Rancher locking gate on BLM.

[bobbydean]

I drew my local unit for deer. Not great, but there are deer. My brother and I took a ride to check out some BLM. Basically a circle around 30 miles circumference on BLM land. Hunted off and on for 30 years. An easy hunt that I can hunt with my wife.

Rancher had placed a gate and the road and padlocked. New Mexico has some crazy laws. If there is another access, it can be locked and access must be made from other entry point.

Not pissed, but irritated. Have not been there in 3 years.

NMG&F is closed: cannot ask them. Do not know of another access point.

I can hunt elsewhere with better quality. The sand dunes to the east of the unit have large bucks and lots of private. Sand dunes are a hard hunt.

Just bitching; and I will hand handle it.

 

[Fisherkid1]

Grinder and take the evidence with you. "
It was open when i got there, but why should it be locked i thought this was BLM?"

 

[hank4elk]

Contact local BLM office & check BLM/G&F maps site for open gates. Could just be locked off season.
But it is NM.....

 

[NMGuy]

I once went in to the Roswell BLM office to complain about a locked gait on BLM and their response was for me to cut it off. I asked for that in writing and the supervisor came over and explained that the gate in question sat something like 10 yards into private. Said he had driven out personally to verify. Definitely worth a visit/call to them to see if they can help.

If it's a county road, you could call the county although you might want to check and see if the Commissioners passed a vote to close that section like they did down off highway 13 a couple years back.

 

[bobbydean]

I plan to check with NMG&F when they reopen the office. I walk daily across the street. Follow up with the BLM if no go from game and fish.

I had not thought of Hank's comment that it may be locked for the off season.

The state government is supposed to open May 15.

 

[bobbydean]

Checked with my niece's husband today. He has large amount of knowledge about access to units 32, 34 and 36.

Gave me an alternate entrance into the BLM circle. Warned that it is now extremely rough. I have hunted it many times and never thought about it being rough. But, I did not use the little 2 track he suggested.

Also, gave me several suggestions of good areas in the unit. Most important, said he would come down from Mayhill and hunt with me if he is free. He did not have a tag this year, but is usually busy from October to January helping friends and friends kids. He is helping with an Ibex hunt and an elk hunt already.

Nice to have family with hunting smarts.

 

[Fremont15]

Cut the damn lock!

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

have your on x and see if its public or not///public ,id cut it,,on the line? id check if there was a easement or anything//not sure about n m laws.good to find out now way before season starts.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

It is BS to cut off public access. If it is done illegally, it should carry the automatic maximum penalty to the turdbag rancher that a trespassers would get.

That being said, I had someone near me cut off traditional access to an area I hunt. I checked with my buddy at USFS and everything was legal and legit, which was consistent with my maps...but it turned a good hunting spot into a great one. Instead of access by truck, it now takes parking on the other side and drive 35 minutes over a mountain in a 4-wheeler, which no one in the past few years has been willing to do other than me, at least from what I have seen.

 

[NMGuy]

glad you found a different potential access point Bobby. As IdahoNick said, perhaps it will enhance the quality of the hunt. Some of the local units seem to be really crowded in rifle seasons.

We encountered a similar issue near town in one of our usual hunting spots over the years. First the main road in got closed, then a side road got locked, then a third access road got gated and one of the ranchers patrols the area running people off because you have to cross his private land to get through the gate. There's still one more way in, but it's more of a goat trail than a road and I don't know if it is even passable anymore. Plus that route is on private land as well. I can still access most of it by foot, but drive in access was much more convenient.

 

[Blackcats06]

Checked with my niece's husband today. He has large amount of knowledge about access to units 32, 34 and 36.

Gave me an alternate entrance into the BLM circle. Warned that it is now extremely rough. I have hunted it many times and never thought about it being rough. But, I did not use the little 2 track he suggested.

Also, gave me several suggestions of good areas in the unit. Most important, said he would come down from Mayhill and hunt with me if he is free. He did not have a tag this year, but is usually busy from October to January helping friends and friends kids. He is helping with an Ibex hunt and an elk hunt already.

Nice to have family with hunting smarts.

Its technically not a GF issue it's a BLM issue. Contact the BLM

 

[noharleyyet]

Checked with my niece's husband today. He has large amount of knowledge about access to units 32, 34 and 36.

Gave me an alternate entrance into the BLM circle. Warned that it is now extremely rough. I have hunted it many times and never thought about it being rough. But, I did not use the little 2 track he suggested.

Also, gave me several suggestions of good areas in the unit. Most important, said he would come down from Mayhill and hunt with me if he is free. He did not have a tag this year, but is usually busy from October to January helping friends and friends kids. He is helping with an Ibex hunt and an elk hunt already.

Nice to have family with hunting smarts.

Good on you for finding a way to make lemonade bobbyd.

 

[npaden]

Is it this one?

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[bobbydean]

Is it this one?

No. Felix Canyon road is in the area. Also closed is the public road into Twin Dams. These are all in the same geographical area (west of Roswell and almost to Border Hill in Lincoln county.

Chaves county commission strongly favors the ranching community.

 

[NMGuy]

We were (thankfully) able to make enough of a stink to keep the commission from locking up three different sections of Picacho last year but I doubt that'll be the last time the ranchers try. They've definitely done some "interesting" stuff down in that area with some of the unitizations and things like that.

I've always wondered why the Twin Dams road got locked.

 

[azelkhntr]

Go to the County offices and they’ll know what’s what. If it’s a landowner gone NIMBY and it’s BLM Public land then get the Sheriff and the Feds on it. Keep on it.

 

[bobbydean]

Thanks for the interest. But this is New Mexico, and I am pretty sure it is legal. As long as there is another access point, the County commission can vote to lock the gate. Twin Dams is 10 miles out of Roswell. Gate was locked due to local rancher request. Was a great place to sight in rifle. Other entrance is 50 miles away. It is what it is. I will vote in next election against county commissioner running for reelection.

Damn, I probably have to vote for a Democrat.

 

[azelkhntr]

Pretty sure isn’t worth squat. Do you know?

 

[bobbydean]

You are right. But I live here and see it.

I have always planned to check it out after local government opens up.

 

[Two7D]

NMDGF is open. The physical office is closed but you can call any of the numbers and someone should answer. I called them the other day, got my questions answered. Or call the BLM. Good luck.