Riding the Levee

[River Hunter]

Yesterday after work I stopped by the store grabbed a six pack and headed to the levee to see what I could see. After riding awhile I was stopped by ????? I think it was someone on the levee board. He proceeded to ask me what was I doing on the levee. I said I was riding around looking for wildlife deer, turk, ect.... He said you know it is illegal to joy ride on the levee. Well I've grown up in R'dale and spent most of my life here, hell I learned to drive a car on the levee. This was like a everyday thing for me to do when I was growing up. Now they tell me It's illegal. It was not dark yet but close. The posted signs read no riding after dark. When and why has this become an issue? Is there that much traffic on the levee to have to put restictions on riding it? I did not get a ticket. Has anyone ever got a ticket or has enyone ever heard of anyone getting a ticket for this? There was no gun or anything to do with hunting in my car at the time except for my duck call that always hangs from my rear view mirror. What is the harm in riding the levee??????

[webfoot]

Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee office is located in Clarksdale, contact Heath Fullilove @ 1-662-624-4397.

[peewee]

I have heard of similar situations as yours before. The levee board tries to shove its weight around a little too much sometimes I believe.

[tunica du4u]

We have the same problem up here. I have been stopped several times on the levee by the levee board patrol just to see what I was doing. Most of the time though I am on my way to Old River and they say ok. They have posted big signs up here years ago at the entrance's to the levee that say "THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC ROAD. NO HUNTING JOYRIDING STOPPING OR PARKING. NIGHT TIME TRAVEL PROHIBITED" For years we had the same patrolmen and they knew who was supposed to be on it or who was trying to hunt off it & we had no trouble. Seems like now we get new ones every year who take a few times before they reconize you.

[Hambone]

I am in a club behind the levee. In order to get a good cell phone signal, we have to drive to the top of the levee. One night about a month ago, my cousin-in-law and I went out to call home. After we finished, we started back down the road toward the camp. All of a sudden, from out of nowhere, I had a set of high beams about 2 feet behind the rear bumper. Naturally, I said something to the effect of "who's this "turd-cutter"" just before slamming on the brakes. That's when the blue flashing lights came on for the first time. Nothing like a 22 year old game warden with an attitude, which he certainly displayed when he swaggered up. After putting up with an interrogation for about 60 seconds, I said " Look- the only way I would shoot a deer is in self-defense!" That broke the ice and he settled down after that. In all fairness, however, there is quite a bit of spotlighting from the top of the levee and the wardens are fairly diligent about patrolling it. I have also seen signs stating that the levee is not a public road. I do think that this guy was a little overeager, but maybe he will settle down with a little more experience when he realizes that somebody parked on the ramp is most likely making a phone call, not night stalking deer!

[chance]

tunica du4u---you hunt Old River? Used to hunt there years ago. Lotta good memories. Billy Pegram, Dutch Parker and others were a great group to associate with.

[tunica du4u]

yeah they were. All those guys were fine fellows. hardly any of the older folks hunt there no more. Billy is a good friend and lives about 4 miles down the road

[no angel]

by law you pay taxes on it and are entitled to ride it for what ever you see fit for a reason. they just try to keep it under the hat about that part?!!! i ride it when ever i get ready they can't right you a ticket because it is state property and you pay for it just like everyone else!!!!

[Delta Duck]

Ya'll be sure to toss your beer bottles out of the truck window. That is one reason they are on your ass about riding the levee

[Double_R]

It is my understanding that the levee board has an easement on the ground under which the levee stands. The land under and both sides of the levee belongs to the landowner, not to the state or to the levee board. I do know for fact that this varies county to county and that for a fact that landowners in Warren County, for example, can deny public access across their property. Moreover, road maintenance behind those gates and signs is the exclusive responsibility, not of the state or levee board, but of the landowner. The levee boards are federal entities, not state. As someone that has watched the public drive up and down a levee that runs through privately owned property, with rifles sticking out the window and without, and with the best 30 minutes of the day for deer remaining, I have no qualms about the signs or gates. NO - not everyone that grabs a six pack in February and drives down the levee to relax is a poacher, most are probably not, but there are plenty of them out there.

[tunica du4u]

No Angel, what are the taxes we pay you speak of that the levee board gets?

[no angel]

the levee is owned by the state and maintained by the state . we pay their salaries to maintain it but we are not to ride on it??? i haven't seen anyone get a ticket for riding because they can't get one!!! it is not against the law to ride a state maintained road is it? they put up the signs to try to keep so many people off it. if i want to put my boat in the river i have to go to a landing that is public and it is maintained by the levee board and the state so what is the levee? the same thing!!! they do this every year to people that are riding but during the summer i see a ton of people parking on the bottom fishing in the bar pits and never get run off . what is the difference? nothing of course but when it comes to hunting everybody claims everything they can to keep others out.

[the doctor]

the levee board has a law enforcement division that can write a ticket for "joyriding" check it out http://www.leveeboard.org

always heard it was illegal o ride for no reason

never seen it enforced though

the doc

[tunica du4u]

I just wondered about the tax thing. As a business owner we used to have to pay a $20 a year levee board business tax, but that was dropped a few years ago. Also for some reason the leveee board a few months ago took out 1/4 page ads in the local paper making a big to do about the levee board was maintained and operated without a penny of our money Never did figure out what that was about. but the ad run for months. Figure there was an ulterior motive for that ad somewhere:roll:

[River Hunter]

Well I will continue to take a ride like I always have to me it is as normal as going to work