To Catch A Poacher...

[misswired]

Posted back in the summer that a paper company was offering me first shot as a bordering land owner at 7200$ a year lease for 484acres.... uhhhh... no thanks. Remember if you saw the map there is no access from my property but it's the easiest way in through a dead end public road.

1st pic is the poachers(?)walking within 50ft of my entry door.
Notice she isn't looking at the 'pillar of salt' while he steals a quick beady-eyed glance under his hat at my toy storage area(garage). What is that black object she is gripping like a pistol in a holster. Another pic of them driving by in the Black Ford had that same size black reflection against the red coat plainly visible. Bad thing is I was home at that time;guaranteed shooting off the back porch when they snuck' thru....hence the dog hiding from the heavy shooting noise with his paws over his ears...( yes I'm concerned the guard let them pass without warning). Time for a watch dog upgrade.

2nd pic: same black ford parked on another property I'm privileged to monitor..... nowhere near the lands for sale or lease but still in the area...

3rd pic: the rut here is starting.... these poachers know what they're doing..... note the black Ford sitting in the exact spot where Bucky shows up..... somebody is either coaching them or they are good at what they do

They have avoided showing a tag number..... Are they wandering scouts of hunting leasers, interested property buyers...(little under 100 acres for sale on bordering front side).. or poachers.... .... should be using the rare free time hunting the bucks...not the poachers, and what pray tell would you do with one if you caught him red handed?

 

[ColbyBruce]

Pour sugar around the trucks filler door, and on the ground

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

This reminds me of a access/easement problem a neighbor of one of the family farms had. His property had no access to the US 23 just South of Delaware, Ohio. Our property did. So he would drive across our property. The previous owners has a number of court actions against him, which he ignored!

It got to the point that we would chain and or gate the area; he would cut log chains, run over gates and pull posts. One day while he was at work in the winter time (when it gets dark real early!) we had a 5 foot wide, 5 foot deep "drainage" ditch about 45 feet long, all the way to the trees, dug. We didn't have the earth piled up, we hauled it away! Sure enough, about one hour after dark he came flying across our property and came to an abrupt stop on our side of the property line! END OF PROBLEM! He sold later out to Wal-Mart, They are good neighbors and don't trespass. Mom sold that farm about 20 years ago and a nice neighborhood stands there now.

We stayed within the law, he didn't! But it cost us about $800 to get him to understand that: NO! means NO! We had messed with him for about 20 years and before us another 20 or 25 years (back to the late 50's) When dad heard what we'd done, he laughed for 10 minutes and said he wished he'd done that in 1973 when we bought the place!

Ivan

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Knew a rancher years ago who had problems with people tearing up his land with 4X4's and ATV's, running his cattle out of pastures he was trying to keep them on, generally causing him added work and annoyance on a regular basis.

I asked him if his land was posted. He scoffed at the question, said people just tear down his "no trespassing" signs. I suggested that he try different signs, like "DANGER---RIFLE RANGE----KEEP OUT!".

He tried it. It worked. Even had a couple of guys come in to complain about some crazy old guy shooting at them while they were 4-wheeling. Of course, the old boy didn't send bullets anywhere near them, just blasted away and let them think what they wanted to think.

As I recall a county court judge kind of enjoyed that little trespassing trial.

 

[amazingflapjack]

What worked for me in the mountains of N.E. Georgia was "Intruder-turn back now."

 

[gman51]

Here in Texas painting the top of posts purple is posting a property as no trespassing private property. I just wonder how many people know what those purple painted posts mean? I guessing not many except perhaps some hunters which may not care anyway if the owner can't see them.

 

[Rudi]

Some idiots are just too stupid. Keep LEOs up on what's going on. Be very careful about confronting them. Folks have been killed for less. Keep gathering evidence.

 

[misswired]

Planning on scouting the perimeter while hanging posted signs this afternoon. See if I can get a feel of any activity or spot any blinds/stands.

Still don't know what to say or do, maybe shout from a distance the game warden is on the way? Act like a trespasser quickly leaving and call the warden? Back off a distance and photograph?

 

[ColbyBruce]

If he is parking on your land drop a couple of trees across the road

 

[misswired]

If he is parking on your land drop a couple of trees across the road

If he is parking on your land drop a couple trees across his truck?

Find a stand, cover some bait with leaves. Tell the warden I think a poacher is hunting over bait. Let the wardens catch them?

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

From your pictures it looks like an older couple, not kids, maybe in their 50's? How about letting the air out of one of their truck tires? I like the tree across the road idea. When they are walking (as pictured) by your house are they on your land, public access, or paper company property?

Frustrating for sure.

Ivan - LOVE the ditch story. Classic!

 

[ColbyBruce]

From your pictures it looks like an older couple, not kids, maybe in their 50's?

Seriously?

 

[misswired]

From your pictures it looks like an older couple, not kids, maybe in their 50's? How about letting the air out of one of their truck tires? I like the tree across the road idea. When they are walking (as pictured) by your house are they on your land, public access, or paper company property?

Frustrating for sure.

Ivan - LOVE the ditch story. Classic!

It's public road that dead ends at the old homestead about 1/2 mile. Sometimes the neighbors walk it for exercise, some vehicles travel it outta curiosity then quickly exit. First time to my knowledge that anyone has walked it in red coats and hunting boots. I was blasting tannerite that afternoon, maybe they were cruising the property for sale and decided to make a quick exit.

Still doesn't explain their truck parked on the other property.
Would have liked to have a word with them about their intentions. I'll speak with one more neighbor today, could be some of their bunch.

 

[cowboy4evr]

On the last ranch I was on , there was 60% public land so when antelope season came around , we had company . I was always very nice to them and asked if they would keep an eye out for anyone shooting at cattle , water tanks , windmills etc . I had " everybody watching everybody " ! It worked great . This is a little different from the OP's original post problem. , but then again , sometimes a different approach is best . Regards, Paul

 

[misswired]

That was a beautiful albeit rough trek thru devils den for an old man. It's doubtful this old man with a knee replacement will ever be there again....what a shame, used to spend the whole summer down in the den as a kid... getting aged and gimpy sucks.

Looks like several Indian artifact diggers camped and dug under that huge overhang..... there are some camps in those hollows, but that's not one.

 

[misswired]

More picks of the den'

 

[LittleCooner]

misswired - do you know that Alabama has joined the ranks of some of the western states with the new purple paint law? Paint your boundary and property with the purple paint, maximum of every 100 feet for paint. It is a sign that the property is posted to not trespass or hunting. Then leave a friendly note on the windshield if they keep returning. They could be just looking for a quite place to walk for exercise.

 

[Old&Retired]

misswired - do you know that Alabama has joined the ranks of some of the western states with the new purple paint law? Paint your boundary and property with the purple paint, maximum of every 100 feet for paint. It is a sign that the property is posted to not trespass or hunting. Then leave a friendly note on the windshield if they keep returning. They could be just looking for a quite place to walk for exercise.

This! Red coats and boots do not make them poachers. The "black object" she's holding appears to me to be a black panel on the side of her jacket. Letting air out of their tires or blocking their vehicle with downed trees could lead to legal consequences for you (IANAL).

 

[federali]

Getting Even

Vandalizing a trespasser's vehicle or property could invite retaliation against your property. These situations could escalate to deadly force. A friend of mine, his son and another man were charged with trespass in Steuben County, NY on opening day of deer season. The landowner called authorities. The trio spent several hours of opening day in a judge or magistrate's office and they were each fined $120.00 as I recall. It also cured them of the practice of ignoring posted signs.

Landowners during hunting season often quickly transform themselves into medieval land barons and confrontations are just not worth it as they can get ugly. I'm thinking of that incident 10-15 years ago where a trespassing hunter opened fire on the landowner's hunting party when he was challenged, killing three family members with his deer rifle, an SKS as I recall. It is also too easy to get disappeared in deer country.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

If he is parking on your land drop a couple of trees across the road

If he is parking on your land have the vehicle towed away. Make a complaint to your sheriff's department, then when bozo picks up his vehicle (and pays a few hundred in towing and storage fees) a deputy can have a heart-to-heart talk with the guy about trespassing on your land.

I don't know about your area, but here in southern Colorado the vehicles I found parked on my business property (in the city) were towed, and the tow fees started at about $190. Probably more in a rural area due to time and mileage.

I know for sure that I never had to tow the same vehicle twice.