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Missing/No Land Ownership Information

CptFrank

Active Member
Joined
May 22, 2019
Messages
136
When i use ONX or basemaps with land ownership data i sometimes find chunks of land that dont have any land ownership data, either public or private. Does anyone else find this to be true? If so, how do you handle it? treat it as public? private? I am not sure how the land ownership info is retrieved so idk if it is just missing info or if it is unowned land. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
 
I would probably err on the side of caution and treat it as private until verified otherwise. You might be able to get more information on that parcel from the local county assessor's office
 
Only once or twice and I then treat it as private to be safe. They were small parcels of land also. If nothing shows up at first I zoom all the way in and it will pop up most of the time but have found a couple to never show me the name/info.
 
I always back it up with a state or local govt. GIS search to make sure it is in fact public or private land I have permission on. OnX specifically has a disclaimer to cover their @$$ in these instances. Most local governments/state agencies have publicly accessible online programs for looking up tax info. and data.
 
I hear what you guys are saying but thats not the answer i wanted lol.
In all seriousness the assessors office is a good idea. I just checked their online page and there are still areas that dont have any info. The areas im looking at are typically marshy but the similar areas are spoken for so i dont think they are considered waterways. I guess my next bet would be to talk to someone at the assessors office.

In other peoples experience, are the only areas open to public marked on these apps? I find that WMAs, preserves, refuges and county owned areas are typically marked but idk what other kinds of "Hidden" public spots may be out there.
 
We have similar land where I live that is in fact state owned but is not opened for public access. I think everyone's experience may vary unless you want to give up your specific spots you're talking about to let us see what you mean. The apps can be slow to update due to land ownership changes, government land ownership, program enrollment etc. The app is the last thing I would trust for specific land ownership. Call your local conservation officer and talk to them and/or the assessor's office. I've ran into similar issues before. Hopefully you get on some new ground to hunt!
 
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When i use ONX or basemaps with land ownership data i sometimes find chunks of land that dont have any land ownership data, either public or private. Does anyone else find this to be true? If so, how do you handle it? treat it as public? private? I am not sure how the land ownership info is retrieved so idk if it is just missing info or if it is unowned land. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
Check with your town clerk/town hall. They have every single tax map and they are public information.
 
What everyone else said. Here in VA I’ve found if there’s no info 9/10 times it’s state or county owned and they’re going to put something on it like utilities, cell tower etc. that’s why I also use huntstand, onX has been too inaccurate for me and sometimes HuntStand will have the extra info. What I’ve also done is gone to the parcel next door and knocked on a door and asked a neighbor. Sometimes they can point you in the right direction, “oh yeah that belongs to old man Billford up the road”.
 
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