Trespassing

[SlowBowKing]

I pulled a card the other day and had a picture of someone walking through one of my spots (this is on our family farm). It is close to the property line of a couple of neighbors, one which lets someone hunt on them. His face was obscured by foliage, and not sure I would recognize him anyway. However, this got me to thinking about trespassing and respecting property boundaries...here’s a few questions:

1) If you know someone has been on your property, how do you handle it? Wait until you catch them there, contact them, contact the property owner and ask them to handle it?
2) What’s the etiquette for tracking deer (or whatever) across property lines? Do you all assume permission (I wouldn’t think so), contact owner if needed, or have that conversation ahead of time?

[Bisch]

1) I’m not sure?? Maybe contact your local sheriff or GW, and ask him how to proceed.

2) it may be different where you are, but in TX it is illegal to cross a property line to track a deer without the landowners permission. So here, the best recourse is to talk to all your neighbors ahead of time and get it worked out. Even if I have prior permission, if I have to track across a boundary fence, I always call the landowner and let them know what I am doing.

Bisch

[Trenton G.]

1. We have people trespass all the time on our property. Tear down no trespassing signs, hunt, etc. Never really been able to do anything about it since we can't prove anything, and the last thing I need is to tick the guy off that's doing it so that he goes through and causes some real damage. If I find where someone has actually killed a deer in the property then we will be getting ahold of the DNR.

2. Depends on where I'm hunting. Generally if I have a blood trail I just go. Last year for example I ended up with a poor hit on a buck during gun season and followed him for a couple miles. I later checked a map and I had crossed several property lines. Not something I would do without a wounded deer. Lots of people around here all really understanding about that so it's kind of an unspoken thing that gets reciprocated.

[ksbowman]

 My neighbors are pretty good about calling when they have a deer they have hit and want to come over tracking one. I have gone over a short way onto one neighbor a couple of times to retrieve a deer that I could see from the fence without calling. I've also had them call me to help track deer on their place and ended up retrieving them on mine. All in all I have some pretty good neighbors and have only had one picture on a trail cam of someone I didn't know. I always go out of my way to congratulate them on game that they retrieve on my place and help them get it out. I'd much rather they found their deer and got it than find a rotting carcus .

[Sam McMichael]

1. Try to identify the trespasser and prosecute them. Keep your camera in use so its not an accusation with no proof. Make sure you have posted signs all around your boundaries, even if they tear them down. Get it all on film if you can. I might give one warning before taking legal action but no more than that.

2. In many locations the law does not allow you to track a deer on somebody else's property without permission. Law             or no law, one should always obtain permission. It's just good manners. 

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I have parted ways with more than a couple hunting partners who have crossed lines intentionally to hunt with out permission. It makes me I'll to know some people have no issue whatsoever.

We have some neighbors who have no issue tracking game and others who we need to call Everytime due to clientele. Although his clients sit in houses on fields, they are paying to be there and they don't want some trespassers ruining their hunt.

We have strange people violate boundaries all the time. Can't identify them usually but one time we were able to a sheriff involved and recover stolen property.

[Zwickey-Fever]

 I have had my share of trespassers here. Had people tell me that, "this isn't your property, it's state land", that they did not care who owned the property, they're still hunting or that they thought it was another persons property, (someone I never heard of), had them leave gates open to where cattle got out, block gates, park on my CRP and crop land and I had trespassers get their vehicles stuck at random places.
 My days of being kind has long passed in regards to trespassers. If I find a stands, trail cameras, or any other hunting equipment, (I have found compound bows hanging in trees), that does not belong here, I leave a note in a zip lock baggie informing them that they can pick up their equipment up at the house. To date, I have had only one individual come get their equipment. And if nobody comes within two weeks of leaving the note, I give whatever I have found to the proper authorities.
 I have had people on neighboring properties recover deer that came onto my property without issue. I have even helped them recover their deer. I have never stopped anyone from recovering their deer.
 I have a few people hunt here but they all know and respect the rules of hunting my property. Close gates, no blocking entrance ways, no hunting within 150 yards of the eagles nest that's along my one corn field, no parking on crop lands, no motorize vehicles on my pasture unless to recover deer and no damaging of trees. But for some reason, trespassers seem to have no respect so I have zero tolerance for trespassers.

[Pat B]

Here in NC it is illegal to cross or enter someone else's property without written permission for this year on your person.
Always get permission whether tracking a wounded deer or going on their property for any reason. If it is not your property or lease and you don't have permission to be on it you are the trespasser. If the property owner says no then call the DNR.

[GCook]

Our neighbors have a handshake agreement with us on tracking wounded animals.
That said, good fences make good neighbors.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[rufus_d]

It is simply proper to allow someone to recover wounded game. Blatant trespassing only deserves a visit from the cop shop. Bow season opened here in Wi. yesterday, I as a landowner prefer to call it sneakaround season. I spend a good share of my time dealing with linesitters and lost souls. I believe the important thing is to not let some individual spoil your day or season as they have mine for many years. Having crops along rural roads allows people to see, what's out there, causing constant shining at night and ripping up hayfields with vehicles. I always look forward to Sunday nights as the "traffic" heads south.   Again, don't let them take your season, you can't fix some things

[Gdpolk]

Its proper etiquette to honor private property boundaries whether hunting or otherwise.  I make all attempts to do so and expect others to as well.  I always call and give a heads up or obtain permission to enter someone else's land, even if there are prior agreements for me to track and/or hunt on said property.  I don't want to mess up anyone else's hunt or take permission to enter for granted.  That said, if I am standing at a fence line and can physically see the downed animal on land that I've been given unbridled access to and I cannot get in touch with the owner then I'll cross to obtain it as quietly as possible and leave them a message stating that I did so.  Issues such as this is one of the primary reasons that I prefer to hunt public lands.  Wide open spaces without property lines make hunting much more accessible at times.

[The Whittler]

It's  sad the lack of morels some people have. You have land I don't so why not just use yours. Take them to court if your can and the judge gives them a slap on the wrist which pretty much tells them just keep doing what your doing.

[Cory Mattson]

question 1: If we "KNOW" someone has been on our land we remind them next time the law will be called. I give em a chance to go away and stay away.

question 2: I live and hunt in counties that require written permission each year. I know most landowners or lease holders of properties that border where I have permission. I would text the owner/neighbor if I needed to recover a deer. I expect about the same but it would not bother me if a guy was on an honest blood trail and he entered to recover. If I saw him I would probably help. So while I do not believe a blood trail gives me any right to trespass I wouldn't hold it against someone else who just went ahead and got his deer.

[thumper-tx]

What has worked for me is to file charges on every person, every time. This includes people trailing deer without permission.   You will be surprised at how little trespassing you have after a couple years of filing every time.

[OkKeith]

Print a copy of the photo with the trespasser (include date and time stamp if possible). If it is a habitual rule breaker the Game Warden(Conservation Officer, Game Ranger, etc.) WILL know who it is. That is their job. Let them know who does (if any) have permission and that they will have a written note from you. If the GW knows this, anyone else is trespassing and they can handle it without contacting you. This will help them know to keep an eye out. Be sure all of your property line signage is compliant with state and local law. Put all no trespassing signs TEN FEET inside the fence. Number the signs and take a photo of each. That way any property damage (like tearing down your signs) can accompany a trespassing violation as well.

It's a terrible shame that a landowner (or lessor) has to go to such trouble these days. I don't think it is any worse now than it was "back in the day" there is just more additional trouble that comes out of it.

As far as tracking shot deer that cross property lines... permission is ALWAYS required whether it is ahead of time or at the instance. Always a good idea to have something in writing even if it is a good neighbor. Might prevent a time consuming misunderstanding and hurt feelings down the road. Land owners are not obliged to let you go after a deer. Bad news if they don't but it is part of the situation.

OkKeith

[Sam McMichael]

I have a friend who had the same trespasser for several weekends in a row. He left two notes on the guy's car, but it had no effect. The third weekend, my friend took the spark plug wires (this was in the days before hood latches were triggered from inside the car) and threw them away. Plus, he flattened all four tires on the vehicle. Extreme perhaps, but it worked. It is a shame that somebody might need to resort to such tactics, yet flagrant trespassers don't deserve any better in my opinion.

[OkKeith]

Sam-

I am sure in that instance (and since it was "back in the day") that worked. Problem is, the only real proof of a crime is the guy's vandalized car. I don't mean to be a finger wager (I HATE that!) but those types of actions are not advisable. Gone are the days when you could take care of a situation "just between men". Better to call the folks with the badges and let them sort it all out. It has been long said... "If it's not written down, it never happened". In this day and age of a camera in everyone's pocket it's just as easy to take a snap of the license plate and an overall photo of the car so location is easily determined and pass the information on.

Believe me, I know some knuckle-heads that could use a trip out behind the wood pile. I would just hate to see someone who was trying to solve the problem end up in cuffs when they came back because said knuckle-head called the cops and bleated assault.

OkKeith

[SlowBowKing]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Since I’m not sure who it was, I’m going to keep an eye out and tell my wife to do the same since she’s here all day. Hopefully it was an isolated incident, but we’ll see.

[Sam McMichael]

OkKeith, you are correct that such action today would probably result in some sort of legal action. The funny part is that both guys involved were lawyers. That would have been an interesting trial.

I personally had an event shortly after I bought my property. A young guy took one of my deer stands and was riding his four wheeler on my place, cutting lots of bad ruts. I finally caught him and we discussed the property lines. He thought he was on his family's land and that I was the trespasser. When I showed him the property stakes, he apologized for taking my stand and returned it the next day. He stopped riding on my land. He was well mannered and this situation was resolve very amicably. Too bad all instances can't be worked out this well.

[pavan]

About 10 years ago a decent buck was coming down the hill towards me, it veered off and stepped over a down fence and came past me about 20 yards, i did not shoot.  I was getting ready to go home, later in the morning, a bowhunter walked up and waved for me to come to him. He asked me why I didn't shoot the buck. I told him that I didn't have permission to hunt on that side of the fence.  He told me that it was his land and that i had permission to hunt on his side of the fence.