Trespasser.....what would you do?

[Richard]

Wife, sister in law and myself walked some family land that is disconnected to our homestead land. This land is about 60 acres, 15 minutes away and is essentially a rectangle. A 4-lane highway borders one side of it (a short side) the other short side is bordered by 3-4 houses....and a lake. It's just raw woods after having been timbered.

The long sides are bordered by woods on one side and some houses on the other so if we look at the side with woods, this "total area" is pretty large.

Three of us went out there this morning to walk all the dogs. These two literally grew up around this land and today (after 30 years of marriage) was my first time to ever actually "walk" the land.

We found not one....but TWO deer stands. One is dull/old. Other one looks to be absolutely brand spitting new (fresh out of the box new). Trouble is....these would be trespassers. We found two piles near the parking area where a pile of deer remains were left.

What would be good/bad/appropriate things to do?

I was going to ask for various opinions.... but it so rankles me that someone would brazenly trespass on the land and not put one but two stands up.... I took them both down and they are now in my possession here at the house.

I talked to my wife's cousin next door.....who spoke (10 years ago) with the guys that timbered the local land we live on AND they timbered this tract of land I'm referring to. Turns out they had run into some hunters. Each party essentially asked the other "what are YOU doing here???"

1. (lumber dudes) We're hired by the land owners to timber this land
2. (Trespassing hunters 10 years ago) "WE have PERMISSION from the land owner to hunt this land... (no, they didn't, they were lying through their teeth)
3. Interestingly, I'm told the equipment the timber dudes were using had sugar around the fuel tanks. They drained them and carried on.... did the trespassers do it? Someone else? Did it even really happen? No idea

I don't feel as though I 'stole' this stuff at all since it was illegally on the property. To tell the truth, I was kind of intrigued had we run into them.... I would have played dumb a bit until they played the "we have permission from the land owner" card.... then I was going to suggest we call the sheriff AND said land owner that gave them permission.... Nobody was there.

So now I have two stands in the back of the car. I'm debating on simply driving over them with the backhoe to turn them into pretzels and then take to the recycling center as scrap..... or I'm debating on putting them up for sale for something like $125 total for both of them (I say that with NO clue of their retail value as I've not looked it up yet)

What would you do?

Second comment: We covered about a third of the land. We are contemplating going back on an upcoming weekend so we can walk more of it.....curious if we'll find more stands or not. I actually had to drive home today during this process to take the dogs back (give more room in car) and I needed two wrenches to unbolt the legs so they'd fit. Now that I know what I know, if we go back and find something, I'll already have tools with me.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

The first key piece of information you left out is, is the land posted? If so, are the signs all still in place, or have they been pulled down?

After making sure the signs are in place, next step is calling the sheriffs office. File a report.

 

[Doughknob]

U have to post no tresspassing signs.

 

[K5lwq]

I think calling the game warden would be better. The are clearly poaching.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Congratulations on your new deer stands. It's always nice to come across good junk on your property.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

Years and years ago, I was in a situation not too unlike the one before you. I suggest you NOT ruin the stands, and NOT try to sell them. Instead, write a note to the trespassers, saying you have their deer stand, and leaving an email address (not a phone number). If you sign it, only use your first name, or a fictitious name. Put your note in some kind of water resistant envelope and nail to a tree where trespasser is sure to see it.
If the trespasser contacts you, give back the stands at a public place - like a mall, police station, etc. While meeting to return the stands, have a nice discussion about (not) hunting on your property. Use that opportunity to discuss the entrails. Depending on how the conversation goes, ask him (as a gentleman) to go out and clean up the mess
I know this calls for you to swallow your bile, but in the long run, you both will feel better for it, and you stand a better chance of no retaliation. Remember, the trespasser knows what property is yours, from land records can determine the registered owner. There are idiots out there - take care of yourself.

 

[kenmac]

U have to post no tresspassing signs.

I believe that would depend on the laws in his state.
Here, no signs are needed. If you are on someone's property without their permission, you are trespassing.

I caught this trespasser on my land yesterday.

 

[drssg]

So far, I've had pretty good luck. I have found one deer stand on my property. I put a No Trespassing sign on that tree, and the stand was gone a couple of days later. They are either respecting the signs or being more sneaky about it, but I haven't seen further evidence of trespassing.

Do you have this property well-marked with signs? In some areas, it's perfectly legal for people to trespass, if the land is not posted as No Trespassing. I find that bizarre, but it's the law.

Sadly, if you never police the area, some people will treat it as public land. I also use gamecams to get a better idea of whats happening on the land.

Good luck.

 

[Richard]

The property is in the name of a partnership so they'd have to get creative to find any owners names.

We did leave a note.....but my (emotional?) wife didn't do as I was thinking.... ("I've got your stand, call me at.....")

No, she said something like ".....and keep your trespassing a** of the property" or something of that caliber.

As best I know, the land is NOT posted about hunting.

This sparked an idea in me.... I DO know some Wildlife Resources guys. I think I'll bring this up with them.

I was hoping to have some irony had we seen someone on the land...and they said they had the owners permission. I mocked a conversation with the wife where we'd tell the trespassers that we too, know the land owners.... LET'S CALL THEM!!! and as I dial them up, HER phone rings and we carry on a mock conversation about the trespassers in front of them.....as the trespassers slowly realize they're talking to the owners. oops.

Then I realize we could end up on the evening news as a married couple who's disappeared, only to be found 45 years later in these woods....

Just saddens me how/why people can't/don't respect other people's property. I can remember when I was around 19 years old....a buddy & myself found a primo piece of property where we wanted to ride our dirt bikes. This was WAY before the internet.... heck, push button phones were still new.

I put a lot of effort to actually FIND the owner....and found them. Called them up to ask if we could ride on his property. He said he was very impressed that I found him, went to that effort to find him and was considerate enough to ask.... answer is "no" but "son, you have my respect for your efforts to do the right thing"....

 

[zzvyb6]

I think selling the stands would be the way to go. I'd try to sell them back to the original trespassers, maybe even lucky enough to do it a few times before they catch on. By all means post and fence if possible. Time to get a survey done, too. Sooner or later someone may try to acquire it by prescriptive easement: They've used it for enough years so they now own it.