Corner Crossing

[Tigger]

So the legal case regarding 4 nonresident hunters that corner crossed on the Elk Mountain Ranch in Wyoming has been settled. Both the criminal and civil cases are now closed. This has the potential to open up a lot of acres to elk hunting. Here are some of the facts as I know them:

1. The criminal case was tried in Carbon County and the jury came back in short order with a not guilty verdict. This has no legal precedent outside of Carbon County and the very specific facts of the case.
2. The Civil case was at the 10th circuit court level. the judge issued a summary judgement in favor of the hunters. There is some legal precedent in the states in the 10th circuit (Montana and Idaho are NOT in the 10th circuit). However, before you corner cross, you need to understand the judgement very well. For example, if there is other reasonable access, corner crossing does not apply. You must cross over the exact corner. OnX and good enough is not enough.

I find this legal issue very interesting. Over 8 million acres across the west is available if corner crossing is legalized 100%. Wow. Real estate agents must be sweating a little this morning if they have ever advertised a ranch as having more than deeded acres assuming corner crossing was illegal.

[Jhg]

Interesting and important considering how much pressure is being brought to bear to limit hunting access and selling access rights etc for our public lands to those with deep pockets and selfish motives.
I usually try to be pretty even handed in my characterization of those with differing agendas, but those who would take away public land access so they can profit themselves by doing so are dangerous to our way of life and represent the very worst in hunt society, even though they cloak their motives behind such things as making corner crossing a crime.

[Swede]

When I lived in eastern Oregon, I had 95 acres that partly bordered an isolated block of State land. I never posted my land. Once in a while hunters would stop and ask permission to cross. Most just crossed and did not bother to ask. All I asked was for the hunters to be careful where they were shooting and not to damage my fences. It was never a problem, but some neighbors chewed on me for allowing people to access the public land. They acted like it is their own private land that they can have and use without even paying property taxes on it. As far as I am concerned corner crossing and more should be completely legal. As long as a trespasser is not hurting anything, they should be left alone.