# AEP NO TRESPASSING SIGNs ?????



## bass man (Sep 1, 2006)

What's going on around the ruledale rd area ?. I drove out 284 passed ruledale rd and all along the left is new no trespassing signs, what gives this is my favorite area to fish. Anyone have any anwsers ??. Also these signs are on 83 going to cumberland on the left hand side.


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## FloridaFishTransplant (Jun 15, 2005)

These area's have been leased to people ( up North usually) for hunting during Bow and gun season. AEP gets 11 bucks a acre for them and they are leased on a per year basis. Easy way to get around them though but do not get caught. After bow and gun season the signs usually stay but you never see anyone again. There is one guy from Canton that has leased 5800 acres and is charging people $1500.00 a week to hunt. The he stills makes a good deal of money. I do not think it is right but AEP will make there money some how.


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## Fishpro (Apr 6, 2004)

FloridaFishTransplant said:


> These area's have been leased to people ( up North usually) for hunting during Bow and gun season. AEP gets 11 bucks a acre for them and they are leased on a per year basis. Easy way to get around them though but do not get caught. After bow and gun season the signs usually stay but you never see anyone again. There is one guy from Canton that has leased 5800 acres and is charging people $1500.00 a week to hunt. The he stills makes a good deal of money. I do not think it is right but AEP will make there money some how.


Thats $63,800 to lease it. I hope he gets a bunch of poeple to hunt to cover it! For that kind of cash he could buy some land.


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

I was down this past weekend and didn't drive down to Rural Dale. Is it posted back in Rural Dale also? I too saw some strange stuff. One area that I hunt I ran across a 1 inch PVC pipe that had Plot #21 on it shoved into the ground. Looked around maybe a dope grower but it was in a wooded area off 284. Why doesn't the state use that money that man donated this year and buy up all that land from Aep. Something is definately happening down there. Is there a site that we could get info before they start selling or leasing off land?


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## bass man (Sep 1, 2006)

Drove down rural dale rd about an hour ago there is no signs , but went all around that area 284, 83, 340 signs all around?. When i was leaving that area i drove down the road that you see the sign for the wilds off 146, and i saw o.d.n.r driving down that road, there the ones that put up the signs, and never had the chance to flag them down and ask them what was going on.


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## Skarfer (Jan 27, 2006)

Fishpro said:


> Thats $63,800 to lease it. I hope he gets a bunch of poeple to hunt to cover it! For that kind of cash he could buy some land.



my thoughts exactly! After fiddle-farting with my calculator figuring all this up, I should have just read down a little and saved me a bunch of hassle. I was trying to figure how many hunters/week he'd have to have to make his money back.......but then got to wondering if it's just a few or could he have like 50 a week hunting there?? 

why do I always over think things??


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

I called Div 4 office and talked to Brenda this morning. She had no idea what I was talking about. She said that anything to do with AEP land would be AEP not ODNR. She then gave me a guys name and number at AEP to call. I have called twice and left a messege. Will post info when I get it. Between the Wilds and now large tract leasing to private individuals I believe the landscape of public recreation land in Ohio is in jeopardy. Everyone that has ever been to AEP to fish/hunt/hike/camp need to call their region ODNR and voice their concern of this property being lost. Just imagine what all the ODNR state hunting land will be like if all the people that hunt and fish at AEP are forced to use them instead of AEP.


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## jeffgummy (Dec 13, 2004)

I saw the signs down there last weekend and it blew my mind. I saw signs on 340 and 83 but not on rural dale rd. Its hard to imagine how you can keep people off that area if you only post the one side, that area is all connected.


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## bass man (Sep 1, 2006)

I wonder if they put up all the signs around the boarder (83, 284, 340) do they need to put the signs on rural dale rd, coal hill rd ect, i wonder if the signs around the border will be enough to say that all that area is now trespassing???


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## FloridaFishTransplant (Jun 15, 2005)

The signs , like I said in a previous post are leases by hunters or hunt clubs. AEP or better yet the actual onwers now which is Consol Coal are selling off the area around Kefler Camp early next year to Buckmasters or something similiar. If you want to fish the area's you will have to wait until after the season I guess. There is word that the wilds is buying another 3500 acres off of TWP 143 North west of Rural Dale.


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## bass man (Sep 1, 2006)

Tell me why the sign says Ohio division wildlife natural resources?? not just a generic sign.


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## FishThis (Sep 2, 2005)

Did the Wilds buy anymore of AEP Land?


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

Do they pay for the land or is it donated?


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

Just received a call back from a guy named Dave at AEP. Here is what he said. "You must be talking about the area we just closed off. Along Rt 83 north of Windy Hill to Cumberland over to Rt340 to Rt 284 to Young Hickory down to Cty Rd 43 to Cty rd 78. These areas were never really in the Recreation Land area. (which I find hard to believe, just past International Rd there is a sign that says Welcome to AEP recreation Land). He said that they were closed off due to the making of roads where there shouldn't be and that interferes with the bonds that are are them (don't know what that means). Well until I hear more... enter at your own risk I would say.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

The area you are talking about shows on the map as a restricted area, which ususally means they are still mining the area or plan to. Its where Muskingham, noble and Morgan counties meet.


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## bronzebackyac (Apr 19, 2005)

We were down there two weeks ago. The nice gentleman that is the caretaker at camp K (Mike I believe) said that they just posted the signs recently and that you should def. stay out of that area. He was just warning us so we did not get in trouble. He said that the ODNR is enforcing the signs. Others have already tested this out and got busted. I would be careful not obeying the signs, as we may all pay the price down the road. There is lots of other areas to enjoy down there. I know that it seems to get smaller and more restricted each year, but that is how it goes. We should be thankful that we have "God's country" in our backyards period.


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## bass man (Sep 1, 2006)

Talked to Frank Fetzer from Ohio Division of Wildlife of Noble county, he also told me the same thing, that this area is now closed. So if you are on Rual Dale rd or Coal Hill rd or any road off Rual Dale, you are still trespassing. These rd are not posted but the border is. This is said , this was my favorite place to fish.


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## Bherrick (Mar 15, 2006)

bronzebackyac said:


> We were down there two weeks ago. The nice gentleman that is the caretaker at camp K (Mike I believe) said that they just posted the signs recently and that you should def. stay out of that area. He was just warning us so we did not get in trouble. He said that the ODNR is enforcing the signs. Others have already tested this out and got busted. I would be careful not obeying the signs, as we may all pay the price down the road. There is lots of other areas to enjoy down there. I know that it seems to get smaller and more restricted each year, but that is how it goes. We should be thankful that we have "God's country" in our backyards period.


This is very true, but "God's Country" I fear will be gone soon enough. The "signs"(pun intended) are all there that Ohio Power will be gone for good in the not to distant future. They have been squeezing us for years and its coming to a point. The only hope I held on to, would be that the area from Q to K northward would be reopened. They now have taken that away for good, I'm now confident that D,L & N will not reopen. All that really leaves is C & K(no offense to A, G, & H)but those 2 sites are the backbone of what is left of AEP, but guess what? they are built on Earthen Dams. What allegedly closed D & N? they were built on unstable earthen dams. All AEP has to do is close C or K or both, and the will of us Ohio Power thrill seekers will break and folks will stop coming. Then they get there wish, which is to bail on the Recreation Land since there is no money to make anymore, it was a business after all. Sell it off to private ownership, state ownership, whatever.

The signs: many years back - present (I'm sure there are others and I might be out of order a bit)
1)Mining stretches from the north to 83 Sites E, Q, & K closed, but L is opened. But then mining crosses 83 and continues south across 78/83 area closes E,D,L, - I can't remember if A was closed temporarily, Site K reopens
2)mining operation shut down - big muskie disassembled, equipment sold - profit stops, it is a business remember.
3)E,D reopen -new piers,docks, small boat launches open at various sites & ponds. Division of Wildlife stocking ponds(glimmer of hope), BUT..... S is destoyed, Q is gated, Road to L is destroyed, the area south of 78/83 was basically wiped out, haul roads become risky to travel
4)Campsite F is closed - converted into The Miner's Memorial. Improvements to site D are removed, DOW no longer stocking ponds
5) Lake D starts to Drain
6) perks taken away here and there - EX
a.firewood(the locals were not taking anymore now than they did 20 years ago, come on think about it)
b.tables
c.firerings
7 Campsite N is closed and most of D is closed and all surrounding ponds with a drain get drained- which basically makes all the land between 83, CR 27, 78, & 78/83 virtually useless- With a few more no tresspassing signs here and there staying at A & H will become boring, if they are left open.
8) The land previously discussed in this thread is sold.

What does that leave?
1) K on a little island surrounded by private land - should make selling it pretty easy
2) C
3) A, G, & H, but they have no lake to camp on
4) The Equine Area, which I don't know much about the status of that area.

BEFORE YOU ASSAULT ME...
I realize at this moment there are plenty of ponds still accessable, and trips to AEP are still worthwhile, and I'll still come until its gone(and I still cling to some hope that I'm completely wrong), but the "signs" do not look good, and if the worst happens I know there will still be plenty of ponds, but will you be allowed to fish them...


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

Wow! That took some time. I think we have all seen some kind of writing on the wall that this was coming. All I am saying is why don't DNR spend that be chunk of coin they got earlier in the year on this place. Not to many places left in Ohio that they could purchase a continous trac like the donation stipulated. Also has anyone ever seen where they make a public announcement on available land? I know of several pieces I would like or better yet maybe all the OGFers could pitch in and start a club. I usually stay away from most of the well traveled areas, but Rural Dale was one of them. There are ponds there that you can't see from any road, it was a challenge to find them, as for hunting that area...goose hunting is probally the biggest loss. There was some areas for deer but others are better. The timing sucks however with the upcoming deer season and people that did have plans that sucks for them. I live in the western part of this state and it offers very few hunting opportunities so I grew up down there as are my 3 sons. If they know I am heading down there for a weekend they can't sleep and for that to be gone...I don't know what I'll do as for hunting. I know that everytime I am down there till its gone I will be making contacts with landowners trying to lockdown some land. Keep all you catch! I won't be throwing anything back in them ponds for them to be sold. DNR stocked alot of them and that WAS our dollars. Wonder what part of the state the amish army are going to invade this year


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

A bump to the top for Tim, here's the old thread about AEP.


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