chronic trespassers

[RK]

OK Folks - need some advice on tactfully handling a situation.

I spent way too much time this past weekend chasing a couple guys off our property in northern MN. They hunt an adjoining property, but aren't the property owners. For the past couple seasons they've been constantly sneaking on to our land to hunt some nearby wood plots, even driving them with a group of guys. When they aren't actually on our land, two of them stand post on the property line with their backs to their property facing out onto one of our alfalfa fields.

There's no question they know exactly what they're up to. The property line along the woods is clearly posted, and what isn't posted is agricultural land (corn stubble or alfalfa). Plus when they see us, they try to quickly sneak back across the line (although sneaking while dressed in blaze orange from head to toe is pretty silly...).

Besides the annoyance/rudeness factor, it's really a safety concern for us. The hunters on our land all know where one another is, and communicate plans ahead of time so nobody's put in an unsafe position. These guys have no idea who may be in their line of fire, and no concern for who may be hunting nearby.

The land owner whose land these clowns are on is a great guy who doesn't happen to hunt. We've called him a couple times about this issue (this is about year 4 of the problem) and he's said he'll talk to the people hunting - but this year was just as bad as any other if not worse.

We've tried to talk to these guys directly, but they come up with some excuse as to why they were over the line. They're totally unapologetic about standing and hunting over our fields, even though they're shooting across the line, and in some cases over a fence.

Any suggestions as to how to handle this diplomatically? Or should I just call the game warden?

[Dilly]

It sounds to me like you've done about all you can do to try and work it out on your own. I would just make the call and be done with it. Let us know how it turns out.

[BigGrassBass]

Call the CO. In my opinion you've been more than nice with these folks. Let the long arm of the law take it from here.

[Neighbor_guy]

Call the Sherif....

[harvey lee]

I have these same issues that seem to never go away. It also seems that talking to them does not help.

Its now simple for me, I keep the Sheriffs number and the CO's number in my cell phone. I will call the law in a heartbeat and I also try to get the vehicle licnse number. Thats what the law told me to do incase they drive off. They said they would contact them even if they already snuck away.

I will not sit and argue with them. I just leave and then call. I once called while they stood by me and while I was talking to the CO, they got the heck out of there.

I have a fellow on the neighbors land that built a huge box stand facing our field. He does not have a shot to there land.

Last fall I talked to this fellow and explained to him we hunt in the woods right in his line of fire to our land and asked that he not shoot that direction. I also explained to him that we picked up his salt and mineral blocks he put on our side of the fence about 50 yards out in the field.

Now, opening day he is in this box and sitting and watching some deer on our land about 300 yards away and walking towards him. I got on my 4 wheeler and drove over there and ran the deer of. Then I drove over to this guy and told him if I had one more issue with him, I would call tthe CO. The next day, I was walking along the fence line which is the property line to my stand and here he had planted a food plot in our field to attract the deer in front of his stand on our property.

The CO was called. He is coming down this week to chewk it out and talk to this gentleman. He asked if we wanted him charged with tresspassing and I sad no. I just don't want him shooting our direction as someone could get shot.

[Farley]

another vote for calling the sherrif.

[CJH]

Call both!!!!! Get as many pics as you can and submit them to both!!

[JeffB]

These guys won't take a hint till they get a ticket from the CO.

[mnguy152]

Or get trail pics of them doing it. and send it to them and the cops. theaten them with submitting it in the paper and posting it on line for everyone to see. Maybe that will change their mind.

[brittman]

Now, opening day he is in this box and sitting and watching some deer on our land about 300 yards away and walking towards him. I got on my 4 wheeler and drove over there and ran the deer of. Then I drove over to this guy and told him if I had one more issue with him, I would call tthe CO. The next day, I was walking along the fence line which is the property line to my stand and here he had planted a food plot in our field to attract the deer in front of his stand on our property.

Leaving out the food plot part of the thread I will comment here:

I am sure this is frustrating to say the least, BUT until he tresspasses into the field, fires a round into your field or shoots a deer on your property has he broken any game laws?

If not, then the fact thay you zipped over on your 4 wheeler and scared the deer away moving in his direction could also be viewed as hunter harassment. You need to be aware of your actions too. Control your emotions, bring in the law, etc...

How about placing no hunting signs in a line across the field in his view? Build a large fence. Talk with the owner of the land.

OR build a big billboard in front of his blind (on your land) block shots into your field. Two poles and a big swatch of burlap may suffice. Use plywood to make it permanent. This could be removed after ND gun season is over.

[harvey lee]

His total intent is to treapass and I understand what you are saying. He has trespassed when he placed salt and mineral blocks and then planted a food plot on land that does not belong to him.

I placed a 2x4 no tresspassing sign right in front of his shooting window so he could see. He does not care.

Is it correct to plant a food plot on anothers land or place salt and minerasl blocks there?

He knows exactly what his is doing and is kidding noone. This is a prime example along with many others why I take issue with letting anyone else hunt.

Maybe to late when he shoots a hunter.

I will not build a wall to stop him from seeing deer and being tempted. The law will take care of that.

In regards to hunter hassesment, the deer are on our land and I can and will do as I please.

We have talked to him numerous times and also talked with the landowner and they do not care.

Its people like this that ruin it for all the others.

I will not put up with it either in any way, shape or form.

Why should one protect the law breaker as he has already trespassed when he started planting food plots on land that is not his and he does not have permission to do so. Al;l the signs are in place and he chooses to ignore them.

His intent is to shoot across the filed where we are hunting and I will not stand for it and do not care to have a buddy shot just because he wants a deer.

[brittman]

Why was this issue not resolved last fall?

Local law enforcement siding with a local?

With the food plot, file a civil lawsuit (loss of income) in court.

[harvey lee]

I thought we could talk with him and he would understand.

I guess not. One needs to remember its not our job to talk with him, its his job to ask permission and also ask to plant in our fields.

He will be contacted the week by the CO I'm sure.

Sorry but this fellow does not deserve to hunt. he seems to think he can do what he wants.

Many wonder why landowners don't seem to interested in letting people hunt. When one deals with people like this annually, it gets old my friend.

I'm not interested in suing anyone. All I ask is that hunters ask to hunt on land that is not thiers. I could tell you so many crazy stories you would not believe them all and my fingers would get sore from typing that long.

[brittman]

I grew up deer hunting in ND on thousands of family owned acres and we had tresspass issues every opener. My uncle would let anyone hunt later in the season, yet guys would always try drive his land towards theirs. When asked why not call the sheriff, he always said I have to live with these people the other 362 days per year. He was just to nice a man.

Nothing brings out the worst in people than deer hunting.

My brother lives on some of the best deer land in his county. He faces tresspass issues all season long.

[harvey lee]

That surely does not make it right. I don't have to live with these people and if I did, I would still call the law.

Its no excuse to let these people break the law. If you do, it will only get worse.

I guess if someone does not like me because I won't let them hunt, oh well and so be it.

I don't really care about people like that anyways.

I will tell you a little story. A very good friend of mine was hunting with his friend and his son. One day, there was a fellow that was trespassing and he shot at a deer and hit my friends friends son in the face and killed him. He said he never saw him. Seems to me that was not an accident as the fellow should never have been there.

My father had a buddy in Wisconsin that was out cutting wood in his woods with orange on. Two people trespassed onto his land and went on their merry way a huntin. The youngest at age 16, shot my dads friend in the face with a .06. He ran scared as he thought he killed him. When he told his buddy, he said we have to go back and see if he is alive. That saved Jims life. He had 11 operations to rebuild his lower jaw and tounge. The kid said he saw something moving in the brush.

These are true stories.

Worried about being to nice of a man, tell that to the fellow that died and the other that had to go life changes because of trespassers. I could care less about someone being upset that they could not sneak in.

I guess thats why I do not care for people thinking of shooting my way.

[Chef]

Put a big stinky dummy in blaze orange in the field, sitting on a chair. He won't see squat and then he'll have to move his stand.

Then call the CO and the Sherriff on him...

[harvey lee]

Now thats a great idea.

[Shoot2Kill]

It really is just crazy what lengths people will go to in order to get "their buck". It shows how spinless some people really are. I mean how does a man feel good about himself knowingly walking around someone else's property when they in fact know they should not be there and have been told so in the past. I just don't get it.

Maybe I was brought up a different way but I just can't imagine the feeling one "should" have while tresspassing. I've had to access land I didn't outright have permission on to to recover a deer and even though I had every right to be there by the law, it just gave me the willies being in there. Even if a guy does whack a big buck while trespassing he will always know how he got it and carry that feeling around forever. In the end it really just isn't worth it.

[Shoot2Kill]

Put a big stinky dummy in blaze orange in the field, sitting on a chair. He won't see squat and then he'll have to move his stand.

Then call the CO and the Sherriff on him...

That is genious! haha. Heck put a half dozen of them out there playing cards with a cordless radio blastin.

[brittman]

That surely does not make it right. I don't have to live with these people and if I did, I would still call the law.

Its no excuse to let these people break the law. If you do, it will only get worse.

I guess if someone does not like me because I won't let them hunt, oh well and so be it.

I don't really care about people like that anyways.

I will tell you a little story. A very good friend of mine was hunting with his friend and his son. One day, there was a fellow that was trespassing and he shot at a deer and hit my friends friends son in the face and killed him. He said he never saw him. Seems to me that was not an accident as the fellow should never have been there.

My father had a buddy in Wisconsin that was out cutting wood in his woods with orange on. Two people trespassed onto his land and went on their merry way a huntin. The youngest at age 16, shot my dads friend in the face with a .06. He ran scared as he thought he killed him. When he told his buddy, he said we have to go back and see if he is alive. That saved Jims life. He had 11 operations to rebuild his lower jaw and tounge. The kid said he saw something moving in the brush.

These are true stories.

Worried about being to nice of a man, tell that to the fellow that died and the other that had to go life changes because of trespassers. I could care less about someone being upset that they could not sneak in.

I guess thats why I do not care for people thinking of shooting my way.

No death stories, but plenty of stories of firearms pointed at people fighting over deer, etc... and near misses. That said, you do not have to like the people around you, but in rural counties of both ND and MN they may often approach things differently ... depending upon who the tresspasser is there can be much slack. Bubba is alive and well in ND too.

We waterfowl hunted what can't be more than 50 miles from your land on private and posted land. 30 years ago one of the doctors in a little SE ND town near your place had free roam of all land ... no one would ever charge him in fear he would leave the town.... We would have to ask him to leave our blinds. Now think about me at 18 or 20 years old telling a local 50 year old doctor to leave ...

[harvey lee]

I have lived in a rural setting for close to 30 years and I realize how some would not like it, but as I said, oh well.

Our renters brother and kid hunted and would not do what was asked of them. I told them they could no longer hunt and the renter quit renting. We simply got another renter to farm the land.

No way will we slack on safety just so one can hunt.

[RK]

Hiya -

Thanks for the input guys. Much as I hate to do it - if it happens again this weekend I'll call the law dogs. Pretty tired of this nonsense year after year. Really takes the fun out of hunting when you're sitting in your stand stewing for an hour after you have to go chase down a grown man and tell him to get off your land or else... I think it's time for "or else."

These guys aren't much for hunters as it is. The one that sits closest to my stand (facing into our field) parks a lawn chair in the middle of a CRP field and smokes cigars all day. They're all the type that, if they don't see a deer go down, they won't go see if they hit it. I've had to go inform them that they had a deer down twice in the last four years... Class acts.

Between this and road hunters driving back and forth on the county road at 15mph all day, it takes a lot of fun out of hunting...

[harvey lee]

We have road hunter all day long. Not much of anything we can do about it but yes it does stinks.

The last two years my Father was alive, he quit hunting as these type people made it such an issue, he just left for a week. He could not stand all the hunters who broke any law they could.

He had to have the CO come down and set up the decoy as he thought the bullets would hit the house as they shot at deer in the pasture. They did catch a couple in one evening.

[CRAZYEYES]

Just make sure that you have you're trespassing sighns properly sighned and spaced or there is little that the co can do about it if one of these guys shoots one on you're land. Last year we had a guy shoot one right in our driveway at the lake and the game warden could'nt do to much about it because our residence was unocupied, he could not prove that he shot it from the road and out trespassing sighns were old and had not been sighned in the past 30 days. My uncle actually pulled into our private drive and these guys were cleaning it right in the driveway. He's a national park ranger so he radioed the game warden who was there in 15 minuites but there was little that they could do. The deer he shot is one of the tame ones that hang around our place and a couple resorts so if they approached this deer it might have even walked twoard them looking for food. Real sportsmen.

[delcecchi]

How could it be hunter harassment if the guy cannot hunt on the land legally?