O.K. So it's New Year's Eve. I have the day off and I thought I'd sneak a few hours of hunting in. I haven't been able to get out since Thanksgiving.
To start out, the temps had been on the rise and it was very foggy this morning. No big deal; it'll lift. First thing I notice is 4 wheeler tracks headed for my blind. As soon as I get within 100 yards of my ground blind, it starts raining steady. This just keeps getting better. So I decide to retrieve my bucket seat and take down my camo netting for the season because today is a washout. I walk up to find that someone has added on to my blind with a couple big sheets of camo burlap. Add to that, there are 2 spent Remington 3" slug shells laying on the ground next to a smashed up Diet Coke can. :mad: (keep in mind, I know of no one who has been given permission to gun hunt on this property.) I look at the footprints all around the blind and see that they lead to the neighboring property where we don't have permission to hunt. (The neighbor is kind of a j-hole who thinks he owns more property than he actually does) I start to follow them towards the fence line, only to find where a deer had been shot near my blind and trailed over onto the neighboring property as far as I could see. This slob has no respect for other people's stuff, property, nor property lines. I do respect boundaries, so I stopped there. Now I'm wet, disgusted and pissed. I go about taking down my netting and brush. As I do, I find that he has left a Primos grunt wheeze call hanging in the netting as well. I'm guessing this happened yesterday because there was plenty of fairly fresh blood in what snow was left and he didn't come back to clean up after himself. I took all my wet gear, his two shotgun shells, and his call and headed home. I could have taken his burlap too, but I want him to think he dropped his call and spend all day looking for it.
On a positive note, my new wool longhunter shirt from ron LaClair kept me nice a cozy, despite being wet! :thumbsup:
Thats a bad day. I would have placed a note in the burlap.
Sorry Tom. Happy New Year.
that sucks.
and im afraid its only gonna get worse. seems like we hear more and more of these stories all the time. sad.
Sorry Tom, still 2 weeks to hunt in Missouri if you can get over here.
Tom: that sucks.... Ya still have a few days perhaps there is salvation in there some place...
Good Luck and Happy New Year
Same kind of feeling when your house get robbed and the trespasser have been playing with your personal stuffs,sorry for you and congrats from learning and getting out something positive about it. Happy new year!
Let the land owner know his neighbor is trespassing and poaching his deer. If the jerk knows he has been found out he might stay away. Good luck.
Keeping the Faith!
Magnus
Tom,
That sucks for sure. Been like that here with me for 10 years. I went from 2500 acres of primo hunting ground to zero in 2 years (urban sprawling and selling off of farms by the children), that was 12 years ago....it has been getting even worse since. I still refuse to lose faith that I'll come along on even an acre or two to hunt. It only takes a few square feet of ground in the "right place to have a great spot...........at least that's what I have been reduced to thinking.
Keep on keeping on Tom, hold your ground, step up and let it be known what you saw to the neighbor and all. let your voice be heard, as I know you will be polite with them in the face of being "pissed".
Good luck and take care,
Rick
I'm sorry Tom!
I know that something like this makes us feel somewhat violated and in truth we have been.
I can see a bright spot in your post and I'm glad you like your new wool longhunter.
I think sometime in 2011 I'm going look at both Ron's and Teresa's for something like it and a vest to go with it.
Happy New Year my friend!
I pray 2011 will be filled with His love,joy, and peace for you.
God bless,Mudd
Definetly let the land owner know about this, as far as Im concerned the people who allow me access are counting on me to help police their property. Ask them if they are letting anyone else on the property and inform them of the litter you found and tell them where the trail led. Dont go in mad just give them the facts, they will decide how to handle things after that. It might put you in better standing with them as well as it lets them know you have their best interest in mind and arent just there to take advantage of a generous offer to hunt their land.
As much as I hate slobs and trespassers and poachers and generally disrespectful sorts its never a good idea to get angry and act on that anger. Do it right and you get something even better than an angry confrontation with some jerk, you get them prosecuted. Its the only thing people of that nature understand.
2X Rascal.
Earl
Now I am Pi**ed! Someone "adds" something to my blind... it's mine, a fresh new "NO TRESPASSING" sign goes up at the point of entry and the land owner gets a call. If the landowner doesn't object, the neighbor gets a visit with garbage bag in tow of all of his "crap". He can then own up to it or deny, in which case, garbage bag full of "crap"(burlap, call, etc.)is now mine. :)
There... I feel a little better now.
Tom, I was going to tell you a story or two about stuff like that happening to me but it would make you more upset than you are already. (me too) All I can say is that I'm sorry and I have been there. As far as the nieghbor thinking he owns more than he actually does, I've been there too. The nice thing about this site is that were all pretty much gentlemen, others are ladies. Together were decent people.
Thanks guys. I know it's a bad idea to handle it right then. I'm definitely going to talk to the landowner about it, but that's probably it for me hunting there. The neighbor is a jerk and there's no telling what else he'll try. I hate having to worry about my stuff and myself when all I want to do is hunt they way you're supposed to.
Tom,
That is good news -- about the Longhunter, that is! :archer: I really like my Longhunter shirt and hood. It sucks about the trespasser. It sounds like you are handling the situation about as well as possible. There is nothing pleasant about people who act illegally and unethically. I would report it to the game warden even if he does nothing about it other than file a report. I would also tell the neighbor about the incident and let him know you reported it to the authorities. I agree with the idea about removing all of the items that were placed on your property and letting the neighbor know you will gladly return them when the trespasser comes and asks you for them. I doubt anyone will show up, but it would make for an interesting discussion if he did.
Allan
Tell the land owner, let him handle the jerk.
Bear in mind, that jerks like him don't learn, except the hard way.
You did the right thing. I know that is small consolation, but you will come out ahead in the long run.
You guys are tooo nice. Had trouble with a neighbor serveral years ago on my cousins property.Could not catch him(Pre camera days)but kept finding tracks leading to and from his property.Denided it was him when ask to stay off. About a week before season we went to the opisite side of the neighbors property and used a piece of rebar to make fake rubs on a few(!) trees. My cousin could see 2 new tree stands in and around the "fresh rubs". Problem solved...
Thats worse than finding someone sitting in your tree stand on YOUR property which chapped me. For the guy to go thru that much effort adding to your set up, you know he could care less about property lines. Man... maybe something bad might have happened if you walked up and he was in there. So at least he will know you are aware if he does come back for the call. It just stinks any way uou look at it.
Here in Hawaii they tried to pass a law recently that if you were found tresspassing with a firearm, it was a felony offense. That was defeated because if you were inadvertantly on someone elses land mistakenly, you'd lose your guns forever.
However, one way to solve that would be to have the rules apply to posted land. Not my fight, but it might be worth pushing for in many areas.
Much Aloha... :archer2:
time to bring out the ghillie suit.....
we had a guy tresspass on the field bihind my house and try and shoot a deer eating at out feeder only 25 yards from the house. he missed though and no one or thing was hurt.
now that sux. Happy Newyear everyone. :thumbsup:
My neighbor lets several people bowhunt behind his house. It's like rural suburbia here, 5 acre lots (no shotguns). Anyhow, I was trying to find the blood trail the other night and couldn't believe what I found instead. Bait wrappers and other trash everywhere. Corn littering the place (unless I missed something, this is illegal here). But what actually ticked me off was about 20-30 trees 4" and under cut halfway through about 4 ft above then ground and then broken over. To clear shooting lanes I guess. Found the hacksaw too. I can see a little trimming to clear lanes, but this was practically clearcutting the area of everything that might get in the way. And doing a hack job at that too.
Oh well, breath deep and deal with it next time they're here. I've at least met them. I figure if they know someone is watching them, they'll clean up their act a bit. In the meantime, I've piled their trash at the base of some of their trees.
I put in a call to the landowner. I believe they are down south right now. He can deal with the neighbor issues. I'm done and I'll get over it. BTW this had to happen yesterday. I was in there by first light this morning. Still, I wasn't about to take a bow to a gun fight, just in case he was back out there again today.
Baked beans, split pea soup, and a giant wet burrito. Drop the results right in the middle of the vacated blind, with the grunt call sticking out of the top! Happy New year!
or you could leave a stool with a couple sharp nails sticking up through the seat about 1/4 inch, not enough to do real harm just give them a little "eye opener" when they sit down in your blind
i had somthing to say but my fellow tradgangers said it better sorry man hope everything is resolved happy new year !
I think Moore County NC finally got something right. You don't even have to post your property. Everyone (except landowner) must have written, signed permission from the landowner to be on his property. No more just saying "I have permission", you got to show it.
It's because of idiots like the neighbor you described that I started taking everything of mine out of the woods each hunting trip. This is a pain but my mind is at ease.
Owlbait...you are too funny! :laughing:
Tom-I'm sorry that happened to you, but you appear to be handling things like a good Christian should! Congrats!
Kenny
Sorry it happened. I would have call the land owner and asked if he had given permission to hunt the land to someone. Then the Cops if he said no and let them take all the evidance in. And let them ask the neighor if the stuff was his. I bet he is a stupid and arogant son of a gun and would say yep.
Good luck This year (already 2011 here)
I'm sorry to hear this happened to you Tom. It's expecially frustrating because you think you have a nice, safe, all-to-yourself spot and something like this comes along. You have an opportunity to represent us all. Make us proud.
-Jeremy :coffee:
I've had very similar experiences, and I conclude that it's a sign of the times. I feel so fortunate that I have lived thru 73 yrs of the best times this country had to offer. Witness a fender bender in a parking lot, and often times neither party accepts responsibility.
Some people will pilfer from their employers when years ago they were taught better by their parents. I long for the days when a handshake had meaning. It's probably true however that anger and reaction on your part would not help the situation. Larry
I know it might seem like its a lost cause to continue to hunt the property right now but trust me it can get better. I lease property which gives me certian legal rights not available to me if I were simply given permission to hunt. The first couple of years were rough to say the least as the land had sat in a state of questionable trespass rights. According to 80% of the locals I kicked off it was simply understood that it was open to the public by virtue of no one saying it wasnt. Quaint logic I know, but most of them got the idea right away that there was a new sheriff in town so to speak. I let them know that I had legally purchased the sole hunting rights to the land and that if I caught anyone trespassing I would prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, criminal and civil. Most kindly excused themselves with an understanding established as well as a mutual respect. Some were neighbors to the property so it was good to end things on a good note with no ruffled feathers, might have to go to them for permission to track a deer one day. Of course the worst group to deal with was also from a neighboring property who all but refused to leave until the authorities were called.
So long as the land owner is on your side on this one and says they have not given permission to the neighbors you might approach this problem from a different angle. If you have sole permission to hunt already whether by their generosity or perhaps you helping out around the place you can suggest that you draw up a lease contract stating as much. Doesnt matter if you pay a dollar for your lease or put a value on your services such as patrolling the property during season so long as you call it a lease it is a legal document that allows you certian legal rights. If you catch him doing it again he is trespassing on your lease and you can do something about it. This might be especially appealing to the land owner if they routinely travel south in the winter, someone with their interest in mind to keep an eye on things is a great piece of mind.
Dont give up, dont let this criminal win! Remember:
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
I know this isn't good advice for anyone and I'm not giving it out, but I had a similar incident happen to me. Also in a home made ground blind that I have taken deer, coyote, and many turkey from. My neighbor's daughter's live in...sperm donor of her grandchild whatever you want to call him sat in my blind one day while I wasn't there.
I found cigarette butts, empty 12ga. hulls, and candy wrappers all around inside my blind area. He has no permission to hunt where this blind is, nor did he have permission to hunt out of my blind.
So I called him out by scratching a note in the mud with a stick where his feet were. I purposely tried to instigate a confrontation, but he didn't persue it. Now when he sees me he just glares at me. I know he saw it and could read it very clear, but he now avoids me.
I know it wasn't the right thing to do, and it wasn't the Christian thing to do, but I am a sinner and I lost my cool. I just wish he would man up and say something to me about it.
The property doesn't belong to me or otherwise I would run him out of there, but the landowner is 70+ yrs. old and he won't do anything about it....probably out of fear of retaliation from the slob who helped himself to my blind?
I feel your pain Tom I really do, but when your hands are tied......what else can you do?
I got my stuff out and never went back there. I now have a better place to hunt and I don't have to share ground with slob boy.
First thing I would do is find out from whoever owns the land if the guy had permission to hunt there. If not then I would ask him if you cam pursue the issue, if not you really have no further issue with the gun hunter. If you can pursue it then you should contact the fish and game dept and put an end to it once and for all.
What Two Wolves said,the trespasser needs to know you know who they are and you could prosecute if you want to.I say nail their hide to the wall,but that's just me.
I feel for you. One morning as I started to climb into my stand I stepped on something. As I turned the flashlight on I noticed it was someones arrow. 10 minutes later I hear somehting walking and I actually have a guy start climbing the tree I was in an hour before sunrise. He about fell off the steps when I spoke. I asked him what he thought the No Trespassing signs on the fence he had to climb across meant. His response of I don't know started to irritate me since that is how he answered all questions. He would not give his name or anything. Finally told him if he didn't leave I was calling the sheriff to give him a free ride. Later that year I had 1 treestand and steps stolen.