Trespasser stories...what's yours?

[Gooserbat]

I usually have my wife drop me off but only on a dirt road and always at least a couple hours before daylight.  I usually use a crossbow so I don't make noise.  Once I kill a bird I call her on my cell and have her pick me up at one of three predetermined pick up spots.  One word of caution is always watch for electric fences in the dark.  I've not been busted yet so to say I do it well would be in order.

maybe i am reading your post wrong but it almost sounds like you are saying you knowingly trespass? am i reading your post wrong?

Only the good spots!

[eggshell]

I have run into a few tresspassers and most are pretty embarassed as they just gave into temptation. A large tract of our family land joins public and and guys cheat over a bit to try and get birds they hear on our land. I am pretty understanding with these guys and they usually apologize and leave. I really don't get too nasty with them as heck I understand the temptation. Now if they are a half mile over the line running and gunning they get hammered. There's no warning just tickets.

My two worse offenders were a guy I knew was repeatedly coming in. I finally walked up on him one day and he turns and in a nasty tone said, you are on private land and we don't give permission". I asked him his name and he heehawwed around and then I asked him if he knew who owned it. He told me the landowners name correctly (my cousin) and stated he was family. I pulled out my license and showed him and asked for his. when he seen the last name he just sighed and said, "I'm in deep sh#T ain't I.  He did show me his license and I told him a wildlife officer would be in touch. He then told me he was a surveyor and had worked the neighbors property and saw all the turkey sign. so the neighbor got a call too. I did admire is bluff, he said it worked more than it failed as he usually just ran into other tresspassers.

The other troublesome tresspasser was one of the Turkey Thugs (yes from the TV show) and he told me to back off a gobbling bird because they were filming. He was informed real quick that was not going to happen, because they were tresspassing. He actually had the gaul to ask if they could stay and hunt.  He was a field rep with a major call company at the time and they got a call too. He no longer worked for them after that.

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

One word of caution is always watch for electric fences in the dark. 

The inspiration for your Posted Land Special (PLS)? 

[Bill Cooksey]

Taught my son not to stop for photos until you are on your side of the line.


Kidding. Bird was shot on his grandfather's farm. Photo op was too good to pass.

[ol bob]

A few years ago a fellow walked up on me and started chewing me out said no hunting was allowed on the land and I was in big trouble I told him I would show him my slip to hunt which you have to have here if he would show me his, said he did not have to have one because he was family, told him I was sure he was lying because I owned the land and if I ever caught him there again he would go to jail, don't know who he was but I've never seen him again.

[nativeks]

I have run into a few tresspassers and most are pretty embarassed as they just gave into temptation. A large tract of our family land joins public and and guys cheat over a bit to try and get birds they hear on our land. I am pretty understanding with these guys and they usually apologize and leave. I really don't get too nasty with them as heck I understand the temptation. Now if they are a half mile over the line running and gunning they get hammered. There's no warning just tickets.

My two worse offenders were a guy I knew was repeatedly coming in. I finally walked up on him one day and he turns and in a nasty tone said, you are on private land and we don't give permission". I asked him his name and he heehawwed around and then I asked him if he knew who owned it. He told me the landowners name correctly (my cousin) and stated he was family. I pulled out my license and showed him and asked for his. when he seen the last name he just sighed and said, "I'm in deep sh#T ain't I.  He did show me his license and I told him a wildlife officer would be in touch. He then told me he was a surveyor and had worked the neighbors property and saw all the turkey sign. so the neighbor got a call too. I did admire is bluff, he said it worked more than it failed as he usually just ran into other tresspassers.

The other troublesome tresspasser was one of the Turkey Thugs (yes from the TV show) and he told me to back off a gobbling bird because they were filming. He was informed real quick that was not going to happen, because they were tresspassing. He actually had the gaul to ask if they could stay and hunt.  He was a field rep with a major call company at the time and they got a call too. He no longer worked for them after that.

Buddy of mine caught some big name guys trespassing. They have a show on the pursuit network and own farms in other big buck states. Anyhow he was hunting turkeys and the birds walked over a rise in the field then he heard a shot. Went over and they were standing over a flopping turkey. They attempted to get out of it by offering to let him come deer hunt their farm in Missouri and almost had it, until his father showed up. His dad is a retired state trooper and a bear of a man. He gets out of his truck no shirt on with bib overalls. Says "you boys hunting with *******?" They say yeah. He replies with "Then you are in a world of hurt". Had them arrested for trespassing. They used to send them their hunting videos every year. I am a landowner now, and kinda looking forward to dealing with a trespasser that tries to bluff me off my own land.

[jblackburn]

I usually have my wife drop me off but only on a dirt road and always at least a couple hours before daylight.  I usually use a crossbow so I don't make noise.  Once I kill a bird I call her on my cell and have her pick me up at one of three predetermined pick up spots.  One word of caution is always watch for electric fences in the dark.  I've not been busted yet so to say I do it well would be in order.

maybe i am reading your post wrong but it almost sounds like you are saying you knowingly trespass? am i reading your post wrong?

Only the good spots!

Hey! I remember that bird, it was a good spot!

[g8rvet]

Had a game warden that I know well that has a bit of a hard tail reputation  come in to my office and tell me he needed to talk to me.  I said okay and just stood there.  He kinda toe kicked and said, "Umm, in private".  He then asks me if I know where the XXXXXX family farm is. I say sure, I treat their dogs at their place and know them well- dad and both sons (bird dog kennel).  He then shows me a picture that he tells me was taken from their farm and asks if I know who is is.  I look at it and do a double take.  I study it carefully, it is from the back and he is quartering away from the camera.  I say "I do not know who it is, but Holy Shiiite, it looks like me, TO ME!".  He laughs and I tell him I don't own any clothes like that.  He then starts grinning and says they actually caught the dude, but him and the whole family all said "Dang, that looks like Larry" - knowing good and well it was not.  The two brothers came up with the idea of messing with me and the GW was all for it and pulled it off real good. 

Had a family (dirt poor folks ) fishing my pond at my house.  Came home and they were there so I walked down to run them off- did not know who they were at the time.  There is a pond just down the road that looks a lot like my pond and they were on the wrong place.  I told them if they wanted to fish my pond, they could any time they wanted because I needed to put my dogs away or they might get bit.  As I say this, the dogs in my truck start barking, almost on cue.  I never tell them that my dogs would not bite a biscuit and if someone came to my house to steal, they would help them load the TV.  They fished it a couple of times, but always called first. 

Had a place years ago that was getting poached for deer.  They would cut the fence and drive in.  We mended the fence and buried a 2 x 4 with nails in it in sugar soft sand that you could walk over, but not drive.  About a week later heard about a boy I went to school with being talked about ruining his front 2 rims on his truck from driving home with 2 flats.  Went back and checked and the board was pulled up.  I told him I knew what happened, but he just came back with some lame story.  Never had another problem.  Today, he would probably sue - and win. 

[jakesdad]

Had a place years ago that was getting poached for deer.  They would cut the fence and drive in.  We mended the fence and buried a 2 x 4 with nails in it in sugar soft sand that you could walk over, but not drive.  About a week later heard about a boy I went to school with being talked about ruining his front 2 rims on his truck from driving home with 2 flats.  Went back and checked and the board was pulled up.  I told him I knew what happened, but he just came back with some lame story.  Never had another problem.  Today, he would probably sue - and win.

Had the same thing happen to us.Some guys had permission to ride on our neighbors 400 + acres but thought they needed to cut the fence and ride on our 60. We placed some plywood with roofing nails thru it at the "gate" and just waited.We also informed the neighbor who went along with it.A few days later they all came back to the neighbors on foot mad as hornets because of what we did and asked our neighbor to do something about it.He did.He drove down there with his tractor and front end loader and proceeded to load all 4 three wheelers into the bucket and promptly dumped them in his barnlot near where they had parked and told them they had 2 hours to get them off his property or the law was going to be called.Havent had trouble since after word got around.this was in the early 90s but like you said probably get sued today and lose the farm.

[hs strut]

ive been fortunate enough to get a good job and with the better income i decided to buy some land i bought 23 acres in macon tn anyway my 2nd week hunting this land i get a note on my truck window that said get the xxxx out have a problem call xxxxxxxxx well i have a short temper and this set me off i went to the man i bought the land from and talked to him and it turned out his neighbor was a game warden and he came over to listen to the phone call to this person when we called and he was told he was mistaken the guy got very hateful saying he had the land leased and there was no way i owned it well then the game warden took the phone announced who he was well the other guy just hung up of the warden then said hed be paying them a visit thats the last i heard from the supposed leaser well skip ahead 1 year i was standing behind my truck getting ready to head to my stand when some one taps me on the shoulder this guy informed me i was on his land i asked who he was he said dont worry about it just get out when i informed him  of who i was and that i knew he didnt own the land because i did his tone changed quick apparently he owned a piece of land across the way from me he then had the gall to tell me to call before i used my entrance road to my land i said im not going to do that and that he needed to leave ive not heard from him since

[101st501]

Every time I go to my local WMA, there is always some other vehicles around.  I am too busy trying to get on a bird to find out who they are and to run them off.

[Cut N Run]

About 7 years ago I was set up about 80 yards from the back corner of the 400+ acre lease that my best friend and I held for 12 years at a tree farm where I worked in my spare time.  I was talking with my buddy on the radio headset.  He was set up about 450 yards away from me and we had a fired up gobbler between us who was ripping the woods up with gobbles.  Since the bird was moving around and might possibly give either one of us an opportunity, we decided to hold our positions until the bird moved beyond us and keep each other informed where it was going.  The gobbler was moving closer to him and he said he could hear a crow over the breeze that the gobbler was answering constantly.  Then he said over the radio that it was a sick sounding crow, but the gobbler seemed to like answering it.  His next transmission was asking me over the radio what I was doing sneaking around near him.  I told him that I hadn't moved & it was somebody else.  He switched his radio to where I could hear everything he said as he approached this trespasser.

It was a guy in his early 20s who said he must have gotten turned around and crossed onto our farm by mistake (impossible).  He also said that he lived about 50 miles away and had been dropped off by his cousin, who he was visiting and whose gun & camo he borrowed.  The young guy just started walking away from my buddy, who snagged the radio headset cord on a limb and jerked the radio from his pocket.  The young guy saw his chance and ran back towards my direction as my buddy reconnected the radio.  The gobbler had busted at the commotion and gone quiet, so I guessed which trail the trespasser might travel on & I hid beside it.  Before long, here he comes trotting along the trail. I stopped him and he bowed up on me telling me that I was trespassing on his grandfather's land (another lie) and I'd better get the H#!! off it, NOW!.  The land I leased had been in the same family since the late 1700s and I worked and hunted there long enough to know exactly where every inch of property boundary was.

I asked the trespasser his name (since this was supposedly his grandfather's land), but he wouldn't tell me.  Right then, I switched the radio over to the property owner's frequency, who happened to be working in his shop on the farm that day.  I unplugged the headset so the trespasser could hear the land owner's response when I started describing the trespasser.  Before the land owner started talking, the trespasser took off running towards the nearest property lines, but also through some of the nastiest briar patches on the property.  The land owner jumped in his truck and started riding the roads near the property.  Pretty soon, the land owner saw the young guy come out of the woods and the land owner asked where he'd been hunting. The young guy lied to him as well, saying the he'd been in the creek bottom that ran to the river.  The landowner said the guy's leafy suit was ripped to shreds, his face and arms were scratched and bleeding, and he was sweating like he'd been chased by a pack of hounds.  We never saw him hunting anywhere near there again.

Jim

Jim

[buckluck_9pt]

i had one hunt, me and a buddy in our group were archery hunting deer.. my buddy was in a stand about 150 yards away.. we hunt with walkie talkie's for safety reasons.. well, i am sitting in stand and i have about  7 big doe's come in and bed down about 55 yards from me.. so i watch them and play the waiting game.. then i notice the deer jerk their heads around, jump up and run off.. see , what i thought, was my buddy sneaking down the trail, bow in hand, trying to sneak up on the deer.. called my buddy on the talkie and chewed him out.. "i am still in my stand he says". oh shoot, got down and tried to catch up with the guy but he was gone.. pretty sure i know who it is, the guy that hunts the land around ours.. we have had issues with him and his group before... one of these days we'll catch him red handed, then watch out

[Snoodsniper]

As a habitual trespasser I take offense to this thread.

[GobbleNut]

Trespassing can be a problem out here in the west, as well, but here is another perspective on it.  We have just as many problems with landowners and outfitters trying to keep the public off of public lands.  We have those folks who will post public lands as being private and confront hunters about hunting on public lands that they are trying to bluff people into thinking is privately owned.

Almost every public hunter I know has had one or more experiences with people claiming they are on private land when, in fact, they are on public.  If you hunt out here in the west, you should always obtain land status maps of the area you are hunting to avoid being harassed by people doing this.