How do you keep trespassers off of your property??

[mikim]

<font color="blue"> Most people probably just want to enjoy your property as much as you do </font>
Excuse me? I'm afraid I can't respond to this as I would like.
I don't think Bastrop County Texas has as much of a problem with trespassers as some other places. There's more of a "you have a right to protect what's yours" attitude here. People know there's a chance of getting themselves shot for trespassing and vandalism.

 

[JimR]

You have a lot of good suggestions here. After reading all the above, here is what I would do. Stupid people will care less about camera's. They obviously don't care about your signs either. The ditch will work wonders on their suspensions, take your freinds offer and do it. Put the dirt behind the ditch to make a berm. Install large gates using 8-10 inch pipes filled with concrete on the ends. This is what the state uses around here to keep out the unwanted off-roaders. The stop nails will work also, but totally unnecessary once the gates are in. Not to mention that the stop nails will really piss them off. Myself, I would camp out on the property with my rifle and a real good camera with a zzom lens. Once they enter the property I would snap pictures of the vehicles and plates. Then I would fire a few rounds in their general direction. Of course I would have targets set up all over the place so that they can't say I was shooting at them. Once you know the trespassers you can file charges against them for all the property damage incurred regardless of wether they did it or not. Put the trespassing signs up 15 feet. These idiots will need a ladder to take them down. Maybe they will fall off the ladder and injure themselves. No you are not liable for idiots that are trespassing on your property. There's One other thing you can do to destroy their vehicles. I wouldn't even suggest to tell you that digging a few two foot wide trenches two feet deep across your roads would disable them. You can use planks to get your equipment over them.

 

[slowrev]

Bird, On the false report you take a note from politicians. You say you think they may be making meth while trespassing. Not a false report, just a bit misleading /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ben

 

[slowrev]

Junk,
Do you really think there is a market for poison ivy ? I will be glad to sell some, it does not bother me. I did plant it on a chain link fence that neighborhood kids kept climbing over and tearing down. It did stop the problem. Probably easier to sell the berries/seeds. Could this be bigger than pet rocks ?

Ben

 

[1bush2hog]

'For ATV riders, nothing works like 120 pound test black spider wire at 20 MPH. '

Hopefully you are kidding!


Just remember landowner information, ie names, are public record. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to find out this information either.

If you intentionally hurt someone or their vehicle, there is a very good chance they will then hunt you (or your family) down for payback - with or without the law. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[slowrev]

Junk,
Another thought, don't plant poison ivy PAINT poison ivy ground up in blender on the gate parts that are likely to be handled /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Also on the no trespassing signs.

Ben

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Junk,
Another thought, don't plant poison ivy PAINT poison ivy ground up in blender on the gate parts that are likely to be handled /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Also on the no trespassing signs.

Ben
)</font>


You might want to buy a cheap blender rather than using Mrs_Dargo's expensive kitchen blender /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Highbeam]

"The Ditch/berm idea works if it's big enough. 4ft or more deep and pile the dirt to the inside of the property so if they get across the ditch, they high center on the hill. Takes quite a bit of pulling to overcome an object with no wheels under it. Fairly common around here."

We call these tank traps and the best ones have steep sides to prevent it being a fun obstacle for tresspassers. Now the problem is that the locals love to fill these with their garbage. Mine is about half full /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

You can be liable for tresspassers hurting themselves on your property. Attractive nuisance. This is why having a swimming pool in your back yard is such a risk.

I would lay the nail strips but paybacks are a beyatch and you can bet one of these goofs will come out and pitch handfuls of roofing nails all over your roads in return.

At best, you can make your property less attractive for tresspassers. Limiting access is the best.

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> I'm thinking that I should cut me a dozen or so 24" pieces of 1/2" rebar... </font>

Bad idea. Very bad. This subject seems to come up several times a year, and eventually the whole thread is removed because of the suggestions of planning to hurt someone.

Scenario goes like this...

14 year old kid comes flying through your property on an ATv, hits some rebar, flips and is impaled on the rebar.... you go to prison at the worst and the poor house at the best. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The best thing to do is enlist the neighbors, local law enforcement and so forth, as you have already done. Post the signs up higher. Use the cheapy plastic ones as they aren't so much to replace. Have you thought about having it declared a classified wildlife habitat? As someone else suggested, put in a camo wildlife camera and give the photos to the police. Also give them photos of the damage and document the dates, etc....

I think the key is to have a human spend lots of time on the property. Eventually, they will get the hint that they are not welcome. When I go to our property, I pull way into the property so that the van isn't visible from the road. Then I eat a sandwich, hike, do work, etc... if I hear ATvs, off I go to flag them down and tell them to leave. Same for hunters. It takes lots of work. It takes lots of work and time, but the reality is, unless you catch them red-handed, there is little you can do to prevent people from accessing such a large piece of property.

 

[deere_x475guy]

"Part of your problem is the theft of the no trespassing signs. This can cause "innocent" people to cross your land, and have something bad happen to them."

NO WAY!!!... They are not innocent if they are walking on property that does not belong to them and they don't have permission from the ower. PERIOD!.