Trespassers

[H20fwler]

When I first bought my second property we posted it a couple months after purchase.
My oldest son and I were taking a look at our pond projects a few hundred yards from the road.

Well here comes this older guy driving back to us on a small tractor. He stops and proceeds to cuss us out for being bad neighbors by posting our own ground.
I explained we bought the property for our family to hunt.
He tells us if we ever hit a deer or glide a duck that comes over onto his property (actually his brothers) we cannot retrieve anything and trespass on him
I tell him “you just drove by two no trespassing signs a couple hundred yards into my property to tell me not to trespass on you?”

He just looked at me like the dumbass he was.

A month later our signs along the road were shot up, I’ve left them like that. I’m sure it was him or his sons.
In ten years now since we have owned it one wounded deer has ever gotten over on his brothers property. We let it go, never even called them, just wrote it off.
That neighbor can kiss my ass.

Neighbors on the other three sides of us are great, none of them like the dick neighbor.

 

[BIGDHunting]

We've owned our property for 4 years now and had zero issues, that we know of, until this past year. No one lives at our property. Plenty of neighbors it is their home, not us. With that in mind, we do our best to tread lightly with neighbors.

1st instance was when our neighbor and his kid/buddies decided to ride through our property on their side-by-side and quads. Got them on one of our cameras. They were riding to the neighbors. Next time we saw him we mentioned we were not keen on him doing it. It was our hunting land and to please not cross our property w/o asking first. He is nice enough to let us walk across one of his fields to access the one side of our property. Same side he drove through! w gave him our contact information again.

2d time - same people - side by side, quad and this time a bull dozer. Again, caught on camera. This old man, who has owned property there a looong time, was helping the guy up the road and the "only way" to get the dozer up there was on our property edge. So, we drove up to our camp and made sure he knew we do not want him on our land. Esp with a dozer! He apologized. Silver lining - he actually helped clear the old trail on his way in and out.

3d time - Last Sat of this past gun season. I get a strange guy in orange on one of our trail cameras that was close to an occupied stand. I let the guy in the stand know, and by that time, he had already confronted the trespasser. The Amish were putting on a drive on the bordering public land. This guy was" lost" and wandered onto our land. By "lost", he was about 200 yards into our land, which is well posted and marked!

 

[BenA]

In Louisiana, there was a guy notorious for trespassing and poaching big bucks at night. A local thay watched our place, said he saw the guy in his truck turning off into an overgrown field and coming in through a back way to our lease. I decided to miss a hunt one evening to wait at our camp and see if I could see him coming by in his very distinctive truck. As he passed, I waited and then turned out behind him careful to not let him see me. I followed just the dust he left behind him until it stopped by some driven over weeds at his turnoff. It was our neighbors property, but I heard him crank up his atv and head towards our line. I called the sheriff, the warden, and the guy who had told me about him. He said he knew the owner of the field, and called him. The field owner said he was on his way. The warden went in after him and found his truck. I had one of our hunting party drive their atv towards where he would have been on our property. As soon as he got close, we heard the trespassers atv start heading towards us waiting at his truck. When he got back, the sheriff hauled him into town. Later, I found out the owner of the field let him off with a warning.

 

[BenA]

Another time in Louisiana, when I was in college, some of us wildlife students were allowed to hunt on LSU property near a research station. I was hunting in a small tract surrounded by private land I had secured access to come through. One morning, two men came walking down an logging road towards my stand. I got down and walked towards them. I told them I was with LSU, and it was university property. Well, one of them raised his gun and said they could probably shoot me right there. Like an idiot, I raised my gun and said he could try. They said they would leave, and not to shoot them in the back as they left cursing and saying they had hunted there for years.

 

[Catscratch]

Another time in Louisiana, when I was in college, some of us wildlife students were allowed to hunt on LSU property near a research station. I was hunting in a small tract surrounded by private land I had secured access to come through. One morning, two men came walking down an logging road towards my stand. I got down and walked towards them. I told them I was with LSU, and it was university property. Well, one of them raised his gun and said they could probably shoot me right there. Like an idiot, I raised my gun and said he could try. They said they would leave, and not to shoot them in the back as they left cursing and saying they had hunted there for years.

Holy crap! Now that's a story with some pucker factor!

 

[gjs4]

I could write a book on dealing with trespassers and idiots but also need to stop sharing so much online. lol.

Loose valve stems and caps, a white rag on the mirror denoting being broke down and needing a tow, empty sugar packet wrappers in the gas door.....and all concurrent with calling the law and getting citations issued.

We also have our place as a licensed shooting preserve (but haven't hunted pheasants there in a bit) and tell folks thats a fed offense. If you know you have problem neighbors, send a certified letter explaining your ownership (with a survey reference) and that access is prohibited. This takes you right to they're in court step with any future instance.

Never throw out an old camera- glue an antenna and hang high at places of entry. Rather obvious- like loose strap too. Where you do run trespasser cams- put something on the ground that pulls their eyes toward it and not as apt to scan and see the cam (chew container- pop can, garbage shed antler or bone).

My primary state doesnt have enough teeth and will quiz the heck out of you on posting, do you want to put all this effort in, have they been warned, etc. Our midwestern place is a lot more directed and toothy.

Had a neighbor cited last week. Nice guy and we communicate all deer season and have for a few years. The classic- Hunts like an unskilled idiot, their place goes to hell and then they wander. Two deer and multiple hunts out of my stand...even put a ground blind by it to take his kid there. Said he was confused....then i called out the drag marks and posted signs. Then it was confirmed he knew and went into OnX shows....nope; we are done. You're a thief and my grace was gone. Have two local hunting YT hunting show prostaff Richards cited. One of these was an idiot hunting where I just had the neighbor.

Horsepeople are another group I have had issues with everywhere they exist. Atvers are the same. If there are gaps/warnings given- just stop caring and let it be a free for all. Most of these lazy freeloaders disappear if they dont have easy access and good paths. MFR cuttings planted at hinged trees will shut these down in a 2-3 years. grapevines are another one they dont like.

At this point I pray for them (with forgiveness), and myself (for my own anger and struggle for forgiveness in their direction). They're criminals and indicative of where this country has gone. The words of hard work are loud.... but the freebie line is where the majority will stand every-single-time. Our world, especially with now hamstrung LEO, has gotten weak on the wicked.....and i feel this is the dark chasm of where cheating/trespass is headed (where the thieves run amuck). Your taxes cant be late but their abuse of your assets will be excused.

 

[Brian662]

Have had multiple run-ins with trespassers over the years, mostly in MN more so than WI.

Snowmobile trail connects to my land on the road right of way but doesn’t go through my land. You can guess how that goes...Basically zero enforcement from sheriff's office. They said they've only got one snowmobile officer for the whole county, so under staffed. Asked me to chase them down...yeah right.

Turkey hunter who was driving on my property down the road from where I live. Tracked him down because he had permission from the neighbor. Was a 50+ year old man from the cities, claimed he had permission from the previous owner. I called the person I bought the land from, they've never heard of him. He begged to not get a citation (allegedly, according to LEO), he was cited.

Meth heads stealing apples from my orchard. Confronted by my neighbor and started throwing apples at her. Tracked down by the sheriff from the license plate. Warrants out for them already, also cited.

Loose cattle on my land from neighboring ranchers who don't maintain fences. Eating plots, crushing apple trees, and shitting in my lawn for weeks. Threatened to press charges (after weeks of being nice) and miraculously they found their way back home.

This stuff just comes with being a landowner I'm afraid. Some of them were caught from trail cameras, some from neighbors watching out. I've always been a prosecute and hope the word spreads you don't play around type of guy.

All that being said I allow kids of friends/co-workers to deer hunt my land. I've given permission to door knocker straingers for turkey hunting. Given permission for mushroom hunters, artifact hunters, etc. I don't play around if you're out there without my permission, though.

 

[Swampwalker]

Years ago, on our former place, we had issues with a land owner in our section who was trespassing with both horse and atv. The back of our property was a peninsula of high ground surrounded by a peat bog. There was a was an old skid trail from years past that came into our property and ran the length of the peninsula and dead ended into the peat bog. Where the skid trail ended there was a walking trail through the bog which led to our house a quarter mile away. The trail was firm most of the way with a couple of soft spots that were soupy if the water table was up.
One afternoon I went out hunting and got to one of the soft spots which was all torn up. Someone had ridden a horse into the bog and got stuck in the soft spot. It had rained pretty heavy the day before so the ground was soft. I followed the horse tracks through the neighbors, which I had permission to hunt on, to a 40 acre parcel on the other side of the section. The 40 acres had a big log cabin house and huge horse barns and stables. The owner’s were very wealthy and had bought the place a couple of years before. I followed the horse tracks right to one of the barns. I went to the house and knocked and a lady came to the door. I introduced myself and told her about the trespassing and how I didn’t appreciate them riding their horses past no trespassing signs on each side of the skid trail and continuing into private land and tearing up my path in the peat bog. The lady denied any trespassing. When I told her I followed horse tracks right to her barn she said it must have been one of her boarders. I told her to stay off of our place and tell her boarders the same.
The following year I headed out hunting and got to the same soft spot which was all tore up by an atv. I followed the tracks right back to the same house. The tracks went into one of their barns, the door was open and an atv was in the barn. The lady and her 20 something daughter were in another horse barn and came out when they saw me.
This time the conversation wasn’t so cordial. Of course they denied trespassing and told me I needed to leave now or they would call the law. I told them please do as it will save me the phone call. They called the law and told them I was trespassing and they felt threatened. They also called a hired hand who lived down the road.
The hired hand came down and the whole thing got more heated. I finally left and told them to send the sheriff my way when he arrives.
About an hour later two sheriff cars pulled into the driveway. Out stepped a male and a female deputy. I went out to talk to them and answered their questions and gave them the whole story and the lady deputy proceeded to tell me I was going to be written a citation for trespassing and harassment. Now I’m really pissed.
I told them I wanted them to come out into the swamp to see the tracks of the atv leading right to their house. She refused to go check the evidence, so I told her I want her to wait here and I would call to get a CO to come out as maybe he wouldn’t be afraid to walk back in the swamp to check evidence.
After more talking she said if I would agree to not press charges and stay off from the other folks place that she would see if they would agree to the same. I agreed but told her to make sure they understand the next time I find evidence of them being on ours things may get out of control.
The deputy came back about an hour later and said all is good and to call them if I ever have an issue with them trespassing again.
We never had an issue with those folks again.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Years ago, on our former place, we had issues with a land owner in our section who was trespassing with both horse and atv. The back of our property was a peninsula of high ground surrounded by a peat bog. There was a was an old skid trail from years past that came into our property and ran the length of the peninsula and dead ended into the peat bog. Where the skid trail ended there was a walking trail through the bog which led to our house a quarter mile away. The trail was firm most of the way with a couple of soft spots that were soupy if the water table was up.
One afternoon I went out hunting and got to one of the soft spots which was all torn up. Someone had ridden a horse into the bog and got stuck in the soft spot. It had rained pretty heavy the day before so the ground was soft. I followed the horse tracks through the neighbors, which I had permission to hunt on, to a 40 acre parcel on the other side of the section. The 40 acres had a big log cabin house and huge horse barns and stables. The owner’s were very wealthy and had bought the place a couple of years before. I followed the horse tracks right to one of the barns. I went to the house and knocked and a lady came to the door. I introduced myself and told her about the trespassing and how I didn’t appreciate them riding their horses past no trespassing signs on each side of the skid trail and continuing into private land and tearing up my path in the peat bog. The lady denied any trespassing. When I told her I followed horse tracks right to her barn she said it must have been one of her boarders. I told her to stay off of our place and tell her boarders the same.
The following year I headed out hunting and got to the same soft spot which was all tore up by an atv. I followed the tracks right back to the same house. The tracks went into one of their barns, the door was open and an atv was in the barn. The lady and her 20 something daughter were in another horse barn and came out when they saw me.
This time the conversation wasn’t so cordial. Of course they denied trespassing and told me I needed to leave now or they would call the law. I told them please do as it will save me the phone call. They called the law and told them I was trespassing and they felt threatened. They also called a hired hand who lived down the road.
The hired hand came down and the whole thing got more heated. I finally left and told them to send the sheriff my way when he arrives.
About an hour later two sheriff cars pulled into the driveway. Out stepped a male and a female deputy. I went out to talk to them and answered their questions and gave them the whole story and the lady deputy proceeded to tell me I was going to be written a citation for trespassing and harassment. Now I’m really pissed.
I told them I wanted them to come out into the swamp to see the tracks of the atv leading right to their house. She refused to go check the evidence, so I told her I want her to wait here and I would call to get a CO to come out as maybe he wouldn’t be afraid to walk back in the swamp to check evidence.
After more talking she said if I would agree to not press charges and stay off from the other folks place that she would see if they would agree to the same. I agreed but told her to make sure they understand the next time I find evidence of them being on ours things may get out of control.
The deputy came back about an hour later and said all is good and to call them if I ever have an issue with them trespassing again.
We never had an issue with those folks again.

Good work not backing down