Railroad Rights of Way
Railroad rights of way are not considered to be
the same as public road rights of way for purposes
of hunting. Some rail lines, such as Burlington
Northern/Santa Fe, expressly prohibit hunting on
their owned or leased railroad rights of way. Those
Burlington Northern/Santa Fe routes are:
â?¢White Butte - Mobridge - Aberdeen - Milbank -
Ortonville.
â?¢Aberdeen - Mitchell - Yankton - Vermillion â?? Elk
Point - North Sioux City.
â?¢Mitchell - Parker - Canton.
â?¢Canton - Sioux Falls - Colton - Wentworth - Madison.
â?¢Sioux Falls - Garretson - Sherman.
â?¢Dewey - Edgemont - Provo - Ardmore.
Dakota-Southern- hunting is allowed (exception:
not open during the resident-only pheasant
season). Routes are:
â?¢Mitchell-Chamberlain-Kadoka
â?¢Napa Junction (east of Tabor) to Ravinia
Other rail lines exercise varying degrees of control
over the uses of the rail lines they operate,
including restrictions on public hunting. Abandoned
rail lines may have reverted to private ownership to
the adjoining landowner. Unless permission has
been obtained from the rail line operating the
particular stretch of track or permission has been
obtained from the adjoining landowner of property
in the case of abandoned rail lines, railroad rights
of way should not be considered open for hunting.