Options for dealing with trespassers?

If anyone needs to catch there dogs on my land, feel free to.Just leave the gate as you found it.

It would be all but impossible for me to be able to afford to fence my property-just fencing the 2 sides where the trouble is originating from would be over 2000 feet of fencing. I guess I will see today- these folks show up on the weekend to break the law.

Bummer good fences make good neighbors but they aint free

"to mark around a spot where they found 3 American Chestnut trees and wanted to mark them"

Are these living chestnut trees? There is an ongoing program being done by someone, sorry I don't remember who, that is searching for live American Chestnut trees. They seem to think any living trees may have some natural resistance the blight that has devastated the US Chestnut population. They want to try and use these in a program to try and save the species.

Feel free to harvest a couple of ''your'' deer before or after season. Then let someone notify the state game people and they will explain in great detail who owns them. Please tell us who the courts say the owners are.

I remember being at a Christian camp and seeing the owner of the property chasing a deer and shooting it. He harvested the deer right there in front of everyone because the deer had been in his garden and he told me he had gotten another one two weeks previously and had a nusiance license to get the deer. That was in Texas and many years ago so am not sure if that was true or not.

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Ted H

You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.
-Davy Crockett

grow a hedgerow.
in WW2 even tanks couldnt drive thu them

Hes right that hedge is tough stuff But I think the 4 wheelers might keep a spot beat open.
Wanda Thats not what he ment and everyone else knew it why not you?

Well, it didn't occur to me that I had to spell it out that I wasn't talking about doing something illegal..

We also feel we "own" our home, and yet we have to accept that there are limitations - just because we own it doesn't mean we can break the law while we're inside of it.
You "own" your car but that doesn't mean you can drive it as fast as you want ...

Anyway, to clarify, "mine" means if you push a deer onto my restricted land,
my right to hunt it trumps yours. My right not to hunt it also trumps yours.
I have the legal right to declare my land a refuge and create a safe zone for wildlife.

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Hut on the Hill Farm
http://www.hutonthehill.org

You folks sound like my neighbors down the road. They abhor hunting, yet ignore the neverending carcasses along the road. They too provide a safe haven for deer which expalins why more are hit at their place than others. However, I must either treat them to dinner or a good bottle of wine. They feed the deer ( Haven't a clue on how to feed or CWD, or don't care), but fail to realize that deer have hormones and unless they fence them in, those "protected" deer come on to our place to be killed for our food. Since they started their "protection" program, we have been killing more and bigger bucks, so we owe them something for their ignorance. There is nothing wrong with protecting wildlife, but at least take the time to learn about it.

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United states of America

Born July 4, 1776

Died November 4, 2008

Suicide

Being a "Newby" here I hate to stir stuff,

BUT......This sounds a lot like "Califonria Mentality" to me. Some dogs come on to you land. No mention of them killing livestock, threatening you, or causing other damage. Some hunters come on your land to try to get their dogs. No mention of the actually hunting on your land. When you "confront" one of them he gets nasty. How did you "confront" him?
The "country" ain't New York City. People who have been in the country a long time learn to try to get along, and to choose their battles wisely.
Unless these people are actually doing you some harm, other than occasionally setting foot on your property, I suggest that instead of "confronting" them, that you make a effort to get to know them. Get their phone numbers and tell them that you will let them know if any of their dogs show up on your place, and that if possible you will pen up their dog/dogs for them. Then they would not need to come onto your land looking for their dogs. They would also view you as decent, logical person, and not some "city" who bought some land.
Good friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. Given the choice, it is best to try to make friends when ever possible.

DH IS a hunter and is very informed about wildlife and repercussions of his actions when harvesting. We observe the local herd very closely. We choose what will or won't be shot each year with a clear understanding of the expected outcome down the road. We don't feed deer.

I don't know how that "sounds" like the folks you call your "ignorant" neighbors, but since you made some wild assumptions about us, I'm willing to bet a lot of your statements about them aren't true, either. They don't know deer have hormones? They don't realize deer will leave without a fence? Maybe you ought to help them out and go remind them how to breathe before they forget how!

Although he hunts, we have very particular ideas about how we handle the taking of a life for food. On our land, it's our way - or no way. No mondo blasto free for all, here.
For instance, any guest who will be hunting on our land must have a proven weapon, and will sight in prior to the hunt to our satisfaction. Our guests respectfully cooperate with our rules. That's all the more reason we will not tolerate trespassing yahoos who would wreck their hunt.

Even though we do hunt, we still respect the right of other landowners to "abhor" hunting and to restrict it. I don't feel a need to belittle the intelligence of people who have a different opinion about it.
They can think whatever they want, as long as they do their thinking on their side of the fence.

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Hut on the Hill Farm
http://www.hutonthehill.org

Randy Rooster started this thread by saying: "Today I was physically threatened."
I don't know about California mentality, I've never been there, but I wouldn't want that friend.

We built a new house several years ago. It was on the land I grew up on, next to my parents.
A neighbor came over one day b-I-zitching about us "city" folks coming in and wrecking things for her.
She didn't know her home sat on the place where my sister and I used to play as children.
No matter where you are, someone was there before you. If you've made "improvements" to your land of any kind, YOU are the country-wreckers to someone, somewhere...

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Hut on the Hill Farm
http://www.hutonthehill.org

My sincere apologies for assuming you were like my neighbors, who by the way are animal idiots. We do think alike when it comes to killing wildlife and I am as protective about our property as you are of yours. And I totally agree with your concept of management, and your requirement for just who you let on your land. Unfortunately ostriching when it comes to the opinion of the uninformed regarding the laws of nature and the animal rights movement only gets more restricive laws passed regarding the state owned wildlife on your property, under emotional reasoning. I concur with live and let live, but one has to understand animal rights folks do not believe such, and think they know what's best for wildlife. The incessant referendums in our states each year, attempting to ban some fomr of wildlife taking or another are testimony to their zeal in wanting to take away our rights. Even when they lose, which is most of the time, valuable resources are wasted in legal defense, another strategy they count on. Again, I apologize for jumping to conclusions, on a very touchy subject.

__________________
United states of America

Born July 4, 1776

Died November 4, 2008

Suicide

When you have your cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving, say a prayer for the many deer that died so you can have it under crop depredation permits. The grower down from us killed 170 last summer, saving him around $80,000 which he paid to the pickers. But shooting a deer in one's garden in front of the public? Gimme a break!

__________________
United states of America

Born July 4, 1776

Died November 4, 2008

Suicide

What you say is true.

We don't know what the "threat" was, But Randy Rooster's posts sounded like he was confrontive in dealing with the people who were looking for their dogs. He is in the right that it is his land, and he has the right to post it and try to keep people off.
I just think that sometimes a less "confrontive" method may work better. Maybe explain to the men that their 4 wheelers are damaging the pine trees, and that is why the land is posted.
I would offer to phone them if one of their dogs showed up. Most of the dog hunters simply want to find their lost dogs, and that would give them one less place they had to hunt for them. Most good hunting dogs have a brass tag with a phone number on it, so that people can let the owner know if the dog is found. Offering to phone if he found their dog would also remove any excuse that they might claim for being on his land.
In the 30 some odd years I have been homesteading I have had some problems with neighors. When I and others bought land here the "Locals" did not like it one bit.
Threats were made, and there was vandalism. One day I and my wife came home and found nails driven into all of my only trucks tires. They even got the spare.
We were having to haul water then, and they dumped our kerosene into our water container.
Another "local" shot one of my dogs in the woods and hung it in a tree so that I would find it.
Once I was easily as confrontive and RR, but I have lived a long time and now I try to have a conversation with people rather than "confront: them.
You know what ? Most times it work better.
I have had some dog problems over the years.
I have had to peel some hunting dogs off my goats with a 30-30 rifle.
Another time I saw a neighbor's dog running away with one of our chickens in it's mouth. I could have shot it, but instead I went to the neighbor and he penned his dogs up. End of problems and I still have a good relationship with that neighbor.

Dogs are just dogs. They can't read tresspassing signs. Unless they are harrassing livestock, threating people, or fighting with your dogs, I do not see any reason to shoot them for just passing through.
Randy Rooster should contact the sheriff about the threat. Not too much chance of prosicution without a witness, but the report would be on file, if there is a problem with the same man in the future.
From his posts I think that it is the people on 4 wheelers that Randy Rooster is upset about, more than the dogs coming on his land.
I have never hunted with dogs, but I have known many who did. Most of them were decent enough folk, who could be reasoned with.
Work on fixing the problem. Try not to let emotions get in the way of fixing the problem. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
As you get older you realize that a lot of the stuff you thought was "Important", really wasn't.
As for RR, or anybody, packing a gun while on his land.... Guns carry heavy responcibility. If you pack one be aware that you may have to use it. If you pull it and threaten with it you may face criminal charges. If you kill somebody, even if you are not charged, you still have to live with it for the rest of your life.
This is coming from a man who once went to a particularly bad neighbor's house, knocked on his door, and told him to get a gun and let's settle things. He instead invited me to come in and have coffee. That was some ---- good coffee. From then on we had no more real problems, because we got to know each other as people.
Getting old does have some advantages. You can look back and say "Boy was I ever a A-hole."

Cops, Game Wardens? Booby Traps? Electric Fences?

Buy a laser dot, mount it on your 30-06, and focus it upon the center of the forehead of said trespasser. Inform him you are an avid pro marksman, spent 20 years in the military as a sniper, and request politely that he put his gun on the ground, and begin walking diligently toward the property line.

You will soon see a trickle begin from between his legs - this is called urine. Soon afterward, you will get the faint whiff of some smelly britches, but dont worry, its only his nerves. But you can rest assured, he won't be coming back anytime soon.

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~Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Good Points

hey Northstarpermie, where did you get that emoticon?
That gave me a good giggle...

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Hut on the Hill Farm
http://www.hutonthehill.org