How To Know What Roads Are Open? | Randy Newberg Explains

Randy Newberg explains how to know what roads are open on US Forest Service, BLM, and State lands. If you've ever wondered what roads are open or closed in the areas you are hunting Randy explains how to find out!
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[@billmandaue2168]

About twenty years ago, I was "lucky" enough to draw a once-in-a-lifetime bison tag for the Henry Mountains in southern Utah. We scouted the area pretty thoroughly before the hunt, and we had located where the herds were hanging out. Then two days before the hunt opened, the BLM came in and closed access to about two-thirds of the unit (with no prior notice) You can imagine what that did to my hunt. I actually had a lot of time allocated to the hunt (I was self-employed), but it threw a lot of obstacles up. Suddenly, we were not able to access those areas where we had previously located bison by vehicles of any kind. I had to call in favors to get horses to use on the hunt, but even then, we weren't able to ever relocate the bison (which were in the closed area). My tag (and my cousin's tag) went unfilled, and I hunted hard (often by myself) for almost the entire three weeks the hunt was open, so it wasn't a lack of trying. I was a big public land type of hunter, but I never trusted the BLM again. The BLM ostensibly closed the area due to high fire danger, but the day before the opening of the hunt, mother nature had dumped almost three feet of snow on the Henry Mountains, so their reasoning was pure BS.We even had snowmobiles, so the snow wouldn't have been a problem if the roads had been open. There was a lot of warning that the storm was coming, but there was no warning of the BLM road closures.

[@williegladden2676]

Thanks Randy. Great information

[@andreweickholt7023]

Great video. Very informative. Thank you!

[@MrBowNaxe]

Good stuff Randy! Maybe this would be a good tool for the boys at GoHunt to tackle. Can't wait to see what's next.

[@nicholascrawford2583]

I was literally just wondering if there was a good way to determine this and you put out a video. Awesome content!

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Glad you liked it!

[@Honkers716]

Colorado has an app called COTREX that shows all the roads and when they close for what activity and time of year

[@20cameron1]

@@Fresh_Tracks Hey Mr. Newberg, have you ever deer or bear hunted in the Appalachian/Blue Ridge mountains? If not, it would be good to see you get out of the usual western hunting grounds into the beautiful and heavy timber hunting of the mountains in the Southeast states.

[@wuta6347]

All good advice and thanks!!

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for watching!

[@grisseldog]

Thanks Randy Good information

[@clarkansas6590]

Good job

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

Thanks 🙏 for sharing this nice reminder for us Randy. I plan on going to Wyoming in October and possibly early November for a combination mule deer 🦌 and pronghorn rifle hunt. Access and being on the right roads is a top 3 concern of mine. I have 4 points for both species and especially for pronghorn most units are under 30% public land and are checkerboarded up.

[@allthewayupoutdoors3763]

Another tip is if there are road signs on a given road, that road is likely open to all public travel. I have yet to see a private land owner mark their “road” with any sort of official signage.

[@indyrocker]

In Colorado if it a SWA property check on parks and wildlife's website for travel restrictions and you will need a hunting license, fishing license, or a recreation permit

[@patrickburgmeier7902]

Randy how accurate is OnXoffroad, for travel restrictions?

[@jcarry5214]

One thing that chaps me raw is driving down a federal road on federal land and getting to a tiny patch of private that is blocked off. Hey look I bought a whole canyon and a whole road by buying just a few acres! Do they get the right to do that or is the right of way just hard to enforce past the intimidation? I’m traveling from one side to the other of the same part of the national forest on a road built and maintained by the NFS for the maintenance and protection of that public resource and they get to just take it and make me walk miles and miles to my destination after detouring through the bush?

[@barthuntfish]

As a nonresident hunter this causes me lots of stress in various states. I've had OnX get it wrong multiple times. I use Avenza maps as well. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of ambiguity.

[@sapperROSS]

Can't wait til the day we can drive all those roads going into land locked land. But that won't ever happen, too much money into out fitting to let the public in the good stuff.

[@RadDadisRad]

Fire roads are hit and miss. They can be open or closed and opened again all within the same hour.

[@outfitr9703]

The forest service could do a MUCH better job with maps and field signing.

[@smokeylovesfire1589]

Forest Service ask for a Motor Vehicle Use Map.

[@dwainethomson1356]

And, watch out for those airforce bombing ranges! Things get pretty intense when you see a couple warthogs honing in on ya!!

[@jcarry5214]

Got a buddy who used to try to sneak in for mule deer and chukar. They always were ready for him. He got escorted out by apaches more than once, lol.

[@dwainethomson1356]

@@jcarry5214 South of Mtn.Home Id. is a vast high desert area the air force uses as a practice range. There is a couple square areas off limits and easily marked with fencing and HUGE signs. I believe its for our own safety. But they do fly really slow all across the BLM and if your in the right place at the right time you can get down right excited! LOL!! Its seldom you go out there and never hear or see fighter jets.

[@jcarry5214]

@@dwainethomson1356 I hike and hunt around both patches of the Dugway range, I've been saluted by the f35 pilots before on a hilltop. Bruising the air, low and slow. Those boys and girls love their jobs that's for sure. And yes it's for our own safety. I remember hearing about guys driving around picking up brass fifteen years ago or so when prices were insane. Seems like a mistake.

[@Permafrostxyz]

The sad reality is even when you do all this, there’s still that risk. Even with FS roads. It’s just a pickle to navigate.

[@walkertexasranger263]

I love Trailer Park Boys

[@mikecollins8241]

The reality is you need to actually put in the time and effort... the more you do, the better your odds vs the guy who didn't try so hard... hunting doesn't care about being fair to the hunters, you don't get a participation award :)

[@alandavey6573]

The forest service in Arizona is anti hunting. Once they know you are a hunter. their tone changes. They blame the elk hunters for the bad road conditions. Not believing it is people who like mudding and others. Also, they discriminate people with disabilities. They allow people that can ride bikes horses and walk. I can not. longer access my public land unless I am physically able. Roads that have always been opened are being closed. I was also told. The person looking over a zone can do as they please. They are not regulated.

[@IHWKR]

Im suprised anyone is able to work through all the hoops and ladders to even go hunt.