Our family has a wonderful parcel of land in Bartow County. No one lives on the land at this time. It is just pure raw Mother Nature. We hunt, fish, camp, hike, swim, climb, garden, etc. Birds, amphibians, reptiles, deer, bobcat, turkey, etc. all are a part of the landscape. It truly is a bubble of beauty that many family members have enjoyed.
Over the past 12 years we have dealt with trespassing and the pains those people bring - cutting limbs, felling trees, rutting with 4-wheelers, campfires, fishing and taking their catch, hunting, breaking glass bottles, leaving their presence known via cigarette butts, wrappers, containers, even adult items.Which my then 3 year old boy and 6 year old step daughter discovered. Fishing hooks on the dock I built, and even used toilet paper when they chose to defecate.
Investing in trails cameras merely recorded the trespassers and their actions. Some funny audio in the video recordings. No one has ever appeared to locate a camera based on images and videos taken.
We've even run into trespassers leaving our property on our way in, or they were coming in while we were there. ALWAYS the same story - we didn't know it was private (Do you own it? No? So someone owns it, other than you.), we have been coming back here for as long as I remember, etc. No bad altercations. And none that I have spoke to in person had returned based on camera recordings. So there is that ray of sunshine.
Well about a month back my boy were coming out of our land and in comes a gentleman on a 4-wheeler. We speak and he says he is just cutting through to hunt in land beyond ours. Won't take but a couple minutes to ride through to the other property. What?!?!?! While we are speaking I am thinking what land beyond ours is he hunting? County land borders ours, and I did not think Bartow County gave anyone permission to hunt on county land. So we speak for a few minutes and he apologizes and bangs a U-turn and departs our land. (Only to trespass on the adjacent land that he does not have permission to be on.) Like every other encounter with trespassers I figure this one won't return. Nope. Should have known better as he was a hunter.
Two weeks later I am setting up 6 AM in the dark to start my trek and I hear a 4-wheeler. I figure it is the gentleman I met 2 weeks back as he said he comes into town to hunt every other weekend. I figure he is going to take the other road (still trespassing but on someone else's land), but nope. That noise and that light come my way. We meet again.
Now he says he spoke with GA DNR and they told him he could use the easement to access the property he is hunting beyond ours. Doesn't seem right to me. Our named easement is for our family, no one else, and the land beyond remember is Bartow County land. And the easement we use to access our land ends where our property begins. The same dirt road is now ours and is private road not an easement. So I show him on the map where he is now on our land and the easement is the other way behind us 20 feet. Huh he says. He then asks if there is any way we would let him ride through because if he has to take the other (also private) road it will take 20 minutes longer and is more rough terrain to drive over. I say no sorry we have a blanket policy no one on our property for any reason period. No hurt feelings, not personal, just stay off our land.
He counters with well I guess I'll go and get a saw and go over that way about 40 feet and cut a trail through (Bartow County Land!) around your land and meet up with the other trail. Oh and that other trail is also on Bartow County land and they cut a couple hundred feet of pine samplings down and pulled them out to build a trail for their 4-wheelers. About 12 years back. Yup. I respond well I don't know if I would alter land I don't own or have permission to alter. Eventually he departs. Okay now we are done. Right?
Nope.
So I am wondering just where he and his fellas he mentioned are hunting. Because that is County land and I can't believe Bartow County allows hunting AND baiting (of course they are baiting with corn over there!). I follow the 4-wheeler trail and it GOES THROUGH OUR LAND!!!!! This section of our land we don't get into much so we never knew they cut trees and tore down erosion barriers to drive their 4-wheelers. But I sure found out. I could not believe it. I set a trail camera up and one week after this second encounter with same trespasser I get pics and vids of his 2 friends he mentioned riding their 4-wheelers on our land, rifles, bag of corn strapped on rack, camo attire, etc.
Now I call GA DNR and speak with a Ranger for Bartow County. He comes out to our land and we walk the road and trail and he sees the trespassing and pics/videos. He recommends I buy a cell trail camera so I get an instant alert, then call him and he or whomever is on duty will come out and deal with the problem.
In goes a cell camera but for a week nothing doing. Okay maybe they are taking the long road around. Then thus past Friday I get image alert on my phone and it is them AGAIN! 2 4-wheelers, rifles, corn, gear.
My boy and I meet a Ranger at our land Friday afternoon and we walk in showing thus Ranger the issue. And wouldn't ya know it as we near an area where their 4-wheeler trail ruts up our land there they are! One gentleman got on his machine and started up the hill away from us but the other gentleman wasn't able to load up all his gear before the Ranger was within eye and earshot and he called out to them.
Gentleman rolled back down the hill to his buddy and the long conversation and trek up and back down a steep mountain began for the Ranger and one trespasser.
Short version: both charged with hunting without permission (no, Bartow County did not give them permission to hunt county land), and hunting over bait, and both will likely pay the fines. Both received criminal trespass warnings for being on our land, and if they return straight to jail. One received warning for hunting without orange, no hunting license, and no big game hunting license.
Without naming the Ranger I want to give big props for assisting us. I strongly dislike killing over bait, so that extra charge for both of them was a nice parting gift. Odd how they said the feeders were not their feeders, they were there so they used them. Sure. All of us spoke at the Ranger's vehicle and I don't think either will return to our land, and I think they will tell their friends to stay out as well. But we will keep running the cell cameras. The Ranger was professional and understanding, and man he hoofed it up and down and up and down our "hills" where the grades are STEEP like a crossfit competitor. These trespassers have been hunting that county land for 12-15 years, who knows how many deer they have harvested illegally. Maybe their honey hole is now gone and they will hunt legally somewhere else. Keeping trespassers off our land was the goal, but sure felt good stopping (hopefully) illegal hunting.
This was a great experience with GA DNR LE Ranger. Definitely worthy of mention.
Over the past 12 years we have dealt with trespassing and the pains those people bring - cutting limbs, felling trees, rutting with 4-wheelers, campfires, fishing and taking their catch, hunting, breaking glass bottles, leaving their presence known via cigarette butts, wrappers, containers, even adult items.Which my then 3 year old boy and 6 year old step daughter discovered. Fishing hooks on the dock I built, and even used toilet paper when they chose to defecate.
Investing in trails cameras merely recorded the trespassers and their actions. Some funny audio in the video recordings. No one has ever appeared to locate a camera based on images and videos taken.
We've even run into trespassers leaving our property on our way in, or they were coming in while we were there. ALWAYS the same story - we didn't know it was private (Do you own it? No? So someone owns it, other than you.), we have been coming back here for as long as I remember, etc. No bad altercations. And none that I have spoke to in person had returned based on camera recordings. So there is that ray of sunshine.
Well about a month back my boy were coming out of our land and in comes a gentleman on a 4-wheeler. We speak and he says he is just cutting through to hunt in land beyond ours. Won't take but a couple minutes to ride through to the other property. What?!?!?! While we are speaking I am thinking what land beyond ours is he hunting? County land borders ours, and I did not think Bartow County gave anyone permission to hunt on county land. So we speak for a few minutes and he apologizes and bangs a U-turn and departs our land. (Only to trespass on the adjacent land that he does not have permission to be on.) Like every other encounter with trespassers I figure this one won't return. Nope. Should have known better as he was a hunter.
Two weeks later I am setting up 6 AM in the dark to start my trek and I hear a 4-wheeler. I figure it is the gentleman I met 2 weeks back as he said he comes into town to hunt every other weekend. I figure he is going to take the other road (still trespassing but on someone else's land), but nope. That noise and that light come my way. We meet again.
Now he says he spoke with GA DNR and they told him he could use the easement to access the property he is hunting beyond ours. Doesn't seem right to me. Our named easement is for our family, no one else, and the land beyond remember is Bartow County land. And the easement we use to access our land ends where our property begins. The same dirt road is now ours and is private road not an easement. So I show him on the map where he is now on our land and the easement is the other way behind us 20 feet. Huh he says. He then asks if there is any way we would let him ride through because if he has to take the other (also private) road it will take 20 minutes longer and is more rough terrain to drive over. I say no sorry we have a blanket policy no one on our property for any reason period. No hurt feelings, not personal, just stay off our land.
He counters with well I guess I'll go and get a saw and go over that way about 40 feet and cut a trail through (Bartow County Land!) around your land and meet up with the other trail. Oh and that other trail is also on Bartow County land and they cut a couple hundred feet of pine samplings down and pulled them out to build a trail for their 4-wheelers. About 12 years back. Yup. I respond well I don't know if I would alter land I don't own or have permission to alter. Eventually he departs. Okay now we are done. Right?
Nope.
So I am wondering just where he and his fellas he mentioned are hunting. Because that is County land and I can't believe Bartow County allows hunting AND baiting (of course they are baiting with corn over there!). I follow the 4-wheeler trail and it GOES THROUGH OUR LAND!!!!! This section of our land we don't get into much so we never knew they cut trees and tore down erosion barriers to drive their 4-wheelers. But I sure found out. I could not believe it. I set a trail camera up and one week after this second encounter with same trespasser I get pics and vids of his 2 friends he mentioned riding their 4-wheelers on our land, rifles, bag of corn strapped on rack, camo attire, etc.
Now I call GA DNR and speak with a Ranger for Bartow County. He comes out to our land and we walk the road and trail and he sees the trespassing and pics/videos. He recommends I buy a cell trail camera so I get an instant alert, then call him and he or whomever is on duty will come out and deal with the problem.
In goes a cell camera but for a week nothing doing. Okay maybe they are taking the long road around. Then thus past Friday I get image alert on my phone and it is them AGAIN! 2 4-wheelers, rifles, corn, gear.
My boy and I meet a Ranger at our land Friday afternoon and we walk in showing thus Ranger the issue. And wouldn't ya know it as we near an area where their 4-wheeler trail ruts up our land there they are! One gentleman got on his machine and started up the hill away from us but the other gentleman wasn't able to load up all his gear before the Ranger was within eye and earshot and he called out to them.
Gentleman rolled back down the hill to his buddy and the long conversation and trek up and back down a steep mountain began for the Ranger and one trespasser.
Short version: both charged with hunting without permission (no, Bartow County did not give them permission to hunt county land), and hunting over bait, and both will likely pay the fines. Both received criminal trespass warnings for being on our land, and if they return straight to jail. One received warning for hunting without orange, no hunting license, and no big game hunting license.
Without naming the Ranger I want to give big props for assisting us. I strongly dislike killing over bait, so that extra charge for both of them was a nice parting gift. Odd how they said the feeders were not their feeders, they were there so they used them. Sure. All of us spoke at the Ranger's vehicle and I don't think either will return to our land, and I think they will tell their friends to stay out as well. But we will keep running the cell cameras. The Ranger was professional and understanding, and man he hoofed it up and down and up and down our "hills" where the grades are STEEP like a crossfit competitor. These trespassers have been hunting that county land for 12-15 years, who knows how many deer they have harvested illegally. Maybe their honey hole is now gone and they will hunt legally somewhere else. Keeping trespassers off our land was the goal, but sure felt good stopping (hopefully) illegal hunting.
This was a great experience with GA DNR LE Ranger. Definitely worthy of mention.
Last edited by a moderator:
