Trad Gang

GRRR! I was lucky enough to get there just as they were walking in. They said "we saw your truck and just wanted ato ask iff we could hunt".

THEN, I had a atv w/in 100 yards of my stand on the adjoining property. I still saw some deer but this kind of crap bums me out in the stand.

I have my trail cams in lock boxes and a ladder stand chained and padlocked. I'm sure these guys have been going in there for a while. They were carrying all their gear like they knew where they were going.

I feel your pain Jim. Nothing like putting in a lot of work and having a bunch of trespassers ruin your day. I hope you showed them the door and they realize they are not welcome.

Is your place posted? If so, you might bring the local Sheriff's office into play when you catch these jerks.

is it private property Jim?
its crazy how often you hear of guys trespassing, stealing stands, sitting in other peoples stands, stealing trail cams it seems to happen all the time now,
its sad.

seems in our politically correct society they always get away with it, but like my dad says

"if you dont listen, then you gotta feel"

Private property but its not posted. I'll fix that. They were planning on hunting anyway, they had all their crap with them, they just got caught and tried to clean it up.

I wish I would have taken their pic with my digital camera. That would have made them think about coming back. I'll watch for their vehicle and get pics of the tag AND them next time.

Saturday I was set up about an hour before I heard a car slow down then drive off and about five minuts later here come a guy bow in hand walking right passed me. You should of seen him jump when I yelled at him. He gave me the old " my friend shot a deer next door and I was just trying to find it" response. " it might of gone the oter way" and he left. sucks when other people have NO respect.  

Good luck!

Watch out whatever you do.  The cops around here seem to stick up for the trespassers.  Even if you take pics and their names the cops don't do anything. Once when I wanted to press charges I was threatened by the cops because I had my shotgun with me. It's pretty pathetic what some cops let go.

I rent some private land about 4 hours from my house and I set up about 12 ladder stands as well as a trail cam I move around to check out the local deer.  Ive spent 5 years chasing guys off the property with a good share of them being quite decent and honestly unaware of my lease.  Others have torn down every posted sign I put up and I find constant "sign" of trespassers at my stands.  I know how you feel, I would just love to have them respect my investment and property lines and have even tried the local law, WOW were they on the side of the trespassers!!  

It really comes down to this for me, I can inform 100% of the trespassers and get compliance from 98% of them since they are at heart decent folks.  The other 2% are just gonna continue to do what they do and keep an eye out for my truck or my camp set up so they dont bump into me again.  Im guessing if I push it much further it will just end up going badly for me.  It does get better every year it seems.

Here in WI private land does not have to be poseted.  Private is Private no excuses.

NOTHING works like prosecution. Giving trespassers a break is a sign of weakness.

100% what Biggie said

Biggie has the answer.

QuoteNOTHING works like prosecution. Giving trespassers a break is a sign of weakness.  

Amen to that, Biggie, but good luck too.

Posted, not posted, warned before? Don't matter, authorities here will tell you they "can't" arrest them unless they refuse to leave after the police get there....if they get there that day....or ever call back at all.

That's like giving them an open pass. Nothing is going to happen other than asked to leave? pfffffffffft no big deal to these guys.

If they "shine" a big buck in your area....they ARE going to hunt it. Take that to the bank.

Glad others have had better experiences. Not me.

God Bless.

Wait till they get in a tree, then go in with a chainsaw 8^).

What bugs me is that most people seem to feel the same way that I do-that folks should, nay, MUST respect other peoples property.

Yet we seem to have all these crazy laws that protect trespassers and crooks.  A couple have mentioned law enforcement seems to be "on the tresspassers side".  
Sure your always gonna have people that break the law.   But the law(and subsequently-law enforcement) seem to be on the perpetrators' side.

How did we get in this predicament?  

Don't WE vote on these laws?

Farmer

We posted over a hundred private property signs around our place and came back the next month to find them ALL torn down...The nerve and lack of morals people have when they think they aren't being watched is sickening. I wish there was a more effective way to deal with those scums. Harsh language doesnt seem to do the trick.

Did you happen to see what they were driving as well?

You all need to move to washington.  Trespass her and you will be prosecuted.  Trespass with a weapon ( firearm ) and it will get you criminal trespass with a life long firearm restriction.  Sounds like the hunters in your state need to vote some idiots out of office and some good people into office that will enforce the law.

Yeah I noticed it parked on the property across the road. HAd a Creek tag. Working in corrections for 20 years I notice things out of place. It had a pop bottle on the passenger side on the side of the bed. I thought, "looks like some one just got out and put it there." they had. I parked in between them and there destination but didn't know it. Perfect timing. I was polite but firm. I'll take it slow and base my response on their behavior.

George,   :biglaugh:  

nocams

Just came up with a great idea to keep Tresspasser's off your property...Get yourselves a Big ,Nasty, Foam Spittin,Greasy, dirt kickin, Pawin "Chewwawa" I meant something bigger of coarse and Make him stay gaurd at what ever is sitting in your stand or the tree...Post a sign that says If you think you can outrun "Hercules" my dog if you Tress pass on my Property then good luck to you cause the last few fella's that did couldn't make it back to their truck in time...Go ahead Punks make my Doggy's Day!Feeling Lucky?  :scared:

I had a guy "skulking" around our PA property during gun season. Somehow he didn't see me wearing my orange until he finally really looked my way and all I did was point back up the hill and he left.

When people have guns instead of bows......situation can get touchy.

We put up lots of posted signs when we first bought the place that way the "locals" knew it wasn't abandoned anymore. Seemed to work....maybe they knew when we were there and stayed away.

Very tough pill to swallow when you pay $$$ for your own hunting ground and someone just walks on.

Again - solutions from all over the country; all with different laws ....

Check your state laws; and abide by them. Here in Idaho; you have to post private property; it has to be posted in a specific way; or it means nothing.
For instance: a 'NO HUNTING' sign means nothing.
The trespassing law here is about trespassing; not hunting; hunting is legal in Idaho; a sign that says 'NO HUNTING' is as meaningless as a sign that says 'NO BREATHING' or 'NO LOOKING'.

 If you harm someone or arrest them; for doing something that is legal.. under your state law; you might have to kiss goodbye the land you own: to pay for the fines.

So - check your laws; and then call and report trespassers under its control.

Do understand that most sheriffs are elected; and being elected they owe favors to people. A favor might be employing as a deputy - a person that is unwilling to do any paperwork; or work; or they might not want to 'get involved' at all.

If that happens - talk to the sheriff; and then if that fails; talk to your states Attorney General; and then after you realize what the word 'politics' means; write your local newspaper or tv station and create a mess that cannot be ignored.
 How would you like it if your picture- while you were trespassing- from a trail cam: was put on a full page of a newspaper- complaining about trespassers?
How about a word for word ( from a hidden tape recorder) account- of what the officer responding: said about a trespasser you have a picture of on your land ?

People died to get us our freedoms; you might have to break a sweat- to make sure their deaths were not in vain.

Either put out the effort or run away.

I can tell you; if I bought some hunting land somewhere; I would find out who has been hunting the land legally; and if that person is a decent person; I would live with their presence; and have him or her work with me: to keep trespassers out.    :thumbsup:

I thought this was just a Michigan problem ! Sounds like we are not alone, I spend so much time being quiet, keep human oder to a minimum, make up mock scrapes and then it all gets ruined by tresspasers. I was so mad one opening day when my hunt was ruined (on private posted land that I paid for !) that I was ready to join the anti hunters figuring if I cannot hunt in peace and quiet, to heck with it, we might as well get rid of the sport, I have calmed down from that thinking, I go hunting to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet, and calm down my high blood pressure, That day my blood pressure would peg the needle ! if the  sport goes the way of tresspassing bums and poachers, which we have a lot of here, what's the enjoyment of it ? Michigan is so broke we cannot enforce the laws anymore, cannot afford DNR officers,  Hmmmm...... Maybe if our politicians could figure out they could make money off of tresspassing fines we might get somewhere in this state, our govenor is so desperate for money, I need to send her an email explaining how much she could make if they had stiff tresspassing fines and enforced them LOL
Dan

Private land is just that, PRIVATE. In Ga land doesn't have to be posted but it does make prosecution easier. If it ain't yours then stay off it. I can't believe some states are as lax on trespassers as they are. Problem is laws have let those with no respect for others get a break. Just don't do it here cause if and when we catch you, we gotcha!!!  I hunt a farm in Illinois and the local law enforcement asked us to post it this year. Makes their job easier. That and game cams!!

I am going thru a big hassle right now. My neighbor lets two guys hunt and they put their stands 260 ft. off the prop. line. The stands are right on the fence facing the wrong way, 30yds. from my corner. They are the ones in the WRONG and my neighbor is making me out to be the bad guy! In Michigan it is almost impossible to prosecute tresspassers. Caught red-handed they still get only a warning for first offense. Ruined my weekend and probably my season. Ever hear the term SSS!
Tom

Sad, if you piss them off then they hold a grudge and tear your stuff up. When you do some thing about it then You are the bad guy???  Sad times these are.

bb gun

Yeah then they set your truck on fire while your hunting, or worse bring a real gun into the mix.

We hunt private land. The land owners son , my fiancee and myself are the only ones that have permission. We went out last week and somebody had moved my fiancee's blind. It wasnt the owners son or us. I guess we were lucky they didnt steal it, but just the fact that they had the guts to move it is crazy. We put it back and rebrushed it. Now there are 2 trail cams hid just to try and see who is sneaking in....Roy

QuoteOriginally posted by razorsharptokill:
Yeah then they set your truck on fire while your hunting, or worse bring a real gun into the mix.

Which has been known to happen a few times during the seasons.  

Jim, did they at least acknowledge your fine ability to build a longbow??

If you run across that truck again, make note of that tag...I know a good Creek Lighthorseman officer who can have a talk with them.

I've dealt with trespassing scum for several years. Chased them off more than once. Had stands stolen, had law enforcement out to confiscate trespassers stands. Been threatened,lied to and had guns pointed at me.

I now keep both the county Conservation Officers phone numbers in my cell phone, and always have it with me. I also now always carry my sidearm conealed on me, just in case. When a trespassers starts pointing weapons, that changes the rules.

The property is posted, when they havent torn the signs down.

If I encounter one, I dont care if they are trailing a deer, looking for their dog, or a place to pee, they're breakin the law. I immediately photogtraph them with my cell phone, the first time from a distance if I can.

I have also played a trick to get their weapon from them ( gun season). I'll play dumb, make small talk, and compliment them on their gun, ask to look it over. Then I jam the muzzle into the mud, unload it and escort them to the fence. Any complaints, I threaten to wrap it around a tree and I call the CO. End of problem.


Left a note on another fella treestand on a fenceline telling him hes trespassing, and that the barbed wire is not the property line. Gave him a week to move his stand. WHen I checked, the note was gone, and the stand was still there. I dropped the tree with a chainsaw, right on the stand. Never did see that fella again.

Over the years the word has gotten out at the trespassing scumbag club that the guy (me) on my place is crazy, and he's the only one with permission to hunt it. Dont get caught in there.....   :readit:   I've been friends of the owner for 36 years, I can do what I want .

yea i love those fence sitters too.they have 185 acres to hunt and where do they sit, right on the line facing us.got into it with them a few years back.they were actually gonna put stands on our property.but they seen me in the tree,turned around and walked out into field to talk about it.so i climbed down and talked to them[things i better not say here].lets just say we came to an understanding.but they still hunt close,just not on fence.  :banghead:    :banghead:    :banghead:

The Beauty of it is. Once there caught they feel like some how there getting screwed. After about two weeks or so you should find all your stands and othere stuff gone. At least that's the way it worked for me. They took three stands and sticks!!

I agree with Biggie, someone stole the pins and ratchet strap off one of my ladder stands on my property. Doing this caused an unsafe condition with the stand, I have spoke with my neighbor and he is going to watch my back and I'll watch his, if we catch any trespassers we will prosecute. Nothing like having to look your stands over good in the dark to make sure there still safe the next day  

Originally posted by razorsharptokill:
Yeah then they set your truck on fire while your hunting, or worse bring a real gun into the mix.

They need to be aware around here that they aren't the only ones with a gun   :D

It's ridiculous that people actually get anfry when you catch them doing something that they know they're not supposed to be doing and act like it's your fault. I guess it's just like everything else nowadays though, it's always someone else's fault and God forbid you hurt some scumbags feelings then you're the bad guy again.

My buddy went to a piece of property that his boss owns to hunt yesterday.  He and one other person are the only ones that have permission to hunt it.  It's fenced along the road with a locked gate and a ton of no tresspassing signs.  He tends wells on the property and has the key to the gate.

He has a pop up blind set up there and a few treestands.  His boy killed a deer out of the blind the opening day this year.  Anyway, he gets there and there is a truck parked at the gate almost blocking his entrance.  He goes through the gate and sees a pop up blind set up in the field.  He goes to the blind and no one is in it.  He decides to go ahead an head to his blind to hunt the evening.  When he gets there the owner of the truck is in HIS blind hunting.  He asked the guy what he was doing and if he knew whose property he was on.  He gave my buddy some BS story about some relative had sold the property to the current owner (whose name he gave was not the current owner) and he had lifetime hunting rights to it.  My buddy informed him in so many words that he was tresspassing and to get out of there.  He got the guys name and number (if they were real) and walked the guy off the property.  He called the real land owner and he said he had never heard of this guy in his life and didn't know who this person was that he had supposedly bought the property from.

Totally amazing to me that someone would come onto posted property and get in someone elses blind!  The guy had been there all day and tromped all over the property "hunting".  To make matters worse he said he shot a button buck earlier and couldn't find it!  Apparently he decided not to look too hard for it and just keep hunting.  It's no wonder you can't get permission to hunt private property any more!  I can't even imagine doing something like that.  Unfortunately it's slobs like this that give hunters a bad name and really limit property access.

Aaron

In Southern Jersey people will hunt in your stand. To help with this I would print a letter that stated "This stand is used for the purpose of deer observation and field work any trespassers will be prosecuted.This area is under remote video and satelite surveillance." I would copy and paste a letter head from fish and game at paste it on top.Laminate it and hang in at the bottom of my tree.Then you buy the imitation video cameras and hang one on the top above your stand and one in a tree close to your stand. I have not had a problem since.It scares the crap out of them.The thought of being on video.

Imagine walking into some ones back yard and pulling up a chair on their patio or swimming in their pool. Same thing.

Why do people think it is ok to walk onto private (private being the operative word here) and do as they please?

when someone knowingly trespasses, I give them a ticket for simple trespass.  Let them fight it in court.  If I catch them a second time its upped to criminal trespass.

The traits that I have learned from my father and the Marine Corps apparently are not traits some people have taught their kids,such as loyalty,honor,pride,tact,respect,trust,and did I say RESPECT.Unfortunately we have to deal with Ignorance(this is the excuse we are supposed to have empathy for)and if we do not handle it in the rite manner we are the bad ones.It will only get worse because most of these values are no longer taught in the home or school.Remember no kid left behind,regardless of the level of ignorance.But those of us with values will be left behind!!

I don't own any hunting lands.  I have always hunted mostly public lands for 30+ years and have done fairly well. I have to admit, a few times I have stumbled onto the borders or a few feet of unposted/not fenced private lands in new unfamiliar areas but it was not intentional. I have good and bad run ins with landowners on those few occassions. Although at the time I feel that I am at wrong for stumbling onto their property but I don't think land owners have the right to threaten. Hunting is hunting, its not worth getting guns/weapons involved.

kevin.

The more people you prosecute the more the word will get out. That seems to be the only way we have been able to keep people off of two of our properties. I am the care taker of over 400 acres. It has been a full time job keeping four wheelers off in the summer and poachers in the fall and winter. Nothing spreads the word like a citation and fine in court. Less drama and less chance of reverse accusations or retaliation.

QuoteRemember no kid left behind,regardless of the level of ignorance.But those of us with values will be left behind!!  

Ahhh yes!   The "dumbing-down" of american childern is the key to having a more perfect future society of idiots to control.  The few have's will easily be able to reign in the majority of have not's.
Then you can throw common sense, morals, freedoms that are guaranteed by the Constitution, and human rights down the toilet-and no one will be the wiser!!

This trespassing, no-regard for personal property situation is just one of the many problems we have on hand to fight against.  Just don't voice your hunting/weapons/health reform opinions too vigorously, because then you are labeled a terrorist if you oppose the ideas.  Unfortunately, one must get up off the couch late at night when we want to be watching TV, and write elected officials about this type of thing.   Get your friends and like-minded folks to write as well.  Most of these guys will still pay attention, if more than a handful of folks  will voice.
In the time it takes to post here, we can each have a letter rough drafted- send it in to your congressman and lets say enough "political-correctness"!!  We want our property and our rights protected, nay, we insist on this.  Too long blatant disregard for others has been tolerated.   And if a victory is won, and folks dont get to trespass without being punished, then it is a step back in the right direction for all morals and values.


Farmer

QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
NOTHING works like prosecution. Giving trespassers a break is a sign of weakness.

EXACTLY!!! I've got the game warden on speed dial. Only needed him once in 13 years and that was last year. A couple out of staters who lost a hefty priced license. Our land is beyond posted!

When i was in college i hunted with a friend i met while there. They are huge land owners and one of the farms they hunted on the most is 6,200 acrs. My friends dad walked up on 3 guys field dressing a nice buck and when they took off running he fired a shot in the air and told them to stop. These guys hired  a lawyer and i never was told how much money was involved but i know the owner of the land had to pay a huge sum of money to the 3 guys who were trespassing.

sad.......

I have to quit reading this post, it's too depressing, I thought maybe it was just that way in my neck of the woods. Now I find out that the whole nation is full of Losers.
Dan

Dont confront them.  Find where they are parked.  Call your local game warden or park officer to where they are at and/or have a officer wait for them on their way out.  In many states, if the tresspasser has no written permission slip to hunt the private land directly from the land owner and/or property manager, they are imposed some pretty good fines even on the first offense.  The second time caught without it ussually gets license revoked plus a fine.

I busted a young kid sneaking to a private sector of land in a suburban area which I was hunting.
Not only do you need to have the landowners signature on a form on your person, a permit from the police dept to discharge a weapon, your permit# must be on your arrows, and your state back tag must be on your back and visible.

This guy had NOTHING!!!
It took everything I had in me to refrain from beating him into the earth on which he stood!!!
He literally ran to his parked car(illegally parked as well)