# Have you ever caught of poacher/tresspasser?  What did you do?



## Ballgame25 (Dec 20, 2005)

Myself and two of my buddies (who are brothers) were riding four wheelers on their property just messing around. Anyways we are riding up their pipeline in their property and i see out of the corner of my eyes a guy up in a treestand right off the pipeline about 15 feet up. I continue to follow my buddies about 150 yards (out of site of the tresspasser) and tell them what i saw.

My buddy whips back and pulls right up to under the tree. He had a 12 gauge (we had been shooting big toebig toebig toebig toe birds and squirrel nests) and the first thing he did was unload his shot gun so the guy could see it there were no shells in the gun. The tresspasser returned the favor and took out his clip and threw it down. 

Then this guy goes into a long story about how someone in the trailor parks a couple miles down the road had given him permission to hunt. Guy was just completely lying. Luckily there was no real heated altercation, my buddy basically just told the guy he was poor sorry scum bag.

can't imagine how the guy felt when he saw we caught him red handed. must have been so shameful.


----------



## bradpatt03 (Dec 20, 2005)

i wouldn't approach anyone with a weapon (at least not showing) and i guess what your buddy did was alright by unloadin  his gun...

when we caught someone we just called the game warden...that's what they're here for 

besides...if i woulda said somethin the guy woulda probably been back in a week.


----------



## Wang Dang (Dec 20, 2005)

I have caught several people hunting on leased land that I was a part of.  Most of them tell a story about someone living near the land giving them permission to hunt.  I always tell them that person doesn't own the land and they need to leave.  Most do so without incedent.  Some people however have the atttitude since they live near the land they have every right to be on it.  Some of those have gotten visits from the game warden and some of those finally stayed off the land after several intense conversations.


----------



## Ballgame25 (Dec 20, 2005)

i agree the sequence of events we followed were not the steps to take, we were about 22 years old, we are probably also the lucky there cabin was not "accidentally"burned down


----------



## Randy (Dec 20, 2005)

After coming out of the woods one evening, my Dad and I were standing in his front yard when we see a truck down the road stop and shoot on to our property.  We jumped in his truck and took off down the road.  We pulled in behind the truck and there is a guy coing out of the woods.  He sees us by his truck and unloads and walks up to where we were.  Dad tells him he is trespassing and the cops are on the way (my mother was calling as we drove off).  We waited for about an hour and no cops showed.  The guy was a yound kid maybe 18.  Dad told him to give him his rifle and come back with his parents to get it.  They came back the next day and Dad had a long talk with him and his parents.


----------



## Ta-ton-ka chips (Dec 20, 2005)

Ballgame25 said:
			
		

> Myself and two of my buddies (who are brothers) were riding four wheelers on their property just ****ing around.  Anyways we are riding up their pipeline in their property and i see out of the corner of my eyes a guy up in a treestand right off the pipeline about 15 feet up.  I continue to follow my buddies about 150 yards (out of site of the tresspasser) and tell them what i saw.
> 
> My buddy whips back and pulls right up to under the tree.  He had a 12 gauge (we had been shooting big toebig toebig toebig toe birds and squirrel nests) and the first thing he did was unload his shot gun so the guy could see it there were no shells in the gun.  The tresspasser returned the favor and took out his clip and threw it down.
> 
> ...


I just caught one   Shooting birds and squirrel nests   makes you guys poachers


----------



## Ballgame25 (Dec 20, 2005)

actually we were shooting at pine cones and tree tops, sorry for the confusion


----------



## Wang Dang (Dec 20, 2005)

One of my favorite encounters was with a man and woman horseback riding on our land during rifle season.  I told him they were trespassing on private property and needed to leave.  He argued with me that they rode on the land all the time and he would continue to ride the land.  I kept my cool and told him again  he was trespassing.  They lived on the property line of our land.  I wanted to be a good neighbor and told them they could ride the land as long as it wasn't deer season.  He continued telling me that they rode the land all the time and would keep doing so.  I was getting tired of this conversation and noticed he was riding a gray horse.  I finally told him that if he continued to ride the land during hunting season his horse would be mistaken for a deer and shot out from under him.  He immediately turned to his lady friend and told her it was time to leave.  I never saw them on the land again.


----------



## bradpatt03 (Dec 20, 2005)

> actually we were shooting at pine cones and tree tops, sorry for the confusion


----------



## DCHunter (Dec 20, 2005)

My neighbor and I  found a stand behind our houses on his land not even CLOSE to any property line. We left a laminated, handwritten note informing him this was private property and that he was poaching. We put our names, phone number and address and told him if he wanted to discuss it further to contact us.  We dated the letter and informed him he had 3 weeks to get the stand and not return or we would keep it. Well, now my neighbor has a nice stand and we haven't seen anybody back there since.


----------



## Ta-ton-ka chips (Dec 20, 2005)

Ballgame25 said:
			
		

> actually we were shooting at pine cones and tree tops, sorry for the confusion


Thanks for clearing that up.  
I think we've all stretched the rules at one time or another while growing up! Didn't mean to jump on you with both feet but we all need to remember that this forum can be viewed by anyone at anytime, past, present, future. The internet is a wonderful and dangerous tool


----------



## Raven (Dec 20, 2005)

I am usually pretty nice when it is a first time offense. I take the appraoch that accidents happen, and in the furture please stay on property you have permission to be on. So far it has worked pretty good using that tactic, no harsh words and no violence. And only a couple of repeat offenders, which I use the help of the local DNR, I do not want to become a headline just to look tough.


----------



## cmzshooter (Dec 20, 2005)

I had a similar story to DC hunter. I found a stand on private property clearly over the line by 200 yards. The first time I took the climbing stand off the tree and left it with a note that they had accidentally gotten on the wrong property and expected them not to do it again. Two weeks later I found the same climber about 200 yards down further in the woods. That time i left a business card on the tree and told them to call me if they wanted the stand back-I still use that stand today.


----------



## HuntinTom (Dec 20, 2005)

*Captured Them*

Three boys out of Atlanta came walking underneath my permanent stand one morning -- I dropped a bead on them and told them to put down their guns and back away -- One of em said, _We's aint's hard to get along wit mister... _  To which I replied as I had the barrel pointed at his head, _You's ain't really in no position to be hard to get along wit as I sees it..._  Made them lay down their guns, and I climbed down the tree using one hand and held the rifle pointed at them with the other (I don't think they knew it, but I was probably more scared than they were -- But, you get started with something like this, and, well - You gotta' finish it I suppose  )  I made them put their hands on their heads, and marched them out of the woods in single file -- When I got them out, I told them one could go back and get the guns, and I'd better never see them around again...  I told them they were lucky cause' I was one of the nice guys in our club  -- Never did see that car they were in ever again around our place


----------



## Vernon Holt (Dec 20, 2005)

In such a situation, I would (and have) ask to see his written permission to be hunting on this place, knowing full well that he has no such permission.

When he stammers and stumbles saying that he has no such permission, I politely ask him to leave  and leave now and don't come back unless he can attain that written permission.  All the time I am confidant that he cannot attain this permission, since I would not grant it.

Never had an instance where one refused to vacate the premises.

Never resorted to attempting to involve a Game Warden in such a case.  I have always considered that game law enforcers have more important work to do than work cases such as this.

If the violator becomes beligerant and refuses to leave, then the matter becomes more complicated.

A camera can be a valuable tool under such circumstances.  Shots can be taken of the guy in the tree, coming down, and on the ground as well.  These pictures will intimidate him into not coming back lest he be a two time looser.


----------



## bradpatt03 (Dec 20, 2005)

dern Tom...


----------



## elfiii (Dec 20, 2005)

Two years ago a new club picked up the lease on timber property next to us. 3 weeks before archery season started we pulled our feeders and cleaned up all "golden acorns", ready for the season. 

The week before the season opens I came back and there is a tube feeder tied to our frame for our timer feeder.I cut it loose and took it to their camp. Opening day, there it was again. I cut it loose again, took it back to their camp and this time left a note. The third time the feeder showed up was the lucky charm. I called the leasing guy for the timber company and told him what was going on. Problem solved.

It sure was a good season with nobody hunting the timber company lease.


----------



## HuntinTom (Dec 20, 2005)

bradpatt03 said:
			
		

> dern Tom...


Well Brad, that was in my younger days -- I'm older now, and not in quite as good of shape -- I probably wouldn't be able to confront three big old boys like that these days -- I guess now -- Well, I'd just have to shoot em...


----------



## bradpatt03 (Dec 20, 2005)

remind me to stay away from your property


----------



## HuntinTom (Dec 20, 2005)

bradpatt03 said:
			
		

> remind me to stay away from your property


Brad - You're welcome anytime - I'm usually very sweet and kind...   So, back to the thread -- Any of ya'll ever caught a trespasser?


----------



## fatboy84 (Dec 20, 2005)

HuntinTom said:
			
		

> Three boys out of Atlanta came walking underneath my permanent stand one morning -- I dropped a bead on them and told them to put down their guns and back away -- One of em said, _We's aint's hard to get along wit mister... _  To which I replied as I had the barrel pointed at his head, _You's ain't really in no position to be hard to get along wit as I sees it..._  Made them lay down their guns, and I climbed down the tree using one hand and held the rifle pointed at them with the other (I don't think they knew it, but I was probably more scared than they were -- But, you get started with something like this, and, well - You gotta' finish it I suppose  )  I made them put their hands on their heads, and marched them out of the woods in single file -- When I got them out, I told them one could go back and get the guns, and I'd better never see them around again...  I told them they were lucky cause' I was one of the nice guys in our club  -- Never did see that car they were in ever again around our place



I don't think it would have doen you any good to continue to hunt that lease.  They probably soiled themselves so bad you would never see another deer there.


----------



## Ta-ton-ka chips (Dec 20, 2005)

HuntinTom said:
			
		

> Well Brad, that was in my younger days -- I'm older now, and not in quite as good of shape -- I probably wouldn't be able to confront three big old boys like that these days -- I guess now -- Well, I'd just have to shoot em...


Didn't Clint Eastwood play a preacher in some movie years ago.... 
Guess they didn't know Huntin Tom was available


----------



## HuntinTom (Dec 20, 2005)

Ta-ton-ka chips said:
			
		

> Didn't Clint Eastwood play a preacher in some movie years ago....
> Guess they didn't know Huntin Tom was available


_"I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a 44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clear off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?"  _


----------



## elfiii (Dec 20, 2005)

Well, all I know is, if I'm ever in your church HT, I sure won't sleep through the sermon!


----------



## HuntinTom (Dec 20, 2005)

elfiii said:
			
		

> Well, all I know is, if I'm ever in your church HT, I sure won't sleep through the sermon!


And don't let your cell phone ring either - That just sets me off!    Now
BACK TO THE THREAD  - 
THE PREACHER'S DONE HIJACKED IT!


----------



## FootLongDawg (Dec 20, 2005)

Ta-ton-ka chips said:
			
		

> Didn't Clint Eastwood play a preacher in some movie years ago....
> Guess they didn't know Huntin Tom was available



Pale Rider....A line from that movie reminds me of Huntin Tom..."Preacher man you say...No I don't think he was a preacher...Shot 3 of my best men without them getting their pistols out of their holsters....Two of them right between the eyes...No, This man was no preacher."


----------



## HuntinTom (Dec 20, 2005)

FootLongDawg said:
			
		

> No, This man was no preacher."


  But I do play one on T.V.  -- Now -- BACK TO THE THREAD!   Before I have to ban myself for excessive hijacking of a good-man's thread


----------



## calvin (Dec 20, 2005)

*trespasses...I've caught several....*

most have not returned. I had a neighbor who was trying to be funny, I took his stand. When he called about getting it back, I told him sure-come and get it. When he got to the house, I had run over the stand with my tractor.

A few years ago, I had the worst problem to date. At that time I had a "White face" Herford Bull. Well the following spring my pasture was full of mushrooms. I had every dope addict and hippie reject from the state all over my pasture just about any morning you wanted to pick. After about 2 weeks of running folks off, and was starting to see the same folks twice, I had enough. I called in the dogs and the first group they arrested was from Albany. Yep, they came up from Albany to Bibb co. on a Thursday to get mushrooms. The law enforcement had to patrol for about a month and made I don't know how many arrest.

I got rid of the Herford bull that winter and went to Angus and have never had a problem since then. But for one year, we had a good time. There some somebody arrested every week. The sheriff told me the next spring he made arrest from people who lived in Tenn. and N. Dakota, picking mushrooms in my pasture.

The biggest problem I've had since then has been 4wheeler riders and cattle rustlers.

calvin


----------



## COYOTE X (Dec 20, 2005)

YES. Had a 500 acre lease (my dad and I) and had issues with a low-life that lived in his mothers shack on 1 acre that was the only house in miles, and bordered our lease. Low-life had been caught on our lease "red-handed" after shooting deer twice over the course of 15 years. Low-life had shot several times and later we found the blood and drag marks of where he removed the deer. We attempted to resolve the matter as "men" and he said he was sorry and it would not happen again and was escorted off the land.I became a LEO. I started hunting low-life. It did not take long. (we did not hunt that side of the property prior) Caught him.Went to the courthouse, got a warrant from the magistrate judge. The Sheriff (small sheriff's dept) came back that afternoon and arrested  low-life.............................................................................................. Low life should have been arrested each time he was caught on the property. LESSON LEARNED. COYOTE X


----------



## Bucky T (Dec 20, 2005)

Ballgame25 said:
			
		

> actually we were shooting at pine cones and tree tops, sorry for the confusion



Oh, this is going to get good!!

I'm really not meaning to sound like a ********, but how in the world can you confuse a pine cone from a squirrel nest???    

Anyways, glad you guys caught the trespasser.  That's a little more serious offense for sure.


----------



## dixie (Dec 20, 2005)

all of the above, I've run some off, taken warrents out on some, called the law to some, just whatever the situation called for.


----------



## CAL (Dec 20, 2005)

Very few cases.Each time have very politely explained they were on private property and the owners didn't allow any hunting and would they please respect that.So far,no problems.I find no one wishes to be treated like a low life even if they are one.


----------



## ponyboy (Dec 20, 2005)

Ballgame25 said:
			
		

> actually we were shooting at pine cones and tree tops, sorry for the confusion


                                                                                                                     yur him aintcha....we b gone keep an eye on ya........


----------



## JerryC (Dec 20, 2005)

Twice. Once on property with repeat problems. Sherrif came and talked to the guy (the guy was an 'urban camper') and caught him in a series of lies. Spent some time in jail!
Second time on different land I found a stand, removed it but left a note with my number. Then an hour or so later found a guy wandering around looking for his stand. We both put our rifles down and figured out he was 'confused' about where his lease's property lines were. Turns out he posted MY hunting land for me! Of course, while we were walking the land and I was showing him the property lines, with my rifle about 600 yards away leaning against a tree, who do we see but Mr. Big Buck!!! Turns out the guy and his grandsons had been hunting there all season. All of a sudden I didn't feel safe but felt lucky. Another reason to wear orange even if you are on private prop.
BTW, Ballgame, nice avatar, and do you have any pine cone recipes? -JerryC


----------



## duke13 (Dec 21, 2005)

I thought i did once! 

I was in a lease with my 2 bosses/company owners. One weekend i found a headless big deer not far from my stand and kept finding cigarette butts in the area(not my brand!). So one saturday morning I'm in the stand and I see a pair of blue jeans coming thru the woods up the trail past my tree. I waited until he was right under me(never saw me) and went "Hey!" He about jumped out of his britches!  

I told him he was trespassing on private posted land and I was going to have him arrested. I was really mad and was acting like a real elmo! Turns out he was a guest of one of the company owners and their biggest client!


----------



## coon dawg (Dec 21, 2005)

*yes.........twice............*

not gonna say how I dealt with it......but they never came back................


----------



## #93 (Dec 21, 2005)

They never came back..... Did they get to leave???   Your scaring me!!!


----------



## HuntinTom (Dec 21, 2005)

coon dawg said:
			
		

> not gonna say how I dealt with it......but they never came back................


John does have some big, thick swamps over his way


----------



## Bone Collector (Dec 21, 2005)

I don't understand...Pine cones don't look like birds' nests and treetops don't look like squirrels' nests.  Wait a minute...I'm confused. I think I meant to say pine cones don't look like squirrels' nests and treetops don't look like birds' nests.   

Most game wardens can clear up this confusion.  Well, they may not see it as confusion at all.  They may say, "Well sir, to me, that squirrel nest looks like a squirrel nest and that bird nest looks like a bird nest . However, I'm an understanding guy and I will not issue a citation for your "confusion".  But seeing how I've sworn to uphold the law...I'm going to have to issue citations for hunting pine cones and treetops out-of-season."   

Why shoot treetops and pine cones anyway?  This seems like unsafe and irresponsible practice to me. However, I may be confused.  

Darrell


----------



## Beehaw (Dec 21, 2005)

Randy said:
			
		

> After coming out of the woods one evening, my Dad and I were standing in his front yard when we see a truck down the road stop and shoot on to our property.  We jumped in his truck and took off down the road.  We pulled in behind the truck and there is a guy coing out of the woods.  He sees us by his truck and unloads and walks up to where we were.  Dad tells him he is trespassing and the cops are on the way (my mother was calling as we drove off).  We waited for about an hour and no cops showed.  The guy was a yound kid maybe 18.  Dad told him to give him his rifle and come back with his parents to get it.  They came back the next day and Dad had a long talk with him and his parents.



That is one of the best responses I have ever heard of!  Randy, It sounds like your dad is a wise man.  I don't know that I would confront a lot of people nowdays, but it is nice to see somebody deal with using wisdom.


----------



## quackwacker (Dec 21, 2005)

*caught 4 in 5 years!*

When folks find out you have an intensly managed QDM club they love to ride the roads and see whats in the ditches.  Caught two guys hunting from a truck and at night.  One of them had a felony warrant in Fulton county.  The next year we had been hearing shot before the season and at night.  We called the DNR and they came out one night just so they could see where it was coming from and they were going to set up the decoy and catch them later in the week.  Just so has it while we were in the woods, way after dark, some one shot not 500 yds away.  2 more caught.  We press charges on everyone.

We work too hard and spend to much money to have yo-yos who know it wrong do us like that.


This year we had a problem with someone dumping guts and hides in one of our creeks that cross the road.  As we were looking at them one after noon we noticed that the knuclke head had dropped his measuring tape and it had his name on it.  sheriff paid him a little visit too.  Dumping violation.


----------



## Researcher31726 (Dec 22, 2005)

*Trespassers*

We have never let anyone hunt our land. (My dad had MS and the shooting was tough on his nerves.) Usually if anyone was tresspassing, it was an honest mistake because of the property lines, so I'd just show them where they were.  I had two hunters block my private roadway one day while they went into a neighbor's land to hunt.  I ended up blowing the horn and they came to see what was what.  I told them they could park on the shoulder, just don't block the road, because my parents' were in ill health (and we had to have the ambulance out there some). They said okay; my letting them park on the shoulder saved them a good hike to their stand.They moved their trucks. I went into town and when I came back their trucks were back in my road. I got them back to their trucks and told them to get them off my road completely.  They started to hem-haw and I told them I would call the Sheriff.  They left my road.  Later, one of them said something to my older brother, saying I was out-of-line.  Bubba told him that he was lucky I was in a good mood that day and didn't shoot out his tires. (I wouldn't have.)


----------



## huntfish (Dec 22, 2005)

We've got 165 acres in Wisconsin that used to have a problem.  Of course with dad in Florida and me in Georgia, there was no way we could keep folks out.  Simple solution was giving local game wardens right to hunt the property along with some neighbors that help out.

A tresspasser would be crazy to hunt there.  Especially with WIDNR truck usually parked there.


----------



## Rockin Randall (Dec 22, 2005)

I belong to th Brushshot Hunting Club; we've never had a problem.


----------



## holadude (Dec 22, 2005)

*I ate them*

Taste like chicken!!


----------



## Outlaw Dawgsey Wales (Dec 22, 2005)

*I have never had to deal with poachers/tresspassers*

My brother caught one back in 1981 when we hunted in Taylor Co.He made a move and caught the butt-end of my brother's Remington 1100 right in the mouth,layed him flat out.....He was escorted to the road and held at the camp until sheriff dept got there.No cell phones back then...


----------



## Deerhead (Dec 22, 2005)

Let me first say we had a chronic problem with our camp being robbed.  I caught one 60 year old man back in February (who lives near or property).  He ran away soon as he saw me.  Called the Sheriff and local DNR officer! They when over to his house for a chat.  Since their meeting we have not been robbed. What a coincidence!  The sheriff & DNR officer has been a huge help!


----------



## Chippewa Partners (Dec 22, 2005)

It was the opening weekend of pheasant season.  Mid-1970's.  West central MN.  Fox prices were sky high.  I had checked traps all day and had lost a couple of fox to theft. Pheasant hunters just couldn't resist the quick easy cash.

Late afternoon along toward the end of my trap line I popped into the west side of a  large section that  had 3 sets in it as it was a big WPA(waterfowl production area).  There was a nice pickup parked in the approach.  I ran up and over the hill and down to the sets.  Saw that I had caught a fox, saw man tracks and blood there and figured the guys hunting pheasants towards the other end of the section had killed it by the "freshness" of the blood and man tracks.   I was stewed by this point losing 3 fox that day as 3 fox meant $180 bucks back then. I ran back over the hill, got out my 12 gauge and binoculars and headed back over the hill and waited in the tall grass.  I waited.  The two hunters approached the fox trap slowly, one guy looked around, the other walked aways over to a corner fence post, reached down and picked up "my" fox.  They had to come up the hill towards their pickup where I was hiding.   By this time my blood was rather boiling.  As they got close, I sprung up out of the tall grass with my shotgun pointed at them and I hollered, "drop your guns right now" as I charged at the guy who was carrying my fox with my shotgun pointed right at him.  He turned white and his little buddy started to shake like a leaf.  I proceeded to tell them to back up away from their guns and that they were very lucky I didn't blow their truck up for breaking the law as it is against MN state law to disturb traps and/or the "catch" in a trap.  

When I reflect on that incident I wonder if having put some 12 gauge number 4 shot into their radiator wouldn't have produced a better lifetime giggle and tremendous satisfaction knowing justice had been done my way. 

The moral of the story is, make sure no one is watching when one steal traps or game out of traps.  It  just might be an armed trapper watching. An unhappy one at that.


----------



## Vernon Holt (Dec 22, 2005)

I think you broke two guys from raiding a trapline.


----------



## Coastie (Dec 22, 2005)

Ballgame25 said:
			
		

> Myself and two of my buddies (who are brothers) were riding four wheelers on their property just messing around. Anyways we are riding up their pipeline in their property and i see out of the corner of my eyes a guy up in a treestand right off the pipeline about 15 feet up. I continue to follow my buddies about 150 yards (out of site of the tresspasser) and tell them what i saw.
> 
> My buddy whips back and pulls right up to under the tree. He had a 12 gauge (we had been shooting big toebig toebig toebig toe birds and squirrel nests) and the first thing he did was unload his shot gun so the guy could see it there were no shells in the gun. The tresspasser returned the favor and took out his clip and threw it down.
> 
> ...



Just what kind of birds were you guys shooting and shooting into squirell nest is verbotten I do believe. My point is, you are all lathered up about some guy breaking the law and, oh my gosh, trespassing on this property, but you yourselves have been apparently by your own admissoion broken the law also. I have no use for tresspassres or other law breakers, but when the pot is calling the kettle black, I have to wonder at times.


----------



## DDHUNT (Dec 22, 2005)

Yes. Going to bed.  Middle GA.  Flashlights coming down our drive.  2002.  Not your standard poacher deal.  After the 6 shots from my favorite Ruger Single-6, "tresspassers" gone.  The sheriff the next day asked me why I shot "high".  Cool.  Late bow season, the losers hit you then.   Be careful.  Merry Christmas, DDH.


----------



## Ballgame25 (Dec 22, 2005)

Coastie said:
			
		

> Just what kind of birds were you guys shooting and shooting into squirell nest is verbotten I do believe. My point is, you are all lathered up about some guy breaking the law and, oh my gosh, trespassing on this property, but you yourselves have been apparently by your own admissoion broken the law also. I have no use for tresspassres or other law breakers, but when the pot is calling the kettle black, I have to wonder at times.





Sorry, we were young and yes "ignorant", trust i have learned rules and regulations since and respect them


----------



## Ga-Spur (Dec 27, 2005)

I am just glad Huntintom don't trap anymore . Tom I always keep the guns . I enjoy hunting the traspassers especially if they have nice guns. I caught a neighbor hunting turkeys over at the swamp a few years back. He had walked 2 miles to get where he was. He was sitting in front of a hugh boulder just clucking away and I slipped up on him by stepping on the rocks and climbed up on the boulder and racked that 12 gauge.  He came off the ground like a missle all the while jerking his head net off. He was shaking all over and said " it sure is cold out here". He didn't know why I was laughing so hard.  It was about 60 degrees .









\


----------



## wildlands (Dec 27, 2005)

Just this morning had two so called duck hunters slipping thru the woods about 60 yards out I think heading to the river to jump ducks. I had caught movement off to my left coming down a fire break the deer like to travel. I was just getting ready to move the gun around to were I could get a shot when I noticed it was two guys. I yelled at them and told them they were trespasing and had ruined my hunting. They turned and very quickly returned to their side of the property. I called the game warden but no answer left a message. I was fuming since this is suppose to be my last day in the woods this year. These guys had been shooting ducks at the property ajoining ours all morning. I decided to go out and see if I could catch them and get a tag number. I did better than that I caught them coming off of another property they did not have permision to be on. They could not give me the name of the person who gave them permision to hunt. They said the reason they were on our property was they were looking for a wounded duck. They were over 250+ yards from the lake were they were shooting and probably close to 170 yards onto us. Got the tag number , Game warden called me back and now I am waiting to see what happens. Both landowners are willing to press charges for tresspassing if it comes down to it. Tired of loosing cameras and stands.


----------



## DDD (Dec 28, 2005)

I have only had this happen twice.

When I used to hunt in Barrow county I had problems with a low life that lived in a trailer that backed up to my property.  He was one of these, "Well, I have lived here for 15 years...blah..blah.." Like living close to the property magicly gives you hunting rights?
Well, I go into hunt one morning, I am in the woods by flashlight and I walk up on a Tree Lounge.  I left it there, hunted and when I came out, guess who was in it?  I told him to move the stand back over to his property.  (He had about 10 trees he could hang it on) 2 weeks later, I come into hunt one afternoon, find it 300 yards over the property line.  I still have the stand.  I left him a note in a zip lock bag that said for him to call me or the property owner and we would give him back his stand.  He never called us.  The following bow season I am sitting in the stand and my rope that I use to pull my bow up with is hanging off the side of my stand.  I was in my portable stand, and I hear footsteps in the leaves approaching, I turn and look hoping to see a deer and it is a guy with a rifle, easing through the woods.  He has no idea I am anywhere around.  He walks right up to my rope, looks at it, looks straight up in the tree where I am turned looking straight at him.  I said, "Your a little to far over the line don't you think?"  He said, "Where is the line?"  I said, "how about unloading your gun?"  He did so, I climbed down, I asked him where he came from and he says that the low life in the trailer told him he could hunt all in the woods behind his trailer.  I told him that it was not rifle season yet on deer and he remarked, "So?"  
I escorte him off the property, called our land owner who called the Barrow County Sherriff's dept. and they charged the old boy with tresspassing.  
The land owner had more encounters with tresspassers than I did, because he lived on the property, but Kudos to the Barrow County Sherriff's dept. they always responded quickly, and they were never really in the mood to talk.  I liked it.     

2nd story happened this year.  We plant and work our property year round to grow those big racks, like many people on this board.  Well, the property that we own has an access road that used to be a public road like 10 years ago, but now we have our gates on it.  Well, I arrive at the main gate about 7:30 on Saturday morning in June to turn some of our food plots under and plant some peas, and I find the lock has been shot off.  But the gate is shut.  I enter the property and find the 2nd gate with the lock shot off.  GREAT!  Mind you, we have 2 tractors, a dozer and many implements on the property.  I start down our road and encounter a man an woman on 4 wheelers.  The woman stops and the man acts like he wants to run but I holler out the window, "STOP".  I had my .40 S&W on my hip as I exited the truck so they knew I was armed.  I asked them to shut the 4-wheelers off.

I said, you obviously know you are tresspassing, what are you doing here?  Guy starts in about how he has lived in the area for 25 years and that this road used to be a public road, they are just riding around before it gets hot... blah..blah..
I smell POT on them pretty quick, and I notice he has a side bag on his 4 wheeler and the butt of a pistol is sticking out, I said, "you wouldn't know anything about our locks being shot off would you?" and I motioned towards his gun.  He started hem-hawing around and said he had "seen it" but didn't know anything about it.

I told him I wanted his name and he told me where I could go.  I told him, if they both wanted to ride home on flat tires that was fine with me, but it would be much easier if he just gave me his name.  He did with some encouragement from his girl.

I reminded him that this is no longer a public road and hasn't been for over 10 years, and that I did not want to see him anymore, if I did, I would turn him in.

What he didn't know is that the game warden for our county is in our club, and actually got me in the club.  He paid him a visit, and we have not seen any 4-wheeler tracks nor have we seen any evidence of them messing with anything of ours. 

I think most people don't want confrontation, there are probably more places they can tresspass and poach and not be harrassed.  You get after them and they will move on to a property with less resistance.


----------



## FX Jenkins (Dec 29, 2005)

Im glad I've had a chance to read all these stories, about how to keep your cool in these situations..hopefully I will be able to regurgitate a calm attitatude when I do have enough land to manage...


----------



## billy336 (Dec 29, 2005)

One of our members caught 2 guys on our place Christmas morning. They were walking around on a piece that is farthest from the camp. He came around a corner of a planted pine field and there they were. He was so close they couldn't even run. Only one guy was armed. With a 22 no less.Probably deer hunting right. Moron.  Well he really scared the ELMO out of them, says they were both shaking. He doesn't have a cell phone  to call the man so he hollered a few four letter words at them. They said they had been hunting across the two lane road which bisects ourlease. That is our property too. So one guy claims he is from FL and doesn't have a clue about where he was. The other guy is a local who knows better. We have posted signs everywhere. Those two boys better count their blessings. If it were me they would of had Christmas dinner in the pokie with a few size 13 boot marks on the seat of their pants. We have found sign of poachers before. Gut piles, stands, trash, etc. but this was the first time we caught anyone. We are all from Stuart, FL so keeping an eye on the place is a little difficult. Our lease is large with a lot of folks living around the perimeter. We have  come to expect intruders, but if I catch them they are hitting the Berrien County jail.


----------



## Scrub Buck (Dec 29, 2005)

Pointing guns at people over a deer?  This post needs to be deleted.  I by no means condone tresspassing, but committing a worse crime to stop a smaller one is a royal joke.  If a deer means that much to you, by all means do what you have to do.  I for one have handled these situations in a way more mature and responsible fashion.  I think most need to keep in mind that you own the land not the animals that live on it.  They are owned by the state.  Life is more valuable than a deer.  Allot of bad advice offered in this thread.  I do have one question to ask.  Was all the land that has been tresspassed on properly posted?  Maybe you got what you asked for.  I think you need to keep in mind that you may bite off more than you can chew if some of this advice is followed.  In ending this post begins with one outlaw trying to stop another.  What a mess!


----------



## treedawg (Dec 29, 2005)

Scrub Buck said:
			
		

> Pointing guns at people over a deer?  This post needs to be deleted.  I by no means condone trespassing, but committing a worse crime to stop a smaller one is a royal joke.  If a deer means that much to you, by all means do what you have to do.  I for one have handled these situations in a way more mature and responsible fashion.  I think most need to keep in mind that you own the land not the animals that live on it.  They are owned by the state.  Life is more valuable than a deer.  Allot of bad advice offered in this thread.  I do have one question to ask.  Was all the land that has been trespassed on properly posted?  Maybe you got what you asked for.  I think you need to keep in mind that you may bite off more than you can chew if some of this advice is followed.  In ending this post begins with one outlaw trying to stop another.  What a mess!



As a property owner I do not advocate trespassing of any kind but I thought the same thing. Some people take this way to seriously. I would never draw down on another man unless my family's safety or my own was in danger. I would also never draw down on another man unless I fully intended to end their life. That's not a threat I take lightly regardless of which end of the weapon I find myself. If you draw down on me and I'm armed you can bet I will do whatever is in power to protect myself regardless of the situation.

I suspect similar cowboy behavior cost 5-6 people their lives in WI last year when the Hmong hunter/trespasser killed that bunch of people. I'm guessing they treated him in a harsh a manner and developed a mob mentality. There were 5-6 of them, 1 lone trespasser and I'm sure their testosterone level was off the charts. I bet they also fired a "warning" shot in his direction. I imagine that's why he snapped. I don't condone or support his actions, but I think the WI landowner and his friends  would be with us today they would have handled the situation a little better.

We'll never know the whole story since they are dead and the Hmong hunter's story is the only one we'll ever know. Private property rights and or deer aren't worth any body's life.   

Please don't leave your children fatherless and make your wife a widow because you were a hard tail with a trespasser. Otherwise sane people will do crazy things while in the woods. We all tend to adopt a survival type attitude when we are in pursuit of game and you never know when that hunter/trespasser is going to snap. 

TD


----------



## spraggins (Dec 29, 2005)

treedawg, you are absolutely right. blatant trespassing needs to be dealt w/, no doubt. but, i don't advise pulling/pointing weapons at folks , unless you intend to defend yourself, immediately! sometimes, it's better to be more diplomatic. escalating a poaching/trespassing incident into a gun battle is poor judgement, in my opinion. there's always someone faster...


----------

