Access

Does anyone know if river beds, etc. can be used as access points to get to land locked public property? I’ve done a little research and from everything I’ve found it is completely legal.

By water(boat) or walking?

River beds are public land all the way up to the high-waterline. Even on provate property someone can hunt your riverbed and be perfectly legal doing it.

You should be able to access land locked property from a river bed.


The bigger question is why do you have to access land locked property? Texas is a state that allows access by land to a “land locked” property.

Be careful. I've done it, within the law after doing a lot of research. First, don't believe everything you'll read here, including what I tell you. You really need to throw yourself into the law and learn it so you'll have full command of it and can enjoy it with confidence. There's some ambiguity in your question. If it's public land, it's not land locked and you have a right to access it. I'd be interested to hear about the land you are curious about, I may be able to help you. You may be referring to the topic of hunting river beds. In this case, you need to know if it is a navigable waterway, and where the gradient boundary is. These can be accessed from public bridges on public right of ways. This too can get a little dicey, as some are on different land grants that are centuries old. If you're interested in a particular area, research it. Find out if it is considered a navigable water way, then give the local game warden a call to confirm what you think to be true. I got interested in this topic years ago when I hunted a lease that had a river as our boundary, and heard that anybody that was willing to walk the six miles down the river bed to our border could hunt there. They could, but never did. They'd have to drop their kill within the gradient boundary, and carry it out on their back or in a cart.

Well the area I’m trying to hunt is a section of BLM land that is surrounded by private property. I am really wanting to get out and hunt that land, but have been totally unsure of how to access this piece of ground.

You'd think there be some sort of easement through a surrounding piece of property to access it.

Since you state this is BLM land what state is it in as I’m not aware of any in TX. If it is BLM land I’m sure there are still permits that are required through them.

Where is it, what's the name of it,?

There are still a few checkerboard BLM parcels still located in Texas...approximately 12,000 acres and they actually are bordered by a popular river.

I don't want to post much else to ruin any access attempt the original poster may have.

They're managed by a field office from another state.

That's ACOE managed land, and it's not land locked. There's a county road to parking area, and a walk in gate.

I don't want to post much else, as that may put other people on this and ruin the original poster's attempt at access, but this is straight from the USGS map.

Now if this is outdated or that land has been turned over to another agency, I stand corrected .

This is actually the exact area I am referring to, so thank you for not adding more info to your comments.