Here’s the story:
A guy buys a chunk of land. Previous to his purchase, the railroad easment on the property was used by local folks to get to and from great fishing and hunting locations.
Guy buys the land, catches people trespassing to get to these locations like they did before his purchase, and swiftly gives them the boot, and is none too kind about it.
The property is in SW Montana, the land owner is from Seattle.
Guide Brent Taylor said that for years he has walked the railroad tracks near the Poindexter Slough fishing access to reach fishing holes on the Beaverhead. But this spring, he says, he has been harassed. Barbed wire has been strung, and “no trespassing” signs are plastered on railroad bridges.
(snip)
Seattle businessman Mike Philpott, who recently bought 86 acres in the area, said trespassers have been on his property each time he has visited.
“There were hunting guides from Dillon taking people on guided hunts on my property,” Philpott told The Montana Standard in a telephone interview Friday. “Somebody had built a deer stand in one of the trees.”
Railroad tracks bisect Philpott’s property, a river-bottom wetland that he says he bought for hunting and fishing. Montana regulations say that tracks are private property and may not be used for stream access.
Philpott acknowledges the public has a right to use the Beaverhead River, but he objects to trespassing on railroad property to reach it.
I feel for both parties here. The locals have become accustomed to using the easement to get to their favorite game spots then, all of a sudden this outside guy comes in and tells you you can’t anymore.
But Philpott has a right to tell anyone he wants to get the hell off his land. He didn’t buy this decent sized dirt plot in some whacked out rainforest scheme to keep humans from desecrating it, he bought it so that he could hunt and fish on his own property.
As much as can’t stand outsiders coming and mucking things up for me, it is Philpott’s land. In my opinion, which is also the legal opinion, the locals are SOL. And I don’t know if it just the article, but these Dillon folks are a lot whinier than the Montanians I know.
I mean what the hell is this line about?
“It’s a little … tougher to get down to the river,” Taylor said. “You pretty much have to rip your waders to get through here.”
Dude, you’re crossing a barbed wire fence that was purpose built to keep your ass out. What part of “No Trespassing” does this jackass not understand?
Philpott is a lot nicer than I would be. Dude would be lucky if I didn’t have Indiana Jones style pitfall traps set on just the other side of the fence.
