Having problems with poachers.

What I can't figure out is why you didn't whip out a cell phone and call the Sheriff and Fish & Game right then. That way you could have got a court case going, cost him some money, maybe have hs guns confiscated, and follow up (with cause) on a restraining order. Quit dicking around and make the guy understand you mean business.

I'll bet if he's treating your property like this your other neighbors have the same problem.
 
I definitely dont have that sort of money, and my grandmother (the land owner) is very cheap lol. If it were me and money wasn't an option I would surely go that route.

My dad was the last person to run into him, and his screen doesn't work. Basically he can only receive calls. Next time I run into him I will call the game commission. I still don't know how much it will do when i'm not out there. I can basically just hope that they frequent the area. Unforunately, they have to get out of their vehicles to really make sure no one is in the woods.
 
338375 said:
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.
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yes and give names if you can bc if something does happen to you or somoene on that property they will be the first the cops go to.. you need to report this asap
 
I run into this problem every stinkin year. About 3 years ago a young man and his father stopped by my camp and we talked about deer hunting for roughly an hour. Seemed like nice enough people. Last season we caught the little puke trespassing and shooting deer. It was deer season, but we were just about to go into the timber and heard shots, so we waited and out they came. Chewed them out and off they went. The next day the same thing, however found several fresh deer kills in the timber that they didn't even attempt to pick up. Blood trail was about 5 ft. long... Next time I will be taking pictures of faces, license plates, vehicles and reporting them to the authorities.
 
You might want to put up new "no hunting" and "no trespassing" signs and then put up a trail cam up in a tree out of reach or well hidden right near the new signs. If you can see the trespasser and the sign in the picture it is pretty hard to dispute.
 
thebrain said:
You might want to put up new "no hunting" and "no trespassing" signs and then put up a trail cam up in a tree out of reach or well hidden right near the new signs. If you can see the trespasser and the sign in the picture it is pretty hard to dispute.
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Usually would be a good idea...still might try. I have no doubt in my mind if he saw the camera he would destroy it, based on the fact he had no problem messing with my safety by tampering with my treestands and gun ropes.
 
"If you cannot beat them, arrange to have them beaten."

Like any hunter working a problem against a live opponent, if you can predict their behavior, you can use that knowledge to defeat them. It is only through scarcity of ideas that you haven't added him to your bag limit, so to speak.

Have you phoned the game warden and complained that a persistent poacher is raising hell in your neighborhood? They don't need warrants to search people's house. Isn't he making meth over there?! :) I'd drop the dime on him, if he is actively sabotaging your land. Who's paying the taxes on it, you or him?

Get creatively angry. Own him.
 
Erasmus said:
"If you cannot beat them, arrange to have them beaten."

Like any hunter working a problem against a live opponent, if you can predict their behavior, you can use that knowledge to defeat them. It is only through scarcity of ideas that you haven't added him to your bag limit, so to speak.

Have you phoned the game warden and complained that a persistent poacher is raising hell in your neighborhood? They don't need warrants to search people's house. Isn't he making meth over there?! :) I'd drop the dime on him, if he is actively sabotaging your land. Who's paying the taxes on it, you or him?

Get creatively angry. Own him.
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hey i like that.

you do need to put on no trespass signs. here in NC they have to be within 50-100ft of each other. i would buy many and plaster them everywhere. hard to dispute that. the deer wont mind. they cant read anyway. trail cams would be good but hide them well.

my question is how long have you or your family owned that land? bc if it was a "recent" purchase that man probably feels like since he has hunted that land for years before it was bought that he still has that right. i see that a lot around here. they just dont care. i always get the "well i hunted here since i was 8yrs old when it was such and such land".. i politely tell them" it aint their land anymore its mine, now get off.".. some people when it comes to hunting really show their true colors.
 
Happened once on our farm guys popping over the fence to hunt kudu they dont come round any more since my dad put a few shots over their heads .amazing how fast some one can run.
 
I just moved from a farm in Northern PA surrounded by a large game land. All the land was well posted, The game warden new that no one was allowed to hunt unless they could produce a written permission letter from me-I also provided the warden a list of names and addresses of those, including juveniles--that were allowed to hunt. A very short list. Lots of deer and turkey as the hunters on the game land would drive them into our farm.

Several very expensive neighborhoods in the area where a lot of folks would work in Manhattan and live in PA--houses were huge--some 10,000+sqft. Almost all the hunters were extremely respectful and did not hunt our farm, until 2 years ago.

In the last 2 years all kinds of inexperienced people were walking around the area with loaded rifles--rifles are allowed. At least 2 or 3 people a week would ignore the no trasspassing sign at the farm entrance and drive to the house requesting permission to hunt--in one case a fella from the fancy neighborhood insisted he be given permission to hunt. Never happened. I found several shot deer carcases.

When all of this interest started a plan was developed for the family. Never go out on the farm land without a sidearm or long gun visible--no exceptions. Everyone new how to shoot and in PA you can open carry on your own property. Also when ever anyone was at the door that was a stranger they saw the family member with a shotgun.

Anyone coming to the door was recorded in the farm security system and on several occasions there license number was also. Copies were archived with the security company. Additionally, I made a point of riding around on the farm as it abutted the game liands with a visible sidearm and rifle case on my ATV or my truck.

I invited the game warden to feel free to set up stakeouts on the farm.


Bottom line is you need to be proactive, post the land--ask the warden what is needed---never go intothe woods without a camera or camera phone and a loaded gun.

Think about it. Someone that knows they are breaking the law are deliberately coming onto your property with a loaded firearm. Do you think they would care if a stray shot hurt anyone else?

Pa has tough game laws--get the game warden involved. Also talk to the District Justice's office about the cost and procedure to bring an action for tresspass. You aren't the only land owner that has this kind of thing going on. If the owner has no desire to do any of this then there is not much you can do. Make sure the no tresspassing hunting signs are done correctly--ask the warden what is needed. Landowners name etc. Since the owner is elderly you will probably need to get a power of attorney--again find out what the local District Justice needs to pursue a sucessful case.

Remember there are also insurance concerns in having uninvited folks with guns and other weapons on your property. DO NOT USE ANY KIND OF DEADFALL OR TRAP OF ANY KIND EVER

If you can afford it a well concealed game camera at the ingress and egress points this fella is using. I would also recommend that you plant some kind of disagreeable thorn bush around the land's perimeter to make it very difficult for a tresspasser to enter it.

Be respectful, cautious and careful.
 
kendell said:
Be respectful, cautious and careful.
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Absolutely. All that nonsense of setting traps, destroying property, vandalizing property, etc., is a lot of fun to fantasize about while we sit snickering behind our keyboards, but it just isn't legal. I'm not saying it shouldn't be.;)

But you can wind yourself up in much more trouble than they will ever be in if you harm them intentionally. Worse, if you catch them in a trap or cause them permanent bodily harm, you will be completely liable.

Imagine yourself explaining this to a judge an jury.

"So how did you handle the people you thought were trespassers?"

"Well sir, I shot the crap out of their truck, and then I called the warden when I heard them hollering from the pit trap they fell into."

"Did you have any proof that these folks were poachers before you shot their vehicle?"

"Well no, but had some problems from up the road a few times and I had seen this truck before so I thought it was poachers."

"Hmmmmm... are there many white FORD trucks in your city that look like this? Or are the suspected poachers the only ones with that type of truck"

You get the picture. You cannot destroy someone's property just because you want to. Personally, if I encountered a vehicle on my land I would have flattened at least two tires and called the game warden and the sheriff. With three flats, that car would have been trapped. Then vehicle registration could have established ownership, and that could start your poaching case going without legal cost to you.

And don't even think about the legal exposure of harming another person in a blind trap. You will be completely responsible for any damages if it is determined that your trap was set only to catch human beings. There are mountains of laws on the books that try to define "reasonable response". Dropping someone in a pit for a day or two, hanging them up in a foot trap, or worse, a trap just to maim won't be viewed well in compared to "alleged" poaching.

As has been pointed out above, not matter how pissed off you get, make sure you use your head and don't get in trouble yourself.

Robert
 
My brother gets poachers , trespassers, thieves , on his 40 acres all the time. Last year they even shot his dog. They got into my truck ans stole my tennis shoes, binoculars, and [KNIVES]. Scumbags!! they are.
 
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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Jebus man!

What if it's just a couple of teenagers getting some humpy time ?

There's a big difference between trespassing and murder.
 
kendell said:
I just moved from a farm in Northern PA surrounded by a large game land. All the land was well posted, The game warden new that no one was allowed to hunt unless they could produce a written permission letter from me-I also provided the warden a list of names and addresses of those, including juveniles--that were allowed to hunt. A very short list. Lots of deer and turkey as the hunters on the game land would drive them into our farm.

Several very expensive neighborhoods in the area where a lot of folks would work in Manhattan and live in PA--houses were huge--some 10,000+sqft. Almost all the hunters were extremely respectful and did not hunt our farm, until 2 years ago.

In the last 2 years all kinds of inexperienced people were walking around the area with loaded rifles--rifles are allowed. At least 2 or 3 people a week would ignore the no trasspassing sign at the farm entrance and drive to the house requesting permission to hunt--in one case a fella from the fancy neighborhood insisted he be given permission to hunt. Never happened. I found several shot deer carcases.

When all of this interest started a plan was developed for the family. Never go out on the farm land without a sidearm or long gun visible--no exceptions. Everyone new how to shoot and in PA you can open carry on your own property. Also when ever anyone was at the door that was a stranger they saw the family member with a shotgun.

Anyone coming to the door was recorded in the farm security system and on several occasions there license number was also. Copies were archived with the security company. Additionally, I made a point of riding around on the farm as it abutted the game liands with a visible sidearm and rifle case on my ATV or my truck.

I invited the game warden to feel free to set up stakeouts on the farm.


Bottom line is you need to be proactive, post the land--ask the warden what is needed---never go intothe woods without a camera or camera phone and a loaded gun.

Think about it. Someone that knows they are breaking the law are deliberately coming onto your property with a loaded firearm. Do you think they would care if a stray shot hurt anyone else?

Pa has tough game laws--get the game warden involved. Also talk to the District Justice's office about the cost and procedure to bring an action for tresspass. You aren't the only land owner that has this kind of thing going on. If the owner has no desire to do any of this then there is not much you can do. Make sure the no tresspassing hunting signs are done correctly--ask the warden what is needed. Landowners name etc. Since the owner is elderly you will probably need to get a power of attorney--again find out what the local District Justice needs to pursue a sucessful case.

Remember there are also insurance concerns in having uninvited folks with guns and other weapons on your property. DO NOT USE ANY KIND OF DEADFALL OR TRAP OF ANY KIND EVER

If you can afford it a well concealed game camera at the ingress and egress points this fella is using. I would also recommend that you plant some kind of disagreeable thorn bush around the land's perimeter to make it very difficult for a tresspasser to enter it.

Be respectful, cautious and careful.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the slow replies, i've been fighting a lung infection for 10 days and trying to study for an insane week of school coming up.

I can say for sure we have the area properly posted. It's been three years so the signs are starting to show signs of wear, but surprisingly the signs are all still up. Anyways, we are putting reposting them during my Thanksgiving break :D

Here is the newest..news? In addition to my camp, there is a house we have rented out and the fellow that rents it does a great job looking over the property. Apparently he mentioned tresspasser/poacher is spotting every night using night vision goggles on top of the municipal buildings ash pile. Not only is he trespassing on the property, in illegal it's illegal to spot deer at night on property that isn't yours. That's just another list to add when I call the game commission.
 
type00rev said:
Rat trap, 12 gauge shotgun shell, trip wire.......problem solved.
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How does this work? Does the trap strike the primer or does striking the shell anywhere result in an explosion? If so, how is direction of the projectiles achieved?

(no, I am not interested in building one, just curious how it works)
 
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