getting permission on rural land

Good point, BLM is 22%. But BLM holds the low ground, and the Forest Service has the high ground, bringing the total federal lands in Idaho right back up to 63%.

Barb--I never said anyone should ASSUME the land is public--just the opposite. I said not to ASSUME either private or public ownership. Maps are clear. Here in the west, postings and markings are not necessarily clear. NO ONE should trespass private land without permission, NOR have to ask permission to enter public land. Of course, the whole term "ranch" is misleading. What passes for ranches in some parts of the country would be "farming cattle" in other parts. When I hear the word "ranch" I automatically think of vast unfenced areas. There, it pays to buy the map.

I've been to the BLM office for my sector so I know the area that I'm interested in is not BLM land. California land is too valuable to remain in public hands--the only land nearby that *is* BLM land is condemned for most uses because the naturally-occurring soil asbestos and mercury is so high that the ground you walk on is a hazard to your health and visitors are supposed to wash their vehicles before or on arriving at home.

For all that, they still graze cattle there. Mostly it gets leased for mining.

Here, the ranches are fenced, but when you're talking 10,000 acres, I think it still qualifies as a ranch. Most of them are big name corporate holdings, like Harris Ranch Beef Company , stuff like that. Some are family ranches of about 2000 acres.

So. One of the places I'd like to visit has a house about a city block's length beyond a driveway gate that is closed and locked. Should I contact those folk by leaving a note in the mailbox, or dare I pass that gate on foot and knock on the front door? The fact there's a locked gate (against cars) makes me hesitant to set foot on the driveway. And of course the pastures are marked 'no trespassing' (who can blame them? Otherwise you'd have city yahoos chasing the cattle on ATV's...) This volcano dome has lots of colored lichens and twisty trees.

Another of the places I'd like to visit is the property of a huge cattle company. Do I contact the corporate office? The draw on that land is that they have a large population of golden eagles that nest on the volcano domes there and would be great for telephoto shots.

I agree with Wind in her Hair; I'd give permission for a one time hiking trip to take pictures, etc. But I would not expect them to feel free to come and go as they wish. It took most of our lives to save up the money to get our place. We like our privacy. We have good neighbors and even tho we've told a couple of them to feel free to come fish - they always call and ask first.

I figure it is the same as tromping around someone's back yard, only the yard is really big.

It sounds like basically I'd need to come up with some kind of release for them to consider in case they want one, so they don't have to do that work. Ask nicely, take 'no' for an answer, don't assume that permission extends to anything other than the one specified date and time.

Other things that I'm missing?

I'l stop thread drifting and give you my answer.

It doesn't sound like they live there just use it probably for hunting and lease it out. Don't leave a note in the mailbox - some of the carriers get touchy about it. Send them a letter saying to them what you said to us about taking some pictures. Explain you are a neighbor and will not hunt, leave trash or damage. Also that you won't bring other people with you except perhaps your husband. Tell them you would like to meet them and assure them in person that you just want to take some pictures. Offer them some copies of the pictures.

What the heck - they can only say no and at least you tried.

Courthouse will probably have an address.

mailbox should have an adress on it, postal regulation!

The rules, regulations and laws of each state are different. In Missouri if a creek or stream is not continuously navigable by boat it is not open to the public. I have a creek near me that cannot be floated on except in an occasional deep pool along its length and is therefore private where it borders my land. Also, if you have to walk on the bed of the creek or stream, in Missouri, to travel it, you are trespassing on private property unless you can walk on water. I have had my fill of explaining the law to people here who think that any thing larger than a mud puddle is open to the public.

Yes, there is a difference between a waterway that is float trip friendly and one that is a trickle through someone's private land. Just like the difference between a ranch in one state and a ranch in another where one has all private land and another uses BLM or other government land.