caching on wildlife management areas.

[+LHAZC]

there is some caches located on a wildlife management area(Cherokee WMA in Arkansas)

there are several caches located on it but I was told that just recently at a old camp area/swimming hole called flat rock that is

located on the land,(alsoknown around here as paper company land) several people got tickets for being on it. ticketed for not having a permit.?.?

I would love to go to these caches but I dont want a ticket, anyone heard of this?

[+Sioneva]

there is some caches located on a wildlife management area(Cherokee WMA in Arkansas)

there are several caches located on it but I was told that just recently at a old camp area/swimming hole called flat rock that is

located on the land,(alsoknown around here as paper company land) several people got tickets for being on it. ticketed for not having a permit.?.?

I would love to go to these caches but I dont want a ticket, anyone heard of this?

 

Does it require a fee? A lot of WMAs charge a few dollars for use, on the honor system... but if you don't pay and you get caught, then yeah, you could get a ticket.

 

Maybe that was it?

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Check with the WMA management.

 

Here in Alabama most of the entrance roads to our WMAs have check-in stations, unmanned booths where you can get a free use permit for the WMA out of a box.

 

They require that you have a permit so that you have a copy of the rules of use.

 

I know you have to stop and get a permit for hunting, don't know about casual day use.

Edited March 23, 2010 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+palmetto]

That would be locally variable. Near me are just two places I'm aware of that require pulling a permit for day use. Most state owned lands here do not. The place to get reliable information is the WMA website

 

Here I just googled Cherokke WMA in Arkansas... and yes, it looks like a permit area

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Nevermind.

Edited March 24, 2010 by BBWolf+3Pigs

[+narcissa]

If you're in an area that requires permits for use, there should be signs. It's a good idea to research a place if you've never cached there before. I was in Arizona on the weekend, caching in a big city park and a national forest. I checked the hours and other regulations before I went.

[+LHAZC]

yep after posting this I checked out the cherokee wma also, it states for camping/hunting/trapping but doesnt state any other uses, i got their # and plan to call to make sure before we go. Thanks.

[+GeoGeeBee]

This obviously varies from state to state. In some states, wildlife areas are open to anyone to use at anytime. In others, a license of some kind is required. In one state where I used to live, you had to have a hunting or fishing license or you were considered trespassing. They finally started selling a "recreational license" for people who wanted to use the areas for hiking or birdwatching but didn't want to be counted as hunters or fishermen.

[+jopasm]

Your best bet is to check the website and call the WMA. Sometimes there are different types of WMA's (locally there are WMA's on land leased from the Federal government, state owned WMA's, and WMA's on a mix of state and privately owned land leased by the state). Some of the smallest WMA's are not open for hiking or camping (the primary purpose is hunting, and they're too small to have mixed use as a matter of safety). Some areas of WMA's are not open due to conservation practices (for example, there are a couple areas nearby where lakes and the land surrounding them are closed to allow fish and fowl populations a chance to recover).

 

Also, some WMA's do not allow geocaching and thus you'd be ticketed.

[+GeoGeeBee]

It seems to me that if there are restrictions on who can be on a particular piece of property, the cache owner should indicate what those restrictions are in the cache listing.

 

I realize a lot of people will load a PQ and go without ever seeing the cache page. But still...

[+bflentje]

Check with the WMA management.

 

Here in Alabama most of the entrance roads to our WMAs have check-in stations, unmanned booths where you can get a free use permit for the WMA out of a box.

 

They require that you have a permit so that you have a copy of the rules of use.

 

I know you have to stop and get a permit for hunting, don't know about casual day use.

 

Oh for gosh sakes, thanks for giving the officials here in the Peoples Republic of Minnesota more ideas.. before today, Minnesota WMAs do not require a fee. Let's hope they're not lurking in the forums.

[+a-body]

I also believe Minnesota does not allow geocaching in WMA's