Hardscrabble CWMU & the Great Western Trail

cavemn5050 · Sep 29, 2014

There is a chunk of land south of the Hardscrabble CWMU I want to get to during the general deer hunt and can get there on the Great Western Trail. My question is: Am I allowed to trespass through the portion of the Hardscrabble CWMU as long as I stay on the Great Western Trail to get there?

I don't really want to get busted when I have no intention of hunting on this land, I just want to get through it....

Any help on this would be appreciated.

30Hart · Sep 29, 2014

dack77 · Sep 29, 2014

Hmm, so I have a couple of honest questions, but they could be stupid questions I guess. I thought I had heard that if you were on horses or hiking through there that they can not keep you off the trail. Maybe I am remembering incorrectly on this, but if it is the case, why could you not hike through the area on the trail to get to the other side to hunt? What would give one person the right to be on the trail while the other person cant?

BLooDTRaCKeR · Sep 29, 2014

Good luck! The muzzy hunters blasted that area pretty good!

YELUM · Sep 29, 2014

No, unless you are not carrying a weapon. East canyon has the same rule. You can't carry a weapon through their property to access state ground, unless you havean EC permit.

Yelum

YBU

Sniper1 · Sep 30, 2014

I would look into this. Call the DWR ask them. I could be wrong and Yelum could be right but I am pretty sure you are ok to follow that trail as long as you do not go off it.

tallbuck1 · Sep 30, 2014

>There is a chunk of land
>south of the Hardscrabble CWMU
>I want to get to
>during the general deer hunt
>and can get there on
>the Great Western Trail. My
>question is: Am I allowed
>to trespass through the portion
>of the Hardscrabble CWMU as
>long as I stay on
>the Great Western Trail to
>get there?
>
>I don't really want to get
>busted when I have no
>intention of hunting on this
>land, I just want to
>get through it....
>
>Any help on this would be
>appreciated.

You are correct, as long as you stay on the GW trail you will be fine.

PM Me and Ill give you my some great options and areas to look at as I hunted it and couldn't connect on my muzzy hunt. Also there are other ways that are less traveled and less elevation to get there.

Tallbuck1

Smokepole · Sep 30, 2014

You are not allowed to cross the CWMU on the trail during the hunting seasons while you carry a weapon and have a permit. The UDWR will back up any CWMU operator for either stopping you from crossing or for trespassing on their private property if caught on the property. However, if you are on a public road you can cross a CWMU that is different.

Kwalk · Sep 30, 2014

Tall buck is correct. We called the dwr and sheriff a few years ago and were told that the great western trail is a public right of way. Don't have your gun loaded or bow in hand. We were even told if they needed to come verify site of kill they would. Sounds like maybe they have had issues in the past?

However, I have heard that the operator will try to tell you it's not allowed and will give you a hard time if he sees you coming through... We kept the officers number and name that we talked to on our person during the hunt in case we were confronted while hiking through, but never saw a soul.

cavemn5050 · Oct 1, 2014

I called the DWR and the woman I spoke to didn't know. She suggested I call the CWMU Operator, but I have yet to hear kind words about Fred although I haven't met the man personally.

HGOP · Oct 1, 2014

There is no deeded right away on the greatwestern trail to cross private property. The land owner has every right to keep you off their property. With that being said, as long as you don't have a weapon of any kind and don't do anything stupid (like the guys on dirtbikes) than I doubt you will have any problems, but would be best if you got permission. The land owner is really quite reasonable but will not tolerate tresspassing without permission. Respect of the private property is all the land owner is looking for. You may be better off starting from big mountain, it may also be closer

Gator · Oct 1, 2014

So what they posted right or wrong.
Tall buck is correct. We called the dwr and sheriff a few years ago and were told that the great western trail is a public right of way. Don't have your gun loaded or bow in hand. We were even told if they needed to come verify site of kill they would.
Sounds like the DWR and sheriff are saying it ok.

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Kwalk · Oct 1, 2014

I'll have to look it up, but we talked to someone from the dwr or sherrifs office and they knew exactly where I was talking about and stated what I posted before. If access is allowed through as part of a well traveled public access trail, then it would seem that having a weapon(strapped on a pack and unloaded) while traveling through the cwmu staying on the trail at all times would be a non issue. Hunting with that weapon on the cwmu would obviously be a serious violation. I'm not trying to be argumentative, just stating what I was told, and logic would say that if it is allowed, then it is allowed for all. If it is not Allowed, that section of the trail should be closed to all, which I do not believe it is.