# Back road troubles



## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

Anyone else have problems with the lack of road signing on dirt roads this weekend? We had several occasions where there was a sharp turn or t intersection after a hill on the dirt roads with no warning.

The last one was a t intersection right after the crest of the hill that included a 10 foot almost vertical drop. Luckily my buddy and I had a weird feeling before hand and slid to a stop about 5 feet away. :eyeroll:

Didn't North Dakota have a budget surplus a year or two back. How about putting some signs on up the roads?!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

You owe me big for that one! Scary!


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

They do not mark prairie roads. Considering how much they had to spend to repair washed out county and state roads the last 13 years, I really do not think there is any "excess" funds.

Heck 19 months ago, at a washed out road all you had was a red flag about 20' shy of the wash out. Only main county roads had a road closed a head sign. Damn near every east/west township Rd was washed out N of Hwy 2, East of Turtle Mtn. to the MN border. Made it very difficult to scout, and a real pain to back up several hundred yds with a trailer.

I look at it as just part of the hazards of hunting.

Oh and another reason they do not put up signs on township roads is becuase they get used for target practice before the Deer season. :lol:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Dirt road......No Gravel......No signs.


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

Ahhh the urbanization of our youth at work... Two points:

1. Know the territory you hunt.
2. Drive as safely as the conditions allow. If you don't know the territory, you might want to consider driving slower....

Be happy you discovered that turn this weekend, and not in 2-3 weeks... as you definitely wouldn't have made the stop.

It is called the country for a reason isn't it? Half the reason we hunt is to get away from the ugly trappings of city life (including signs)

Right?

.02

Ryan


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

A lot of those roads at least have a "minumum maintenance road" sign. Thats more than they had when I was young.


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

Good post Ryan.
This goes right back to another thread where I talked about hunters turning the gravel roads into highways. Have respect for where you are at, slow down. Coming over a hill or a blind area is always dangerous, what if a farmer or another hunter was there with equipment in the road?


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

We have township "roads" that get only traveled very few times a year. When hunting season rolls around they really get pounded. The townships really are not that flush with money. I think its time for that some of the money from hunting licenses come back to the county.


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

It was a gravel road not a minimum maintenance
I can't memorize all or hunting territory from Carrington to Teawakun
We were doing under the speed limit

Just thought a little warning would be nice since it didn't end on an approach to a field but a sharp 10 foot drop.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Probably HAD a sign at one time but it got "shot up" by poachers and never got replaced.

Most of the "minimum maintenance roads used to be taken care of by the farmers that used those roads. Each township generally had a pull type blade that was available to the farmers for road maintenance. I remember my uncles blading roads to their fields at least once a year. many of the roads were also cut an baled several times a year. I guess farmers now days just don't have the time or don't care.


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## fylling35 (Jun 15, 2007)

OK guys...

Townships do not have the budget to keep all of their roads in the best condition. My Father's Construction Company (who I work for) does the majority of the work for about 4-5 townships in our area. Believe me, they have way more work to do than they can pay for. Things that need fixing get done about 2 years after they want/need because they don't have the dough. Also, the township owning a blade and letting the farmers used to work out alright...now they are reluctant to do that because of liability issues...who ultimately is responsible? I sure don't know.

A substantial number of Townships have turned their authority over to the county and it takes one hell of a lot of *****ing to get the county to even hear you!

Finally...
Don't blame the Farmers for not keeping your hunting roads in "highway" condition! When is the last time you saw a farmer tearing up his own roads? Just SLOW DOWN!

Go drive through most of the other states in the US and try and find property that looks half as nice and taken care of as what we have here. Most NoDakers take pride in how the land looks.

Thanks for Listening, Reading...whatever...

Have a Good Day


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I think some of us missed the point. It wasn't about the shape of the road, or the lack of money. He was just saying that a well traveled road should have a sign. He stated that he wasn't at excessive speeds, and nothing was said about a minnimum mat. road.

Just pointing that out.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

I've never had a road change so suddenly that I had to come to a sliding stop from 25 mph... Just watch where you're going.


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

You have got to be kidding. Do you want signs in the field as well pointing out every hole you might trip in as well?


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

drjongy said:


> You have got to be kidding. Do you want signs in the field as well pointing out every hole you might trip in as well?


Are you an idiot or retarded? It was a gravel road with a 55 mph speed limit. 10 foot drop on the crest of a steep hill. Guess the other skid marks where from people who should go 10mph over every hill.

A road traveled by vehicles at high speeds is a little different than tripping in a hole walking in the middle of no where but nice example.

Simply started the topic because we had a issue about 3 times over the weekend where we were going slow and scouting, and still had to brake hard because of crazy road changes right after or on top of a hill with no signs and wanted some discussion. Everybody is an internet know it all around here these days and has to prove the other wrong even if they are simply stating something.


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## fylling35 (Jun 15, 2007)

If it was a County Road....Call the County and complain. You will need to know the intersection and possibly adjacent sections of land. I am guessing they would put up a sign before next year.
If it is not a County or State road....you will just have to be more careful!


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

TANATA I get the feeling that you want the rural roads to be posted like in down town Fargo. I think you have turned into a _*city slicker*_ is what has happened. 
:toofunny:

As for who is retarded, Seems to me when you point your finger at someone, there are 3 pointing back at yourself.

Jeees... let it go or go write a letter to the proper govt authority and possibly something would be done.

FYI, those signs and posts and labor to put them up cost 1 heck of a lot of $, a LOT more than you may think. And as mentioned already, the local Govt units are strapped for funds.

I am sure if you gave the local Govt the $ they'd be happy to ablige you and put up the signs. Do you have the $1000 for the 3 signs? Yeah--it is that expensive. And then the idiots shoot holes in them. :eyeroll:

Good luck on your campaign to get all the signs back up on the rural roads. Maybe run for legislature and and say you want to raise the gas tax 5 cents a gal to put up new roads signs across ND. See of you get elected on that platform. If you do, my hat is off to you. :bowdown:


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

> It was a gravel road with a 55 mph speed limit.


Those working for the DOT will advise you that is the maximum speed allowed but conditions may dictated a slower speed. In other words we are responsible to use our common sense. When I aproach a blind hill on a gravel road I slow down cause I have no way of knowing what may be on the other side. In your case even if a sign was there what would have happened if a tractor was coming up the other side. One has to consider hazards other than just the road itself.


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## Springer (Dec 21, 2004)

Come on you guys. Do you not scout at all on some of these roads?

I have driven off two different roads that ended and there were approaches into fields thankfully. Looking at the sky and not at the roads.

One was a little icy/muddy but the other one looked like it was just a small crest and it dropped off pretty good into the field, that one scared me a little bit. I would have liked to seen a T sign on that road.


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

Thank you. Finally somebody that doesn't feel like he has something to prove. We weren't even looking at the sky!


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

Maybe you should take the time to put a sign up yourself, you've wasted more time b!tching about it then it would take to do it. If the road was so clearly marked with the speed limit why don't you phone the proper authorities. Better yet, start a thread on NODAK about it. uke:


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

headshot said:


> Maybe you should take the time to put a sign up yourself, you've wasted more time b!tching about it then it would take to do it. If the road was so clearly marked with the speed limit why don't you phone the proper authorities. Better yet, start a thread on NODAK about it. uke:


Ya I forgot this was a discussion board how dare I state something to talk about. I dont ever remember saying it had to be fixed or *****ing about it and never said it was a minimum maintenence road. Just brought it up cause we dealt with it a few times.

Hope you guys all feel tough now and can sleep at night.


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## Plinker (Nov 17, 2007)

I don't want to make enemies so soon, but here's what my limited experience would tell me.

#1, had you slid off the road and damaged your own vehicle, if police were called, you'd be issued a citation for travelling too fast for conditions. Yes, even on a bright, sunny day. (I speak from experience)

#2, to the person who mentioned "looking at the sky" while driving, are you sure you should even be driving? I don't know what it's like in ND, but here in MI, animals tend to wander out across the road, as well as moronic children. (rather, moronic parents LET them wander)

#3, be very grateful you even HAVE roads to access remote areas. Here in Michigan, trails are being shut down to 4WD traffic left and right.

#4, there is the posted speed limit, and the basic speed limit. My fiance got a ticket for violating the basic speed limit last December, when she slid through an intersection at 5mph, in a car she had bought two days prior, in the year's first notable snowstorm. (Ironically, her other car was totalled three days earlier in the rain. Only in Michigan... lol, her mom was driving in the first incident, as I recall)

#5, whenever I'm driving in unfamiliar territory, I keep my speeds within reason. Even when I haven't driven a certain road in a while, I keep an extra level of alertness.
After that, it's go time.  (yes, I love to drive in a rather spirited [not THOSE spirits] manner.)


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

"It was a gravel road with a 55 mph speed limit. 10 foot drop on the crest of a steep hill. Guess the other skid marks where from people who should go 10mph over every hill."

I think you should maybe go back and reread the first sentence in your first post.....you clearly say it was a dirt road.Most replys were based on that statement.Gravel and dirt aren't the same as anyone who has driven on them when wet can attest to.If gravel.....then what you are saying is probably correct.Don't take this wrong but.....you probably brought on the critizism because of what you first said.

I haven't seen many signs on a dirt road other than....""Minimum Maintance Road."


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## Neanderthal (Oct 30, 2007)

Wake up! I live here ( ND), because it is the middle of nowhere, not in spite of it. If you don't know how to drive on minimum or no maintenance roads, stay home! We love it up here just the way it is, although too many people are discovering our crime-free lifestyle and starting to move in. Too many people here already. Maybe the winters will get back to normal soon, and thin some out!


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## rberglof (May 17, 2007)

I am one of those people that bought a place in ND, a bit out of Rugby (hope we get to make the move next year), and must say that in most cases I am impressed with the gravel roads in North Dakota. You should try driving some of the roads we travel around here in California to get to decent hunting areas: some of them just do qualify as roads. From one year to the next they can change from two wheel drive roads to just able to navigate with a 4x4. I can see where some one could get in trouble when they are use to the quality of the gravel roads there and then run across a bad area. We have made 5 trips there since we bought out place and I love traveling the back roads but did figure out in short order to keep a keen eye out for what may lie on the other side of a hill or blind corner.


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