Hunting Leases Recinded at Lake Purdy

There is a lot that is just plain wrong with this article and their decision. http://www.myfoxal.com/story/23023118/birmingham-water-works-board-reverses-decision-on-lake-purdy

The majority of the concerns come from individuals who have been using and/or poaching this land for years. We saw the evidence on our lease (horse tracks and ATVs). Those people are not concerned about their safety. Give me a break, it was bow hunting only. Our group would have been much more responsible than the locals that have already been hunting illegally there for years. I don't blame Westervelt for getting out of that mess. Nobody is winning!

Just curious how you were able to get your lease? I talked to people today that knew nothing about it and they were pissed that they didn't have the opportunity to bid on it.....I agree it isn't a safety issue with the residents

again, how were you able to get your lease????

nuther question, ya reckon those "horse tracks" were left by no good illegal poachers??? That land hasn't been posted against trespass ever that I know of, damn, there is a huge public fishing lake right in the middle of it......

atvs, ya KNOW those were poachers....

I caught a LOT of poachers( real poachers) on that land and never seen one on a horse or ATV.......

BWWB did this under the table without public notice, and got what they deserved.

BTW, just for the record I talked by phone with half dozen landowners around that land. Don't recall any of them being poachers. Joy Oneal a poacher?, illegal land user?, yeah right. Baloney.

The question is, among several, whether BWWB is required to give official public notice for bids for something like this. Second question is, when did they give notice if they did and was it widely known to the public or just posted on their site or on a lightpole on 3rd Avenue or something to meet the minimum?

If they did it on the up 'n up, fine. If they did it illegally then the BWWB deserves whatever comes its way.

I don't have a clue if BWWB is required to give public notice. I got in through "word of mouth". My issue is this picture that the land owners are painting of these abusive hunters causing an unsave situation. Drinking beer, shooting horses and other people, killing fish, GIVE ME A BREAK. We were planning on bow hunting only! We would not have done any of the things that are mentioned. As for BhanFred's comments, you were obviously tresspassing yourself if you caught poachers. It is private land. It is not open public land. We were told by a Game & Fish official that it was poached.

As BWWB has said, they WILL lease that property for hunting at some point. You better hope that whoever gets it the second time around is respectful as we were.

Hate the yuppys that faught this. Sounds like a lot of people are just jealous that you got the rights to hunt some where everyone else wants to.

And if I'm not mistaken bhamfred was a GW so I think that makes it not tresspassing.

Oh, so BhamFred was a Game Warden? That makes sense, so I take back what I said about him tresspassing. So he is well aware of why the locals are fighting this. I guess I don't blame them. I would be upset too if I was losing access to land that I have been using for free for all these years.

The people I know are not upset that they can't hunt it for free/trespass, they are upset that they didn't have the opportunity to lease it directly from bww. I'm sure there are some neighborhood people that are mad for the reasons you explained. I guess the deciding factor is if bww is required to notify or not...hopefully someone will clarify legality. I bet bww could make much more money allowing people to bid on it.

It was already pricey and if they bid it out it will get expensive. Expensive leases usually results in more hunters.

Pay attention, I'll talk slow just for you...

You are very obviously not from around the lake. The lake and surrounding shore is fished damn near every day by the public without any charges. NO ONE AT BWWB has EVER said one word about them trespassing on BWWB lands or on the lake. NO one at BWWB, or any law enforcement agency has ever said ONE DAMN word about folks simple trespassing on BWWB lands except the area around the dam itself.

Clear???

I thought long on the adjoining landowner poaching statement of yours. I cannot recall from 1992 to 2005 ever catching a single landowner
poaching deer/turkey on BWWB lands around the lake itself, and only one on the lands south of Hwy 119. Thats ONE poacher in 17 years, hardly what I'd call a problem. And I caught a LOT of poachers on BWWB lands when I was working as a GW. Note: it's better to get yer facts straight BEFORE running yer pie hole about shucks you KNOW nothing about.

Neighboring landowners like Joy Oneal are concerned about activities on the land joining theirs and are pissed at the under the table actions of the BWWB.

We'll see how it sorts out after it's determined if the Board violated laws by not publicizing bid requests if they were required to do so, or if how they secured agreements is OK.

Doesn't matter if the leases 'get expensive.' If the Board is required to bid it out, that's what they are supposed to do. If not, then not.

Anyone around Purdy who wants to raise the stink about "beer drinking, shooting horses, etc." is a buncha stupid IDOTS who have not been paying attention to Oak Mountain SP's safety the last 10 years or who doesn't care and wants the property for their own little personal area. Probably both.

Fishing from the shore of a public lake is a little different than hunting out of tree on private property. Look, I can totally understand the concern of how the BWWB went about offering the leases, but I find it hard to beleive that that is the main concern. I also find it hard to beleive that the adjoining landowners don't hunt and ride their horses all over that property. People in the know told us that goes on all the time. Joy would not have had any problems out of our group at all, but like I said I can't speak for the next bunch of guys that sign a lease.

no one at BWWB has EVER, read that EVER, complained to me or to any other LEO that I personally know of, when I was working about folks riding horses on BWWB land. I'd hardly call riding horses on unposted land owned by the people of Bham trespassing.

Sitting in a tree deer hunting is another matter and has been addressed.

Who is "people in the know"?????

Were you part of the group of leasors that told the landowners off Bailey road they could not park on the PUBLIC ROAD side in front of THEIR houses anymore or they would be ticketed????? I see threatening local landowners as a REAL problem and not a good way to start a relationship.....

I'm going to go all 49er now. THE main concern isn't whether a bunch of homeowners around there get to keep their little pet preserve or whether a bunch of poachers are in there or whether anyone can or should be able to hunt in there via lease agreement.

THE main concern at the moment is and should be whether the BWWB did things on the up-and-up in regard to the lease bid process and agreements, or if they violated any laws. You'd like to think after all the crap Shelby County has been through with its water-sewer problems and with today's instant 'news' traveling around the InnnerWebzz that someone on the BWWB would have said "Wait, let's make sure about this."

So, yeah, the process by which the leases were announced, bid, if they were bid, and how all that got done should be the first and foremost thing at the moment. Sort out that and make sure everything's done properly (if it wasn't) and then handle the rest of the whining BS going on.

It should be the main concern at this moment. If this had been done by DCNR with a piece of WMA land, or the State Board of Education with a piece of its land, it would be cool? No. People would be raising holy hell about it. Because it's a city-county water works board it's OK? No. Shouldn't be.

It'll get sorted out. BWWB needs to tell the whining residents to shaddup with all the ignorance and scare tactics.

They may not have complained about horse riding then, but when the land is leased for hunting it will definately be a problem. I have no idea what you are talking about concerning Bailey Rd. You know the "people in the know" and you know what they are talking about.

AGREED!

I don't know who you are calling "the people in the know", why I asked. Some folks think they know, some have an agenda on what they say, and others are simply too stupid to know, and some do know. I don't know which ones you are talking about....

I agree there most likely will never be any safety issues with bowhunters on that land, and legal hunters will deter poachers from hunting there, actually making the area , and surrounding lands, safer. No poachers with guns is always a good thing.

my wife, while legally hunting, was barely missed by a poachers bullet onct. Like missed her head by inches. She cell called me and gave me directions, I put two and two together and was waiting at his exit spot. You can imagine it did not go well for him.

Be interesting to see how all this airs out....

Was she intentionally shot at knowing she was human, or was it a dumbarse that claimed to mistake her for a deer?

This is about money that's it. BWWB saw an opportunity to drive the lease price through the roof. Man in the article said hunting will be allowed but they just needed to research it to see how they were going to do it. Do you really think he said that just to say it. That ol boy said that for a reason, if the homeowners want it they better get ready to pay for it that's what he really meant. If the property owners don't want hunting around there that's fine let them pay the lease. If they can't afford it and a group that wants to hunt can that's fine to. The property owners will just have to learn to deal with it because it isn't there land,as long as the hunters are legal and within the guidelines the property owner and the state lay out they'll just have to get over it. Mark my words the BWWB will end up making twice the money off this the next time it comes open for bid.

What good is a lease, if they can recant it without violations on the leasee part?

Good question...I bet there are some lawyers working on that right now.

My words exactly

I can't imagine the price going any higher conceidering the sorroundings. My lease in Montgomery county is $2.00 an acre less with lots more and better quality deer (no pigs). We were just looking for a place close to home to sneak in after work. None of the things mentioned in that meeting would have happened on our lease. We would have been Joy's best neighbor. As for Joy and the folks on Bailey Rd, who knows who will be their neighbor now. That being said, I'm headed to Montgomery Cty away from the computer.

Later

I promise you it will...they had it all leased for $17/acre without lots of people knowing about it...you think there aren't any others willing to pay to play close to work? It does suck for those of you that are losing the lease, and unfortunately for you guys there are a bunch of folks that want to hunt it too. None of us on this site believe your group would have been dangerous or poor stewards of the land.

If adjoining landowners can affect the hunting rights of government land, then wouldn't the same be true for WMA's/Corp land where people adjoin such land? That's a can of worms!

Certainly, the BWWB, as I am NOT surprised, went about this the wrong way. Buffer zones should have already been addressed and a public outcry (because the average citizen wasn't given a chance to bid on the land) should have been anticipated.

I will say that I am disgusted at some of the adjoining landowner's reasons for objection to bow hunting only. It's bow hunting!! I am sure the thought of "hunting" was considered and "bow" hunting's actual footprint and safety record was not thought about. However, I would require the screening of applicants and mandate a hunter education class for the people who would hunt.

I live here in the area of Hwy 119 & Hwy 280 and I would love to be able to bow hunt that land but I very seriously doubt that I could afford my current lease AND what it would cost me to hunt BWWB's land too. Between the two, getting away to the middle of nowhere and being in an overnight camphouse environment and cooking and camaraderie with other members is part of my deer hunting experience that I'm not willing to give up.

If they open it up to bidding I bet that land gets leased for 20$ an acre. There are some BIG deer between Highway 280 and Leeds and there are plenty of rich folks that live in close proximity.

I'll have to read y'all talk about it, cause I'm not rich.

My brother works for bwwb. He said they won't lease it to hunters because of liability issues. He did say that they were leasing to a middle man to reduce the liabilities and let them do what ever. My understanding was that mostly bwwb employees ended up with the leases before it was rescinded. They new when it was going on the available properties which was first come first serve.

He did say that several years ago the lady over the lake (gatekeeper ?) got caught selling pay hunts on the property. Not sure if this true or not

Exactly my old boss that lives in grey stone would fork that out. He spends $30,000 to hunt in alicville what's another couple grand.

I'll bet it goes for a good bit more.

not true

The Paid Hunts on USX Property involving you were not true either?

THE HUNTERS YOU HAULED AROUND IN THE STATE TRUCK WAS NOT TRUE EITHER?

if you are making an accusation, ride down here and I'll answer that in person.

the folks I carried hunting on USX property were with the express consent of USX who were notified before hand. The hunters were winning bidders in an internet auction to raise money for St Judes Hospital and ALL monies went straight to them. I, nor anyone at USX, ever saw a dime of that , or any other, money. Anyone who says different is a two bit lying sonofabitch. Dang hunts cost me money to feed the two hunters. Total two hunters.

I had, still have, a full page typed letter from USX permitting me to do any thing I wanted on their land and to carry anyone I wanted to on their land.

I did other hunts on other properties(private) to raise money for St Judes Hospital for several years after that. Never had a single dime of that money pass thru, or stick, to my hands. If you think helping to raise money for St Judes is a bad thing, ride on down here and I'll splain it to you in a manner your dumb ass can comprehend.(was that too big a word for you???)

did that answer you question shitt for brains?????

Who is this guy Troy? If someone is going to accuse people of things they should at least say who they are.

Did Coal win that contest? I bet he was one of those lucky contest winners.......

Sounds like bham fred may have given coal a hard time when he was a gw. Prob easy to make a few people mad In that line of work.

That was the rumor going around back when he left or was terminated from his position. I never met him but use to ride all the usx property he hunted. He had it made hunting that land there are some giants out there.

Just for the record I was not insinuating that bhamfred was a part of the alleged pay to hunt rumor.

No need for an explanation. Remember, the truth will set you free.

No, I never hunted in his area.

yer a dead man walking coal (legally talking of course). call your lawyer, you are going to need him. Got your name, phone number and hometown. Be seeing ya.....

last time I'll explain this.....listen up because I'm not doing it again. I RETIRED, on my own, not under any pressure to do so from anyone. Well, maybe my wife. I get a full RETIREMENT CHECK every month. 26 years on the job. My Capt asked me not to retire several times, but it was time to go, best move I ever made.

and yes, turkeyneck, I had it made. I knew it then and still know it. We killed some giant deer off that place for ten years running. Sorry I didn't meet you riding around when I had, maybe I coulda got yer autograph???

I'll bet I wrote 200 tickets on that property....

No need in making a death threat ! Freedom of speach is an important right.

Did I miss something, what did he do?

Like I said Troy when you left or I didn't imply I knew the truth I said rumor. If I was implying I knew you were fired I would have said so. I was just stating that was the rumor years ago. No offense meant. I wouldn't have been out there when you were around I was always hunting in south alabama. I was a summer time rider.

wasn't a death threat ya stupid bastard, legal death maybe, get yer lawyer....

hilarious

What did he do to get bham fred all stirred up and threatening law suits?

Go back and re-read the thread. It's all there.

I am confused as well? Slander maybe? This coal guy and BHam obviously have previous issues. On another note and BHam might be able to confirm this. I heard a rumor about the old lee county gw I think his name was chuck was fired for abusing his hunting privileges as well. Anybody know anything about this?

If what's in the thread is all he is mad about he gets mad way to easy. Thats like buying coffee and spilling it on yourself then suing cause the coffee was hot. He was evidently a gw I am sure he pissed off a lot of people some rightfully so and others just mad cause they got caught. I also imagine he has had many people accuse him of things regardless of truth, like all forms of law enforcement, but why stir the pot by threatening to sue when someone says something u don't like. Just the way I see it, obviously there is more to it than we know or I would hope anyway.

The way you see it ain't what he thinks, so it don't really matter.

Slander is, and can be, an ugly thing.

Evidently

This is starting to get good.

This is getting good especially when no names were even mentioned in the post that got it going

I think with a threat like that you wouldn't have a leg to stand on(legally talking of course). A real computer chair badass. You know for someone that was supposedly such an upstanding game warden you sure go off half cocked on everything. I guess I could believe that you might have gotten forced out.

Computer chair bad ass, huh? I'm willing to bet you wouldn't make your above statement to Troy's face.

We need 49er to see if coal should be sued for his statement or if troy should be sued for a death threat, he could provide plenty of case law. Come in 49er

I don't have a problem saying it to his face. He sure does run his mouth a lot from everything I have seen in my year or 2 on aldeer. There are many equalizers in life and I'm just not one to spout off about how I'm going to kill someone or beat their ass. Sorry if that's what you were looking for. Trou must be a big fellow and good for him, but his attitude is not what should be expected for LEO's current or former, unfortunately it seems to be a lot more common than it should.

Agreed he does seem to have a have to be in charge or I will cuss you and beat you up attitude. I imagine that attitude helped himvgain control in situations while dealing with hunters with loaded guns, but we are not in the woods

Ya'll need to work on your reading comprehension skills then. Troy did not threaten his "life". He threatened him legally.

Reading comprehension required reading between the lines and also understanding the intent of the message. Do I think Troy would ever kill someone? No. Do I think Troy likes to spout off like a 7th grade bully trying to take the band geek's lunch money? Absolutely. On another note what does a set of those shawbuilt strings cost for a strother wrath?

Neither got anything just an armchair fued.

It don't seem to me that you have to read between the lines to realize that he didn't threaten bodily harm toward you! He was very clear when he stated legal actions!!!

If Fred and Coal make it on one of the daytime court tv shows y'all let me know so I can set my dvr.

Guys, can't we all just get along? I never said anyone did anything. I was just trying to ask a question. Got to get some tougher skin on here. Too many haters.

The implications were pretty clear.

Wow... Come on out and just get right down to it why don' t ya

Look at that crawfish right there... Haha!

Where's the rug all this has been swept under?

File - Save As. Hilarious.

And asking for clarification of a rumor is not slandering. No one said another did anything. They asked if a rumor was true. Two different scenarios there.

I thought skin got thicker with age. Guess not.

#640154 - 08-03-2013 11:23 PM Re: Hunting Leases Recinded at Lake Purdy [Re: BhamFred]
Coal Offline
spike Registered: 08-19-2011
Posts: 25
Loc: Walker County,AL.
The Paid Hunts on USX Property involving you were not true either?
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#640155 - 08-03-2013 11:25 PM Re: Hunting Leases Recinded at Lake Purdy [Re: BhamFred]
Coal Offline
spike Registered: 08-19-2011
Posts: 25
Loc: Walker County,AL.
THE HUNTERS YOU HAULED AROUND IN THE STATE TRUCK WAS NOT TRUE EITHER?







I think this was a pretty clear accusation, and if it was made by someone who had even an inkling of the details, he's making a pretty good attempt to stir something up that stinks for the sole purpose of enjoying the smell.

It's obvious that Troy has heard all the rumors & accusations and it gets under his skin to have to defend what surely seem to be good & decent actions. To have some jerk-off come in here & post this kind of crap is exactly why most LEO's that frequent the place stay covert & leave the rest of us trying to guess who knows what they're talking about & who is just a message-board loudmouth.

Ain't nobody got time for all that crap!

I'm sure you provided equal surveillance time for other properties too?

That's what I was thinking.

So this thread has devolved into a "I wonder if you are doing your job properly" kind of thing?

200 tickets on one piece of property........ sounds like an outstanding job....

It's not hard to write 200 tickets on that property for trespassing. On any given weekend back then there could be 15-50 people mud riding in trucks and four wheelers drinking beer. I doubt those were all hunting violations I'm sure quite a few were. It is a large property with big deer and a lot of people did poach it.

Wow, this thread went to hell in a hurry!

Anyway, I live right here very very close to Lake P. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen THAT many nice bucks in ten years of driving down Hwy 119 toward Leeds and before you get to the fishing/boat rental store on Lake P. I think I have seen two, what I thought were bucks in the 140's and the rest of the bucks wouldn't break 120 and I don't see that many bucks at all.

However, with that said, I know that they're there and would love to hunt the areas of diversified timber and close to houses (no, not right on top of a neighborhood but certainly, fairly close) and not necessarily in the middle of all those big hardwoods that stretch for miles and miles.

P.S. I have to laugh as I was over at a family's house one weekend that lived in Greystone (adjoins B'ham Water Works property for those of you that don't know) and we were in the backyard with the kids and I looked over and saw a rub on one of his trees. I mentioned it and he was perplexed. I walked him over to the tree and pointed at it and it was like I solved his life's eternal question.... "I didn't know what caused the bark to come off that tree!!! I though the tree had a fungus!", he said to me.

LOL! Sigh! I just grinned and salivated at the tree and the buck that "caused that bark to fall off!"

So you are saying it was bad job and should have been 3,4,6 times that many tickets?

Are we allowed to say "Dick head" on here?

I don't know he may have just not wanted to be that guy. Like I said never met him some are pricks that would write there mother a ticket and some try to be cordial and by that don't piss me off and I won't try and pluck you. I really don't know which one he was.

He told me once "don't bring my brother out hwre or I will write him a ticket" he was nice and was fair the only time ibhad any dealings with him

I like Bham Fred. 26 years as a GW has surely given him a lot of wisdom and experience. You keep 'em straight Bham Fred. I always read your comments with interest. I don't blame anyone for defending himself. This is a forum that is read by a lot of people and to have your character impugned on a public forum would get me excited also.

damn i like that

I could watch that all day. You recon we could get her to come to a meat and greet wearing that?

Meat? Freudian slip?

That's Purdy alright!!

Ugh uh.

I think the talk about hunting leases is over.

She's riding Coal now. How is Coal?