Private Land...People acting like it's public

[Craig Plummer]

Ok. I own 80 acres in mora with a stream going through the land. Occasionally I will walk the woods and I always seem to find a deer stand (most likely from neighbors backing my property) Ive talked to them about it and they removed the stands. I recently walked the woods again only to find another stand. and it really makes me mad since nobody even asks us or talks to us. So I just took the stand down and threw it in my shed.

What would you do? I don't want to start a war or anything because I'm only at my cabin maybe once a week so I don't want to come back to some vandalized property.

[sticknstring]

Our property is surrounded by Potlatch so finding the lessees isn't always easy but if we come across a stand, we'll take it down and leave it at the base of the tree. That usually gets the point across. Next time out it'll be gone. You could try working the perimeters with more No Tresspassing signs too.

[Grant Pearson]

What we do at our cabin is we put up no tresspassing signs every 50 feet as well as a single strand of thick, visible wire about chest high. That way, in order to get on, you have to go underneath the wire. We don't have problems at all, but our neighbors really respect everyone else and are friendly with each other. We'll only "tresspass" if we're tracking they're deer, which we have an open invitation to do, or we need help with something.

[Hammer Handle]

I find a tent in our woods a few times. I told the person to stay out several times, but he would come back in a different spot. I don't walk through the land often...so I have sure he has been doing it for years.

So, two years ago...I took the tent and all of his camping items. Haven't seen him since.

What is worse, is people dumping garbage on your land...like old applicances. Don't people care?

[bassNspear]

the bottom line guys, common since aint that common.

[harvey lee]

I have had issues for years where we hunt private land in North Dakota. In the last two years I have had people come onto posted land and steal two of my better climbers.

I have always tried to be fairly kind to others that seem to think they can hunt without permission. Now, I call the Game& Fish or get the license number and call the Sherrifs office and charge them.

Nice just does not seem to stop it where we are hunting.

[muc33]

I too, have had this happen. It is more disheartening than anything. I sometimes wish they knew the time and effort in scouting and habitat rehabilitation I have put forth on the property in question.

I agree Harvey Lee, nice only goes so far, as much as you would like to believe people would understand, sometimes you just wanna pull your hair out.

Tom, as for someone stealing stands, wow, I haven't had that happen, but I will say one time I actually found someone who had the nerve to sit in one of mine. I really had to chuckle at that. When I confronted them, they tried to play the dumb card and say that they thought someone left it there for some time... When I explained that their vision of long time was 3 days ago and the fact that they parked about 20 feet from my posted property sign, they thought I was stupid or something. I may not be too smart, but smart enough to call the C.O. and earn them a ticket.

Guy's be thankful there are more of US (the good guys) than there are the bad ones.

[zrmo440]

kingfisher1 "What we do at our cabin is we put up no tresspassing signs every 50 feet as well as a single strand of thick, visible wire about chest high."

I hope you are being sarcastic about the chest high wire??

[Craig Plummer]

 Originally Posted By: zrmo440

kingfisher1 "What we do at our cabin is we put up no tresspassing signs every 50 feet as well as a single strand of thick, visible wire about chest high."

I hope you are being sarcastic about the chest high wire??

whats wrong with that?

[vitalshot5]

nothing until some wild animal gets caught up in it and perishes or some unexpecting kid comes by on his 4 wheeler and is decapitated......sounds pretty dumb to me.

[BLACKJACK]

He won't be trespassing again.....

[Hammer Handle]

We have wire stretched out over land (much of it woods) to keep cattle in. Well, the cattle are not there anymore, but the wire still it. Some of it is barbed wire.

I have never seen an amimal caught in the wire or injured by it. Could it happen? I guess there is a chance. An animal could run into a tree too.

I have had people complain about the wire on the land (4 wheelers mainly). I would never wish anyone to be injuried with this wire. I have started to take some out, but some has been there for nearly 100 years.

My response to the tresspassers...what are you doing there in the first place? If the wire is visible, I see no problem.

[tealitup]

A little story -

About 15 years ago, maybe longer - my great uncle put a cable accross the 2 mile driveway into our hunting shack.

One deer season they were visitied by the sherrif. A snowmobile driver was going too fast and was decapitated. The wire had reflector tape all accross it - and the driver was extremely intoxicated.

Since then we have never put a cable up. This year we are putting a cattle gate type accross our driveway. There has never been any retaliation to our property or any words about the wire; but not worth someone losing their life.

[Hammer Handle]

I feel sorry for the guy that lost his life, but you have to understand it was his "fault"...even though I know that could make you feel bad.

I think a cable over a driveway and one along a field or in the woods are totally different things. If you planted a tree on your land and a drunk ran into the ditch and hit the tree and died, would you feel as bad?

Terrible either way though...and sorry this is getting off topic. It is common for people to put fences around their land to keep people out or animals in. If you go where you are not supposed to, you risk running into this.

[311Hemi]

Not that I really want to add to the off topic conversion, but I would think you would be setting yourself up for a lawsuit if someone got injured by it.