Posting Land/Handling Trespassers and Neighbors

[aanderud]

The benefit would be as a landowner I wouldn't have to deal with people using my land who think they are within the confines of the law to do so.

[CaptainMusky]

I guess I don't see it as being their "right" to use unposted recreational land its not illegal if they do so.

Big difference to me and not something I would advocate anyone to do including my children. If you don't own it, know who owns it and have permission to hunt it don't hunt it, cross it to go fishing etc.

What's wrong with all the entitlement that people think its OK to do something like this? It may not be illegal but that certainly does not make it right.

If I see game on land not posted that I want to pursue I ask permission. I'm not out there looking for a conflict with anyone. Lots of crazies out there. Its one thing to be "right" but you could also be dead right if encountering the wrong person. Not worth it.

[hockeybc69]

There are boneheads around every corner.... I dont think it matters if you have a 10 ft fence with barbwire on top..... A percentage of idiots are going to do whatever they want to do no matter what you follow for the rules on posting land.

[smsmith]

I'm not out there looking for a conflict with anyone. Lots of crazies out there. Its one thing to be "right" but you could also be dead right if encountering the wrong person. Not worth it.

I'd tend to share this sentiment. Living in rural central MN and getting to know folks...ain't no way I'm wandering around on some of these guys' properties whether its legal or not Great folks, but I sure wouldn't cross them.

FWIW...I didn't see anybody commenting on attempting to get the trespassing language/statutes changed.

[Jameson]

The benefit would be as a landowner I wouldn't have to deal with people using my land who think they are within the confines of the law to do so....

It would be very likely that someone reads a map wrong and thinks they would be within the confines of the law to hunt private land that they thought was public. You would still have to deal with them. Deal with them differently perhaps, but still have to deal with them. If you wanted to deal less with other people making careless mistakes, then you would have to post your land to more readily show the borders. Just like now.

Still no benefit.

[CaptainMusky]

I'd tend to share this sentiment. Living in rural central MN and getting to know folks...ain't no way I'm wandering around on some of these guys' properties whether its legal or not Great folks, but I sure wouldn't cross them.

FWIW...I didn't see anybody commenting on attempting to get the trespassing language/statutes changed.

exactly! Just like those two yahoos from paynesville that killed that teacher because he asked them to remove their farm equipment from HIS land.

[smsmith]

exactly! Just like those two yahoos from paynesville that killed that teacher because he asked them to remove their farm equipment from HIS land.

Yup. My SW neighbor is a great guy, but he's a bit "off" from several tours of duty in Viet Nam. A few years ago he got a letter from our township telling him to remove the brush/trees in the right of way. He ignored it. Got another letter telling him if he didn't remove the stuff, the township would. He let the township know that if anybody came to remove anything from his land he'd shoot them on sight.

The brush and trees are still there and I'm betting they'll be there until my neighbor sells or passes away.

BTW...his land isn't posted. Think I'm walking around on it without talking to him first?

[aanderud]

I guess I don't see it as being their "right" to use unposted recreational land its not illegal if they do so.

Big difference to me and not something I would advocate anyone to do including my children. If you don't own it, know who owns it and have permission to hunt it don't hunt it, cross it to go fishing etc.

[Getanet]

BTW...his land isn't posted. Think I'm walking around on it without talking to him first?

Our hunting shack is near a guy like that. He told my uncle once "when I saw it was you in the scope I thought I'd come over and say hello." We think he was joking, at least we hope he was.

[smsmith]

Our hunting shack is near a guy like that. He told my uncle once "when I saw it was you in the scope I thought I'd come over and say hello." We think he was joking, at least we hope he was.

I hope so too, but I sure wouldn't count it.

I'd love to see somebody from the Metro "explaining" the trespassing laws/statutes to the locals here....good stuff

[Vikings_59]

The second question the CO (Mies from Wright County) asked me about my posted signs was "Are the signs signed and dated? Because if the date is not within 1 year of the trespass offense, it wont hold up" That was in 2012 so it may have changed.

[smsmith]

The second question the CO (Mies from Wright County) asked me about my posted signs was "Are the signs signed and dated? Because if the date is not within 1 year of the trespass offense, it wont hold up" That was in 2012 so it may have changed.

That's good to know. Maybe the best practice would be to annually date (and re-sign if necessary) with a sharpie or paint pen.

[CaptainMusky]

BTW...his land isn't posted. Think I'm walking around on it without talking to him first?

to add more perspective to the "yahoos" I referenced. I saw a group of pheasants fly into some nice switchgrass which was not posted. Obviously interested in a chance to hunt them I drive up to the nearest farm to ask permission mind you the land is NOT posted. I see a gruffy man in the yard and drive toward him as he walks toward my vehicle. I roll the window down and politely state why I'm there and ask if he owns the land (pointing) where I saw some pheasants. He replied yes! I asked if I could hunt it and he said NO. I said OK thanks anyway and offered him a venison stick holding up the bag. He proceeds to take the whole dam bag! Anyways I drive off thinking the nerve of this guy taking all my venison sticks.

A month later I see his picture and his old mans plastered all over the news because they killed a guy. It could have just as easily been ME!

[laker1]

Wow,good thing you just said thanks and left.

[smsmith]

to add more perspective to the "yahoos" I referenced. I saw a group of pheasants fly into some nice switchgrass which was not posted. Obviously interested in a chance to hunt them I drive up to the nearest farm to ask permission mind you the land is NOT posted. I see a gruffy man in the yard and drive toward him as he walks toward my vehicle. I roll the window down and politely state why I'm there and ask if he owns the land (pointing) where I saw some pheasants. He replied yes! I asked if I could hunt it and he said NO. I said OK thanks anyway and offered him a venison stick holding up the bag. He proceeds to take the whole dam bag! Anyways I drive off thinking the nerve of this guy taking all my venison sticks.

A month later I see his picture and his old mans plastered all over the news because they killed a guy. It could have just as easily been ME!

SOB...you just never know.

What I'll say is that "yahoo" is "normal" in the parts of central MN I frequent. Like I said before, good folks...just don't cross them. Anybody who isn't packing here is a fool (either open or concealed).

[rkhinrichs]

"Anybody who isn't packing here is a fool (either open or concealed)."

No that is not true at all! No need to pack, when you are kind and treat people with respect.

[smsmith]

"Anybody who isn't packing here is a fool (either open or concealed)."

No that is not true at all! No need to pack, when you are kind and treat people with respect.

99% percent of the time, you're right. The other 1% is what concerns me. Lotsa meth heads running around

[JIvers]

If YOU want to control who uses the land, you have no choice but to post it heavily and prosecute. Be prepared for plenty of "blowback" from those who've been treating it as their own. From my experience, it takes a full year of being a harda$$ and MOST IMPORTANTLY...being present on the land frequently.

This.

[Dave S]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but unless the laws have changed, agricultural land doesn't need to be posted. This includes CRP land.

[PurpleFloyd]

Every county has a plat map that shows the property lines and who the owner is. There is no excuse for not knowing who owns it.

We had a DNR officer stop by us and while we had verbal permission to be on the land, they told us that legally we needed permission in writing from the landowner so we do that now.

[harvey lee]

One can always find the owner of the land Brian if they try, it may take some time but it can be done.

When I use to goose hunt in North Dakota, I almost always found the landowner or at least got his phone number from his ranching neighbors. I would call and go from there.

because one cannot locate the owner should not be an excuse to not ask. if I cannot locate the land owner, then I simply do not hunt that land.

Respect for the landowner.

Most people like the law as written as far as getting access to land Brian. The majority are people who do not own land people want to access for hunting.

I guess maybe next time I want to hang at a pool, I will see one in someone's yard and invite others to come over to have a party. Land is land, may as well use whatever one chooses to without asking. Seems to be the way to do things today. Same difference as going on another's property to hunt, well just change it to a party instead. What the heck.

[harvey lee]

Every county has a plat map that shows the property lines and who the owner is. There is no excuse for not knowing who owns it.

We had a DNR officer stop by us and while we had verbal permission to be on the land, they told us that legally we needed permission in writing from the landowner so we do that now.

BINGO.

[aanderud]

Every county has a plat map that shows the property lines and who the owner is. There is no excuse for not knowing who owns it.

Yeah, I think basically everyone is aware of the plat maps. That doesn't mean the person listed in the map is accessible, available, or even alive at the time that you want to access said property. Nor does it mean that it's an actual person or even an actual mailing address where you might find a person. Seems like a silly argumen to me but whatever. I'll argue just because you act like it's all simple homeowners with houses next to said land. (Note:names have been changed to protect the innocent):

Random Landowner Guy Or Gal

PO Box XYZ

SomeTown, SomeState 90210

I assume you know that PO boxes are just that -- boxes to collect mail. They aren't addresses you can drive up to and ask some person for permission, nor are they phone numbers you can call. So, especially on a Sunday afternoon at the spur of the moment, there's absolutely ZERO probability of getting written permission to access that land. Lucky for the residents of MN, if Random Landowner has not posted the land and it's not agricultural, it's available for recreational use by default due to the longstanding trespassing laws here.

Yes, ideally one would plan ahead, multiple days in advance, and know everywhere that one wanted to be at everyone moment. Then one could track down James and associates and get written permission via snail mail (but you know dam well the person who checks that mail isn't likely to respond within 2-3 days, as they have other things on their mind -- so you better actually plan WEEKS in advance, and write at least several letters). That is IF the trust or company even has someone on staff that is interested in granting said permission.

As a nice alternative, MN provides access to that land (as long as it's not agricultural and not posted), which works fine in a pinch.

[brittman]

Not that simple Harvey. I do have plat books for 4 ND Counties and 6 MN Counties. I can tell you they work great for farm country. When you get up North it is often tough to tell where one property starts and the other ends unless they have been logged at vastly different dates.

Many landowners are surprised when land is newly surveyed. Surveys should always be completed when an area is going to be logged to the edge of the property. Many MN landowner neighbor quarrels have started because apparent boundaries were not the actual property lines.

[PurpleFloyd]

Every county has a plat map that shows the property lines and who the owner is. There is no excuse for not knowing who owns it.