How do you make gates trespass resistant?

yah, unless you're living there, not much you can do.And if you get snotty about it, you may end up with more damage than otherwise.I like the idea of talking to your neighbours and even giving somebody permission to hunt there, in return for keeping an eye on it.The other issue of course is a lability one-who is responsable of someone gets hurt on your property?

Leasing land to a responsible LOCAL hunter is the thing to do. Once the other locals know that "a good old boy" has the property leased they will respect his rights and leave everything alone. In the meanwhile, the person that is leasing the hunting rights will police your property, pick up litter, post for trespass, maintain your gates, pay your property taxes and think he has a good deal. remember, someone is going to hunt the property regardless, you may as well get some income.

If you have barbed wire fences, a super-duty tamper-resistant gate will not do much good. But if you have welded pipe fencing, that's another story. Any fence co. or welder that does pipe fences can make an extremely secure gate for you. They weld protective barriers around the latch and hinges that makes access to them very difficult. The latch area is enough to get your hand in to secure a good lock, but it's pretty much impossible to get a crowbar in there. Just ask around.

Before, during and even after we lived on my grandfather's place that is now my homestead land, we had trespassers and theives. At the time we thought that being nice worked, but pretty soon we learned that being a cast-iron hound from hades worked more effectively.

We have had buildings broken into in the past while away and vandalism done. When we were able to live here full time, and had various trespasser problems, making it clear that they needed to leave immediately, in no uncertain terms, got the point across to many. Those that insisted, and even tried shooting over my head to scare me only produced a very clear response from me. Once I spread around that the next trespasser to damage any of my property or attempted agression towards me would be shot full of so many holes they would look like swiss cheese, they got the hint to pick another place and person to bother.

I have had trouble with local braindead malcontents and city slickers equally. Being nice never got my point across and they think that you are an even softer target. Once they know you will use them for target practice, they back down. At least in my situation this is what has worked for me. All the nice words and calling the law did no good. Showing a very strong defensive front, with firearm in hand and ready to fire, was what worked for me. Granted, I was prepared to deal with the fallout from my actions.

And depending on where you live, if you don't make it clear that there is no trespassing allowed, sometimes you can lose your ability to keep people off of your land after a certain amount of time has passed. In Missouri it is seven years, that is also why I am so agressive with trespassers. Also, if you don't try to keep people off you may be liable if someone does get hurt while on your land even if you aren't there and even if they had no permission to be there in the first place.

Trespassers will damage your land even if you didn't have fencing or gates to abuse. Again, the only way I have found to deal with them is to present a very strong display of force. While you may not be able to do that right now, the sooner you are able, the better.

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I would challenge anyone here to think of a question upon which we once had a scientific answer, however inadequate, but for which now the best answer is a religious one. – Sam Harris

You can put a heavy chain with padlocks on both ends of your gates and nail the chain into the posts with big galvanized nails. Also put up the no trespassing signs clearly visible (and take pictures of this because signs can be removed) because if they do go onto your place and ruin their ATV tires or get hurt on your property (i.e. stepping into traps) they could sue you. I know it doesn't sound right since they are on your land to begin with, but they can sue you...also in some cases criminal charges could be filed against you if they are hurt....intent to harm or cause bodily injury. That is why you ALWAYS put a no trespassing sign up on all parts of your property, pasture land, woods and house site. Put Danger signs up by any ponds (in case someone decides to go swimming) and Beware of dog signs up even if you have chihuahuas. These days.....ANYBODY is looking for a chance to sue. $$$$ I was a paralegal for 14 years working personal injury, divorce and criminal defense cases in Cherokee County and Montgomery County, Tx. and served as court coordinator for County Court at Law #1 in Cherokee County, Tx.

p.s. My daddy cured some boys from pleasure driving their trucks through his watermelon field. They would go in there during the night and spin out and do donuts and cut up, tearing up watermelon vines and ruining his melons. He took some treated 2x4s and nailed big nails through them and buried them at different locations throughout the melon field (No trespassing signs everywhere). The next morning when he woke up he went and got a cup of coffee and looked over across the road to the field and there sat the pickup with 4 flat tires in the middle of his melon field. He called the Sheriff's Dept. to come out there and they found out whose truck it was and went and had a talk with them (local teenagers) Their deal was to come back and pick Daddy's melons for him (What was left) and tote them to the house and no charges would be filed. After the melons were picked THEN they got to get their truck out of the field. Until then everybody that drove up and down the road saw the Stewart boys truck sitting out in the middle of the field and KNEW what they had been up to AND that Daddy caught them. :haha:

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Christine Edwards
New Waverly, Texas
www.freewebs.com/cottoneyeddoes
www.freewebs.com/texstarboers

Yeah, too many City Snotty Landowners out there!

"Add another cable lock to the hinge side. Even if they twist the bolts the gate won't open. I think you have the right idea using cable. Very slow to cut through and most thieves/trespassers won't bother. But they might cut your fence if they can't get through the gate."

NO LISTEN DON'T USE CABLE!! I got bolt cutters! cable is a "snap" to get thru! I would seriously sugest to Dig the Ditches deep and at the entrance, have it chained, with HEAVY chain.
BTW cable will rust thru faster than chain.

Dean(a Tresspasser, and proud of it!)

Help me out here, Dean. You call the rightful owners of land names ("City Snotty Landowners"). You say you're a trespasser -- AND proud of it -- but then your sig makes this strong statement about your fundamental belief in the Bible and that you are part of the Body of believers (i.e. the Body of Christ) worldwide.

Somehow, this just seems contradictory to me...

Unless you're just kidding about being a trespasser, and I somehow missed the subtlety of it?

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

Not being there makes it difficult. This will probably get better once you are on site. Consider dropping a boulder or something massive in the path if you have heavy equipment. Rocks work better than trees but thick enough, knarly enough tree trunks work too.

We occasionally have a problem with trespsassers destroying with our gates and we're here on site. The problem people are not generally locals but out of state and city people who come up and see 'empty' country and want to race around on their ATVs and snow machines shooting of guns and drinking. I don't appreciate them damaging our crops, logging roads and livestock. I do allow a group of locals to hunt on part of our land and they help run off the riff-raff. This helps make a presence.

I do make a habit of confronting strangers. I'm nice, the first time. The dog who I'm holding back on voice command is not. I rarely get repeat offenders. I do take names and I do report them to the police and game warden and I tell them I'm doing it. I also carry a radio and a camera. We have very little problem now.

Interestingly, over the past sixteen years word has gradually spread that we have big dogs that roam free and eat trespassers. I have no idea where that rumor got started...

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

See if you can trap a few skunks and tie them to the gate and leave them some food. These guard skunks should solve your trespassing problem and might even give them rabies. :no:

Hey, here is an idea....

Incorporate some of those ideas already mentioned and add ELECTRICITY!!!!!

LOL...you can tell how much I like trespassers! Seriously though, there are lots of used electric fence boxes for livestock around, tie a live wire around the metal gate, hide the wires and then let them get shocked when someone goes to mess with it.....personally, I would turn the voltage WAY up!!!!

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I want to live where the green grass grows, watchin our corn pop up in rows, everynight be tucked in close to you. Raise our kids where the Good Lord's blessed, point our rocking chairs towards the West. Plan our dreams where the peaceful river flows. Where the green grass grows. " -Tim McGraw

Thanks for all the GREAT ideas. We will try some of them to see if anything helps this situation. Our biggest concern is that a trespasser will get hurt...and sue us. Even though our property is posted and marked with purple paint as required by the state of Missouri...apparently the landowner can still be held responsible for anyone injured on the property. I'll never understand how that law stands up in court...but guess there are some cases documented. Our second concern is that our cattle will get out while someone has the gate off...for whatever reason. In the past we did give permission to a few neighbors to hunt...but we've found from past experiences that those hunters always "bring a friend" who next year thinks it's ok for him to come hunt without asking our permission and they "bring a friend". Pretty soon you have people you've never seen or talked to before wandering around your property...checking out the barns...stealing the berries, mushrooms, apples, garden veggies, eggs, etc. I've even had someone dig up and remove some of my perenial flowers! So....we finally decided to just Post the property...and only permit our immediate family to hunt & fish. We do plan to move to this property in 2005...then my Dobermans will have full run of the place!

We had a jerk come through our gate, while dh was here, looking for a "shortcut" to NF land. When he left, he went through a gate by unscrewing ALL the dang bolts and leaving it hang. I was coming home and had a heck of a time unlocking and then having to lift each panel (double metal stock gates, very heavy. In fact, from dh's later description, I'd passed the so and so's on the road going out, and they waved - wish I'd known....). So I was mad, and dh was mad (the guy originally tried to keep driving up the 2 mile driveway, right past where dh was working, well, until dh fired some shots. So I guarded the gate while dh drove up for the welder, and he welded the bolts shut.

While the house is 2 miles from the gate, you can see it clearly from the gate, and of course, the no trespassing, private land signs are at the gate. Made NO difference. They were lucky it was dh - I would have blocked them with my truck until the sheriff came (or if they looked psycho, got their license and called same sheriff.). We have cattle and if they'd left it open, would have been a mess, at least they left it standing instead of on the ground. But they were very bold about it (judging from the timing, they wandered a tiny bit more before they left - next time, dh will escort them out and ask the sheriff to file charges. I'm done being nice).

Now they will have to pull out the posts. The terrain is such that the gated road is the only way through - its on a steep hillside, so they can't cut the wire and go around. Neighbors have a shoot proof lock on their gate, and if you did that, plus welded the bolts and cemented in metal posts, at least they would have to spend more time to break in, might not be worth it. But the gate would have to be where the terrain would prevent them going around (or drop a ton of logs and brush by each side to create a "gotta work hard at it" barrier).

That is rude, if you Tresspass, at least RESPECT the owners land, Vandalizim is WRONG, if you Tresspass, AT LEAST SHUT THE GATE.

WARNING! RANT FOLLOWS:

Cutting your way through a gate with bolt cutters is breaking and entering. You should be put in jail for that. Frankly someone who gains access to another man's property like that deserves to be shot. or hung. Either would do.....




If you are trespassing you already are showing no respect for his land. You are showing contempt for him, his land, his property, the law, for common decency and civilized behavior. This INFURIATES me. What is so difficult about not trespassing on another man's property? Would you like it if I just came walking into your living room? "Hey don't worry I'm not going to damage anything." Sweet merciful crap.

Why can't people get it through their heads that it is wrong to violate another man's property? I pay the taxes. I maintain it. I work hard on it. My sweat and blood is in it. The sweat and blood of my forefathers is in it. Some of their bodies rest 6 ft. under it. They fought and died for it. It has been in my family for over 150 years. IT IS MINE. NOT YOURS. You do not have some god given right to use my property without permission dammit. Stay the h*ll off or so help me god I will remove you. I will file charges. I will file restraining orders. I will do everything within the law to stop you from violating my personal space. A man's home is his castle and his land his dominion. If I don't invite you stay the h*ll off. Get it through your head that this property is MINE NOT YOURS.

Nothing is more repugnant to me than someone who will not respect the property of others. It is the same as STEALING and those who engage in it are thieves. How someone can be proud of such a despicable act is beyond me.

Rant concluded- We now return you to your regularly scheduled sweet lovable Quint already in progress.

LOL

Funny rant, but TOO TRUE. I live in a tourist town where the tourists are under the impression that with their hotel room they have purchased the right to go anywhere at any time. Including into my sheep pens. Since the only familiarity they have with "sheep" is from storybooks they can't tell rams from ewes, and have no idea how dangerous a rutting ram can be. Imagine, lifting your toddler over a fence and dropping them in to "pet the sheep" when you're dropping them into a ram pen...

I am no longer polite. I am livid and I express myself in clear and vigorous language. I feel sorry for the kids though. It isn't their fault their parents are idiots and it is probably pretty scary to have this mad woman throwing you off her property.

......................I'll Suggest this , even if it has already been posted . When , I hang either a maufactured gate or a custom built gate , the simplest solution to make the gate unremovable .....is to simply point the hooks ...1 up and 1 down . The gate pivots on these points of attachment and the only way to remove them is to use a Cutting torch , which would take about 30 seconds but not everyone is running around with a Torch in the back of their truck...fordy...

The city folk in-state/out-of-state tourists, some brainless locals and other malcontents only get it when I look like a hellhound when confronting them. Even then there are the few that just don't understand why I am so upset about them walking all over my property.

However, if my attude doesn't reduce the problems, my local reputation of being an aggressive armed nut helps a bit. Most people learn to just not bother with coming on my land from that. Those that don't know the reputation learn fast when the muzzle of a shotgun or rifle is aimed at their head and they kind of lose control of their bladder and bowels when I disengage the safety.

But this is drifting from the topic. What I have here are heavy wrought iron wheels welded together to form two gates along with the required angle iron to make a frame to hold them together. They are too heavy to lift with even two people and when chained are rather ram-resistant. I have had two padlocks shot, but only needed bolt cutters once to remove a link from the chain to get in. The ground immediately on either side of the old railroad tie posts is very brushy and not wide enough to drive a full sized truck through even if you crash the fence, additionally, the side fencing on the driveway has just enough posts that the vehicle would be torn up before they got far. The rest of the land is too steep, rocky or densely timbered to get a truck through and slows an ATV down to a speed that I can easily hit with a rifle if needed.

Sometimes the best defense against most trespassers is having property that is hard to get onto without going through a gate, then making that gate a pain to deal with if you are up to no good. Perhaps a sign that is worded "We don't call the sheriff for trespassers / We use them for target practice" might also give a potential trespasser a moment to pause and think about it. Do they want to find out if the sign is just words...or not?

Secure your gates as best you can, using barriers if possible. If needed, run heavy chains across the inside of the gate posts and have one end bolted to one post, another end bolted to another and padlock the chains to gether with a heavy lock. Even if they remove the gate, they have to cut a few locks or chains to get in, but you can still unlock them to get in easily.

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I would challenge anyone here to think of a question upon which we once had a scientific answer, however inadequate, but for which now the best answer is a religious one. – Sam Harris

Oh please please PLEASE answer this question, Dean! I am dying to know! (Or maybe you can't answer it??)

Chris

I have a place that I don't live on year round. The best defense is a good offense. I have a good gate & I post signs, but my best defense is my neighbor. He lives there year round, & he knows how to take care of buisness.Nothing discouarges tresspassers better than a pump shotgun!

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Freedom isn't Free

You really don't want to get off to a bad start with your neighbor cause things can get really ugly if you do. I think if it were me, I'd drop by for a quick visit and get acquainted session and casually ask if they might know who's been on your land. Likely, they'll deny but perservere and maybe try a different approach and try to get round to the point that you'd prefer that arrangements were made through you rather than seeing your gates damaged. I can assure you that if someone is damaging gates to trespass, if you build a better gate, they'll simply start cutting fences.