Power line cuts

Flying_Mustang · Oct 11, 2012

I'm new to Maryland and will be properly safe and licensed for rifle season. I've read through the DNR rules and can't seem to find anything regarding power line cut right-of-ways through tracts of private property.

I plan on talking to the property owners (two neighbors) to ask for permission to hunt on their land, but I don't know if hunting the right-of-ways requires their permission or not. Anyone have any experience along these lines?

lx1x · Oct 11, 2012

you need permission from the power company to hunt their r-o-w's.. other than that.. you are tresspassing.

BUFF7MM · Oct 11, 2012

As I've always understood it, it's the owners property, they can use it as they see fit as long as it doesn't interfere with said utility. The utility has a right of way to cross said property.

lx1x · Oct 11, 2012

Buff7mm said:
As I've always understood it, it's the owners property, they can use it as they see fit as long as it doesn't interfere with said utility. The utility has a right of way to cross said property.

depending.. if you talking about them big powerlines.. they are really owned by the power company not the people thats next to them.

right of way vs easements are totally different. easements.. yes.. right of ways.. no.

Flying_Mustang · Oct 11, 2012

Sounds like I need to talk to SMECO, too. I'm looking at some fairly large cuts in St. Mary's county and want to make sure I've asked all the right people.

BUFF7MM · Oct 11, 2012

Flying_Mustang said:
Sounds like I need to talk to SMECO, too. I'm looking at some fairly large cuts in St. Mary's county and want to make sure I've asked all the right people.

Probably not a bad idea. You might want to talk to the property owner where you plan to hunt, I'm sure they can tell you about the right of way or easement which ever it may be.

lx1x · Oct 11, 2012

Buff7mm said:
Probably not a bad idea.

Safest way to a good hunt.

ThatGuy179 · Oct 11, 2012

Good luck with the power company. Dont forget you need written permission to back up your verbal permission. My father used to work for pepco and he tried to get me permission for transmission line ROW's and it was a no go.

haoleboy · Oct 11, 2012

In short, No. My hunt club has property on both sides of the power line. Since we legally lease the property, we can legally cross the power line to get to the other side where we lease.
SMECO owns directly under the line and 300' to the left and right of the farthest reaching cross member.
Trust me when I tell you, the liability is too great for them and they will NOT give you permission to hunt on their land. They OWN the land and property owners that have land that the power line goes through, only have a right to cross it. This also means you can NOT ride your ATV up and down the power line either.

Since you mentioned "rifle" and "smeco" in 2 different posts, I'll tell you that you can't use a rifle anywhere in MD where SMECO controls the power.
In most all of MD it is only legal to use Shotgun or Muzzle Loader for deer and bear. A few counties in western MD allow breach loading rifles.
I know for sure that its Shotgun and BP only in Charles, St Marys, and PG.

Check here for the full list of firearm hunting regs in MD.

http://www.eregulations.com/maryland/hunting/firearm-regulations/

Franklin · Oct 11, 2012

i think smeco only owns the substations and small 3 phase 14kv lines. you would most likeley have to go through gen-on or miran if its the big ones....good luck with that. the one big line that runs through mcintosh and friendship school road is federal time if you get caught in there.

rifles in st mary's is a no go bro! unless you obtain the proper crop damage permit.

Pale Ryder · Oct 11, 2012

Some places have signs and warnings to not trespass, other places treat them like easements. There is a power line ROW through the middle of Cunningham Falls State Park. No prohibition on hunting near them there.

IOW, :shrug:

Flying_Mustang · Oct 12, 2012

My bad on the use of "rifle" season. I meant "not bows or muzzleloaders season".

Too many years of hunting in other states with other season designations and rules! Thanks for all the info folks.

OEH · Oct 12, 2012

lx1x said:
depending.. if you talking about them big powerlines.. they are really owned by the power company not the people thats next to them.

right of way vs easements are totally different. easements.. yes.. right of ways.. no.

haoleboy said:
In short, No. My hunt club has property on both sides of the power line. Since we legally lease the property, we can legally cross the power line to get to the other side where we lease.
SMECO owns directly under the line and 300' to the left and right of the farthest reaching cross member.
Trust me when I tell you, the liability is too great for them and they will NOT give you permission to hunt on their land. They OWN the land and property owners that have land that the power line goes through, only have a right to cross it. This also means you can NOT ride your ATV up and down the power line either.

Since you mentioned "rifle" and "smeco" in 2 different posts, I'll tell you that you can't use a rifle anywhere in MD where SMECO controls the power.
In most all of MD it is only legal to use Shotgun or Muzzle Loader for deer and bear. A few counties in western MD allow breach loading rifles.
I know for sure that its Shotgun and BP only in Charles, St Marys, and PG.

Check here for the full list of firearm hunting regs in MD.

http://www.eregulations.com/maryland/hunting/firearm-regulations/

The ownership of the ROW's is not as cut and dried as you make it. Our family owns a section of the land under the 69 kV line that feeds the lower end of St. Mary's. SMECO only has unrestricted access. The SMECO rep tried to tell me that they owned it years ago only to admit that they actually don't the next time he came by. In many places SMECO does own the land in the ROW but not all. Especially in the lower end of the county where most of the family's granted access for a few dollars instead of actually selling the land.

Bootknife · Oct 12, 2012

RETIRED W 40 YRS SERVICE....PEPCO IS NOT GUN/HUNTER/SHOOTER FRIENDLY.

byf43 · Oct 18, 2012

Bootknife said:
RETIRED W 40 YRS SERVICE....PEPCO IS NOT GUN/HUNTER/SHOOTER FRIENDLY.

You can say that, again!!
Almost 39 years of service, here.

Pepco owns (yes, owns!) most of their ROW, and does NOT allow hunting/shooting on their property.

They fired several people for hunting on the properties.
Douglas Point is one piece of land that some employees thought that they could hunt, and paid for it, with their jobs.

They WILL prosecute!

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