Private property posted signs on Public Land

[Corsair7]

Scouted some public land yesterday and came across some private property posted signs 80 yards on the State land from the actual public property line. These are new signs that were posted recently because I hunted this spot last December during late archery and killed a buck. The signs weren't there then, my set up was about 100 yards from the property line. Looks like who ever posted these signs placed them basically around the marsh area that is mostly on State land.

Should I report them or ignore them? It's unlawful to post any signs on State resources like trees. It was pretty disheartening to see the private property owner encroaching onto the public. Wanted to remove them but I decided to leave them for now.

[Dewey]

Call the DNR

[Horizontal Hunter]

A few years back we had someone post and install a locked gate across an access road to a WMA here. The EPO refused to cut the lock on the access road even though there was an easement on the property. Presto a 2,000 acre public WMA purchased with dollars from sportsmans land stamps became a private reserve.

I can't tell you how many times I have seen posted signs on public land. If my GPS tells me that I am on public land I ignore them.

Bob

[jman22]

As Dewey said, call your state environmental law agency. Always better to let them handle it as opposed to taking matters into your own hands.

[wolverinebuckman]

You should call the DNR, I heard last year the state of Michigan sold off some public lands. It's not unheard of. I suppose it could happen anywhere.
Likely not, though, but better to check first.

[Hawthorne]

I’ve seen it a couple times. Either my onx application is off or people are posting public

[Boogieman1]

I haven't seen any of that here, but can see someone using it as a dirty tactic to stear other hunters away from there area. Grab a stack of posted signs at the dollar store and try to take over an area. Hope that's not the case, that's pretty bush league.

[Jonny]

I have a spot that is heavily posted as private but county gis/plat book and onx all show it as public. Met a couple property owners one time and all just told me to park on one of their driveways on a dead end road and not on the shoulder of a county road.

No desire to call. Like having 120 acres in a great area pretty much to myself. Neighboring properties drive it during gun season but few of them bow hunt, and it’s a lot of swamp leading into a big hardwood ridge.


If you do your homework, you won’t have a problem. Last thing somebody is gonna do is call the cops when they have something to hide.

[sdonx]

With the new technology of property line programs these areas are getting called out. I found a nice marsh with public access this year when I went to check it out it was posted. probably by the Nieghbor, I don't blame them, throw a sign up and get rid of people walking next to your house.
Good idea I should call the authorities in case I get confronted when taking this access.

[ghoasthunter]

ive seen it plenty of times buy me half the time its just land the state bought but didn't repost but nobody posts public lands for the state of NJ now so most signs if any in woods are around 20 years old. it can be a real nightmare or a blessing sometimes.

[brancher147]

Call the DNR. I have seen the opposite also. People painting over the public boundary with brown paint to try and match the tree bark.

[Jonny]

I will also say onx maps is really making it easy to find these spots. I have 4-5 different hydro and paper companies that own land by me. 1 is totally open, 1 is open to clubs that lease it, and the others I haven’t heard back from in 3-4 years of constant calling and emailing.

Onx has the 1 marked perfectly in line with county gis. Which sucks. Eliminates the skill of finding those spots yourself. Now you can spend $100 and get all the work done for you. Wish I was smart enough to have come up with that stuff.

I can’t really say anything else since I do use onx and like it a lot. Just always worried about losing spots I found under everybodies nose. That’s what is great with technology. Keeps changing, and you just gotta change with it.

[Corsair7]

Same guy that posted private signs on public left (2) ladder stands that I know of. One of which he left his deer feeder tucked behind the tree. Location is pushing 1.5 miles from any public access, guy must not think his stuff is at risk from being walked out of the woods. I have found (5) ladder stand and a really old hang on so for on the 800 acre public piece I have scouted. Probably have only covered 10~20%. I'm guessing there are a lot more. Contacted DNR a few times on both private signs posted and stands left in the woods. Did not get a reply back from them.

Think this is his gun stand, or he attempted to take down and changed his mind, another ladder section is right side of tree:


Ladder stand w/ feeder tucked behind it, pretty good location where two swamps come together to make a funnel. Found a really old hang on stand by this ladder stand too:

[Twenty Up]

the old man would tell me stories how adjacent landowners to public lands in Upstate NY would post the land as theirs. It’s harder to get away with now as every hunter has OnX maps, GIS etc at their disposal but back then people would pass it off as their inability to read a map etc...

[Dave.Bechtel]

I would call the warden and avoid communication with the landowners. I've had one bad experience with a landowner who would come out and rip his chainsaw for about a hour and run his dogs all over. Pretty frustrating but he did get in trouble for hunter harassment.