Trespassing Dog Hunters!

[hookinembig]

Don't you love trespassing worthless deer dog hunters! Last Friday night two sorry trespassing deer dog hunters proceeded to break into one of our gates by bending the eye screw to raise the chain and lock then unbolting the gate from the post on the opposite side just so they could ride their trucks to the back of our land and look for there deer dogs. They drove through and damaged our most productive food plot and left trash in another food plot where they stopped to call for their deer dogs. I was able to get some video of their trucks as they past a camera and have a decent idea type of trucks and what they look like with specific details. Needless to say I will be on the look out over the next month or so for these trucks. I plan to thread lock all nuts & bolts and jb weld all of the nuts in place to hopefully deter them from doing this again. Also I will be installing a solid eye bolt as well. Any other advice about securing the farm style gates would be appreciated.

I know Virginia is the home of hunting with dogs but it would be nice to eliminate hunting with dogs. Cheaper land because hunt clubs would be almost none existent, you could actually see a deer after opening day of gun season, no wandering idiots on your land claiming to be looking for their dogs just to name a few benefits of removing dogs from deer hunting.

 

[Tree Spud]

"Cool Hand Luke" ... put some coon scent out or whatever they are after, and then sprinkle a bunch of cayenne pepper, regular pepper, etc.

You could also put mouse traps out on strings hanging down with peanut butter ... high enough to avoid ground animals. Hang fly strips around for the dogs to get tangled in.

There are other more "impactful" things I could offer, don't want to hurt the dogs, but they are the tool of the law breaker.

 

[tooln]

I've heard that Xylitol cause's liver failure in dogs.

 

[hookinembig]

I've heard that Xylitol cause's liver failure in dogs.

I personally am a dog lover so killing or injuring the dog is not a option and shouldn't be a option for anyone. It is not the dogs fault it is the retard of a hunter that doesn't have enough patience, skill, or ability to actually sit and hunt, instead they have to run dogs to see deer.

 

[Catscratch]

I wonder how much gate busting truck driving trespassers like flat tires... Plenty of ways for that to happen to someone who doesn't know "where" to drive exactly.

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[hookinembig]

I wonder how much gate busting truck driving trespassers like flat tires... Plenty of ways for that to happen to someone who doesn't know "where" to drive exactly.

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I thought about this as I steamed in the tree stand Saturday evening. But I figured I would have to remove all of our tree stands because when the second truck came in to help the first truck with 4 flat tires and they ended up with 4 flat tires they would be on to it and start destroying things.

 

[Catscratch]

I thought about this as I steamed in the tree stand Saturday evening. But I figured I would have to remove all of our tree stands because when the second truck came in to help the first truck with 4 flat tires and they ended up with 4 flat tires they would be on to it and start destroying things.

It would be worth it.

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[Catscratch]

Ever step on one of those glue board mouse traps? Damn near impossible to get off! I bet they are fun to get off a dog's paw. A little doe in heat scent could dictate the rest of the day...

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[tooln]

I personally am a dog lover so killing or injuring the dog is not a option and shouldn't be a option for anyone. It is not the dogs fault it is the retard of a hunter that doesn't have enough patience, skill, or ability to actually sit and hunt, instead they have to run dogs to see deer.

I also love dogs. But I also control them because I care for them. I never suggested to kill them. It the product does what I've heard a lot would kill them and a little will just make them sick. What ever you do you have to make sure retaliation is not warranted.

 

[Tree Spud]

I personally am a dog lover so killing or injuring the dog is not a option and shouldn't be a option for anyone. It is not the dogs fault it is the retard of a hunter that doesn't have enough patience, skill, or ability to actually sit and hunt, instead they have to run dogs to see deer.

So what is your response other than "be kind" ... if a robber used a dog to attack you then rob you or rape your wife, would you let that happen?

 

[yoderjac]

Don't you love trespassing worthless deer dog hunters! Last Friday night two sorry trespassing deer dog hunters proceeded to break into one of our gates by bending the eye screw to raise the chain and lock then unbolting the gate from the post on the opposite side just so they could ride their trucks to the back of our land and look for there deer dogs. They drove through and damaged our most productive food plot and left trash in another food plot where they stopped to call for their deer dogs. I was able to get some video of their trucks as they past a camera and have a decent idea type of trucks and what they look like with specific details. Needless to say I will be on the look out over the next month or so for these trucks. I plan to thread lock all nuts & bolts and jb weld all of the nuts in place to hopefully deter them from doing this again. Also I will be installing a solid eye bolt as well. Any other advice about securing the farm style gates would be appreciated.

I know Virginia is the home of hunting with dogs but it would be nice to eliminate hunting with dogs. Cheaper land because hunt clubs would be almost none existent, you could actually see a deer after opening day of gun season, no wandering idiots on your land claiming to be looking for their dogs just to name a few benefits of removing dogs from deer hunting.

Report it. What they did was illegal in VA, not just unethical. I loth using the word "hunter" in conjunction with these criminals. In Virginia, there is an exception to the trespass law that allows dog hunters to "retrieve" dogs from prohibited lands. That does not mean "look for dogs". In order to qualify for this exception, they must not use a vehicle or carry a firearm. Call the 800 number immediately and report the violation.

When we first bought our farm in VA, we had all kinds of trespass, theft, poaching. They broke into a barn and stole an ATV. They killed little bucks and hung the heads and hides on our fence to try to bully us. We heard things like "I've hunted here all my life and I don't care who owns it. You can't stop me." When we would stop kids on ATVs as young as 8, the first words from their mouths were always "we're looking for our dog".

It took 5 years of vigilance, reporting, and prosecution to end it. For several years, they would drop off dogs on a 10 acre property on one side of our large tract and then drive around to the other side of our land hoping dogs would run deer off our property on to a small 50 acre tract they had permission to hunt.

One tool available in Virginia is a trespass notice. Many judges accept the "I didn't see the signs" defense and give a wrist slap. You can get the trespass notice from your county sheriff's office. All you need is the name and address of an individual. They don't need to have trespassed. So, if you know who is doing it but can't prove it, you can still issue a trespass notice. You complete the form and take it back to the sheriff's office. Deputies serve the notice to the named individual. After that, if the individual is caught trespassing it is taken much more seriously by law enforcement and the judiciary. I had a deputy tell one of the trespassers that if I reported seeing him on my land again, the trespass notice acts as an arrest warrant. He said he would arrest him and let a judge sort it out regardless whether he was claiming the dog retrieval exception. Judges tend to give fines at the higher end of the scale and the "I didn't see the sign" defense is no longer tolerated since a trespass notice was served by a deputy.

One more suggestion I'd make is to get to know the CPO (game warden) for your area. We worked with both sheriff deputies and the CPOs. For out of season we dealt mostly with the sheriff's office and for poaching and other game related issues we worked with the CPO. Some of the criminals who do the things you describe are not too bright. When they hung young buck hides and heads on our fence, they were dumb enough to brag about out around town. Even though we had no proof, we provided the CPO who made a visit to the ring leader. He was stupid enough to get in the CPOs face saying he had no proof and could not touch him. Well, the CPO ended up paying special attention to him and his hunt club all season long issuing many citations for the next year or so. That, along with individual trespass prosecutions and some collaboration and solidarity with adjacent neighbors with large tracts, and most of the problems stopped. I'm sure it did not change their behavior, but they learned we are not a soft target and took it elsewhere.

One final note: Don't yield to the temptation to stoop to their level. When you do, instead of having law enforcement on your side, they become peace keepers between two feuding parties. Don't retaliate, just report, prosecute when appropriate, and move on.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Catscratch]

Report it. What they did was illegal in VA, not just unethical. I loth using the word "hunter" in conjunction with these criminals. In Virginia, there is an exception to the trespass law that allows dog hunters to "retrieve" dogs from prohibited lands. That does not mean "look for dogs". In order to qualify for this exception, they must not use a vehicle or carry a firearm. Call the 800 number immediately and report the violation.

When we first bought our farm in VA, we had all kinds of trespass, theft, poaching. They broke into a barn and stole an ATV. They killed little bucks and hung the heads and hides on our fence to try to bully us. We heard things like "I've hunted here all my life and I don't care who owns it. You can't stop me." When we would stop kids on ATVs as young as 8, the first words from their mouths were always "we're looking for our dog".

It took 5 years of vigilance, reporting, and prosecution to end it. For several years, they would drop off dogs on a 10 acre property on one side of our large tract and then drive around to the other side of our land hoping dogs would run deer off our property on to a small 50 acre tract they had permission to hunt.

One tool available in Virginia is a trespass notice. Many judges accept the "I didn't see the signs" defense and give a wrist slap. You can get the trespass notice from your county sheriff's office. All you need is the name and address of an individual. They don't need to have trespassed. So, if you know who is doing it but can't prove it, you can still issue a trespass notice. You complete the form and take it back to the sheriff's office. Deputies serve the notice to the named individual. After that, if the individual is caught trespassing it is taken much more seriously by law enforcement and the judiciary. I had a deputy tell one of the trespassers that if I reported seeing him on my land again, the trespass notice acts as an arrest warrant. He said he would arrest him and let a judge sort it out regardless whether he was claiming the dog retrieval exception. Judges tend to give fines at the higher end of the scale and the "I didn't see the sign" defense is no longer tolerated since a trespass notice was served by a deputy.

One more suggestion I'd make is to get to know the CPO (game warden) for your area. We worked with both sheriff deputies and the CPOs. For out of season we dealt mostly with the sheriff's office and for poaching and other game related issues we worked with the CPO. Some of the criminals who do the things you describe are not too bright. When they hung young buck hides and heads on our fence, they were dumb enough to brag about out around town. Even though we had no proof, we provided the CPO who made a visit to the ring leader. He was stupid enough to get in the CPOs face saying he had no proof and could not touch him. Well, the CPO ended up paying special attention to him and his hunt club all season long issuing many citations for the next year or so. That, along with individual trespass prosecutions and some collaboration and solidarity with adjacent neighbors with large tracts, and most of the problems stopped. I'm sure it did not change their behavior, but they learned we are not a soft target and took it elsewhere.

One final note: Don't yield to the temptation to stoop to their level. When you do, instead of having law enforcement on your side, they become peace keepers between two feuding parties. Don't retaliate, just report, prosecute when appropriate, and move on.

Thanks,

Jack

Sounds like a good blueprint to follow!

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[yoderjac]

I also want to make it clear that I have no problem with responsible dog hunters. It is not my cup of tea, but I have no problem with others hunting deer with dogs as long as they do it ethically. I know responsible dog hunters who only release dogs on large tracts where this is little chance of them straying on to prohibited lands. Deer quickly become nocturnal when firearm season (where dogs are permitted) rolls around. However, I can live with that as long as dog hunters are not releasing hounds where they have a high likelihood to stray on to my land.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[hookinembig]

So what is your response other than "be kind" ... if a robber used a dog to attack you then rob you or rape your wife, would you let that happen?

Obviously if personal harm was committed against me or my family then all bets are off. I can be much more sadistic than most if need be.

 

[hookinembig]

Report it. What they did was illegal in VA, not just unethical. I loth using the word "hunter" in conjunction with these criminals. In Virginia, there is an exception to the trespass law that allows dog hunters to "retrieve" dogs from prohibited lands. That does not mean "look for dogs". In order to qualify for this exception, they must not use a vehicle or carry a firearm. Call the 800 number immediately and report the violation.

When we first bought our farm in VA, we had all kinds of trespass, theft, poaching. They broke into a barn and stole an ATV. They killed little bucks and hung the heads and hides on our fence to try to bully us. We heard things like "I've hunted here all my life and I don't care who owns it. You can't stop me." When we would stop kids on ATVs as young as 8, the first words from their mouths were always "we're looking for our dog".

It took 5 years of vigilance, reporting, and prosecution to end it. For several years, they would drop off dogs on a 10 acre property on one side of our large tract and then drive around to the other side of our land hoping dogs would run deer off our property on to a small 50 acre tract they had permission to hunt.

One tool available in Virginia is a trespass notice. Many judges accept the "I didn't see the signs" defense and give a wrist slap. You can get the trespass notice from your county sheriff's office. All you need is the name and address of an individual. They don't need to have trespassed. So, if you know who is doing it but can't prove it, you can still issue a trespass notice. You complete the form and take it back to the sheriff's office. Deputies serve the notice to the named individual. After that, if the individual is caught trespassing it is taken much more seriously by law enforcement and the judiciary. I had a deputy tell one of the trespassers that if I reported seeing him on my land again, the trespass notice acts as an arrest warrant. He said he would arrest him and let a judge sort it out regardless whether he was claiming the dog retrieval exception. Judges tend to give fines at the higher end of the scale and the "I didn't see the sign" defense is no longer tolerated since a trespass notice was served by a deputy.

One more suggestion I'd make is to get to know the CPO (game warden) for your area. We worked with both sheriff deputies and the CPOs. For out of season we dealt mostly with the sheriff's office and for poaching and other game related issues we worked with the CPO. Some of the criminals who do the things you describe are not too bright. When they hung young buck hides and heads on our fence, they were dumb enough to brag about out around town. Even though we had no proof, we provided the CPO who made a visit to the ring leader. He was stupid enough to get in the CPOs face saying he had no proof and could not touch him. Well, the CPO ended up paying special attention to him and his hunt club all season long issuing many citations for the next year or so. That, along with individual trespass prosecutions and some collaboration and solidarity with adjacent neighbors with large tracts, and most of the problems stopped. I'm sure it did not change their behavior, but they learned we are not a soft target and took it elsewhere.

One final note: Don't yield to the temptation to stoop to their level. When you do, instead of having law enforcement on your side, they become peace keepers between two feuding parties. Don't retaliate, just report, prosecute when appropriate, and move on.

Thanks,

Jack

Jack,

These are some great points. I will report the violation, however I don't have a clue of the name or address of the trespassers? The only thing I have is a description of the trucks that were used in the trespassing so I am not sure how much they will actually be able to do?

 

[IkemanTx]

Jack,

These are some great points. I will report the violation, however I don't have a clue of the name or address of the trespassers? The only thing I have is a description of the trucks that were used in the trespassing so I am not sure how much they will actually be able to do?

You may be surprised, they may be very familiar with the truck and it's owner...


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[Tap]

I wonder how much gate busting truck driving trespassers like flat tires... Plenty of ways for that to happen to someone who doesn't know "where" to drive exactly.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

I had the exact same thought.

 

[yoderjac]

Jack,

These are some great points. I will report the violation, however I don't have a clue of the name or address of the trespassers? The only thing I have is a description of the trucks that were used in the trespassing so I am not sure how much they will actually be able to do?

Make sure you report this to both the sheriff's office and the game warden. The posts above are correct. Criminals who do this sort of thing tend to violate a lot of other laws. It is not uncommon for local law enforcement and/or the CPOs to be familiar with them. You may not be able to prosecute them this time, but let both the CPO and sheriff's office know you that if they have suspects that you want to have trespass notices served on them.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[yoderjac]

Obviously if personal harm was committed against me or my family then all bets are off. I can be much more sadistic than most if need be.

I would caution you to step back and think about this. I understand the feelings, but in reality, any kind of retaliation (other than real-time defense) can escalate things and increase the risk to you and your family. Staying on the right side and involving law enforcement puts the perps on notice that if more happens to you or your property, they will be the first doors law enforcement knocks on. This has a protective value to you are your family.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[ToddG]

I live in an area of Va where the dog hunters are unethical. My land is situated in such a way that they really can't put on drives and cut the deer off. They are gradually losing their land rights which makes me happy.