Problem with trespassers.

[kc]

I realy hate to dry my laundry on this web page but we have a farm, well we call it our camp near Shaftsburg Mich..lots of Deer and other small game, damned people keped pulling off sighns,so we painted the trees with bright orange paint. they come around this time of the year, and just after the first week, the pine trees get cut and stolen.spring we find dixie cups and when we look around we find Pot growing. one year we were shooting in a open lane that is between our pines and out came a setter and some guy with a shot gun..walking through the lane we have for shooting, its just over 400yards. boy did we yell at this guy. The old man jumped on his quad along with his son and bitched him out, pointed the sighns and warned him to never come back.
but every year we find tree stands. shoot we have over 15 comercial stands we removed and we tell the owners if they wont them back the Stat Police have them.

I am sick of this. We all spend a few grand every year to keep this area for hunting and its getting to a boiling point. I have been talking to the guys and this year we are fileing charges.

Am I the only person with this problem?

 

[kc]

Just so I don't forget..about 30 years ago Turkeys were re-introduced into Michigan and
they also brought in the black necked Phesents(from china). we have taken a beating trying to keep the ring necked Phesents (red)and we worked with the DNR making fenced areas with net roofs.we actualy had to leave a dog out next to the fence because Ralph's dad, AKA the Old Man cought some guy trying to catch a Turkey with a long handled fish net.
this is how stupid some people are. he was lucky he didn't get has *** kicked or shot.

Talk to me.

 

[nfhjr62]

Question: how long does it take the State Police and or local Sheriff too get to you holding you may try to make a Citizens Arrest of the trespassers and or find out if it is legal to do so OR just become a DEPUTY SHERIFF and take them right to the Justice of the Peace and have them fined and split the money with the JP.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

 

[Boss Hoss]

In Texas our GW makes short work of those types of people. Have called in several over the years---poaches are scum.

 

[kc]

To call in a trespasser the police would need an hour they are that under stafed.
we are just gonna start taking photos /video and ask to be re-embused for the work/lost time wages and for the violation.I think its $1500.00 so its goten to this point.

 

[SBruce]

To call in a trespasser the police would need an hour they are that under stafed.
we are just gonna start taking photos /video and ask to be re-embused for the work/lost time wages and for the violation.I think its $1500.00 so its goten to this point.

That was my thoughts too. Perhaps IR trail cameras, strategically placed and hidden, pointing at the signs or areas of concern. Maybe even a "sting or stakeout" with night vision or spot lights, loud speaker and a video camera.......try to catch them red handed and on video. If you can get their liscense plates by using such methods, then it doesn't even matter if you can actually hold them there till the law shows up or not...you'd have enough evidence to turn in and let the law run them down. If you catch some red handed, they may be more than willing to pay you their "fine" rather than risk the alternative..

 

[Oliveralan]

Our place in VA is "only" 200 acres, but bigger than the entire development that borders it. We found kids smoking pot at our river, and seen signs of hunters, haven't actually busted a poacher, yet. We just spent high 5 digits fencing the place.. Of someone climbs over the fence to screw around, we will file charges. I'll have to see what the rule is about detaining them. I'm sure I can find a nice mud puddle to seat them in for the hr or so till the sheriff comes to pick them up

 

[Russ Hatch]

Where I live if you get caught cutting some one else's tree you pay 3 times their worth to the owner after the court case. Where I hunt in a different state we own a small farm like you. We work with the neighbors and let them hunt our property after the first week of season. They also keep an eye on the place when we are not around. A box of candy at Christmas as a thank you gets a lot of mileage.

 

[rem300ultra]

In Texas they made it a felony for trespassing without written permission. Two years ago we caught a trespasser on our lease. We called the sheriff and he arrested him on the spot. We did press charges.

 

[Broz]

One of my duties on the ranch I live on is to control the treaspassing. I just bought one of Lens GPS programs from the gear shop and love it. When I encounter a treaspasser here is what I do.

I stay friendly and inform them they are on private land.

I ask to see their Drivers Licence and hunting lic. I copy down the info and take pics of both licences.

Then I record the GPS coordinates of where they were and offer to show them the boundries.

I then take their picture.

I file this info on a report I write up and turn it into the game warden. I tell him we wish to prosecute.

The game warden will issue the person a ticket , either treaspassing or hunting with out permission, what ever the case is.

If the violator wished to protest the charge we have a hearing in court with the Co. Att. representing me.

I have pictures, gps way points that I over lay on google earth and print a map. Plus the statement of what happened I wrote up that day of the crime with dates and time.

Last season I prosected 12 people for hunting with out permission. Two took it to court and I was well prepaired and won both cases. So I have yet to loose a case.

If the treaspassers get mouthy I simply take a picture of them on the private land, and their vehicle and Lic plate and call the warden and let him handle it. Then we prosecute to the full extent. That means we can in some cases add other private charges too.

Be courteous, be professional, and start prosecuting. Don't let it spoil your hunting season. It is simply part of owning land. Deal with it and let the authorities do their job.

I will add, you may want to talk to your warden and Co. attorney ahead of time to see how their proceedure may differ. But get them all the facts you can to make their job easier and solid.

This should not be of any cost to you. In fact, the two times I was subpeonaed I was paid milage to appear.

Again, Keep your cool, Be professional, and have a good hunting season.

Jeff

 

[kc]

One of the great concerns I have is if I had a farm and raised Cattle or Bison and some fool cuts the fence/cables and they get loose and cause a death. People where I came from Northern Michigan have been known to shine Deer and even shoot a cow or some Black Angus a rancher has. If I had 50 head of Bison just think...how can I bring them back, I would have to shoot them or if brave enough dart them but from what I have seen at yellowstone they are bad to the bone. I got about 75 yards and they started to let me know they could see me.

 

[NONYA]

If they havnt killed anything or done something else stupid(like cutting the fence to get their quad through) we give them a stern warning and a pass first time round,if we see them again(hasnt ever happened) we would prosecute.You could make quite a few enemys that could cause you tons of grief by calling the cops on people who you can handle with a short conversation.If they have something down we just call the sheriff and the warden and let them handle the situation,no sense risking an armed confrontation over somethig so stupid.gun)

 

[Bearwalk]

I'm located in Upstate NY and have experienced similar issue, mostly with unauthorized hunters. I have run off several repeat offenders, which is the most annoying. After I have told you three or four times not to hunt here, I start to lose it.

Caught one pair hunting 50 yards off my back deck. (I live in a heavily wooded area.)

This year we will "legally post" and try to prosecute some of these buggers.

 

[ein]

Unfortunately it comes with owning property. I find people down at a beach we have on some property on the river. I'm polite, and ask if they have permission from the owner or know the owner. If they feed me some line of BS, most commonly, "oh, my buddy ___ knows the owner and we come out here all the time" I just say, thats funny, cause I don't know you from Adam. I'd appreciate it if you didn't trespass anymore. If I see em again, the sheriff gets a call. It probably happens a few times a year. The tricky part is we can gate the roads, but vineyards rows are plenty big for a car. It's too bad people don't respect property lines. If someone were to call me up and ask if they could go to the beach or whatever, 9 times outta ten I'd say go right ahead, but this trespassing then spewing BS is just wrong.