Ask a conservation officer

[Lee Borgersen]

  Ask a Conservation Officer:

People trespassing to hunt.

Q: I have a plot of land that I have clearly marked with no trespassing signs. My neighbors around me have taken it upon themselves to hunt without permission on my land. They have even placed 2 metal ladder stands and made 2 wood deer stands on my property. What can I do about this?

A: Trespass is an issue that Conservation Officers deal with, especially during and around the time of deer season. The situation you described, where someone is accessing the posted private land of another without permission, is sadly not uncommon, but something that can be handled. Contact your local Conservation Officer with as much information as you can about who is trespassing, how they get there, when they will be there, and any damage they have caused or history to the incident.

In order for a trespass issue to be addressed and enforced, you need to first make sure that the posting of your land meets the legal requirements of the law. This includes:

• Signs placed at intervals of 1000 feet (500 in wooded areas), or at the corners and access points to the property.

• Signs must state "No Trespassing" or similar words in 2-inch letters, and have either the signature or the name and telephone number of the landowner, lessee, or land manager.

• The postings on need to be made or confirmed once per year. Taking a picture of the sign on your land is a good way to show that it is properly posted.

If you have taken these steps, or have told the trespasser to leave and not return to your property, then enforcement action can be taken when the matter persists. Contact your local conservation officer for help with the matter. See pages 8-11 of the 2018 Hunting Regulation synopsis book for more details.

[deadeye]

Holy crap, it looks like it would take a team of lawyers working for you to convict someone of trespassing on your land.   

[LPS]

I thought that a quite few years ago all private land in MN was made illegal to enter without permission from the owner. 

[deadeye]

All ag land (crop land hay pasture etc) is covered by this law.  Woods must still be posted. 

[Rebel SS]

How do they define it's "a woods?"

[glenn57]

How do they define it's "a woods?"

well doah……...it has trees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rebel SS]

     How MANY trees make it a woods? I'm serious! No doubt someone will try to debate that...

[Lee Borgersen]

   How MANY trees make it a woods? I'm serious! No doubt someone will try to debate that...

It depends how tall da trees are I'm always tryin ta be helpful

[LPS]

LOL  I had to read this thread to the wife just so she knows how we communicate and how we think....    BUT good point Rebs.  How big and how many trees in the corner of a field constitute woods versus just a few trees....   

[Rebel SS]

I can't find anything on a designation of "woods". My guess it would be any area with naturally growing trees and bushes that is not maintained for any agricultural or rec purposes....

[Boar]

ok t further push the issue, what define a tree, sapling, bush, new growth??

[deadeye]

Law says "you may not enter legally posted land or agricultural land without permission"  The key here is "agricultural" land as this does NOT have to be posted. 
  Agricultural land is typically land devoted to agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of life—particularly the rearing of livestock and production of crops—to produce food for humans. It is thus generally synonymous with both farmland or cropland, as well as pasture or rangeland.
 Here are some examples of AG land.

[Rebel SS]

Good explanation and pics, Deadeye.  I guess the key is if it isn't yer land, you don't know the owner, or have permission to be on it, stay OFF IT!

[deadeye]

I agree with all the information available via cell phones etc, there is absolutely NO way someone can say they didn't know where they were.  It would be a very rare case when someone "accidently" trespassed.  My guess is 99.9% know exactly where they are.

[roony]

Simple solution: If you don't own it and don't have permission stay the heck out!

[roony]

I have an approximately 4 acre windbreak to the north and west of my building site. I have actually had people hunt on the far side of it. They claim they can do this because I have not posted my building site and part of it is 500 feet away from my dwelling.
Then they wonder why landowners do not allow hunting. The gall of some of these people is just unbelievable. What is it about deer that make people lose all semblance of civility?

[deadeye]

I think it's getting better now than it way 20 years ago.  Back then they simply lined up and drove deer across any and all property in the way.  No one really cared if it was private land.  Now they have to be a little more sneaky.  Fortunately there is a lot less of this today.  I have a few stories but never had to get the wardens involved.  Public shamming works quite well.