Tresspassing Slob Hunters, Part II

[kidr]

I'm managing hunting on 200 acres of conservation area in our property association, and the amount of baloney trespassing hunters pull never ceases to amaze me. Completely opposite of the way I was raised to respect landowners. They set a bad example for hunting and firearms use.

The land was designated a conservation area by the state so we can have a wildlife management program and get a tax break, but it carries some rules, like no hunting with packs of dogs, no vehicles off-road, hunting only on weekdays, etc. I think I spend more time chasing off trespassing hunters on weekends than everything else put together. The common issue is some dipstick who's dogs track/chase a deer across lines into our land, and then they see that as justification to follow the dogs with their trucks and shoot whatever deer they want. I've been telling the guys that if it's not legal for us landowners to hunt on weekends with dogs and trucks, it's sure as heck not legal for a trespasser. The only good thing is that the land status gives us a more direct oversight from the game warden, so they come down hard on violations. I've been taking photos and giving out warnings, telling people next time the game warden gets called.

The other problem is that we broke the area down into 6 zones, first-come first-serve to approved hunters each day, and hunters coordinate with each other. They get a chunk of acreage to themselves and everyone is spread out, so hunting is better and safety is improved. That concept goes out the door when a dumb trespasser just goes wherever they want and lets their dogs roam the area.

Va. has new laws about trespassing dogs. It is now a crime for a hunter to let a dog trespass. He still can retrieve a dog, but cannot carry a weapon onto your property. I don't know how well the law is enforced, but at least we have another weapon. I haven't had to run off coon hunters since the law was passed.

 

[FTG-05]

I was raised in a state with very open hunting laws. Property owners had a right to post there property. But if you posted your land, you paid higher property taxes then someone who didn't. Those who didn't post there property could, and often would put up safety zone signs letting a hunter know that they were near a home. This was especially common where someone elected to build a home with out a yard surrounded by woods.

As a land owner, and unless your property was posted, people could hunt on your property, pass through the property, and be on your property with out letting you know about it. Now that doesn't mean the person on your property has the right to tear up your land, act like a jerk, be a nuisance, cut down trees, build tree stands, ect.... I'd they did, then you were within your right to pursue civil and criminal actions against the violator. There were some common sense, and common courtesies taken on hikers and hunters part. You obviously stayed away from a home, pasture with live stock, and generally tried to not bother the land owner.

But as a hunter, if you were driving down the road, you could pretty much pull off the road and go hunting where ever you felt like within reason, and with out permission from a land owner. So, when I moved out of state, and one of the first times I went hunting, I did just that. Found a spot that looked good, and walked off into the woods not knowing I needed the land owners permission Till I ran into the land owner, who asked who I was. After a civil conversation, where they educated me on the state laws I apoligized to them and left

No offense, but there is simply no reason for that.

An ethical hunter doesn't trespass.

An ethical hunter learns and understands the game laws of the state he's hunting before setting a foot on the field, especially one as important as the trespassing laws.

There's simply no excuse.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Curious what state is that where someone could walk into your property and start shooting. Kids playing in the yard behind a line of trees?

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Curious what state is that where someone could walk into your property and start shooting. Kids playing in the yard behind a line of trees?

NH for a start.

 

[Industrial Toys]

What good are the laws if there is no enforcement? You could get a Pizza delivered out here before you could get the cops to respond to anything other than a major event. And they don't deliver Pizza out here.

One should get a property tax discount if you opt for "NO POLICE SERVICE" which is what we get anyway. I guess the money goes towards lots of LED lighting and fancy decals on the cruisers! Just to boost their already inflated EGOS I guess. Or the vehicles they right off, while going berserk.

 

[TripleR]

I don't know about Canada, but here in the US, everywhere I've lived the Sheriffs' Departments are understaffed, underpaid with high turnover so they have to allocate limited resources by priority.

 

[Industrial Toys]

TOTAL opposite here.

A friend in PA is a "Sheriff", whatever that means and drives his own car and carries his own weapon! He is one of those people that are just hoping for a violent confrontation. He does, or used to be involved with combat pistol competition and has a 50 cal belt fed mg. Probably carries it around in the trunk of his car, just in case!

 

[Dftodd]

No offense, but there is simply no reason for that.

An ethical hunter doesn't trespass.

An ethical hunter learns and understands the game laws of the state he's hunting before setting a foot on the field, especially one as important as the trespassing laws.

There's simply no excuse.

Actually, it depends on the state your in and the laws of that state. Vermont and New Hampshire are both open states. Where your pretty much welcome to enjoy out door activities and pretty much go any where you please within Reason on some one else's property. The term being within reason, and if the land isn't posted. This includes, hunting, fishing, hiking, cross country skiing, ect....

It doesn't mean that if someone is acting like an a## you don't have a right to call the law on them, or ask the person to leave.

You don't activity hunt in someone's live stock pen, pasture with live stock in it, or next to the home or barn. The way those two states are, unless your property is posted, you are allowing folks to use your property for out door activities. It's pretty much ingrained in the culture up there and expected.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I'm so surprised that would work. Often neighbors can't even agree and get along.

What about different mindsets (about hunting) or even snowmobiling, as in the snowmobile crowd vs cross country skiers, or the basic right to privacy on your own land.

 

[coldsteelva]

A Sheriff is a Constitutional Officer, elected by the people. In my area of Virginia, Loudoun County (the richest county in America), the Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer and answers to no one, but the Constitution of the United States and Virginia. Where a police chief is appointed by a politician (and then acts according to that politicians wishes or can be replaced), a sheriff is democratically elected and does whatever they feel would best suit the citizens, his department, and lead to his re-election. That's how Sheriff Arpaio stayed in office so long. Nobody could remove him.

A deputy sheriff is appointed by the Sheriff and has no civil service protections in most cases. When a new Sheriff takes office, every employee could technically be fired, but that doesn't happen.

As for the weapons allowed or accessible by a Sheriff - he can have whatever HE deems necessary and proper; if that means a 50-cal, so be it.