There's very little land that's "landlocked" in ND thanks to our section lines. There's more then likely several access routes to the land in question. Remember even if both sides of a section line are posted you can walk or even drive down that section line to access land beyond. There also does not need to be a road or trail to drive down a section line either. Even if there is crop covering the section line, if it has not been closed by the township you have the right to drive down it. I know several landowners that love to try to stop people accessing certain land by farming section lines.
Yep! Cleaned the bumper with corn more than once getting back to a chunk of public land, but that was the ONLY time I had an issue, it was with a single individual, I was younger, more confrontational, and it got pretty sporting. Looking back on it, I was pretty stupid to do what I did even though I was in the right. Just be
DAMN SURE you know where you are and the section line is open and then decide if it's really worth it to wreck a guys crops!! As to the unfortunate situation with me, I did ask for permission from the adjacent landowner to access a chunk of public land through his yard as I didn't want to wreck any crops and was "energetically" chewed out for being a hunter, threatened with LE intervention, and the whole 9 yards for my trouble. Before proceeding I made a trip to the court house and made sure of things and then went hunting. About 30 minutes after driving down the crop, I met the local sherrif. We chatted about why I was there, I presented my evidence to him in the field with the state statute numbers concerning section lines, the maps from the county court house, and my personal testimony about the verbal exchange between myself and the landowner. Once legality was established, I also informed the sherrif that I intended on continuing to hunt this section of land for years to come and to be ready for additional phone calls from this landowner. The sheriff and I shook hands and I had no problems after that, but I still had to drive down the crops every year when I wanted to hunt. I don't even think that guy is alive anymore. Now I wouldn't even think of doing that again, I'd just find someplace else to hunt. Good Luck!!