What would you do if you found someones gear on private land.

[Shwangman]

Was out hunting private land and came upon a climber and a camera, all set, ready to go. I was sure, i was the only one hunting this land but, I called the land owner and he confirmed, I was the only person hunting the land. The setup was all camo and at the very back of the woods so unless you are out and about, like I was, you would never see it. I'm thinking about leaving a note, stating you are on private land and please remove and give the guy the benefit that he may be thinking he is on land he can hunt.

[merkman]

Was out hunting private land and came upon a climber and a camera, all set, ready to go. I was sure, i was the only one hunting this land but, I called the land owner and he confirmed, I was the only person hunting the land. The setup was all camo and at the very back of the woods so unless you are out and about, like I was, you would never see it. I'm thinking about leaving a note, stating you are on private land and please remove and give the guy the benefit that he may be thinking he is on land he can hunt.

I would set up my own game camera hidden even better than that one pointed right at it.

Then you will know who it is. lol

If the land owner wants to leave a note, he could.

I am not sure it would be your responsiblity to leave a note though.

The landowner would have to deal with any waves that might cause.

Just my 2 sense.

[silverbulletguy]

I'd either leave a note for them to call you or move/take 1 item so they have to call to get it back. Or talk with the land owner and bring the gear to them. That way you or the land owner would know who it is and would stop them from trespassing. I would think that would put an end to it very quickly.

[merkman]

One little thing that I forgot.

Make 100% sure that the camera is on the landowners land.

Also remember that they now have photos of you.

[Eelpout08]

I would give them the benefit of the doubt at first, no sense making enemys if you dont have to! hopefully its not one of those jack@@ses that thinks "no tresspassing" doesnt apply to him

[T.S128]

i'd probably just straight up take the stuff. maybe set up my own camera. but i wouldn't leave a number for him to call. thier fault for trespassing/not knowing property lines.

[Esox_Magnum]

I have sold or gave away a few stands we have found over the years, we had control over the ground we hunted and anything on our ground that wasnt ours became ours. Not once in 17 years of hunting that timber did anyone come looking for missing gear. 2 stands were Tree Lounges, I'd be looking for mine if it was missing.

[buckhunter21]

I would take the stuff and give it to the landowner and then leave a note that is clearly visable saying that they do not have permission to hunt this land and if they want their gear back they need to explain themselves to the landowner. Of course run this by the owner first and make sure he is alright with it.

[DonBo]

I would take the stuff and give it to the landowner and then leave a note that is clearly visable saying that they do not have permission to hunt this land and if they want their gear back they need to explain themselves to the landowner. Of course run this by the owner first and make sure he is alright with it.

This is exactly what I would do.

[harvey lee]

I would give it to the landowner and let the tresspasser come and ask for it.

[MrCrappie]

I'd leave it alone but let the owner know that I'd be more than happy to take care of that problem for him.

[Joe15]

I'd take it...shouldn't be on private property.

[vister]

i'd take something from there. maybe unscrew as many pegs as you can reach from the ground so he cant climb the tree. or hide the bottom section of ladder if a ladder stand. and drive in a no trespassing sign right in front of his camera. if he wines about it, then tell him a co will help discuss the rules of trespass.

i had all sorts of issues with trespassing this year from the neighbors. even after doing what i just said, it didnt slow em down. but a warning of a call to the other neighbor, a CO, stopped it completely.

[northernsportman]

I like the thought of the no trespassing sign in front of the camera vister. Just make sure that when you do, its just far enough away so he can get the "full picture" on his camera as well, lol.

[sticknstring]

We've found a few stands over the years. We just take them down & leave them at the base of the tree. The owner's get the message. Sometimes mistakes are made, I'd hate to take someones gear. I know how expensive it is and always put myself in their shoes.

[McGurk]

If he has to cross a maintained, clearly visable fence to get to it or walk by multiple "NO TRESPASSING" signs, he is trespassing and probably knows that he is. Do what you want after discussing it with the landowner, but claiming his gear as your own seems a little harsh on a first offense. Removing it, bringing it to the landowner, and leaving an obvious note to contact the landowner for retreival would be an OK scenario. Make sure the landowner calls you to back him up at the meeting time so he doesn't sleaze his way out of it, though.

If not, I'd handle this as a simple mistake with a note left with the gear, and a map stating where the property boundary is. I'd give a fellow hunter the benefit of the doubt in this scenario.

[riverrat63]

i would just take the stuff and put it in a pile below the tree with a note if he made a mistake he will get out of there but if he put it back up i would take it,

[lawdog]

I would either take it all and give it to the landowner (assuming he's OK with it) to hold to see if the guy comes back for it and if he doesn't you and the landowner can decide who gets it. OR if you aren't comfortable doing that, make a big sign to put in front of the camera that says you have until X day to take this off private property and never return or it will be gone. Hold it out in front of the camera so it takes a pic of it then leave it there for him to see when he comes back. Then go take it on that date if its not gone.

or if you don't want to do any of that yourself, just call the sheriff or CO to deal with it as its trespassing.

Don't let them get away with it!

[iowaperch44]

i had this happen to me once i actually caught a guy in my ladder stand when he had his own hang on about twenty yards away all set up ready to go. i was not mean or harsh i just asked what he was doing and he explained who told him that he could hunt and i told him he was wrong so he climbed down and left. contacted the kid later that night through the internet he went to college in the town of forest city, and told him he could hunt with us in our stands now i have two new hunting friends for life. he even shot his first buck last year out of one of our stands. so not all people out on private ground are bad people.

[Musky Buck]

I'm tired of dealing with trespass every season. This farm I hunt the owner says kick anyone off I see, well when I'm not there hunting these guys know where I park and there isn't another option so if my truck is gone they are in there it seems.

[tunrevir]

have taken stands down found on my land and brought them to the house and waited for a call. Got two calls and met both guys and they were apologetic. I didn't have a fencline up at the time and since have put a single strand around the property. Doesn't impede the deer from coming and going but is a clue along with the no trespassing signs without permission to stay out. I still get those certain people that feel obligated to put a stand right on the fence facing into my property but after a couple years of patrolling the boundries durng hunting season this practice has mostly abated as well. Funny, I put the no tresspassing signs without permission with my name and number but nobody has called to ask to hunt.

Tunrevir~

[InTheNorthwoods]

First, I would determine if the land is posted properly. Next, I would make sure it is on private land where it is for sure not supposed to be. If either of these is questionable, I would be darn sure about getting the information necessary to know absolutely if the person is illegally trespassing.

If I was positive that they were trespassing, I would take the gear and leave a note letting them know they are trespassing and that if they choose to try get it back they will need to contact the C/O. The C/O can then contact me and we will negotiate a trade (i.e. I will hear the C/O's thoughts on whether it was an honest mistake, a kid, etc. - anything less than a great excuse would entail a citation traded for the gear).

[Shwangman]

The guy who put the climber up, crossed the fence line and proceeded to walk across a private plowed field and put it up on a old fence line, about 75 yards long, grown up with small trees and brush. The deer cross the field and cross the old fence line and head into the woods that I hunt. The family that owns the land do not have no hunting posted on this old fence because its about 80 yards into private.

I think what I will do, is leave a note, stating you are on private land. Some of the grandsons of the land owners told me to take it and use it for myself but, I want to give the person the benefit and if he does not move it after the note, then its coming with me after I leave or, I will call the C/O and report it.

Thanks for all the comments on this topic, I have never came across this before so was not sure what to do.

Thank You All.

[T&KK]

Keep in mind confontation with a hunter is not always the best situation when they are doing something wrong. When i was young, I was pheasant hunting on our private property. I walked by my tree stand and there was a bow hunter in it. Knowing that confronting him when he was blatently trespassing by my self could prove unsafe, I went home, got the binoc's and my dad and I waited till he came down before we confronted him. He was out of line and by waiting, and not confronting him by my self, the situation was very controlled.

My suggestion, make sure he is not out there when you go to inspect it. If not, leave a note with contact info. and who's land he is hunting on with a deadline to respond. If he is there, bring someone with for the conversation, pref landowner.

[Shwangman]

For sure, I plan on doing that, I want to get it done before to long for anything but his safety because my Son and myself plan on ML that woods and even thou we are very careful, I think it would be best that he gathers his equipment before we start to hunt it.

Thanks again, good advise as well and no, I would never confront anyone like that without someone along. I other concern is that others do cross the land for goose hunting (if that is still on) and I do not want someone else to find it and take it, that would be not good.