Trespassers

[Long Cut]

The family bought 61 acres in Pike county 2 years ago. We gated it, posted it and marked the boundaries. Property is surveyed and the lines well marked out. There’s barbed wire covering a majority of the dirt road to prevent folks from easily crossing onto our land.

Unfortunately we’ve had a significant amount of trespassing in the form of folks joyriding atv’s, SXS, coon hunters and people on dirt bikes.

Our neighbors to the North have also caught people trespassing on their property along with seeing them on ours.

Now I know one group is our neighbors to the South riding their Polaris Ranger onto our land. I’m unsure of the coon hunters and dirt bikers as of yet. Spoke to the Southern border neighbor November 2020 about it and he advised they would stop. Here we are, 2021 almost 2022 with problems persisting. Recently found an opened trail camera, SD card missing with the camera turned off.. I’m meticulous when it comes to making sure my cameras are on with the SD card back in them, no question it was stolen. Ironically it was a camera on the Southern border.

So my long winded question is... Does the neighbor even deserve a second verbal warning or should I go straight to the authorities? Which authority would be best, Game Warden or Sherriff’ Office?

 

[1eyefishing]

Given that you've already asked them once and and they have left identifiable evidence, I would go straight to the authorities.

 

[Long Cut]

Given that you've already asked them once and and they have left identifiable evidence, I would go straight to the authorities.

It’s a shame I don’t want to have a bad relationship with the neighbors, but I feel left with no choice.

 

[Crakajak]

Trespassing is the sheriff's office.
Poaching or hunting is DNR.Might invest in some cellular cameras with notifications to your phone.
Hang them high so they can,t be messed with.Then you will know and if you don,t live to far you might catch them in the act.

 

[talisman]

No more warning

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Scrate to the GW if it were me..

 

[1eyefishing]

It’s a shame I don’t want to have a bad relationship with the neighbors, but I feel left with no choice.

What is your alternative? Ask them again?

 

[1eyefishing]

If it were me I would follow those tracks right back to the barn that rig was parked in. With a deputy. Been there done that.

 

[furtaker]

The nerve of some folks never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Long Cut]

Pictures of some coon hunters that walked up on my buddy and his wife camping on our property one weekend.

My friend told me they cut their lights off but he heard voices, went outside the tent and two guys with dogs were 5 yards from his truck and their tent. The coon hunters stated they got lost looking for a dog, my friend pointed them to the dirt road. Well they doubled back to my friend about 5 minutes later, lights still off for some reason, and the coon hunters were encouraged to leave the property a second time.

Thankfully things didn’t get violent, but it’s a strange scenario why coon hunters would double back when they easily could’ve left the first time.

 

[pjciii]

I would not go anywhere on the property without a shotgun loaded with buck shot alternating slugs. You see then warning shots. Make then believe that you will shoot them. As far as photos i would go to the sheriff's Office see what they can do without ruining your relationship With your neighbor. I am sure you can get them to do something like that.

 

[Crakajak]

Pictures of some coon hunters that walked up on my buddy and his wife camping on our property one weekend.

My friend told me they cut their lights off but he heard voices, went outside the tent and two guys with dogs were 5 yards from his truck and their tent. The coon hunters stated they got lost looking for a dog, my friend pointed them to the dirt road. Well they doubled back to my friend about 5 minutes later, lights still off for some reason, and the coon hunters were encouraged to leave the property a second time.

Thankfully things didn’t get violent, but it’s a strange scenario why coon hunters would double back when they easily could’ve left the first time.

But...but....but they were there first.I would have called the sheriff's dept and game warden the second time and let them do the encouraging.
If you don,t know your game warden...call him and get to know him.

 

[JROESEL]

I’m just shocked to see a Snyper camera still out working. I’ve got 7-8 of them, and they are used as standard trail cameras, because there cell cameras aren’t worth having, cs is terrible
I would contact the law and pay them a visit, is that the guy you spoke too, driving the buggy??

 

[Pig Predator]

I'm sure the guy in the ranger is still wearing that white hat...

 

[Long Cut]

I’m just shocked to see a Snyper camera still out working. I’ve got 7-8 of them, and they are used as standard trail cameras, because there cell cameras aren’t worth having, cs is terrible
I would contact the law and pay them a visit, is that the guy you spoke too, driving the buggy??

Those Snypers are 7 years old! Of the 5 I bought only 1 still works properly, the rest can’t hold a time or date unfortunately. I won’t buy another as their cell cameras ain’t that great

 

[JROESEL]

Those Snypers are 7 years old! Of the 5 I bought only 1 still works properly, the rest can’t hold a time or date unfortunately. I won’t buy another as their cell cameras ain’t that great

and the fact that you have to pay sim hero that is out of the country, just for the cell card and service.. my credit card would decline the transaction every time, and I would have to call them, if I had a dollar for every time I left voicemails to that company, and never got a call back, I even have some of there reps cell numbers, they could’ve bought a lot of tactacams

 

[gma1320]

Unfortunately as I have experienced as well, spme local folks think rules don't think rules, laws, and no trespassing signs apply to them. Has one neighbor tell me he has hunted my lease all his life and had no reason to lease it from the timber company cause he'd just go hunt it like he has for the last 50 years. That is the mentality of some people. As much as you don't won't to, you are going to need to get the sheriff's department involved.

 

[Nimrod71]

I would go talk with the adjoining property owners and in from them you have talked with the sheriff and game warden and notified them to prosecute anyone without written permission to be on the property. I would install cameras to notify me of movement on the property. The hunters that rent our farm have these type cameras and they have called me several times about people on the property. The sheriff has visited the four individuals, they have not been on the property again.

Never threaten anyone, never shoot to scare anyone, remember the law can work both ways. Surveillance is the best way to deal with this.

 

[Spotlite]

Sheriff department. Hope you stop them. I knew a guy that left a few pound of roofing nails in a place where folks were going around his gate. Can’t fix stupid, but you can make ‘em pay for it.

 

[1eyefishing]

I would go talk with the adjoining property owners and in from them you have talked with the sheriff and game warden and notified them to prosecute anyone without written permission to be on the property. I would install cameras to notify me of movement on the property. The hunters that rent our farm have these type cameras and they have called me several times about people on the property. The sheriff has visited the four individuals, they have not been on the property again.

Never threaten anyone, never shoot to scare anyone, remember the law can work both ways. Surveillance is the best way to deal with this.

I'm thinking the sheriff's dept. has to hand them a criminal trespass warning before you can prosecute anybody. So talking to anybody and telling them that you will prosecute does no good until the sheriff's show up and give them a criminal trespass notice.
I believe that's the way it works, no expert here.