Stream wading legalities in GA / common practice

[Concrete Pete]

If the landowner has an affidavit filed with the probate court in the county saying they won't intervene if a game warden arrests someone trespassing without WRITTEN permission to hunt or fish, then there is no written warning.

If the trespasser has broken a law other than simply being on the property without written permission (killing an animal, keeping a fish, littering, damaging property, etc.) then it's Criminal Trespassing, which gets a whole lot worse.

https://www.womenslaw.org/laws/ga/s...on commits the,person without consent of that

Stuff like this is why I don’t fool around with trespassing.

I’ve met a few land owners who have just gotten completely burnt out on people trashing their property.

Most live near WMAs. These people have decades of frustration built up and they’ll press charges.

You don’t want any charges you can easily avoid.

Saying, ‘I read on GON that this was ok’ or ‘One time a ranger told me this was ok’ isn’t going to hold up in court.

Don’t be the guy that learns the hard way.

 

[Robust Redhorse]

When you own land on a creek and you have had your livestock and pets killed, fish that you have purchased from a private trout hatchery stolen, your fences cut, beer and liquor bottles littering your property, people camping out and nailing lanterns and hammocks to your trees, etc., maybe you will understand Georgia's laws better.

 

[Zebco The Clown]

I’ve met a few land owners who have just gotten completely burnt out on people trashing their property.

Most live near WMAs. These people have decades of frustration built up and they’ll press charges.

100% this. It's never the one time a trespasser comes through on accident. It's built up on years of bad experiences for the landowner. I regret the one time I went a little overboard on a trespasser, he was mistaken on a few things, but otherwise not doing any harm to anything. But it was the pent up agitation I had with a history of trespassing, theft, vandalism, littering, etc. So the one guy I caught ended up taking the brunt of my frustration at all those other guys, even though he was mostly innocent and confused. As it turned out, he actually had permission from my neighbor but didn't know where the property lines were exactly. I didn't find that out until later, I felt pretty bad for the way I treated him. But, it was a summation of a very long list of bad trespassers that made me snap on him because he was the one I finally caught.

 

[DOUG 281]

where i live they are people that come and buy and try to rule the whole area were we coon hunt at they try to run people off all of the time they try to keep folks from going to the Cemetery's one guy took it upon his self to tear the bridge out cost him a few dollars to build it back

 

[Zebco The Clown]

where i live they are people that come and buy and try to rule the whole area were we coon hunt at they try to run people off all of the time they try to keep folks from going to the Cemetery's one guy took it upon his self to tear the bridge out cost him a few dollars to build it back

Do your dogs know where the property lines are?

 

[DOUG 281]

no the dogs don't know or does the people trying to run the show

 

[Robust Redhorse]

I was a Cubmaster with the Boy Scouts several years ago (before Scouts decided to take a dive off the deep end). One of the dads of two Cub Scouts in my Pack decided he wanted to take his sons fishing the creek on my property.

I would have given him written permission in a heartbeat.

He didn't ask me and there was nothing I could do for him when the Game Warden arrested him for trespassing. He he had to pay a hefty fine, but I had filed the affidavit, so I couldn't speak up on his behalf.


Everyone - Get WRITTEN permission to hunt, fish or even hike or birdwatch.


Verbal permission doesn't mean anything in GA.

 

[Concrete Pete]

I was a Cubmaster with the Boy Scouts several years ago (before Scouts decided to take a dive off the deep end). One of the dads of two Cub Scouts in my Pack decided he wanted to take his sons fishing the creek on my property.

I would have given him written permission in a heartbeat.

He didn't ask me and there was nothing I could do for him when the Game Warden arrested him for trespassing. He he had to pay a hefty fine, but I had filed the affidavit, so I couldn't speak up on his behalf.


Everyone - Get WRITTEN permission to hunt, fish or even hike or birdwatch.


Verbal permission doesn't mean anything in GA.

This is one of the few quality posts in this thread. I’ll make sure to get written permission. I’ve always gotten verbal, but now I know why I need it in writing.

 

[Concrete Pete]

100% this. It's never the one time a trespasser comes through on accident. It's built up on years of bad experiences for the landowner. I regret the one time I went a little overboard on a trespasser, he was mistaken on a few things, but otherwise not doing any harm to anything. But it was the pent up agitation I had with a history of trespassing, theft, vandalism, littering, etc. So the one guy I caught ended up taking the brunt of my frustration at all those other guys, even though he was mostly innocent and confused. As it turned out, he actually had permission from my neighbor but didn't know where the property lines were exactly. I didn't find that out until later, I felt pretty bad for the way I treated him. But, it was a summation of a very long list of bad trespassers that made me snap on him because he was the one I finally caught.

Yep, I hate it for people who weren’t meaning any harm. There’s people on this forum who’ve had their lives threatened for trespassing.

I don’t agree with all that of course.

However, I have seen such egregious behavior I have to take the land owners side.

I think there’s a stereotype of the greedy property owner that needs to be put to rest. True greed is thinking you’ve got a right to something someone else worked for and takes care of.