Rout National Forest Grazing Leases
Elk
Have hunted in unit 4 in Rout National forest for years. Over that time I have had continued problems with grazing leases. I checked and found the grazing lease for the area I hunt ends on Sept 1. I archery hunted on Sept. 23 and found a large number of cow calf pairs still on forest service property. The area was over graised an all the wildlife normally on forest service had move across to private ground where grass was plentiful and not grazed. This land has a large outfitter operating on it. You could here numerous elk bulging on the private property. Why does Rout N.F. not inforce lease requirements. In years passed I have witnessed a man on horse back with to sheep dogs chasing elk from forest service to private ground. This was reported but recieved no response. Dose anyone know who to contact to get this corrected. CoBowHunter
Rancher welfare as I like to refer to it is not enforced in the white river or routt national lands, the worst of them all are the domestic sheep. Good luck getting any one to call you back. I have tried many times .
Hang one of those sheep from a game pole and I bet you’d get some responses
USFS is so understaffed that enforcing grazing lease dates is way down on the list. Where I hunted in WY last year there were cattle everywhere until Oct 1, even though the lease ended Sept 1. Bowhunters were so pissed that one scattered a box of roofing nails at the entrance to a rancher driveway. USFS response was that they were supposed to have them out...
I like Brad's idea. Side story, I was in a Walgreens one time and waiting at the check out counter for 5 or 10 minutes early one morning. No one was at the register but there was a lady behind the photo counter. She clearly knew I was there but was intentionally not looking my way. Instead of hollering at her I simply walked behind the counter. Before I got halfway to the register she promptly came over to yell at me and tell me I couldn't go there. I looked at her and said why did I have to do that for her to finally acknowledge me. She said she hadn't seen me. I said, funny that she saw me walk behind the counter though ehh? I said, I know you saw me and you're a liar. Then i left. Point of the story is simply I bet they call you back when the cattle and sheep start dying......
I ain’t hangin no stinkin, greasy sheep from a game pole. Now a nice fat 800-1,000lb steer or heifer, on the other hand…..
ryan, do you possess any incendiary devices?
What I think of is Brokeback Mountain...8^)))
I also have seen the guy on horseback (a few years back) riding all over the mountain yelling a couple days before muzzle loader season. (441/214) didn't see another elk after that. he was wearing orange chaps, I talked to some other hunters who usually hunt there and was told he runs some outfitting camps down in the valley there.
the sheep don't bother me, I think the round up is more likely to push the elk out then them just being there. the big white sheep dogs are another story. I have met some that were friendly and others that act like they want to kill you. they stay out with the herd alone so the shepherd is not there to call them off. I always carry a pistol now because of one memorable encounter before daylight. I'm a dog lover and wouldn't want to hurt one but I am prepared to defend myself if I have to.
Same problem in the unit I hunt. And, I’ve never received a call back once I started complaining.
They are allowed 10% stragglers after the end date for the season. And there’s your loophole. It will never change.
I accompanied my lifelong hunting buddy on his OIL archery elk hunt in the Valle Vidal this year. A week or so prior to opening day, the grazing lease holder brought in tractor-trailer loads of cows. According to the conservation officer we spoke with the rancher(also the president of the Grazers Association) dumped double the number of cows allowed under his permit. The rancher is also an outfitter on the VV. There is more to this story but I can't reveal more as I don't want to get innocent hunters who booked with this scumbag in trouble.
The grazing issues are a big problem. Especially with the sheep affecting Bighorn sheep. It’s a problem and we as sportsmen needs to find a way to fix it.
Jaq tops all stories once again... uncanny...
The way to fix it is make the ranchers honor the flipping agreement they sign. Instead of giving them free range to decide when they remove their stock.
I don’t mind public land being leased for grazing. What I mind is public land being leased for grazing while giving the leasor control of how they honor the contract.
Anyone who’s hunted public land in the west knows the irritation of thousands and thousands of sheep and cattle being herded up and run through the hunting area weeks after the deadline.
These ranchers have zero intent of honoring it because they are allowed to foul up everything to best benefit their interests. And the forest service has zero problems letting them. All the while their rangers are running from hunter to hunter writing tickets for game tags attached to the antlers instead of thrown in a blood soaked game bag.
Everyone is for the American farmer and rancher. Me too. But, throwing everyone who uses the lands under the bus because of it isn’t right. Stragglers are one thing. The whole dang herd is another. And, all I see ranchers driving are $70,000 pick up trucks while signing their sad story about how hard it is to make it.
It’s really bad when the leasor owns land adjoins their lease. They’ll drive their herds all over public land pushing elk into their private land, way past the deadline to ensure the private hunts they are selling, offers plenty of elk for sale.
It’s a bunch of crap.
Opening weekend of archery elk, I ran into a rancher with a BLM grazing lease on the West Slope. There were 4 cowboys and a packhorse. The packhorse was carrying 4 chainsaws. Talked to the rancher and he said he was cutting trails for his cattle roundup. He had every right to be there but he had all summer to cut those trails and he picked opening weekend? After a 4 mile hike in there, we backtracked out. You could hear those chainsaws for miles.
Not honoring the grazing lease requirements is just the tip of the iceberg, IMO. What really makes my blood boil are the ranchers who graze on landlocked BLM, then use the same public land as their own private hunting reserves.
Matt
