Snowmachines on Private land

[wawajake]

This happened last month up here in Canada.
Sad thing is most snowmachine internet sites I frequent , think the snowmachine riders were innocent and farmer should be charged..............

Snowmobilers threatened with gun, catch incident on video - Saskatoon - CBC News


If it was regularily happening on my land it would be gun like he did and maybe a big dog !

 

[bigtiller]

Trespassing for the riders
Assault for the property owner.
It's a wash, I'd let it go. The only winners will be the lawyers if it goes that far.

 

[oosik]

Been here 32 years and NEVER had anybody use my land with out asking. That's just the way folks are in this part of the country. Besides there are times - like now in the spring when anything on the land leaves ruts and again in the fall when it dry as popcorn - when I will not let people use my land.

Its good this did not happen in Alaska - there a trespasser can be shot by the property owner. Trespass was the same as breaking & entering with intent to do bodily harm. That was way back in the '70's and before - may not be that way now that all the "civilized" folks have moved there. That's the reason I left - - to many "civilized folks" moving in.

 

[Egbert]

Maybe shouldn't have smacked the guy - but - would you have confronted trespassers without carrying protection? I say no charges for the land owner.

 

[Sodo]

Gotta wonder if that farmer was at his "limit" because he enjoys being riled (this seems to gaining popularity) or mental problems & can't control his temper,

Or just a normal guy who jumps out of his truck and starts kicking and hitting, and holding a gun too. Thats what worries me about my buddys carrying handguns, if one of them pulled it out in a situation like that I'd really s…t some bricks. But if that guy shot first I'd hope somebody was armed (and skilled too).

In this case nobody went home feet-first.

 

[Tollster]

I'm cool with sleds, if they want to pass through and not disrupt the household, by all means, enjoy yourself.. Things that tear up the property I'm more bothered by, but sleds.. Have fun, and stop in to say hi.. pretty simple for me.

 

[oosik]

In my opinion, anybody that thinks being riled by confronting trespassers is fun or popular or anything else pleasant, needs to be involved in a situation such as this. Then you let us know how it made you feel.

 

[Thomas]

No charges on land owner..its up to the riders know not land owner to teach.

 

[DK35vince]

The landowner could have taken the sleds keys and hold them till the police arrive and fine the snowmobilers.
Or get the sleds license/registration and turn them in for trespass
What this landowner did was assault.

 

[Sodo]

The landowner could have taken the sleds keys and hold them till the police arrive and fine the snowmobilers.
Or get the sleds license/registration and turn them in for trespass
What this landowner did was assault.

No that would have got him in big trouble, even more because would have to intimidate them with the gun to detain them or to get the keys. That could land him in jail. I'm not sure you can detain anybody or hit them, especially on a public road.

He could take pictures though, and pictures of the sled tracks where they were trespassing would be more prudent, but this guy wasn't prudent, he was awful close to having to find somebody to feed his livestock.

This is where you like the snowmobiles that have a reverse - get out of buckshot range!

 

[oosik]

I have a friend that lives not to far away that had considerable problems with ATV trespass. We really don't get enough snow often enough to spend the big bucks required to own a snowmobile. Anyhow, after posting and contacting the state police, he found a method that still works to this day. They were riding right thru the fence into his NE pasture. He redid the fence line by installing HD well pipe( 6"OD - 1/2" wall thickness) every third post and making the middle wire a 3/8 dia woven steel cable. He hung No Trespassing signs every third post. Not a single person or ATV has accessed his land thru the redone fence line since.

 

[MNBobcat]

I have a friend that lives not to far away that had considerable problems with ATV trespass. We really don't get enough snow often enough to spend the big bucks required to own a snowmobile. Anyhow, after posting and contacting the state police, he found a method that still works to this day. They were riding right thru the fence into his NE pasture. He redid the fence line by installing HD well pipe( 6"OD - 1/2" wall thickness) every third post and making the middle wire a 3/8 dia woven steel cable. He hung No Trespassing signs every third post. Not a single person or ATV has accessed his land thru the redone fence line since.

There was a topic here on the forum that someone started where he was asking how to set booby traps for snowmobilers.

A lot of not-so-smart people in the world for sure.

 

[Sodo]

Sad that it takes so much work, and that he has to make his land so ugly too. When your land is the "connector" between two places that people want to travel, there will be trouble keeping people off.

I guess I should feel lucky that nobody seems to want to cross my land (or if they do they aren't leaving tracks). But that could change.

 

[PILOON]

One posting that I always liked:

Notice to trespassers, "Be sure you are wearing the clothes that you want to be buried in!"

 

[Scooby074]

Clearly a case of assault by the "farmer".

He should be charged for both assault and brandishing. He should also have his firearms taken and destroyed, and not be allowed to own any more. He's clearly unbalanced, seeking confrontation and has violent tendencies. You cant go around kicking and slapping people while carrying a shotgun for a mere trespass, especially when those trespassers were trying to make their way back to the road after realizing they made a wrong turn.

Was the gate open before the snowmobiles went through? It looks like it was. Looking at the video and pictures, this wasnt a pasture but a road. From the article there was NO signage. Its an easy mistake to make when your trying to find your way back home to drive up a wrong road that you think goes where you want to go, especially on a snowmobile where your kind of bound as to where you can go (atv's not so much).

 

[murphy1244]

I think the Guy was set up myself.

 

[SPIKER]

I would say the farmer was well within his rights as a land owner and the kids on the sleds should be confiscated and sleds sold to pay for clean up and ground/fence restoration on the farmers place!

Sleds and ATVers are destructive to peace and to the land. Often tossing trash as they go leaving beer cans or bottles & trash on land owners.

Did anyone read the part where one of the sled riders ran over his cat? Ya I would have put a deer slug into each engine & let em walk out.

Mark

 

[oosik]

PILOON,

Another sign I've seen - large sheet of plywood painted white with the silhouette of a 30-30 and below, the wording -

"We don't call 911"

 

[DK35vince]

Did anyone read the part where one of the sled riders ran over his cat?

Where did it say that?
The landowner said he believed that a snowmobiler ran over his cat in the past.

 

[Scooby074]

I would say the farmer was well within his rights as a land owner and the kids on the sleds should be confiscated and sleds sold to pay for clean up and ground/fence restoration on the farmers place!

Sleds and ATVers are destructive to peace and to the land. Often tossing trash as they go leaving beer cans or bottles & trash on land owners.

Did anyone read the part where one of the sled riders ran over his cat? Ya I would have put a deer slug into each engine & let em walk out.

Mark

He said that sledders chased and ran over his cat on an earlier occasion. It wasnt these guys. And he has no proof. These guys got video of his assault. Maybe the cat died of natural causes? Youd think if he was trying to prove sledders did it, youd think he'd have taken a wide shot showing tracks?

And even better, it turns out this assault in the video did NOT even take place on his land, he left his own property with his shotgun, then trespassed on his neighbours land to chase these snowmobilers down.

He has no grounds to do what he did.