's the same issue - a few ignorant fools, feeling entitled, and not aware of anyone else outside their own existence, ruin it for the ones who are respectful and law-abiding.  They're the one's who suffer when land use is renigged.   I do feel for the ones that are minding their manners.

[Judi]

After reading the misfortune on Old Stage Rd my heart was sinking this morning when some one decided to have rifle practice in their back yard on River road this morning.  It takes all kinds and we certainly have the ones with no brains around here.

[special ED]

I dont post my land and hopefully never will have too. Two years ago we had a knot head stop on the road and shoot at our goats good for us he was a bad shot,we tried to get a plate number but he was too fast ,A few years before that we had a guy get caught shooting at a decoy from the road  on his 4 wheeler ,for those few slobs their are scores of good ,responsible people out there so please dont condem us all for a few bad apples

[Sue W.]

My husband and I were just discussing posted land this morning before we heard about the unfortunate incident in Essex.  Our land is posted.  He said most people feel that posted land means no hunting.  We feel it means no trespassing for any reason.  We posted our land years ago after someone shot a doe in July.  She had 2 fawns.  We were very sad to find her body.  This year we have a doe with triplets among the deer living in our woods.  

It is strange.  Our woods are landlocked, they do not border any roads.  We have had garbage dumped there.  Once the remains of someone's butchered pig.  We hated to post the land but felt that people were not respecting the land, the wildlife nor the owners.  My husband grew up here and said land was not posted when he was growing up.  Times were different, apparently.

[Mike Raburn]

I am assuming you cannot hunt with or discharge a firearm within an incorporated city limit say like St. Albans?

It just baffles me that the tragedy in Essex was technically legal due to firearm discharge not being in violation of any ordinance.
I say that not knowing what ordinances are in place.

I learned, the hard way, about discharge of firearms within the Anchorage city limits when I was in high school. Illegal. We were even just outside of a closed gun range.
Granted our city limits encompass 1955 square miles and bordered by National and State Parks.