Snowmobile Map shows trail across my land....

You might also try editing those flyers and then take them back. Be sure to list the damages done to your property.

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Claycreekfarm.info

No, it's drawn right through farmland and woods, all private. Years ago i think they had permission. (5+?), and they haven't bothered to update the map. It crosses my property, as well as neighbors who don't allow riders. However, the neighbors are Amish and have a turn the other cheek attitude that I don't share. They also don't suffer the same type of damage that we do. This trail crosses plantings, springs and brook that never freeze, and tears up our access road.

Trails are supposed to be marked, just as you described. That's the theory.
In reality, once one machine leaves a set of tracks, it's a superhighway in no time.

I know there are folks out there who are responsible riders.
I think the responsible ones just don't realize how many troublemakers there are among you.
Or how ordinarily nice folks change when they have power, speed AND anonymity with those machines. (One of the most obnoxious bunch of trespassers we ever had was a group of families who had children riding double with them They were supposedly upstanding members of the local club! )

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Hut on the Hill Farm
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I'm sorry... I would be so frustrated!

Can you get a local cement company to dump unwanted cement rubish on the property line to create an ad-hoc barrier? Dump space is sometimes coveted - it might be a win-win for both of you.

That's what I was thinking.....

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I just moved up here to NY and noticed trails all over the place. They are clearly marked with orange markers like the ones posted on this thread. I wondered how all that worked. I doubt minnikin has those markers on her property. does the trail association contact the land owners and ask permission? Do the land owners get paid anything? I noticed some home made signs near the trail pointing them in the wrong direction to town. wonder if that was some sort of annoyed property owner?

We are also having a serious problem with trespassers but thankfully not snowmobiles. Our problem is with hunters. They tear down the no trespassing signs. When we go over to the property after a snow, it looks like a herd of people have been there. foot prints EVERYWHERE like it's a state park or something. They just walk right around the parked truck we have in the driveway. We have some fence posts but not nearly enough and no fencing. The old fencing that was there is very easy to just step over. that'll all come when we have the money.

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OK, I'll be over to use your car tomorrow, Pete. Make sure it's clean and full of gas for me. I hate having to stop and fill up... very inconvenient.
Why don't you run it for me before I get there so it's warm, too.
And could you leave a few bucks on the seat so I can buy myself lunch?
Thanks, I'll repay you if I do any "REAL" damage. All righty good deal.

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Hut on the Hill Farm
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That's really crappy that you're having to put up with this. I agree that you should send a letter through certified mail. Start a verifiable chain of communication that can't be disputed and work from there.

Kayleigh

I would walk into their next meeting with that map in my hand and tell them exactly what I was thinking!!

I have heard........ that if a snowgo's whatchamacallits... tracks??? encounter big wads of loose monofilament (of sufficient pound test line), that they will no longer run.

I know from experience, that loose plastic haystrings will immobilize a bushhog, (the large mower that hooks up to tractors and runs off the tractors pto), and then immobilize a tractor, if you don't get the mower out of gear real fast!!! Don't ask me how I know this... It takes hours to get the mess untangled.

IF, I had snowgoing trespassers, and signs and niceness didn't stop them, I'd have so many old 'bird's nests' of monofilament laying in the trail, and all the loose haystrings my neighbors'd give me... the snowgoers would figure out crossing the "line" would cost em.

I did put up mono along a newly created atv trail on my place. After noticing two separate ride throughs, I strung three sets of 5lb test between trees... a week later, I noticed one set had been popped... the other two were still strung, and the atv had turned around and went back the way they came... and they've never came back. They KNEW who I was, and they were probably glad I was being "nice" using 5lb test, instead of 50lb test...

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Best post. But I was wondering why you couldn't actually ATTEND one of their meetings? Make SURE they all know you mean business about the NO tresspassing on your land.

If it continues, I'd shot at 'em. If it still keeps up, I'd be tempted to inform them that I put up a 'neck high barb wire fence'.

Patty

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I'm curious about something, Cabin Fever mentioned those orange signs and "official" snow mobile trails...
Does that mean that all the property people have given written permission for those trails to be on their land? or are they all on government/city/state/etc property in near proximity to those marked trails?

Angie

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old harrow sections work well out here. just turn them spike side up in the trail

The clubs come around to landowners and ask permission. If you say yes, then they put up official trail signs, and keep the trails groomed. Sometimes they even build bridges and the like.
The local club here does not pay landowners.

In NY, there are different levels of trespass. Crossing a posted property line is a civil offense. Crossing a fence is criminal trespass and carries bigger penalties.
If you have a fence in decent repair, even if it's wimpy, it's still a fence.

I feel for you.

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So, what I have gleaned from your posts is that (1) the trail going across your property is not officially-marked with orange blazers, (2) the trail going accross you land used to be official trail under an agreement with the previous landowner and (3)the trail going across your property is shown as official trail on the current snowmobile maps.....correct? If this is the case, I would contact the local club and have them put up "official" Snowmobile Trail is Closed signs. If they fail to do this, I would contact the State DNR. The DNR provides significant funding to local clubs. If the DNR believes the club is acting irresponsibly, they can curtail the funding.

Another question, does the local club run thier groomers across your land to maintain the trail?

Angie, I can only tell you what our club does. Our trails run accross private and public land. Each summer we contact the private landowners that our trails cross to get their permission. If the landowner does not provide permission, we will post a Trail Closed sign and re-route the trail (if possible). At the end of each season, we treat the private landowners to a free dinner at a local supper club as our thank you.

Emily-Outing Snowbirds Snowmobile Club

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I have no idea what type of people are snowmobilers in your area, but around here, almost no white trash types fill the ranks of snowmobilers. Most are hard working people that, while they may drink a bit too much, love their sport and would not engage in acts that would result in closure of any trails.
After all, the typical snowmobile costs $5000 - $10000, is expensive to operate, depreciates like a falling rock, and generally disentegrates shortly after 5000 miles.

Here is how I would handle the situation you're in. Don't email the president of the snowmobile club. IMHO, this is a somewhat impersonal means of communication that isn't always taken seriously. There is no face to put to the name. Do a face to face. Show up at a snowmobile club meeting if you really want things to get completed. Call ahead and ask the president to allow you to speak for a couple of minutes. Tell them about the damage you've incurred and your unhappiness at being shown as a route on the map.
Chances are excellent the snowmobile club will not only cease to publish your land as being on the route, but will undertake efforts to stop any vandalism/problems that you've been experiencing.
Granted, nearly all snowmobilers are disappointed to have access denied to them. But they do understand it is part and parcel of the world we live in. They do not want any negative publicity being tied to their hobby.

I simply can't imagine any snowmobile club not taking your issue seriously.

Thanks, Hoop. Hoop has expressed my views, as well. I will be the first to admit that there has been occassional problems with snowmobilers tresspassing or going off trails...just like there is with ATVs, hunters, and the like. But it is absolutely foreign to me that your local snowmobile club would not assist you, and do everything possible, to keep the tresspassers off of your land.

And, as a side note. I hope you realize that some of the "recommendations" on this thread are absolutely stupid. Intentionally "booby-trapping" your property will result in you being sued...or worse, going to jail...if anyone, even a tresspasser, gets hurt.

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This is the government the Founding Fathers warned us about.....

Lawyer is cheapest route in long run. Few people are foolish enough to ignore a registered letter from a lawyer. Might cost you $100, but it will get their attention.

And I speak from experience, check out official or unofficial snowmobile routes and all the laws around such before buying land in the north. Never buy land where previous owner has granted an easement for such. Unless you enjoy listening to bevvy of 2cycle engines every day of winter.

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How about a simple skinned ribcage of a hog in a ski jacket, with an old helmet beside it, laying in the snow by what they think is their trail?

We had the same problem with maps showing trails that trespass across private property. One map even showed a trail crossing at the bottom of a kids sledding hill. When the DNR (who distributes some of them) was contacted they shrugged and said "not my job man". I'm not sure if after 30 years the snowmobilers have cleaned up that part of their act or not. I am sure they continue to trespass at will. They ran down my tree seedlings for the first 5 years. They ran through my fencing. I saw one place where they ran down another guys newly planted pine plantation of several hundred trees.

One thing for sure and that's the snowmobilers will quit trespassing only when it becomes in their best interest to quit.

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This is a very good suggestion.

What is a DNR?

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