Tresspassers - Poachers - What to do now

[deadeye]

What would you do?  Yesterday I went to my hunting land to drop off some stuff, look for morels and scout turkeys for next weeks hunt.   As I drove up to my campsite, I saw about 8-9 turkeys on the field (about 60 yards away).  I watched them a short time and then started walking towards them.  As they ran down the field I noticed two were not running.  Just as I started to put it together.. BOOM and one turkey flops over dead.  As I'm covering the 100 yards to the turkey, I see a blind setup in the woods.  The three people in the blind were really surprised to see me.   It was no mistake, they knew they were on my land and admitted they walked past a no hunting sign to get where they were.  After a very short conversation, (which included me telling them I was calling the DNR, I left and drove to where they were parked. I called the local sheriff and they said the warden would be dispatched.   When they got back to their truck, I ask where they were from and who they were.  Turns out they deer hunt on neighboring property and I actually know two of them. (Between their camo and my seeing red, I didn't recognize them).  My phone wasn't working anymore so I told them they could go and I wouldn't press charges.  I would deal with the warden when he got there.  (After a couple more hours I finally got to where I could call and was told they just left a voice message for the warden and he would call me later.  I'm still waiting for that call.   
I'm sure between the embaresment of being caught, and basically ruining the guys first turkey kill, he won't be doing that again soon.  I know it doesn't change what they did but if I had not known them, I would most certianly pressed tresspassing charges.  Maybe I've just gone soft.
 
       

[Grute Man]

Yeah I'd call.  If they know you, they could come ask ahead of time.  What if you had other hunters in the area? 

I also would have kept the bird but make them register it.

[dakids]

I would have called.  Makes you wonder if this was there first time hunting on YOUR land? 

[Big_D]

I would have put the hammer down


And since the warden didn't show up, you still can with the DNR...that would    me off more than the trespassers in all honesty

[HD]

DE, man, I'd lay the smack down!

If they did it now, they did it before...this time you just happened to catch um!

I have neighbors like that, I caught them several times....with the same story "I'll never do it again" or "I wasn't sure about the property lines"

BULL 

I turned their sorry    in, and now they know I mean bussiness!

You do what you want, it's just my opinion.

Hunter

[thunderpout]

Maybe its just me, but If I were them, I'd be even more embarresed that ya knew me.... That should have been the best reason for them not to screw ya over eh?  I dont know what I'd do with em.....

[kenhuntin]

If they do not have the common courtesy to let you know that they will discharge a firearm on your property then they do not care a lick about you. If you think they learned a lesson that is up to you. Sometimes this type will keep on pushing it knowing that the warden will not be called in because they know you. That makes it more upsetting. Good luck. T.I.P # is 1-800-652-9093 you can now also call it in using your cell phone with the number * TIP

[Spinach]

I think you made the best decision given the circumstances. I would hope that they learned a lesson and won't tresspass anymore, maybe the warden can take there names down and let you know if they have any prior tresspassing records. If they were clean, i wouldn't press charges, but if this is not the first time, then they need to be prosecuted.

Kind of like a written warning, with no charges filed, I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt and giving second chances if possible, my decision would be different if the warden said they had priors though.

Either way i would have called the warden, but pressing charges would depend on there past records.

The part that would really piss me off is them firing a shotgun on my property, that part of me says they should be turned in immediately.

Tough decision......

[jkcmj]

I went in on our property to set up my blind on a pasture fence row where we see turkeys on a regular basis.  Looking at the ground it was all boot tracks smashed grass and trimmed branches from the morning hunt someone had on our property!  I figured setting up my blind right where they sat should send a message, but they likely already had their bird as the spot was dead my whole season.  Lucky I had other birds to hunt!

[Munk]

I think you did the right thing Deadeye.. But I'd be dang sure to let them know that there is only one free pass allowed and the next time the outcome will be different.  Also if they hunt the adjoining property, but do not own it, I'd talk with that owner also and let him in on what happened... I know where I hunt in SE Mn, you screw up and get caught doing what these guys did, and you're pretty much done hunting any adjacent property as well...

[b.henrichs]

i say shot the poachers and trap the  trespassers.either are no good.

[UncleDave]

Yikes.  Kill 'em.  Sounds like the "Kill The Dog" thread, only people now.  Hopefully the morons learned a lesson.  If you ever catch them again I would hope you cut them no slack.  Once they have been busted once and it is officially on their record, then I assume future violations carry higher fines and penalties.  I hate thieves and that is what they are.  They stole game from you and other adjacent property owners who harvest them or just enjoy watching them. 

[beeker]

they got caught and they know you know where they hunt. plus you called and then let them off so I would say you did the right thing. you don't live at your hunting land so I would be hessitant to start a "war". an old co-worker did and he ended up selling his land after he had his camper tourched and his stands chainsawed... they were wrong,

I wandered on to some land in SD pheasant hunting (walking through slews it's tough to find property lines) the owner stopped me yelled at me for a good while.. when he was done and I was looking for my license number to give him (out there the landowner takes you license number and calls it in to the warden) he asked me where I was staying I told him my uncles name and he said "well hell why didn't you say he was your uncle?.. then he pointed me towards some other slews he had and told me to mention to my uncle that he let me on his land".. strange how it works..

one other time I was hunting some land where I had permission... a minute or two after I shot my doe 3 guys came other the hill just as I got to it.

the old guy asked me "do you know who's land your on"
I say "sure do"
old guy "well I just bought all this and I don't know you"
I say " you didn't buy this and you be lucky if you did"
old guy "who's land do you think your on?"
I say " Dan ####  and that's the land your on as well"
old guys kid " I don't think so dad, "
I say "see that fence you walked over a few hundred feet back there that's the line"
old guy "my land goe to that 40"
I say "that field is olny a 20, and this is the other 20 of it"
old guy "well I'm not saying you can't hunt here"
I say "we obviously since you don't own this you can't say much of anything about what I do here"
old guys other kid "calm down"
I say "you can stick it, you tresspass and try to kick me off land I have permission to hunt, I shot this deer out of his grandsons old stand and you think the 3 of you can bullie me!"
old guy "well I think I have to check my survey"
I say "well when you do and you realize I'm right can find me here tomorrow"
they leave.  the next year not a one of them hunted the back side of their land and I dump 10 pointer with split brow tines.. I made sure they saw it when I left that day. they sold there land a year later. 

[kenhuntin]

Try replacing your sign with these it really works well for us

[attachment deleted by admin]

[kingfisher1]

about 7 or 8 years ago we had problems with tresspassers and poachers on our property.  We had a group of guys that owned land that was kitty corner to us.  They were big into drinking and narcotics while hunting.  Not a good combo as anyone knows.  They would constantly walk onto our property (not a problem if they asked permission and were sober) and hunt any time they felt like it.  If they saw us bird hunting, they would hide in some bushes and jump out when we got ready to pass them to scare us.     Why would you, if you're tresspassing on someone's land, jump out at them when they've got a gun in their hands?  That's a good way to get    It got to the point where they did that while bear hunting with my father, we held them until the local warden came and brought them in (there were 3 of them that jumped out at us that time) for tresspassing, hunting w/o a license, and hunting under the influence.  Don't know if it's karma or not, but their cabin blew up 3 months later due to a meth lab exploding. 

[MnDeerStalker]

Turn them in tresspassing is one thing it can happen buy mistake (not the case here but... ) a pocher is a pocher wheather you know him or not Granted its just a turkey THIS TIME but you let them get away with next time it is that trophy buck you let walk the last 2 - 3 years just my two cents 

[icebanger]

well i belive you made the wrong desicion i would have put the screws to them the dnr would have knocked on each of there doors..tresspassing can happen poaching is another thing..they made the call to take turkeys out of season thats just wrong to those of us that play  by the rules...i will bet that not a one of them had a permit to hunt turkeys...remeber this when they get busted people like peta look at all of us in that light..i hope next time you think it through....thanks for the intresting post

[Bufflehead]

 To each his own, but I have had the warden bite me in the hinder too many times. I called many times over the years on poaching, shooting down a roadway, bragging on the net, Etc. Too many times the warden told the violator who called. I live in a small town..in no time your name is mud. Besides that, it's big brothers plan to put brother against brother. Divide and concor...makes us as a sport and as citizens to then be easily picked off. Our society today easily dictates this action, competitive and materialistic. I don't call on anyone one anymore.

 I called one time on two guys(father & Son) shooting down the edge of a field, down the road along side of the field, where a very busy state hwy crossed and was filled with Sunday of opening weekend deer hunters that were on their way home and two houses were on the edge of that same road they were shooting down.. They emptied two clips from a 30-06 rem auto and a fully loaded 94 Win 30-30 at a spike buck. It should have been a easy one shot kill of 100yrds or less. 

 Called the C.O, she told them who called..started a huge bunch of trouble..which carries on yet to this day. The local land owner where they stay and hunt has carried out several vandalism acts on my place...along with cornering my wife at the local gas station and pinning her in her car and threatening her. The cops will do nothing, unless we "Pay" a couple hundred bucks to go in front of a judge and ask for a restraining order. I'm sure that piece of paper will protect us and why should it cost us a couple of hundred bucks? we were only trying to do what was supposed to be right. NEVER AGAIN!!! He tried to run me off the road one day also..pushed me in my small car to over 100 mph, it was only a good thing my cars computer let my car go faster than his big Dodge diesel truck. I took my carry class and now am armed 24/7/365....now ask yourself..IS IT WORTH IT??????????????

 They can kill anything they want..I'm not calling. So, if you do turn somebody in, are you prepared to deal with someone that may be looking you up for possibly years to get even with you? Some people can be dangerous, all one has to do is watch the news each night or drive on any Twin Cities hwy at rush hour. No bird or deer is worth putting myself or my family in danger of some nut who is looking to even the score. Trust me, I have been there


 

 

 

     

[stevejedlenski]

thats just wrong. first off if you didnt want your name out there you should not have given it to anyone. that dosnt justify whats going on. things may be different in a smaller town but there should still be people who do whats right and help you out. if this guy is doing this to you tell people. yes many may hold a grudge but they know putting someones life in danger is not somthing he should be doing. so open your mouth and get this guy on the towns bad side. and if he tries anything life threatening shoot his  and then the police will investigate and find out whats going on. and if you told the town they will all know too. if someone threatened my wife i would sure as hell put him behind bars one way or another. and by the way if you really feel that threatened go get an order for protection, its free and you dont have to wait for a judge. but i sure hope you do somthing to end this with this poor excuse for life.

[HD]

I don't like the way this post is heading.
If it continues, the post will be moved.

The original post was just asking your opinion on what he should do, asking for input.


Hunter

[MnDeerStalker]

It s too bad people act that way but I do know where you are comming from bufflehead as I came from a small town as well the kind where if someone says something about anything the whole town knows it and who it came from in the end a agree with your decision it is not worth putting your family in harms way of any kind. It is easy for all of us to say do this or do that when we are not actully there and know all of the unknowns. Even though some of us would have had the game warden knock on there door he is just doing what he thinks is right for his family.

[guythathunts]

I would turn them in. i know it could be hard depending on how well you knew them, but slobs are slobs. How old were these individuals?

[Bufflehead]

Quote
"go get an order for protection, its free"

Only against another blood family member are order for protections free. You have to pay otherwise  and even then a judge can rule against it and you don't get your money back. They want any and all responsibility to fall on you the victim(caller). No way does the county or the state want any wrongful charges that a good attorney could possibly swing in favor of the violator. You take the risk and could end up being the one paying..it's your word against theirs and who has the best attorney. Nothing is as cut and dried as some would like you to believe

   

[Auggie]

T.I.P. Turn in poachers.  1-800-652-9093. Cash rewards for tips leading to an arrest. You can remain ANONYMOUS. Right in black and white on the back of all license sold I believe.

[kingfisher1]

T.I.P. Turn in poachers.  1-800-652-9093. Cash rewards for tips leading to an arrest. You can remain ANONYMOUS. Right in black and white on the back of all license sold I believe.

that it is.  You can also do *TIP if I remember correctly

[Randy Kaar]

Thanks for that info Bufflehead. things are always a little different
from county to county, but still good info!

randy

[roydarecker]

Where I come from we do not like Signs everybody works things out. There is no imagenary line use common sense. We never had problems until people from the cities started hunting and putting up signs. By doing this it caused tensions between the locals and the outoftowners. Once we had a kind of sit down and chat everything has since worked out and the signs are gone. When it come to hunting we know where the nieghbors sit or stand we try to work everybody togather. For example if you see a deer 75 yards across my line you shoot it and I do the same, but I probably wouldn't shoot 250 yards across on the nieghbors just out courtosy. I don't hunt ducks if the next guy wants to hunt them on my place I don't care but I may  cross his land out grouse hunting if I am not interfearing on his hunt. Has worked out fine with all of us.

[kenhuntin]

That is great that neighbors can work things out like that. It is too bad all folk are not that way.
 What would you guys do in this situation: My boss who I hunt with alot has property in Olivia part farm land and a small wooded area on one corner with a creek running through. His neighbor has eighty acres of plowed field during deer season with a little swail of grass near the road. This year the neighbor posted his dumb little piece of grass and erected a tower stand just inside his property line overlooking his plowed field and the small woodlot of my bosses. The stand that close irked my boss so he reciprocated by placing a no tresspass sign right by his deer tower. It happened while he was pounding in the sign that a decent eight jumped up from the woodlot. Well guess what, when my boss came to check the property under the tower was a big gutpile and the bucks severed unit. The bloody drag trail came from thirty yards inside my bosses land. The animal could have been walking the plowed field and ran to die in the woodlot but I doubt it. If it were me I would erect a bill board that blocked his vision into my property.

[HD]

I would go and talk to the individual. Find out what his version of the story is (or was)

Depending on what he said, would determine my next course of action.

A:) Maybe, a talking to, worked it out.
B:) Contact a CO if a compromise can't be reached.


But, this is just what I would do...........

Hunter

[JCAMERON]

Agreed. If he's your neighbor, I would definitely try to talk to him and come to a compromise.