What is with this?

[bigbucks]

Some people really have some stones. They don't have any brains, but they've got nerve. I can't figure out what they're thinking.

[FOOT]

Where I deer hunt by Battle Lake the area is bounded by a gravel road on one side, fields to another, swamp to another and a wide wide wide tree lined fence line to the 4th.

Where I sit I can pretty much cover the entire area except the swamp, its pretty thick. A couple of years ago someone from St. Cloud bought the land directly next to the wooded fence line. His property runs right up to the fence about 5 feet into the woods with another 35 feet of woods on the side I hunt. The property I hunt is owned by 3 brothers who are kind enough to let me hunt it while they hunt another section.

The first year the guy goes and plants NO HUNTING signs on the trees adjacent to the corn/bean fields, clearly 35 + feet onto the 3 brothers land. I was up on Friday before opening doing a little scouting and discovered the signs. When I told the brothers they got PO. With their help we took down the signs and re-nailed them where they should have been.

Opening day as the sun came up I could see the signs were back in place, posting the brothers land. As we always meet for chili at noon I told them about the signs. This time they really got PO'd. Back out to the field, pull the signs down and toss them over the fence. They stopped by the guys place and talked to him and told him not to post their land anymore and to remove his permanent stands, he had 2 in place.

Sunday morning, guess what there were the signs.

Back to the home farm, tell the brothers, back to the woods line, verify the signs were there, back to the guys house, he says when he bought the land the guy he bought it from told him he had permission to hunt anywhere he wanted in the woods and he wasn't going to change things.

One brother with the coolest head got us all to leave right now. Back to the wood line, break all the no trespassing signs, install their own no trespassing in the correct place, grab the chain saw and cut down and cut up the 2 permanent stands, throw them back over the fence, call the local CO, wait for the CO and the St. Cloud guy to show up and then get it settled once and for all.

Haven't had a problem with him since then. Could never figure out why he was so h--- bent to try and force his way onto someone elses land. Takes all kinds I guess.

[Studer]

My uncle owns 200 acres and even when I go out there, with permission of course, I take a sheet of paper, write my name on it and write my uncle's name (landowner) on it, and tape it right to the window of the truck. If nothing else it will stop them from coming right up to your stand. By doing this, I have never run into any problems or had anybody come up to my stand. Whether they saw my truck and note or not? Who knows!!

[Philo]

Studer - I like that idea about pasting a permission statement in the window of your vehicle. Might serve to avoid some of the issues we have had while hunting.

[Philo]

Foot-that story about the no hunting signs don't really surprise me. Seems like some people want to control their land and other's.

Interesting stories all around. It seems as though this problem is universal and not limited to me. That is somewhat comforting, I guess.

I would be interested in some game warden stories on this issue. Anyone reading this work as a CO and encounter complaints such as these? What would the CO response be to a nonowner of land complaining about potential trespassers? Would a CO interupt a hunt to investigate a complaint of possible trespassing from a nonowner of the property?

[CodyDawg]

I need an opinion or two. We bought some land 3 years ago and posted all the land that adjoins the road (2 sides). My uncle owns a third side and the fourth side we talked to the guys who own it. Those guys had been the ones who hunted our land when it was owned by the previous owner. They were not thrilled that we bought it. On the fourth side we did not post it, since they were obviously aware of the situation. And to my knowledge, they have never trespassed. However, out in the middle of the swamp, they have taken to posting their land. None of us has ever set a foot on their land, but I found it kind of interesting. It was obviously done with us in mind. should we post our side? Since I did not want to escalate anything, I have not posted it. But it kinda makes me wonder...

[ASMOLEY]

Since you are both aware of situation i don't think neither of you have intentions of trespassing but without clearly defined property lines it could be unintentional. My opinion is they hung that sign just to mark where there property begins it can be difficult in a woods especially when it’s not farm land and you don’t have fences everywhere.

[FL SNIPER]

I would suggest not posting your land on the 4th side (neighbors side) unless it becomes a problem with them (or others) tresspasing on your land. Be civil with them, stop by to say hi and share how your hunting's going...who knows you might end up getting along well with them. That's how it worked with the land my wife's uncle bought. Now they are constantly hanging out in the evenings and helping eachother with drives and tracking, etc. Who knows if you'll end up being best buds with them (or if you even want to be best buds) but I would think they'd at least respect you and your property for trying to be cordial with them.

[CodyDawg]

FL,

that is what I have been doing, which is why I was surprised. Oh, and the property boundary is a well defined fence, sorry for leaving that part out.

I am not going to post that side unless something changes. I think they didnt like the fact we posted along the road. But with all the road hunters out there, that was a given.