Union Pacific Railroad urges hunters to resist the temptation to hunt on railroad property this season. Spokesman Mark Davis says wildlife will migrate and feed along the edges of freshly harvested fields, making these areas prime hunting spots. With many fields adjacent to Union Pacific tracks, hunters find it very tempting to hunt on or near the tracks.

Davis says it can take a mile or more to stop a train, and, by the time a locomotive engineer sees you on the track, it is too late to stop.  He adds that Locomotives and rail cars overhang the tracks by at least three feet on either side of the rail. If you are too close to the tracks, you can be hit by the locomotive or a rail car.

Davis says hunters are not the only ones drawn to railroad tracks – hikers, bikers, fishermen and snowmobilers are, as well. He says last year, 433 people died and 411were injured while trespassing on railroad property throughout the United States according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

Davis adds that people who enter railroad property can be arrested for violating trespassing laws. They could serve jail time and/or have to pay a fine. Do not become a statistic; stay away from railroad tracks during this hunting season.

 

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