Trespassers

[MossRoad]

I like this. Wish they would do this in more states. I know in some states, mainly out east, they have rules that say the land is open unless posted. I would be ok with that too as long as people would respect it or there would be consequences for not doing so.

If I found a tree stand on our property there would be a note left along with a well hidden game camera to find the offender. When you do the game camera route you also need to hang one that is obvious so they steal that one and think they are getting away with it. You can buy a cheap broken one on line so they are not stealing a good one.

When we bought our property we had several folks ask if they could hunt it. I talked to the insurance agent. He said if I was just letting a friend hunt for no fee my homeowners insurance would cover me. If I was charging to hunt I would need a different policy and it would be $$$$$.

Now that we have the horses at home we do not allow hunting on our property.

Yep. The key there is no fee. If you charge, you may assume responsibility for the land and any potential hazards.

I've mentioned this before:

When we bought ours out between SB and North Liberty, there was a mile of dirt bike trails with direction arrows nailed to the trees and brush cut out with saws! I asked my then insurance agent about it. He said to post it No Trespassing and also put a notice at each entrance to the property that I could find that the trails are not open and would be blocked off on X date. So I got a bunch of orange tape and wrapped all the trees, put up notices, took pictures of posted notices, etc.

They tore down the notices and orange tape.

Each week I put them back up and each week they tore them down.

On the fourth week I blocked the trails with downed trees....

They stole the trees and dragged them down the old RR grade with an ATV!

So I put in more trees, more tape, more No Trespassing signs. Then one muddy day, I followed their tire tracks off the property and down the road to a house where I saw several dirt bikes and ATVs and a bunch of kids. I called the cops. They came out. Followed the tracks and drove up in the driveway. I sat in the road while the cops talked to the dad.

Cop came out and told me the dad said the kids were just having fun riding in the fields. The cop asked him if they had permission? No. Was he aware they were vandalizing property and trespassing? No. Was he aware that riding dirt bikes and ATVs on county roads was illegal? No.

Cop said he doubted we'd have any more trouble from that group. And he was right.

 

[JethroB]

Yep. The key there is no fee. If you charge, you may assume responsibility for the land and any potential hazards.

I've mentioned this before:

When we bought ours out between SB and North Liberty, there was a mile of dirt bike trails with direction arrows nailed to the trees and brush cut out with saws! I asked my then insurance agent about it. He said to post it No Trespassing and also put a notice at each entrance to the property that I could find that the trails are not open and would be blocked off on X date. So I got a bunch of orange tape and wrapped all the trees, put up notices, took pictures of posted notices, etc.

They tore down the notices and orange tape.

Each week I put them back up and each week they tore them down.

On the fourth week I blocked the trails with downed trees....

They stole the trees and dragged them down the old RR grade with an ATV!

So I put in more trees, more tape, more No Trespassing signs. Then one muddy day, I followed their tire tracks off the property and down the road to a house where I saw several dirt bikes and ATVs and a bunch of kids. I called the cops. They came out. Followed the tracks and drove up in the driveway. I sat in the road while the cops talked to the dad.

Cop came out and told me the dad said the kids were just having fun riding in the fields. The cop asked him if they had permission? No. Was he aware they were vandalizing property and trespassing? No. Was he aware that riding dirt bikes and ATVs on county roads was illegal? No.

Cop said he doubted we'd have any more trouble from that group. And he was right.

I had a similar chat with a neighbor (no cops thankfully yet) about them using my timber firebreaks as a motocross track. They were creating ruts and berms hotdogging the corners. So far they are behaving.

I also carry a $2 million liability umbrella policy beyond homeowners coverage. Cheap peace of mind to me for about $250/year.

 

[dougtrr2]

Just curious, the stand was 100 yards away, but where is the property line?

I found a tree stand in "my" woods. I wasn't sure of my exact property line, but it was place such that the only shot was into my my property. I put NO HUNTING signs up on my property in direct view of the stand. The stand did go away.

Doug in SW IA

 

[newbury]

When we bought ours out between SB and North Liberty, there was a mile of dirt bike trails with direction arrows nailed to the trees and brush cut out with saws! I asked my then insurance agent about it. He said to post it No Trespassing and also put a notice at each entrance to the property that I could find that the trails are not open and would be blocked off on X date. So I got a bunch of orange tape and wrapped all the trees, put up notices, took pictures of posted notices, etc.

I've a high-power line ROW about 150 yards from my house cutting across my 75 acre parcel.
After we first moved in I realized it was often used as a shortcut for ATV's. Often after dark.
Noone ever asked permission.
I started firing across it at random times.
The traffic stopped.

/edit - in Mississippi all property requires landowner pemission, no posting required.

 

[MossRoad]

Yikes!

 

[newbury]

The sound of my Mossberg is easily heard.

 

[m1garand762]

Just curious, the stand was 100 yards away, but where is the property line?

I found a tree stand in "my" woods. I wasn't sure of my exact property line, but it was place such that the only shot was into my my property. I put NO HUNTING signs up on my property in direct view of the stand. The stand did go away.

Doug in SW IA

Center of my property

 

[Jstpssng]

Just curious, the stand was 100 yards away, but where is the property line?

I found a tree stand in "my" woods. I wasn't sure of my exact property line, but it was place such that the only shot was into my my property. I put NO HUNTING signs up on my property in direct view of the stand. The stand did go away.

Doug in SW IA

I often see the exact opposite. I will be working a property line which is dotted with no trespassing signs. Then I'll come across a tree stand just off the line; looking out over our client's land. That takes a certain amount of brass, in my opinion.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I’m in process of buying land. I fully expect to have this problem.

 

[cqaigy2]

In Washington state, hunters must have permission from the land owner to be on private property. If they are there without permission the legislation defines it as "poaching". Same as hunting out of season.
Since this law went into effect we have not had any hunters trespass.

I believe the property has to be posted.

 

[TimberHole]

I’m in process of buying land. I fully expect to have this problem.

In my experience you often have trouble the first year or two after buying the ground. Your purchase often upsets someone’s Apple cart.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I believe the property has to be posted.

Posting is not required for property that is fenced.

RCW 77.15.435: Unlawful hunting on, retrieving hunted wildlife from, or collecting wildlife parts from the property of another—Defense—Penalty—Forfeiture and disposition of wildlife.

apps.leg.wa.gov

RCW 16.08.050: Entrance on private property, when lawful.

app.leg.wa.gov

Edit: I did not know that if it was not fenced, then it must be posted.
Sheriff was my next door neighbor and enforced the "needs permission". His property and mine are fenced. Learn something new everyday!

 

[cqaigy2]

Posting is not required for property that is fenced.

RCW 77.15.435: Unlawful hunting on, retrieving hunted wildlife from, or collecting wildlife parts from the property of another—Defense—Penalty—Forfeiture and disposition of wildlife.

apps.leg.wa.gov

RCW 16.08.050: Entrance on private property, when lawful.

app.leg.wa.gov

Edit: I did not know that if it was not fenced, then it must be posted.
Sheriff was my next door neighbor and enforced the "needs permission". His property and mine are fenced. Learn something new everyday!

I learned something too!

That said consent shall not be presumed when the property of the owner is fenced or reasonably posted.


On the east side of the state, where i grew up, I vaguely remember when it was common to go hunting on fenced areas. You always closed gates, didn't hunt around livestock etc. I was gone from the state for a bit and when i came back, a buddy of mine contacted me to go hunting. It was a very different experience as everything was posted no trespassing, i asked him what was going on, and the story he told me was that a rancher had tried to get some people off his property, owner thought they were abusing their stay. Rancher got sued for something and from then on, everybody put signs up.

 

[Jstpssng]

the story he told me was that a rancher had tried to get some people off his property, owner thought they were abusing their stay. Rancher got sued for something and from then on, everybody put signs up.

What caused a lot of signs here was this; a farmer didn't like the people who were hunting on his land, apparently because of previous interactions. He took a stick and jammed it into the steering wheel of the car, causing it to blare until they came out of the woods. He then went home.
They visited him and kicked the living daylights out of him, sending him to the hospital; there was so much blood that when his wife came home she thought he'd gotten a deer.

 

[Joel/ak]

I deal with trespassers all the time. Got a new one where someone cut an ATV trail onto our property to use our road. He cut the trail right next to a " no trespassing sign" crap gets old

 

[Jstpssng]

I deal with trespassers all the time. Got a new one where someone cut an ATV trail onto our property to use our road. He cut the trail right next to a " no trespassing sign" crap gets old

I don't even have to mess with them. One call to the warden service and it's no longer my problem. That's one advantage of our permissive land use policy; the powers-that-be know what a privilege it is to be allowed access so they nip problems in the bud.