Lake Access through a Hunting camp

[trouthunter]

im just looking to get some info/opinions on this matter.

At this time of year the bush is packed with hunters. I dont hunt other than partridge as i make my way to the lakes. I rather fish at this time of year since the trout fishing is usually pretty good. I often find myself exploring new spots, using my ATV with canoe on top to get to new lakes. Sometimes just before i reach the lake I come up on a hunting camp (a permanent camp not just camper trailers). in order to get to the lake i would need to cut though the property. sometime its even located right on lakefront.

I've looked on Crow Land Atlas and these camps are all on crown land. How can that be? How can someone build a permanent camp on Crown Land?

anyways i'm just curious as to what you guys would do. should i just go through and access the lake regardless. i've been turning around and hitting my plan B, but that pretty frustrating?

[scarkner]

If it looks like there are people there actively hunting then you've probably already busted things up driving through and you might actually cause more disturbance if you try to go way out around the camp, so personally I would hop off an tell the guys that you are only there to fish and that you don't want to disturb them by driving all around the lake and could you launch there. They might appreciate that. IF they don't then you just drive around the lake. It's crown land and you aren't actively trying to be an a-hole to the hunters.

There are cases where long-term leases to crown land were granted, but these should be reflected on the crown atlas. Private crown rentals are no longer done (except for businesses, not for hunt camps, and again it would show up as "private" in the atlas).

You are also allowed to build a cabin (or cabins) if you have a valid trapping license.

Building on crown land is OK, you're basically just taking a chance that the building is found, removed or otherwise occupied. Technically speaking you are not meant to build anything of "economic value" on crown land, so how valuable is that camp? Again, it is something people do but kinda falls in a grey zone. I know of several camps on crown land, some of them are very extensive, some are barely more than a trailer with the wheels taken off. It's legal, but doesn't give the people staying there legal rights to the land. Even if people have a use permit, unless it is actually a long-term lease, it doesn't give rights to the land itself. Whats frustrating is when they start putting up no-tresspassing signs... then you start to wonder if you are off-track and who owns what.

Some people also claim that the camps are for camping... you are legally required to camp in one spot for 21 days, after which someone else is allowed to camp there. So again, if you build something and someone else walks into the building and sleeps there... not much you can do about it. (yes, I know that reality is different, no one is going to go into an active camp full of hunters and say "I want that bed").

If there's no one around then for sure just park and fish.

There's some pretty good info at the following links:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/buy-or-rent-crown-land

There is also some great information here on exactly this subject and one persons adventure finding answers:
https://presentlytravelling.wordpress.c ... rown-land/

[trouthunter]

THANKS FOR THE INFO SCARKNER

[RJ]

Crown Land? Throw on some Hunter Orange and giver. You have as much right to be there as anyone else.

RJ

[smitty55]

Crown Land? Throw on some Hunter Orange and giver. You have as much right to be there as anyone else. RJ

While technically you're right Rob, in practice it's not always a wise move. Many of these camps have been there for decades and for two weeks of the year they do kind of consider it their territory, so it's generally best to not stir up a hornets nest of angry hunters who sometimes put in a pile of work and would highly resent someone tromping through the bush and perhaps ruining a hunt, specially at prime times of the day.
As to the camps themselves, at least in the past, many of those leases actually did give the owners rights to one acre of land, but I'm not sure if that happens anymore.

Cheers

[Fishoholic]

If they are at the camp when you go by get out and ask em if they mind you going through to access a lake for fishing. I have in the past and they were real friendly about it. I even dropped off a couple fish on the way out for them. Not saying all groups would be as receptive but doesn't hurt to ask if you see someone. Don't forget the orange.

[smitty55]

To the OP. There's only 5 days left of rifle season. Around here there's only get 2 weeks at most out of the whole year to get that fix in at deer camp. It totally deserves to be acknowledged and respected by all outdoorsmen in my opinion. Just sayin...

Cheers

[CBB]

To the OP. There's only 5 days left of rifle season. Around here there's only get 2 weeks at most out of the whole year to get that fix in at deer camp. It totally deserves to be acknowledged and respected by all outdoorsmen in my opinion. Just sayin...

Cheers

I agree with Smitty. Sort of like do you fish right in front of someones decoy's who is out waterfowl hunting. Deer season is a big affair as it is for a short time once a yr.

[fishingcarpenter]

I can't see how driving an atv through and launching a canoe would make a lick of difference to the success of their hunt. I'm sure most would have no problem. In the area I hunt most camps are doing drives or running dogs anyway. Most stands would be far enough away from the camp/trail that an atv driving through wouldn't be an issue either.

[Fkawee]

[quote="fishingcarpenter"]I can't see how driving an atv through and launching a canoe would make a lick of difference to the success of their hunt. I'm sure most would have no problem. In the area I hunt most camps are doing drives or running dogs anyway. Most stands would be far enough away from the camp/trail that an atv driving through wouldn't be an issue either.[/quote
obviously you don't hunt deer
It's the scent mostly i'd be most concerned about
Even fishermen stink like the devil after a shower.

[Haulin Bass]

I belong to a camp that pays every year for its LUP. We also pay taxes and insurance on that land so we consider it to be under our control and would not appreciate the public wandering around on it. If someone asked to use as a right of way we would have no problems as long as it did not affect our activities but in these times liability is always an issue