Road Etiquette

R

Redmoose

Member
I was hunting ditch next to harvest posted harvested corn field. I parked my vehicle where the wheels were just on the edge of the road. Any truck, tractor or farm equipment could get pass me. I was about 1/4 mile from my truck, when a rancher in truck pulling a flatbed trailer stop and ask me if I own that rig up the road. I say yes. He told me I was park illegal that I needed to be park in the turn in. If he saw me again not parked in turn in, he was going to call deputy and have me throw in jail. I told him I been told not to block the approach to a field so landowner could enter if needed. Everything on this road had been harvest. Am I in the wrong or is he harassing me.
 
Springer22 said:
That’s an unhappy person. You did nothing wrong.
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Agree completely. Had you parked on the field access he would have bitched about you blocking the field. Best to handle just as you did and explain why you parked that way and continue on with your hunt. No upside to arguing but pretty sure if the Sherriff was to come out he would say you did nothing wrong.
 
No roads were dry. I saw him down the road about 1 1/2 miles away picking up hay. I could only picture how mad he would be if I were park in his approach then. I know it would be different story then.
 
Redmoose said:
No roads were dry. I saw him down the road about 1 1/2 miles away picking up hay. I could only picture how mad he would be if I were park in his approach then. I know it would be different story then.
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He probably should have been more tactful but hay bales often extend way off the sides of the truck, and on typical rural roads a vehicle parked as yours is a real pain to someone hauling a wide hay load. Also this time of year we see big harvesting equipment being moved on those roads. If you cannot find a pullout then you need to park down in the ditch, well off the road. Of course, if is a good idea to walk the ditch before you pull down into the grass, to be sure there is not an obstruction or hole there, but that takes only a minute. Ditch hunting is legal but parking in a way that impedes farm equipment is not.
 
Al Bonkers said:
He probably should have been more tactful but hay bales often extend way off the sides of the truck, and on typical rural roads a vehicle parked as yours is a real pain to someone hauling a wide hay load. Also this time of year we see big harvesting equipment being moved on those roads. If you cannot find a pullout then you need to park down in the ditch, well off the road. Of course, if is a good idea to walk the ditch before you pull down into the grass, to be sure there is not an obstruction or hole there, but that takes only a minute. Ditch hunting is legal but parking in a way that impedes farm equipment is not.
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There was plenty room to get by with hay. I would of pull down in ditch if possible. I believe a combine with header could of gotten around me. In 12 years of hunting So. Dakota this second time I had landowner get mad at me. First time the landowner felt that owe him $200.00 dollars for bird that fell on his property.
 
Redmoose said:
There was plenty room to get by with hay. I would of pull down in ditch if possible. I believe a combine with header could of gotten around me. In 12 years of hunting So. Dakota this second time I had landowner get mad at me. First time the landowner felt that owe him $200.00 dollars for bird that fell on his property.
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I have been driving those section line roads for many years. They are essentially one lane. If you had your driver's side tires "just on the edge of the road," as you said, then you would be impeding a wide hay load. There is no "going around you" -- they have to keep the truck in the center of the road. I also do not know why it was not "possible" for you to pull down in the ditch. I do it all time and don't even have to put my vehicle into 4x4.
 
Al Bonkers said:
I have been driving those section line roads for many years. They are essentially one lane. If you had your driver's side tires "just on the edge of the road," as you said, then you would be impeding a wide hay load. There is no "going around you" -- they have to keep the truck in the center of the road. I also do not know why it was not "possible" for you to pull down in the ditch. I do it all time and don't even have to put my vehicle into 4x4.
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How can you make a comment like that went you weren't there. You didn't see the steepness of ditch or the width of the road. I do my best to stay out of the way of Landowners. My practices give me opportunities to hunt their land.
 
Redmoose said:
How can you make a comment like that went you weren't there. You didn't see the steepness of ditch or the width of the road. I do my best to stay out of the way of Landowners. My practices give me opportunities to hunt their land.
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You’re not wrong about it… I don’t know what he is talking about, there is a difference between parking in the drive lane and pulling over with one wheel on the grass. # 1 when ditch hunting you typically are not far from the vehicle if something comes up. #2 You are doing what the regulations ask you to do.
#3 nobody is parking in the ditch that has much sense. If the ditch is okay to park in you are hunting the wrong ditch anyway.
 
Labradinger said:
What state were u in? In SD, you have to leave 20 feet of road clear when parking
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Can you cite the source for that? The only rule I'm familiar with in South Dakota is that the vehicle must be parked as far to the right hand side of the road as possible.

SDCL 41-9-1.5 reads "the motor vehicle by which the person has been transported to the hunting location has, to the maximum extent practical, been parked off the main traveled portion of the highway or public right-of-way in a manner that does not create an unreasonable risk of injury or damage to other persons or property using the highway or public right-of-way;"
 
I have a bit of a sidetracked question. I am going to SD for the first time this week. Can someone clarify what the legal rights of way are for ditch hunting? It appears via the reg book that the rights of way is 66' wide. I assume this includes both sides and the road in the middle? So, in theory, you can hunt roughly 6 yards off each side of the road, assuming a 10-yard wide road?
 
MNMEAD said:
I have a bit of a sidetracked question. I am going to SD for the first time this week. Can someone clarify what the legal rights of way are for ditch hunting? It appears via the reg book that the rights of way is 66' wide. I assume this includes both sides and the road in the middle? So, in theory, you can hunt roughly 6 yards off each side of the road, assuming a 10-yard wide road?
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Your interpretation is correct. However, the 66' can vary. Sometimes it's less, sometimes more. Typically, you'll find a fence or a place where you can see the field begins.
 
Got it. So areas with a posted fence, stay on the correct side. Areas where a fence may not be present, use best judgement and stay within about 6 yards of the road? It feels a little vague since fence lines may not be on the edge of the rights of way.
 
MNMEAD said:
Got it. So areas with a posted fence, stay on the correct side. Areas where a fence may not be present, use best judgement and stay within about 6 yards of the road? It feels a little vague since fence lines may not be on the edge of the rights of way.
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Also remember you can shoot a bird that originates in the ditch or is flying over. You can’t shoot a bird that originated on the other side ( private) and continues away from you on private. You may retrieve a shot bird without your gun. What pisses landowners off is guys walking the ditch while their dogs work the other side of the fence putting up birds to shoot.
 
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