Officials with the Union Pacific Railroad are urging hunters to resist the temptation to hunt on railroad property this season. 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.

Robert Morrison, Union Pacific Chief of Police says “Too many people have been injured or killed trespassing on railroad property over the years.” Morrison says a part of the “UP CARES” initiative, they want to remind hunters that “Walking on or near railroad tracks is extremely dangerous because you never know when a train will come along.”

Dale Bray, Union Pacific director of public safety 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.” Bray says “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.”

Hunters are not the only ones drawn to railroad tracks – hikers, bikers, fishermen and snowmobilers are, as well. Anyone choosing to walk on or near railroad tracks could be killed or injured by a train, and, people who enter railroad property can be arrested for violating trespassing laws.  They could serve jail time and/or have to pay a fine.