Trespassers have sunk to a new low

Years ago, in this county, a man strung wire across a dirt road on his property. He had trouble with dirt bikers and moped riders tearing up his land. The outcome was a young boy on a moped being killed by running into the wire. The man who owned the land was bought to trial. It is so long ago I don't remember the charges. He was found guilty of causing the death.

If you take the law into your own hands the next hands you feel will be attached to a lawman placing you under arrest.

Use the justice system and don't stop making complaints against the riders.

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GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE ANYMORE THAN PENCILS MIS-SPELL WORDS

GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE ANYMORE THAN SPOONS MAKE ROSIE O'D FAT.:eek

WHY DON'T THE MEDIA REPORT LIVES SAVED WITH FIREARMS? WH Pressure?

RichC

Did not say that, he simply said don't resort to trying to harm somone on purpose. If someone were to get hurt without you trying to hurt them on your property they could still sue you, but if you were to intentionally try and harm them you WILL go to jail, and they WILL own your property.
That said I don't blame you it would be hard to stop from pounding them into the ground, but do it the lawful way and life will be much better for you in the long run.

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"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards"

I don't own an ATV and never have.

Be upset? By all means. I would be.

Set booby traps to kill or maim people? If you do, you are a criminal, and should go to jail.

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"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law." -- Winston Churchill

My post was not a response to yours. There, hypothetically, may have been other posts that advocated more extreme behavior.

Of course, my post was not a response to any actual post, merely a hypothetical (must be nice).

But I stand by every word. Intentionally setting booby traps is, at the very least, depraved indifference.

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"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law." -- Winston Churchill

And you'll go to prison for a very long time. If you don't get nailed for manslaughter, you're at least going to be charged with the crime of setting a lethal trap with the intent to harm a human being.

Years ago we had the same problems, not from ATV riders but from coon hunters who would cut fences at night to let their dogs or trucks through.

The owner of those trails is either going to need to monitor them closely or get rid of them. I don't have a lot of sympathy for him either way. It's not like he's some farmer whose cornfield is being ruined, which happens a lot of the time up here in winter as snowmobilers come tearing through. And he obviously doesn't live there or he'd HEAR the riders and be in a position to go out and do something about them.

Dixy you'll probably have more luck with the railway police, they tend to have a lot of time on their hands for going after stuff like that. OPP or local police will drag their feet. Was it you that I suggested to get in touch with RACT last time? That's the OPP rural crime team, they tend to put more pressure on local detachments when it comes to rural trespassing.

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The internet - fueling paranoia and misinformation since 1873.

I see folks handle things differently around the country. Some places folks just roll over and get walked on. In this part of Kentucky we get Rambo redneck and would wait till somebody started to cut our fence and tear our place up, then we'd commence to butt kickin. Yea, chest thumping also, but then that'd be the other boys chest we'd be thumping on, not ours. Calling the sherrif is done after the dusting. Charges are optional, usually a good butt kicking would be enough. Boobie traps and firearms have their time and place but not over tresspassing. Stop sticks, now that is a different story.

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"Only the rocks [and really embarassing moments] live forever"

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands..." tick-tick-tick

I'd rig up some sharp objects similar to those at parking lot exits where you can drive one way over them, but not the other, without pucturing tires.
In the dark, maybe this will bring the culprits a surprise.

Another approach might be a hidden nightvision camera. At least you'd have pictures of the guilty.

Yet another approach might be a wireless alarm so that you're made aware when they pass the entrance. This will give you time to be there when they return. The sound of a cocking shotgun should make an impression on them not to come back.

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Building an earth home: http://www.freewebs.com/stocktonunderground

Okayyyyyy, let me rephrase my original question: what can I legally do without causing physical harm to any of the trespassers?
Ahem?

#1--I have groomed trails that are being ruined by ATVs as it becomes almost impassable when they root up the trail and it is certainly uncomfortable to ride my horses on it.

#2--I do live there, but we're talking 90+ acres. The trails are not right in my backyard, and um, it's winter! Kinda hard to hear anyone out there when your windows are shut!

#3--By the time I could "get out there and do anything" they are long gone. I don't happen to own high-end ATVs that can traverse the paths like they can. AND I don't care to be alone (particularly as a woman) and confront a group of men way out in the back forty. I would much rather just forward a call to the cops, thanks.

Oh and BTW, since when is it someone else's decision as to what I should be able to do OR NOT with my own property? I didn't realize that if I owned land and pay taxes on it, that this gives others who don't the automatic right to trespass on it? Are you saying that it's ok for others to use my trails because I don't have cornfields?

I guess it's true: ATVers just assume they have the right to go where they want, or will find some way to justify breaking the law. No wonder there are less and less trails for them to use. They are certainly not paving the way to make themselves welcome, are they?

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

ATV owner here. I do my best to respect the law and not trespass. Just be warned that before I ride I always arm up first. 41 magnum is my choice. It seems there are many ATV haters out there and NO, I do not own my own land.

There is a possibility the railroad maintenance crews took your old gates for some kind of right-of-way access. I am all for prosecuting those who beak the law. I someone wants to play the wild west, I'll be your huckleberry.

So let's all be more friendly and address the problem at hand. If I was you I would just watch the problem area until I catch them trespassing. Get their information and call the proper authorities. It may even be a neighbor. Peace. SRM out!

If you could drop a tree where they enter your property, that would work better than blocking the trail in the middle of your property.
Also posting signs where they ride might make the message a bit less subtle.

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"I don't want everyone to like me; I should think less of myself if some people did."
— Henry James

Yeah, I'll concede the point. I'm just biased towards farmers, not people who buy land to earn income from snowmobilers. Sometimes that bias conflicts with my libertarian view of "to each on his own property".

It's not ok for them to use your trails, but I think you're going to have to make those trails less attractive to the hoodlums in your neighborhood.

How does it work??? What goes thru the mind of a trespasser? As a non trespasser, I'd like to know... if anyone knows, please enlighten me/us/all....

Richie, I don't own an atv. I know lots of seriously disturbed people that do.

And, there's no "revenge fantasies" involved here. I have done what I recommend... Playing nice, I have found, does not work, and in fact, actually encourages bad behavior. On the other hand, running them down and forcing them to stop or be run over, does work. I made an example out of some drunk skunks 4 years ago... young punks... the word got out... and no strange atv or trespass problems since.

MontanaVet.... you're obviously not the problem. We all know that only a few rotten apples spoil the whole bunch. If you don't own land, and don't trespass, I assume you ride on public lands (since there's so much public land in MT). Now if you lived in a non public land state, you'd either have to trespass, or purchase a hunting lease to ride on. The closest 'public land' is around an hour and a half away from here. You either go there, or pay by the day to go to atv 'parks'. So many people live in town, with zero acreage, and have 'night leases'.... trespass at night, when they think owners or lease holders won't notice. These are the outlaws I talk about.

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Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

I don't trespass on an ATV. I do it on a dirt bike.

People have told me I'm inconsistent in the past, and I'm actually willing to concede that. If your dog comes on my land, I'll shoot to kill. If your pig comes on my land, I'll shoot to butcher. If you come on my land, well, you ARE a human being even if a worthless one, and as such will not get the automatic bullet treatment.

If I determine you are on my land to steal my stuff, there's a half decent chance you will leave with lead poisoning. If you are simply on my land to enjoy what I enjoy every day (birdwatching, snowshoeing, picnicking, watching trees grow....) I will likely ask you to leave and respect my privacy, but would be far less upset then if you break into my house. If you buzz across the back of my 90 acres on an ATV, well, I'm really not going to get upset about that one.

It's about give and take. Inevitably the conflict has nothing to do with property "rights" and everything to with whether or not you enjoy motorized off road sports.

A dirt bike or ATV can easily cover several thousand acres in a single day's riding. Many trails run from public onto private back onto public land. Most of these scum bag trespasser who deserve to die are just decent honest folk out for an afternoon with their buddies or kids.

Let your neighbor fight his own battles. I can't believe you've allowed yourself to be drawn into this.

Pete

It has everything to do with property rights! Whether or not a property owner enjoys motorized off road sports has absolutely nothing to do with someone having the right to trespass on private property.

Lots of the timber land around my part of the country is privately owned - and while many allow horses and hikers they do not allow motorized vehicles. It is their property and their right to decide who is and is not allowed on it.

If you intentionally trespass you are committing a criminal act - which is something that decent and honest folks don't do!

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Wags Ranch Nigerians


"The Constitution says to promote the general welfare, not to provide welfare!" ~ Lt. Col Allen West

You have horses?

Does this trail have a blind curve or low spot on it?

If it does, I'd store a nice big manure pile right there!!

They'd learn quick there are more pleasant trails to ride on.

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http://woodsrunnerstrail.blogspot.com/

Trespassing has nothing to do with property rights? What planet are you from?

Around here we've done a pretty decent job of cracking down on trespassing ATVs, coon and coyote hunters. My land is posted and the usual spots where they rode through have been fenced. Most important was that it came to be known that if you were caught trespassing you were not only going to be prosecuted but you would also be slapped a court order which substantially enhanced the penalties if you were ever caught trespassing on the property again. It is said those that didn't get the message that way were usually sent a unambiguous message by other extra-legal means.

A trespasser is the lowest of the low. Worthless vile scum no better than a burglar. It's one thing for someone to get lost and turned around in the brush and accidentally get on someone else's property. It's quite another to blatantly trespass on another person's land. It shows a lack of decency and respect. The same type of criminal dirtbag who would trespass on your land is the same type who would break into your house and steal from you. It is the same as someone walking into your house uninvited and watching your TV, eating your food and snooping through your possessions. It is a personal violation and decent people simply don't tolerate it.

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Respect The Cactus!

I have an ATV and own property. My ATV is a farm implement. I've never taken it trail riding. Sounds boring to me. I'd rather take a nice horseback ride.

I've found my fences cut before. I just fix them.

I don't trespass, but I ain't gonna pull a gun unless I feel personally threatened.

I once found out that a guy who cut my fence was a 65 year old friend of mine who was following his coon hounds one night. He's just not able to climb fences anymore. I saw him a week or so later at the local diner and asked him how the hunting was going.

He immediately told me he'd cut my fence a few nights earlier and would be over to fix it. I told it him was already fixed and no big deal.

As a result, he became a faithful "watchdog" over my property and warned others not to do what he had done, because "That Boley is a good guy."

This may not work in every situation, but I prefer a friendly approach.

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"The most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being." - Sir Isaac Newton
(A REAL scientist)