Trespass issue

[HNTNBUX]

My friend bought 120 acres two weeks ago and invited me to hunt. Last weekend we set stands and saved mine for last. After looking at satellite photos I located an oak ridge in the middle of a swamp and we went to set my stand. We then located two really nice fully enclosed box blinds that the previous land owner did not know about. I wanted to hunt right where the first one is but set up a portable 200 yards away and left my climber in the area. Would you meet the trespassers in the dark and tell them to leave or wait until mid morning to talk with them?

[WIMN]

I'd call a CO and have him ready to bust em for trespassing on opening morning... But I am also a no nonsense kind of guy when it comes to people coming on to my land uninvited. Being ignorant that it is privately owned is not a valid excuse for hunters at all. Hunters should be expected to know the regs and do some research into whether or not it's OK for them to hunt on that land.

[nofishfisherman]

First I'd make sure the land is well posted. If you can find the trail they come in on you can make sure to post right on the trail so they know they are tresspassing. Hopefully thats all they need to see and they'll learn they can't hunt there any more.

You may also want to leave a note on the stands letting them know that this in private land, maybe leave a name and number they can call to talk it over. Maybe even photocopy a map and mark out the boundaries and the location of these stands so they know where they are. The builders may just be clueless as to where the boundaries are.

I'd be carefull approaching them if they are already in the stands as you never know who they are or how grumpy they may be. Make sure to approach them politely. I'd maybe try to talk to them before or after they get out of the stands if at all possible. Maybe if you are nice and let them finish the morning hunt they'll be in better mood when you kick them out. At least then they have a little time to regroup and figure out a legal spot to hunt he afternoon.

Hopefully they just didn't know the boundary and they aren't purposefully breaking the law. I kinda doubt someone would go through major effort to build nice box stands on land that they know they aren't legally allowed to hunt.

On the bright side your buddy just inherited 2 really nice stands.

This may be the overly nice way to go about it but I've read to many stories of these things turning ugly so if you can try to be nice and as understanding as possible at the start it may help avoid it from turning ugly. If being polite oesn't work then inform them that you will be forced to call a CO to handle the situation.

[MUSKY18]

Do you have any idea where they are coming onto the property from? Perhaps a neighbors land that joins up to yours? If they were, I would kindly tell the neighbor that they are no longer to hunt the property and they can retrieve their stands AFTER the season. If not, call the CO and let him meet and handle them himself.

[InTheNorthwoods]

My friend bought 120 acres two weeks ago and invited me to hunt. Last weekend we set stands and saved mine for last. After looking at satellite photos I located an oak ridge in the middle of a swamp and we went to set my stand. We then located two really nice fully enclosed box blinds that the previous land owner did not know about. I wanted to hunt right where the first one is but set up a portable 200 yards away and left my climber in the area. Would you meet the trespassers in the dark and tell them to leave or wait until mid morning to talk with them?

You're overlooking the first, and most obvious, thing to do. Take down and move the box blinds to another area so they aren't there when the builders come to use them. If they are on your buddies land, they are his - those are fixtures to the property.

[Scott K]

I would hunt in the morning, and not interfere with their morning hunt either. Then mid morning before they get a chance to leave their stand, approach them and kindly let them know that they are on private land, and do not have permission to be on it. Then just ask them to please find a different place to hunt from then on. If after telling them to move on, and they dont, I then would call the DNR, or Sheriffs dept regarding the trespassers. giving them the warning before having the local law enforcement involved is the most efficient way.

[HNTNBUX]

The main problem so far is we found them last Sunday afternoon and we live three hours away. We plan to try a couple camps Friday night and have a note on one of them but we were not prepared to deal with the situation last Sunday. I think I might try some no trespassing signs on the stand to start with and may have to post likely approach routes later in the day.

I don't know how likely the CO would be to want to be available to an unknown trespass issue on unposted land. I may just give him a heads up call.

[rugbymn]

Have your buddy contact the previous owner and see if he allowed anyone to hunt there. If so, he may know who built the stands.

If he knows who built the stands, kindly ask him to notify the hunters that he no longer owns the property and that they no longer have hunting rights on the property.

I would also have the number for the local CO programmed into your phone just in case. A courtesy call tomorrow might be nice since I'm guessing he'll be pretty busy come Saturday.

[TooTallTom]

HNTNBUX, you're absolutely sure you didn't stray from your friend's 120ac? You might take the satellite photos along if you plan to visit a couple of camps, just so that everyone can all get on the same page.

I was going to PM you, but I think you're at your limit. Send me an email please.

[HNTNBUX]

We verified the location by satellite photos, gps on satellite photos and somehow by gps on a plat map with the county.

We also contacted previous landowner but he only went there once in 35 years.

[TruthWalleyes]

#1, Post the land.

#2, Leaving a note in their stand would be a good idea. I would maybe even go as far as letting them hunt the opening weekend, and no more. State that in the note. They may leave more peacefully and there is less of a chance that they will do something that will deter deer in the future if their opening moring hunt isn't ruined. Leave your phone # (which should be on the posted signs anyway)

#3, A picture of the land layout wouldn't hurt accompanying the note in the deer stands. Allow them access after the season, or maybe inbetween slug and muzzle season to remove their stands.

#4, Have the CO's number on hand if they are unreasonable. #5, If you allow them to hunt saturday, and even sunday, be sure to state that you want a phone call of when they will be on the land to retrieve the stands at a later date.

Be nice about it, and i think you will be better off in the long run.

[picksbigwagon]

I would hunt in the morning, and not interfere with their morning hunt either. Then mid morning before they get a chance to leave their stand, approach them and kindly let them know that they are on private land, and do not have permission to be on it. Then just ask them to please find a different place to hunt from then on. If after telling them to move on, and they dont, I then would call the DNR, or Sheriffs dept regarding the trespassers. giving them the warning before having the local law enforcement involved is the most efficient way.

I think this is your best avenue right here....It might be locals that have hunted it for the last 34 years, you just never know, be polite and explain to them it is private. Don't expect an apology, but don't go looking for a fight either

[LightningBG]

Is it possible that these stands have been abandoned and nobody even goes to them? I seem to run across stands every once in a while on various places I hunt, sometimes I'll place a little something on the stand to see if it gets moved or disturbed. All of them that I have come across, nobody is using (or they don't mind sitting on a chunk of wood). I check them maybe a week and then a month later. Never have seen any signs of people.

[Boar]

wen we bought our 80 for three or more years we had to talk to the neighboring land owners on hw they play stupid an dont know where the line is, it took awhile but they get it an alls fine. But every year i get on the horn a talk to adjacent land owners that we have a guy on this end an guy on this end ect. an keep the communication going, just good P.R. I would been on the phone an plate book calling adjacent land owners as soon as you found the stands to find out whos they were an start the communication. Get ariels phots of the section< those cant be disputed.I had a neighbor agure with me that his brother took a reading with his GPS an that the l;ine was over here, well since I carry the section photo in my car during season i set him right really quick. County assessor will have those, Good luck.

[jkcmj]

That reminds me, a friend of mine had gotten permission to post and hunt his neighbors land who did not hunt. One day he came out and found a new box blind built on the land, he cut it down with his chain saw, only to find out later, the landowner had given these two guys permission also, but did not let my friend know that. When he called me the first time, after discovering the bline, he was raving lunatic mad, the next time he called he was feeling very uncomfortable about the next call he needed to make. The moral of the story, find out who, why, before you get out the chainsaw!

[RumRiverRat]

Is land properly posted?

[Tom7227]

For reasons that I don't understand - not a deer hunter - people go absolutely bonkers over this type of thing.

You don't have a dog in the fight cause it isn't your land. The landowner has to be the one to make the decision and do what he chooses. Given the fact that he's only owned the land for such a short time and the lack of solid facts (at least as I see it) the less confrontational the approach the better. Chainsaws and CO's would be the wrong approach. Add to it that you live 3 hours away and the possibility that the folks who built and use the stands may live next door the best move would be a visit sometime Sunday afternoon.

[Steve Foss]

Jay, first off, big congrats on the new hunting land. Even though not yours, to be able to hunt it like that is a godsend. And you've got a great spot lined up. An oak ridge surrounded by swamp is a MAGNET!

My guess is that you and the landowner would be addressing those hunters together, whether in their camps or in their stands.

In Minnesota, the land does not have to be posted in order for trespass to occur. So the law is completely on the side of the landowner. Given your job, I'm sure you already know that. I also counsel a reasonable neighbor approach. Could very well be those people have been hunting that land for years, and live nearby. If the previous owners were only there once in 35 years, it's very possible those hunters have settled in and feel very comfortable there. Even if they don't live in the area, it's always a good idea to be a nice guy. We can stand up for our rights without being arseholes.

I really like the idea of (first making sure you and the landowner are on EXACTLY the same page as far as how to handle it) hitting up a couple deer camps on Friday to see if your guys are in one of them. Letting them know the score in a friendly way, offering to let them hunt through the weekend.

Even though they'll sure as hell be disappointed to give up stands on that oak ridge (I know I would be), if you go armed with all the maps and info that prove it's private land, and have the landowner there with you, with any luck it'll all stay friendly.

And then you guys can have fun scouting next summer and posting the land to boot.

Good luck with the interpersonal part, bud, and good luck hunting!

Hey, wait a minute. It's ALREADY Friday, and you're probably long gone from your computer and headed nort. Maybe you'll be checking this thread on a smart phone.

[Johnny_Magellan]

I'm sure that's the problem.

The area locals know nobody hunts there and it's fair game for hunting. I'm leasing 44 acres and had a neighbor keep wandering on the property when I wasn't there.

Just what I wanted to see when I showed up on weekends-fresh atv tracks that weren't mine.

It wasn't until he was caught on several trail cams and the pics were turned into the local sheriff that he changed his ways. Now, I haven't even seen him in passing since his court date.

Unfortunate how people out there have no respect for other peoples' property...

Good luck.

[TruthWalleyes]

Trust Me, Locals know who owns the land, and how often the landowner shows up, and based on the previous landowner's lack of presence for 35yrs...I'm sure there are at least two locals that keep everyone else out of 'their' hunting land.

My old man told me that he knew exactly when people weren't home, and when to hunt it. (I was quite suprised by this, but i know he wasn't always the mature man i see now)..I think he changed his standards on tresspassing many years ago though! It's gotta be tough to own land a long distance away, because there really is no way to keep people out short of paying the neighbor to pay attention to who's using the land.

[JIvers]

Trust Me, Locals know who owns the land, and how often the landowner shows up, and based on the previous landowner's lack of presence for 35yrs...I'm sure there are at least two locals that keep everyone else out of 'their' hunting land.

My old man told me that he knew exactly when people weren't home, and when to hunt it. (I was quite suprised by this, but i know he wasn't always the mature man i see now)..I think he changed his standards on tresspassing many years ago though! It's gotta be tough to own land a long distance away, because there really is no way to keep people out short of paying the neighbor to pay attention to who's using the land.

Yup.

The local trespassers will pattern you just like you pattern a nice buck.

I now live over one hundred miles from my ground in SE Minnesota. When my Mom moved away from the farm in 2000 the trespassing issues began. I got things under control during second season, but knew about incidents going on during first when I wasn’t around.

Two years ago I hunted first season for the first time, and very deliberately did not tell anyone around here. That first year I hunted 3A, I booted off not one but two trespassers from my ground on opening weekend. One came walking in from a neighbor’s property right past a “No Trespassing” sign and was very surprised to see me in a stand glaring at him. He got told sternly to stay off my ground in the future.

The other trespasser was sitting in one of my blinds, also within sight of a “No Trespassing” sign. He claimed a renter—who didn’t rent my cropland—told him it was OK to hunt there. He got yelled at in very colorful language, as I was still mad from the other trespasser, and finding the second one in my blind did not improve my mood.

I am sure both those guys had been hunting my land for years, and thought they had me figured out. Since then I’ve had no more issues first season, but of course last year I heard some people were hunting my ground second season. I try to pop in at random times over Thanksgiving, but my ability to do that is limited.

If you’re an absentee landowner, fighting trespassers is pretty much like shoveling garbage against the tide—you’re never going to finish the job. All you can do is try to keep it under control.

[nofishfisherman]

If you are an absentee landowner you may want to consider finding someone you trust in the area where you own land and grant them permission to hunt when you know you aren't going to be there. In exchance for that access have them watch out for trespassers for you. They can even hand deliver a note to the tresspassers from you outlining the actions you'll take if they are ever caught again.

[Musky Buck]

Who'd your buddy buy the land from ? Maybe they were there's ? 120 isn't a huge hunk of land 1/4 mile wide and 3/4 long ? There has to be a way in from somewhere ?

[Scott K]

I have had many issues with trespassers in my time as well. My uncle owns a lot of land (1700 acres)around his farm site. He told me that I am the only person in years that has asked him if I can hunt, he told me he knows there are others that hunt it, but he has no idea who they are. He told me if I wanted to post of a section, or the entire thing, go ahead and do it. He also told me if I encounter the other hunters, to kindly tell them to leave, and if they had any questions, I was to direct them to my uncle.

I told my uncle as long as the others werent bothering him, I wasnt going to post the entire land, and kick them off, since I myself wouldnt need much land to hunt. Anyhow, during deer hunting, I was told by the trespassers that this was their hunting land, and I needed to leave. This didnt sit well with me, I told them they needed to go talk to my uncle. They told me they knew my uncle for longer then I have been alive, I said great to hear, and if you wanted to continue to hunt here, you needed to talk to my uncle. After this, we avoided each other throughout the rest of the hunting season.

The next year, I went out in my own little area, on top of a ravine, sorta of an island in between 3 ravines, there was an open grassy area there, with about 10 apple trees, I posted no trespassing signs up about every 50 feet, and blocked off myself about 50 acres. I had a stand in this area from when I was young, and bow hunted it. I fixed the stand up, and planned on using it for gun hunting. Opening morning comes, and here is a guy in a portable about 50 yards straight across the grassy field from me, that I know wasnt there when I rebuilt my stand. So, we hunted that morning, and I seen him getting down from his stand, so I tried to hurry over there to talk to him, when he seen me, he ran down the hill, over to the neighbors place. So, later in the day I seen him come back to his stand, I walked over to him to talk to him politely about it, he told me I had no right posting this area, that he has hunted this land since he was a kid. I told him that he hasnt talked to my uncle about it, and I am the only person that has permission to hunt the land. I told him that I marked off this little spot for myself to hunt, he and his crew are welcome to hunt any of the rest of his land, as long as he went and asked my uncle. I told him he is welcome to hunt this spot this afternoon, but if he would kindly take his portable stand with him tonight, and find a different area to hunt. So, then next morning, here he is, back in his stand. At about 8 am, I climbed down, and walked over to him, I asked him if he missunderstood me from yesterday. He told me that I have no right posting this spot, that this is the bet spot in the woods to hunt, and I cant just come there and claim it to myself. I asked him again if he talked to my uncle, he said he didnt have to, because he has hunted this spot for 50 years, and I wasnt going to stop him from hunting it. I told him to meet me at my uncles house at 1 pm, and we will get it straightened out. He said he would, but never did. My uncle told me if he is there the following weekend hunt, I was to call the game warden.

So weekend number 2, Saturday morning, he is sitting in his stand, I walked over to him again, I asked him if it bothered him at all, that I can see him clear as day through my scope? I told him that I was told to call the game warden on him if he wasnt going to leave. I did end up calling the warden, because he was there again that evening. The warden told me he would be out the next morning about 8 am. And if he wasnt in the stand, I was to call him and let him know. Anyhow, he was in the stand, the warden came, gave him a warning, and told him to talk to my uncle before entering the land ever again. So, Monday morning, he was there again, I walked back up to him, and he wouldnt talk to me, he wouldnt even look at me. I told him I was going to call the game warden again. He got up and left.

The next year my stand was cut down with a chain saw, and all of my signs were taken down when I went out to scope things out early fall. My uncle had said that they did finally stop to talk to him, and he told them that they needed to talk to me about it, but told them that I had a little area marked off, and that they wouldnt be allowed to hunt that area. I never had a problem with them hunting that section, but I did have issues with my stand being demolished, or my signs always coming up missing. Since that time, my uncle has passed away, and the land was sold off in sections. The new owner has told me that he has encountered trespassers there, and I told him who they more then likely were. The morel of the story is, some people get attached to land that they have hunted for many years, and dont leave!

[butsy]

HTNBX, one thing your friend will discover about owning hunting land in MN is that no matter if your in the middle of nowhere, or right on a highway, dealing with trespassers is simply part of the game.

my extended family has land in different places of the state, and the one thing we always gripe about on thanksgiving/xmas get-togethers is dealing with trespassers. it's inevitable.

so to try to avoid the nightmare scenario that wanderingeyes described, many dittos to the advice to try to handle these situations as gentlemanly and transparently as possible. at one point we had to have multiple conversations with a neighbor who "knew my dad when we were kids, had hunted here before i was born, etc etc" but in the end, respect and open dialouge won the day.

sometimes locals get upset with urbanites "moneybags" buying up all the local land, and posting it- but coming at them with an aggressive or arrogant attitude will get you nowhere.

good luck