Having problems with poachers.

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bmilla35

Joined
Aug 29, 2007
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For the last few years, we've told a guy down the road that he is no longer allowed to hunt on our families property. EVERY year we see him back on it, and tell him again. Just because my grandfather gave him permission 15 years ago doesn't mean he is allowed to do what he wants. My grandmother, the current owner, has personally told him he isn't allowed back. No one hunted back then, now I hunt, and with me are several other hunters. It isn't safe to have that many hunters in the amount of area we hunt in. Not only that, he is killing deer that WE could potentially get.

Anyways, last night, my dad went to the camp just to get away. Around 7, when it's just about pitch black, he walked across the street. Dudley, my dog, let out a growl and my dad can see a silhouette of a man sitting down. He walks over to the man and says, "What are you doing on this property?"

The ignorant man replies, "What are you doing on here?"

My dad simply tells him that this is his property (not technically, but it's the families :foot:), and that he knows he isn't allowed on here. He claims to be looking at deer, but why bother spotting if you can't hunt? To make it worse his son has been caught poaching several times, so pretty much the family has ZERO class.

My question is, what can I do? Will calling the game commission do anything without solid proof? I think I may do so anyways, because i've had just about enough of this.

Thanks guys :D
 
I would definitely call the Fish and Wildlife, the State Police and local Sheriff. Let them know they are poaching and tresspassing, even though they have been repeatedly told not to come on the property. If you can, take pictures of them on the property. The easiest way would be to put out some trail cams. That way you don't run the risk of having a confrontation with them.

Its people like that, that give hunters a bad name, and its no wonder most people won't allow hunting on their property
 
I thought about that, but am honestly afraid of him tampering with them. A few years back someone tampered with our treestands and caught our strings to pull up the guns. And not a clear cut, he frayed it so that as I pulled up my gun it broke. THIS is the type of person (or types of people) i'm dealing with.
 
bmilla35 said:
I thought about that, but am honestly afraid of him tampering with them. A few years back someone tampered with our treestands and caught our strings to pull up the guns. And not a clear cut, he frayed it so that as I pulled up my gun it broke. THIS is the type of person (or types of people) i'm dealing with.
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I would definitely be calling the agencies I mentioned. Soon... If you know where they are entering the property, you could always make a couple signs that say, Due to trespassing and poaching, this area is now under video monitoring. It may not help, but it can't hurt.
It would be best if they could get caught in the act though, and prosecuted. I don't know about other states, but here in Oregon, they take poaching very seriously.
 
Last time we found someone's vehicle parked on my uncle's property at night - a white Chevy Blazer with red stripes - we backed off a little ways and I emptied a 30-round magazine from an M1 carbine into it.
 
I would make sure your property is legally posted with signs that meet your states requirements and notify authorities every time you have any problem with that guy or any member of his family. I'm sure they will have to take action. I'm also sure they will find some additional violations to pressure the trespasser into changing his habits. Every single time I would call the local and state officials. Like they say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I would work very hard at making it unenjoyable for his efforts at trespassing.
 
Make sure it is posted VERY well and call the law when he's there again. Trail cams may help but not if he steals/breaks them. Don't start a feud, good way to get killed. We would all like to do things the way we want to, but it's not always practical.
 
TimberWolf7.62 said:
Last time we found someone's vehicle parked on my uncle's property at night - a white Chevy Blazer with red stripes - we backed off a little ways and I emptied a 30-round magazine from an M1 carbine into it.
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:) It's the little things in life. Like carbine bullets.
 
If you don't want to invest in hidden cameras, there is nothing to prevent you from having some professionally printed signs that say the property is being monitored by hidden cameras, maybe even with a fake security company name on the bottom of it. If you want to hang a few phony units with a battery and blinking light on it out of reach there are plenty of these available on the internet. A smart poacher would figure this out, but this doesn't sound like a particularly bright clan you are dealing with and it may be enough to scare them off. I would make the sign polite, not threatening. When you are not around to watch your property people can really mess it up in more ways than you can think of.

My experience with local poachers is that you have to play your cards right and not start a fight you can't win since you are not living there. I have coon hunters who occasionally come on my property when I'm not around, but they are local and don't mess with my cabin or barn so I let this pass without contacting the law. There have been a couple of tense middle of the night encounters with these guys where I asked them to leave, but I never threatened them either personally or by calling the sherrif. The previous owner who actually lived there full time had horses who would spook at the hounds, so after a first time warning he would shoot one of the hounds and hang them on the barbwire out by the road. I would never do this, but the options are limited anyway as an absentee owner.
 
I've been in the same situation a couple of times, and it's a pain in the ass dealing with some folks that for some reason think they are entitled to hunt a piece of private property just because they live in the area, or the previous owner let them . Don't get in a pissing match with them. It's apt to escalate to property getting damaged. Post it properly, the law is usually very specific in how to do it, and and talk to them to let them know you are very serious about it. After that, call the authorities the very first time they trespass. It took three years to finally get through to a group of guys that was hunting some of our property that we only were able to visit on the weekends. They finally got the message, and haven't been a problem in several years.
 
We do have the property posted in accordance to state laws, and have told him literally the last 4 years that he isn't allowed on the property any longer. Short of putting up trail cams (which I know he would dismantle/break/tamper if he noticed them) or putting up fake warnings, I think the only thing left is to call the authorities. There is an office not to far away I believe...and the game warden is the football player Jack Lambert :D
 
start a paper trail, contact athorities and file a complaint. ONce there is one on file keep fileing a new one every single time you see this guy out there. If he keeps at it or decides to damage your property SSS.
 
As much as I like to solve problems my self. I'd say that the best way to solve this problem with the least amount of blood shed and property damage is to post no trespassing signs and call the authorities to report this guy as often as you like.
 
In a more responsible [sounding] vein:

Is this the sort of situation where a restraining order is applicable? Pay the $300 some odd bucks and slap one on him. When you see him trespassing again, violate him.

Vandalizing a vehicle only works when they live too far away to walk home. Locals who trespass/poach and live walking distance from your land are the hardest to deal with.

I don't have any other solutions which are legal and polite.
 
Erasmus said:
In a more responsible [sounding] vein:

Is this the sort of situation where a restraining order is applicable? Pay the $300 some odd bucks and slap one on him. When you see him trespassing again, violate him.

Vandalizing a vehicle only works when they live too far away to walk home. Locals who trespass/poach and live walking distance from your land are the hardest to deal with.

I don't have any other solutions which are legal and polite.
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very well said!!

J
 
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