Roaming (Not Cell Phone)

[Ratherbfishing]

This may be something experienced only by country people but I do so miss those days when, as a kid, I could more or less roam free around the countryside!  I stayed away from homes, naturally, but there were plenty of barns and pastures and woods and creeks to keep an adventurous boy relatively content.  Perhaps I was naive because I set out to do no harm and was just out to explore but no one seemed to care where I went (at least no one ever shot at me or called the police).  As an adult, that privilege seems to be completely gone.  Maybe I've acquired the good sense of censoring my own behavior but I do miss it dreadfully.  Has anyone else ever enjoyed the pasttime of roaming?

[fishinfiend]

Yes in parks or public land, but never trespass because I respect the property of others as should you. You can get shot doing that. 

[clayton86]

I miss it it seems like it's more like fishinfiend said though everyone is posting property. Heck I'm only 27 and I can remember so many spots I used to be able to just walk threw hunt fish do what ever as long as I picked up after my self it was all good. Now every one is up tight I fear for my sons who love the out doors as well won't have the experiences I did because land is disappearing.

[tipptruck1]

I miss it it seems like it's more like fishinfiend said though everyone is posting property. Heck I'm only 27 and I can remember so many spots I used to be able to just walk threw hunt fish do what ever as long as I picked up after my self it was all good. Now every one is up tight I fear for my sons who love the out doors as well won't have the experiences I did because land is disappearing.

What you said is the main reason why I don't hunt. when I lived in Iowa. All I had to do was ask if I could hunt it. The people never said no. As long as I cleaned up and didn't shoot towards livestock or buildings. Now up here in WI it is a different story. The value there land and animals. Many still feed deer. Which is illegal here by the way. I got sick of hearing no. To the point were I no longer hunt.

 

I think the main thing though. I don't think land owners care if you explore or hunt there land. They are just more worried about law suits. I can tell you one thing. In today's world. I would not allow any one on my property. I don't care if I had only a few acres, or several hundred. I would not want to lose what I worked hard for. To some one that tripped over a stump and broke their wrist.

[clayton86]

What you said is the main reason why I don't hunt. when I lived in Iowa. All I had to do was ask if I could hunt it. The people never said no. As long as I cleaned up and didn't shoot towards livestock or buildings. Now up here in WI it is a different story. The value there land and animals. Many still feed deer. Which is illegal here by the way. I got sick of hearing no. To the point were I no longer hunt.

I think the main thing though. I don't think land owners care if you explore or hunt there land. They are just more worried about law suits. I can tell you one thing. In today's world. I would not allow any one on my property. I don't care if I had only a few acres, or several hundred. I would not want to lose what I worked hard for. To some one that tripped over a stump and broke their wrist.

That's it basically. I have several thousand acres I can coyote hunt and I got it all by knocking on doors and simply explaining what I would be doing and shaking their hands. Most are good for coyotes and such but are no goes on deer. A lot of quarry's and ponds that used to be fish able have been shut down also because people would trash the place leaving garbage and burn piles from camp fires all over.

[speed craw]

Out in rural areas its not so much trouble in metro areas yeah , you can meet some real nuts . Im right with ya as a kid I did this and found some super cool places . I would later find where I had been on a map  and would sometimes end up like 5-8 miles away . Found lots of cool stuff , antlers , shells etc . I found an old junkyard or salvage lot from the 1930's had lots of old glass bottles etc . For a while I would sell them and keep the ones I liked . Some of the coolest older people with some amazing stories about the earlier time period that would let you wander around and just enjoyed your company . However nowadays you really need to be careful and get permission unless your are out in the middle of no where .