what would you do(tresspassers)

[Tom Anderson]

Originally posted by PAPA BEAR:
just wait until you know he's there then take a couple big buddies with you and walk up to them/him and give him the message the punk needs to hear.ask him where he gets off hunting/poaching deer when hes an instructor of hunting ethics.then get ahold of whoever you have too and get his stupid ass fired from that position.dont take crap off poachers bro.GET RID OF THEM.

That's exactly what I'd do.  Seems the older I get, the less patience I have for people that don't follow common courtesy...much less follow the "rules".

[Jeff Strubberg]

What I wouldn't do is lose your head.  At this point, the trespasser is in the wrong and subject to prosecution.

You don't want those tables turned.  Take the high road.

[Bowwild]

I'm retired wildlife director (KY). In fact I worked for your wildlife agency for 11 years and still have frequent contact with folks in the IDNR. If you will PM me I'd be willing to carry your case directly to the Director of Wildlife and the Director of Law Enforcment for you.  

There is a lot of good, legal advice in this thread. I can appreciate how very frustrating this would be.

I would not want to spend my valuable hunting time staking this fellow out.  Neither would I want to degrade deer hunting on my property to try to keep deer from this fellow's hunting zone. This is very difficult to do and could actually backfire -- an anti-hunter once drove a nice buck under my treestand trying to scare the deer into Potato Creek State Park (no hunting).  I obliged the anti by taking the buck home with me -- thank-you very much!

Neither would I want to damage habitat on my property to discourage this guy. It takes a long time to grow trees. Anyway, if you create early succession habitat (undergrowth) by removing trees and opening up your property edge, MORE deer would spend time near his hunting stand.

Your first attempt was perfect -- pictures to the CO.  If the pictures weren't clear enough, get better ones -- as you plan to do.

That this fellow is a Hunter Education instructor is important.  I would definitely report his activity to Tim Beck, one of Indiana's Hunter Education Coordinators. If Tim knows him, pressure to behave could be applied. Again, I will do this for you if you PM me.

Finally, the first thing I would do is let the fellow know you are aware of his illegal and unethical behavior.  Let him know you will take pictures (he doesn't know the quality of your pictures) to the Wildlife, Enforcment, and Hunter Education Director if he doesn't agree to follow the law he preaches.

Be prepared, a fine citizen like this might not care if his Hunter Education credentials are taken from him.

If I didn't get satisfaction with any of these things. I might consider adopting a fine mutt. Then I'd stake the hound with humane cover, food and water in the vicinity of this fellow's tree stand. I'd guard the dog with a hidden camera in case he decides to kill it - then he's in a heap more trouble!  The dog will be very effective in keeping deer away from the fellow's area.  Of course if this area is good hunting and you don't mind sitting up in the same area, compete with him and watch over his actions. Especially if the times he hunts are predictable such as opening days.

[arky714]

We had a fellow a couple years ago set his stand up 20ft from our property line..faceing up my loging road...I found some real thin blouses in bright colors ,and soaked them in cheap aftershave...and hung 4 of them 6 to 8 ft off the ground and then I took old socks and cheap colone and put them under my no trespassing signs up and down my fenceline...did not hear a shot all season from his location he moved his stand after that.....

[SveinD]

If you know who he is, I would go over to his place, sit down and just talk with him.
Have a firm disposition, but be respectful and not angry. That should be your first response, imo...

If he's got any social or empathic skills he should learn from it, if not, you have the right to get angry  

-SveinD, Naive Norwegian  

[bucksdown]

i was only joking about cutting down the tree while there in it. i would never hurt anyone unless they were harming someone i love. i by accident crossed a property line where there had been an old fence at one time. i was only 10yds. in, but still across. the guy left me a note saying if i didn't remove my stand he would call the game warden. i went to him an apologized. he gave me permission to hunt after meeting me. simply leaving a note might be all it takes.  

[Jeremy]

Tresspassing is inexcusable, illegal and he should be prosecuted, but it's Devil's advocate time.  

What's the problem with hunting along a property line?  If he's sitting in his stand, hung in one of his trees, and shoots a deer that's on his property, what is the issue?  We all hunt the most productive portions of our available hunting properties.  If the most productive area of his land is along the ******, what's the justification for denying him his right to hunt his property as he sees fit?

If asked, would you allow him to recover an animal from your property?

There is no property size limitations for bowhunting here in CT.  I could hunt deer on my 2 acres if I choose to and be within my legal rights - out of respect for one of my neighbors I don't.  Even on the 'larger' properties in town (40 acres) I can still see houses in all but one direction.  Nearly everything is essentially hunting along a ******.  I don't have permission to hunt the adjacent properties, but I do have permission to retrieve an animal (unarmed) from most neighbors.

[Jeremy]

really?  ****** should be read as "b o r d e r" in the post above

[Zradix]

That's weird... Wonder why b o r d e r is blanked out?

[buckeye_hunter]

A. Make sure it is clearly posted as no trespassing and no hunting at the state set requirement. In Ohio you have to mark every 10 yards or so I think.

B. DO NOT APPROACHED AN ARMED PERSON. If it ends with him deceased YOU WILL GO TO JAIL for instigating and approaching.

C. Take appropriate pictures (license plate etc.) and get DNA from their gut piles or have a wildlife officer do it so the chain of custody isn't broken. That way the Dept of Natural Resources wildlife officer can match it to the DNA of venison in their freezer.

D. Let the law handle it from there.


If none of that works; Then mark it to look officially quaranteened for Ecoli or some other nasty disease.    

***Above all, remember that your life is not worth giving up to an armed poacher and your family would miss you.

[Bowwild]

Of course Jeremy is correct. If he's physically on property he has permission to be on and doesn't shoot an animal standing on property he doesn't have permission to be on, he's within his rights and the law.  If he shoots a deer, on "his" property and it moves to property he isn't allowed to be on, then he has to get permission to recover it. If permission can't be gained, the warden could be contacted for help. This is no different than if someone is hunting in the heart of a tract they own and shoot a deer that moves to other property.  In the east, it is a rare propert that is large enough to contain a deer, especially a poorly hit one that happens to make a beeline for the boundary.

[JEJ]

Lots of good advice here, but some of it I might not do because it would no doubt end up ugly or tragic for somebody, maybe me. For what it's worth, I hope if I get in a bum deal like this with a just plain bad neighbor where I hunt, I think the posts from Bowwild and buckeye hunter will be the ones I try to do.

[oddan]

I would be squirrell hunting when they wanted to deer hunt.

[stevewills]

the deer do not go on his property.the deer he shoots are on my property when he shoots them.and this act is illegal.attempting to recover game without permission from another property is illegal if you do not gain permission,they do not have that.his property is a back yard not hunting property.they ripped down a property fence that was there since the 40s,so they could cross right where their stand are,this guy is a real doozy..and he is teaching his kids this behavior so ill have to deal with his kids too in the future.so i think ill just climb up in his stand and say fair is fair

[lpcjon2]

Originally posted by Zradix:
That's weird... Wonder why b o r d e r is blanked out?

I think its because B o r d e r s is a book store and some commercial names may not be allowed to come up on the thread

[acadian archer]

I would also contact the instructors association and get this guy removed from the program.  This type of behaviour paints us all with a bad brush.

Most instructors are ethical people who want ot help out. he's NOT helping.

[Killdeer]

Everybody should have a friend like Bowwild!
Take him up on his offer, it sounds like real help from somebody on the inside.

Just me, but I would not take the responsibility of adopting an animal, and then leave it confined in a place where I thought someone might kill it. If it is in my care, it is my responsibility to protect and nurture it.

The word being blocked out is the name of a bowyer who has been banned from the site.    :rolleyes:  
Just thank your lucky stars that it wasn't a more common term, like "hunter" or some such.

Killdeer

[rascal]

I rent several hundred acres for hunting in Iowa, between me and a friend who originally rented it we have been on the property for 7 years now. The land had been in CRP for several years and the owner did not live on the property or hunt it during the season so of course all of the locals had free run of the place.  The first year we really had lots of trouble with trespassers and poachers, some sat in our stands and shot deer while others drove 4x4s along the field edges with guns hanging out the windows.
It seems like ages ago, now we simply dont see anyone on the land anymore.

I personally went and talked to everyone I saw on the property and I can tell you 90% of the people I talked with were sincerely sorry for trespassing.  Most remarked that they had hunted the property for years without incident and had no idea that it was now being rented.  I can honestly say only one group proved to be uncooperative.  We called  the local law enforcement and DNR on them and met with typical resistance to prosecuting locals.  In the end I made sure I was on the property enough that it became inconvenient for the trespassers and poachers.  Im sure word got round that the guy renting it was not friendly to trespassers as well.

Go talk to this guy, let him know that you have pictures of him, let him know you do not appreciate it and you will use every legal means possible to discourage his behavior.

And if that fails to correct the problem...

I know this may seem like a harsh solution but my advice would be get out on your property more often, stay longer, invite trusted friends or family members to go on the property as well.  The less convenient you make it for them the less apt criminals will want to be around, they will simply move on to easier prospects.

[John3]

Patrol the fence line and confront them.  Ruin their experience.  They will move on to "quieter" places to tresspass...

Get yourself strapped and be ready if things go sour. It is YOUR property.  Would you let some stranger camp out in your back bedroom or on your deck?

Your going to have to handle it.. Let the cops clean up the mess or do the paperwork afterward. Know your legal codes and stay on the right side of them..  Prosecute them all..!

[daniel reynolds]

Have you thought about shooting at them or maybe land mines