A Michigan hunter said a public-access spot near Erie had become so confusing that hunters could stand in front of a state hunting sign and still feel like they were about to get in trouble for walking in.
In a Reddit post, the poster said the issue was happening near the Bay Creek area by Erie State Game Area. He described a piece of public hunting land with an easement that was supposed to allow access from Bay Creek Road. On paper, at least from the way he understood it, the public was supposed to be able to reach the land.
But on the ground, it looked different.
He said a local property owner had put up aggressive signs and barriers near the access point. The signs warned about cameras and legal action, and they were placed in a way that made hunters feel like they should not cross. The confusing part was that the signs were near a gate marked “MI DNR PUBLIC HUNTING AREA, FOOT TRAFFIC WELCOME.”
So hunters were looking at two completely different messages in the same place. One sign said public hunting area. Another sign beside it said no public access.
That is the kind of thing that can shut down a public spot without anyone ever writing a ticket. A hunter does not have to be physically blocked by a locked gate to be discouraged. If the access point is covered in warnings, cameras, private-property language, and threats of legal action, a lot of people will turn around rather than risk a confrontation.
The poster said the land description mentioned the area extending to the south edge of Bay Creek and included an easement for public access. But he believed the private signs and barriers were causing confusion and keeping people from using land they were entitled to hunt.
The situation was especially frustrating because public hunting access is already hard enough to come by in many areas. When a piece of public land exists but access is unclear, hunters get stuck in the worst spot. They may have every right to be there, but if they cannot confidently reach it without crossing a disputed easement or passing warning signs, that land becomes public in name only.
That was the concern underneath the post. The hunter was not talking about sneaking across somebody’s yard to get to a deer stand. He was talking about what he believed was a legitimate public access route that had been made intimidating or unusable by a nearby property owner.
The post also included photos, which seemed to show signs and access markers in the area. The images added to the confusion instead of clearing it up. One sign suggested DNR public hunting access. Another suggested the opposite. That kind of mixed message can put hunters in a bad position because the person standing there with a gun and a license is the one who has to decide whether to trust the state sign or the private warning sign.
Commenters quickly pushed the conversation toward the only answer that really made sense: call the DNR.
The reason was simple. Easements are not something a hunter should guess about from a sign, a map app, or a Reddit thread. Some easements allow public access. Some only allow a specific agency, utility, railroad, or property owner to use them. Some old access routes look public but are not. Some private owners put up signs where they should not. Without the exact deed language, state records, and agency confirmation, nobody online could settle the dispute.
Several commenters pointed out that railroad tracks in the area made the access question even more complicated. Some people assumed railroad property or easements might prevent a private owner from blocking access. Others pushed back and said not all tracks are federally controlled or public, and some old spur lines can be privately owned or tied to very specific easement rights.
That debate showed exactly why the hunters needed the state involved. A sign on a pole was not enough. A property map alone might not be enough. Even the presence of tracks did not automatically prove public access.
The poster wanted attention on the issue because if the access was legal, hunters were being pushed away from land they should have been able to use. And if it was not legal, hunters needed to know that too before someone walked in and got accused of trespassing.
Either way, the current setup was a mess. Public hunters were left standing between a DNR hunting-area sign and a private “no access” warning, trying to decide which one would matter if a landowner, conservation officer, or sheriff showed up.
Most commenters told the poster to contact the Michigan DNR, local game warden, or game and fish department and let them sort it out. Several said if the land really was public and the easement allowed public access, the state should be the one to deal with the signs and barriers.
Others focused on the word “easement.” A lot of commenters warned that not all easements are public-access easements. Some only allow certain parties to cross, such as a railroad, utility company, agency, or private parcel owner. They told him not to assume that any easement automatically meant hunters could use it.
Several people debated the railroad tracks shown in the photos. Some thought railroad property rights might mean the private landowner could not control that route. Others said old spur tracks and private industrial tracks can have different ownership and access rules, so the railroad angle did not settle anything by itself.
A few suggested contacting a public-land advocacy group or local Backcountry Hunters & Anglers chapter to help flag the issue. Others said county GIS maps, deeds, and DNR records would matter more than guessing from signage.
The practical advice was clear: do not force the access on your own, document the signs, send the photos and location to DNR, and get a written answer before walking in with hunting gear.
