Trespass!!!!!??????

[1eyemountainmen]

Me and two of my friends were hunting on STATE land on Saturday. When my friend shot a deer a man started driving up to us screaming from truck that "You a__hole I'm calling Fish and Game on you". Now, this person lives by the state land and has to pass through to get to his house. We were on state land no were near his house or land, shooting in safe direction. We have legal tags and we are hunting in season. In other words, we were legal. Now, when we go back in the afternoon there are no trespassing/no hunting signs up. I know for a fact that I'm on state land-talked to the game warden about it less than a week ago, so my question is this. Should I just keep hunting there or move on or, should I go get the game warren and have him deal with it.

 

You keep right on hunting there, and do not let this jacka$$ interfere with your legal recreational persuit. The worst thing to do is to cave to these type of people who try to intimidate hunters. This summer I ran into a person who professed to own the land I was hunting varmints on. Although he lives close by to this farm, I knew darned well that he was wrong and was just trying to push me around and told him that with the added promise (not a threat!) that as soon as possible I was contacting the local Game Warden and the State Police. Had I had my cell on me I would have dimed him right then. I did this to create a record of the incident and to establish the fact that I was reporting a person who was interfereing with my legally liscenced hunting activities. He has not said boo since - and I do no know it the police or game folks ever spoke to him. I now make it a practice to make sure he sees me every single time I am in the filed near his place. I am not looking for trouble - but I am not giving ground. We have had several instances in PA where hikeres and especially horse rideres challenge (yes - challenge) hunteres on State Game Lands! Can you believe that? We pay for the land and they use it and then challenge US. I frankly don't care if people ride their horses on game lands - but the damned well need to learn some manners as GUESTS. I will swear out an arrest warrent for the next non-hunter who hastels me in the field or interferes with my hunt. These "hate crime" and "terrroristic threat" laws work both ways - and I fully intend to make use of them the next time a guy on a horse, or mountain biker, gives me a ration of bull during hunting season.

 

[PitchyPine]

If you plan on hunting on that land and are sure you are right get a hold of the game warden and have him meet you out there with the land owner and streighten it out. Maybe the land owner is mistaken but feels he is right.
That`s what we pay those guys for. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

:hatsoff:
Just remember not to do anything provocative that would give them a legal edge to react to...weirdos like that are misinformed, misguided, emotional people...can't predict how they'll react

 

[paulvallandigham]

By all means, get the game official involved, if for no other reason than to remove the " NO HUNTING " signs from public Lands. Don't argue the issue with the guy yourself. There is no point to doing so. He thinks he is right; you think you are right.

A GPS and a good map should resolve the situation. You can get a County map for every county at the local Highway Department office. If there is no such county office, then ask at the County Clerk's office.

I use them hunting all the time, along with plat books which are often available at the local farm bureau, or local banks. You don't even have to have the whole book: Just photocopy the few pages that involve the lands where you intend to hunt.Often the Plat Book is more up to date than the County maps, and the plat books will give you an idea of the names of owners. If you want to be sure about a particular owner for a property, ask the Supervisor of Assessments, because his office prepares the tax bills annually, and gets all the names of new owners any time property is sold, or inherited. A phone call to the named owner will verify he still owns the property, and whether he has given any control over the property to the pushy neighbor.

As a habit, I get the name and phone number of any landowner who has given me permission to hunt on his property, and write that down on the back of my maps, and then have the owner draw the lines indicating his property boundaries. That way, if some neighbor calls the Game officials on me complaining that I am trespassing on his land, I can show the officer my map, the boundaries, and who owns the land, with his phone number to contact. That gives the game official ammunition to go back after the complainant. The officers particularly like to see plat books, becuase they often have printed right on the tract of land the name of the owner. Because plat books have larger pictures of smaller areas, its far easier for an officer to figure out where he is, and whose land he is standing on. That is important to settle these kinds of disputes.

Other than arresting poachers, I don't know much of anything that makes game officials happier than taking down No Trespassing and No Hunting signs that have been illegally placed on public ground.

 

[Runner]

I had one of these nuts shoot over my head and then threaten to kill me with a 12 guage because I was hunting on my own property. By all means call the law in and stop it now before a drunk redneck pushes the situation into something where self defense is needed.
My situation is four miles up a one lane woods road. That kind of BS can not be allowed to stand or you might as well just move on. I have to go to court next month over the situation. I wish it wasn't so, but my land is my land and pointing guns at me is not allowed if I can help it!
Public ground is public ground also! That can't be allowed to stand either.
In my case, we paid less for the land than this clown did for his truck. He refused to buy it himself after having the chance because it wasn't worth that much to him. He thinks he runs it tho! In this case his lawyer fees so far would have bought the property! Do not tolerate these guys for a minute!

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'd definately contact the DEC/F&W/Fish Cops, whatever they call them in your area and verify it is state land. I have a pretty good idea where my own land is but am less certain of state boundaries. If they're not already well marked I tend to believe the neighbors in the public lands I do hunt.

You can check a tax map. If he ain't payin he ain't entitled to post. ;-)

 

[Kentuckywindage]

call the game warden. There are to many a-holes out there that think they own all the land.

 

[Mad Professor]

Call the warden and report the SOB.

1) If there is a hunter harrasment law ask that charges be pressed.

2) Ask trhe game warden to DEMAND that the SOB takes his signs off the posted public land.

We had a similar problem with a woman who came out on her deck when she saw us hunting a WMA; "you're killing my beautiful deer........."

The woman had also encroched onto the WMA with picnic tables, a soccer field/net, etc. We called the warden and reported her. A couple of days later all her manure was off the WMA and we never have heard a peep from her since.

 

[Tim Clark]

I've been land surveying since 1984 and I can honestly say that no other part of the human experience can become as instantly emotionally explosive as the issue of property disputes, and that I've seen more in just the past 5 months than I have in all these years put together. Even when confronted with the facts, the blood still continues to boil and the hate keeps simmering even if things do become quiet between the parties. And it seems that the effects on the ones that feel "offended" (hint: read, "usually in the wrong") are permanent.

Public land should be marked as such since the governing agency needs to avoid liability (direct or indirect) resulting from individuals "invited" to be on their property continuing through said public land and inadvertently (given the benefit of the doubt) trepassing upon the lands of private property adjoiners. Likewise, depending on where you live and the laws in effect, it is anywhere from being a legal requirement to just plain good sense to mark all of your property that adjoins such public land to at least do your due diligence to ward off unwanted trespass.

I agree - get the proper authorities involved imediately and every time you go there for the near future, and make sure that both you and those officials are certain where the public land boundaries lie. Too often the "officers" know less than either of the parties involved in the dispute, no disrespect to them; it's really beyond the scope of their job. So like I said, get the PROPER authorities involved, from the get-go. And just don't let the turds ruin another minute of your life or your hunt by stewing over what they've done.

 

I agree with Tim.
People get very emotional over property rights.
Use the Game Warden as a go between.
Don't have any personal contact with the property owner.
You don't know what this idiot will do.
Let the Game Warden deal with him.
I bought some land in the Cumberland's about 11 months ago.
Moved on it and retired to a nice peaceful life,
I thought.
Right after I moved in I went to meet my neighbor,
He was furious with me because he wanted the property but he couldn't afford it.
He has a renter on his property who approached me 2 weeks after I moved in demanding his property rights. The previous owners let him hunt on the property,run ATVs and do whatever he wanted.
When I told him no he became angry.
I own the 1/4 mile driveway that they must use to access there property.
Now they race up and down the driveway,blasting music,makeing as much noise as they can.
People can be very childish.

 

[bob1961]

pa has hunter harassment laws that would curb this guy real quick....maybe he should move from liveing next to hunting grounds then :v ........bob

 

[john12865]

Yes the anti gunners and animal rights people do and will harass hunters.
About two years ago I was on state property with my side lock .54 on the opening day of deer season.
I had previously scouted the area for months and saw no one.
There are warning signs on the road and parking area that read, " Warning N.Y. State Hunting Area."
On opening day some crazy lady came jogging through the woods blowing a whistle. She came with in three feet of me and saw me and began screaming and calling me a killer. This women acted like a full blown wacko.
I had a cell phone with me and called 911 and headed down the trail to the parking area.
By the time I made it there a N.Y.S. Trooper was there and The Dept of Environmental Conservation Officer pulled in.
This women was ranting on how I was killing the deer she was feeding.
As it turns out, she lived down the road and was feeding deer cracked corn in her back yard.
It's illegal to do that in NY. So they arrested her for harassment and and feeding the deer and hand cuffed her, behind the back like the criminal she really is. :grin:
I must say that both these Officers were very professional when they dealt with this.
The morale of the story is, Corn feds are good eating to. :grin:

 

[Thomas Dermako]

Last year I was walking down a road at the edge of public land where I hunt when some gold chain wearing, Lexus driving jerk threatened to call the cops on me for carrying a gun. I was wearing an orange vest with my tag clearly visible and the action on my 870 was clearly open. I explained all this to him and told him that I was well within my rights. He said "I can have the cops here in a minute" - like I should be afraid. I told him that he should do what he needed to do. He trailed behind me for half a mile, I guess to make sure I didn't shoot someone's dog. Then he left. Never saw a cop, but I would have loved it.
I don't want to get confrontational, but I ain't gonna roll over, neither.

 

[paulvallandigham]

:hatsoff:

 

[shootemup]

I live in a pretty rural area, it's three miles from pavement to my little farm. I have never had any problems with neighbors, trespassers or anti-hunters until last year.

A couple of fellows decided they wanted to use my land for hunting. The biggest problem is they never asked me - if they had we could have coordinated and stayed out of each others' way, something I demand since I have a kid who hunts.

I caught them a couple of times and was nice about it, even showed them how to sight in their scoped rifles when I caught them using my range on my land - third time I had caught them, by the way.

One of these gomers was a neighbor's nephew, so I gave him a call and asked about the situation - he became sort of "closed-mouthed" when the guy's name came up. I let it go. A couple of days later I found that my little range had been destroyed. They even tore apart a small portable building I had a few items in.

At this point I contacted the county sheriff and noted that he became very interested when I mentioned the name I knew. He asked me to come by his office, which I did the next day. Turns out the guy was a convicted felon who wasn't even supposed to HAVE guns.

The two knuckleheads were arrested early on Thanksgiving morning as they were sneaking onto my property again. Don't know what became of them but haven't heard anything else from them - or the neighbor either, for that matter.

Spot

 

[Tim Clark]

haha! yeah, I love it when THEY threaten to call the cops. My now-usual response is, "Oh, please do, and thank you - it'll save on my minutes." That usually does the trick; they can't speak very well with their jaws hanging open like that.

 

[1eyemountainmen]

I did talk to the game warren and, was told to give him a call if I still had a probelm. So far, I have had no more probelms. I know the family that lives down the road from them and used them as a go between. The no hunting signs are all gone. So, I think the probelm is over with. :v