Who’s Putting Up FAKE ‘No Trespassing’ Signs In Wyoming?

Let's say you're hunting, or camping, on public land, and you came across a "No Trespassing" sign.

Did you make a mistake?

Are you about to cross onto private property?

Maybe you should go back.

BUT HOLD ON!

The map or, more typically these days, your GPS, shows that you are safely on BLM land.

So what's with the sign?

Sometimes it's put there by someone who wants to fool you.

Right now that's not a crime. But it might be one, soon.

There is now a bill before the Wyoming legislators that would make posting fake “no trespassing” signs a form of hunter harassment.

House Bill 147 got unanimous approval from the Senate Travel, Recreation Wildlife, And Cultural Resources Committee. It now goes to the House.

Wyoming hunters have complained about coming across “no trespassing” on public land.

They know they are in the right place. But there is this sign, and they don't want to break the law or cross onto somebody's property without their permission.

This causes many hunters and campers to stop and turn back.

That seems to be the intention of those who don't want people out there.

So, Who's placing these signs? 

Sometimes it's landowners who don't want people hunting near their property.

Sometimes it's other hunters who want to claim that hunting ground for themselves.

To be fair, there are honest mistakes and times when the GPS is wrong.

Under the bill placing false "no trespassing," signs could come with a fine of $10,000 for a first offense and $50,000 for each subsequent offense.