Author Topic: Poacher (Read 3627 times)

wareagleguy · « **on:** January 17, 2011, 09:58:45 AM »

While I was coming out of my property the other day a guy from the hunting club next to me pulled up and told me that I may have a poacher. Turns out my neighbor's buddy (one low life if ever was one) had a tree stand on my property right next to the hunting club land. So the next morning a go to look for this stand. Sure enough he had not one but two stands on my property about 15 yards in from the fence with a posted sign clearly displayed. From that stand he could hunt about 5 acres on me! He also had corn everywhere and the hunting club guy told me this poacher was telling everybody he had killed over 20 deer last year. I thought about calling the game warden but from past experience this is a total waste of time. So, standing and looking at the stands I decided I would take the stands. I also pulled out my last posted signs and posted all down the property line. That after noon I setup to see if the guy would show up and he did! Should have seen the look on his face. He just stood for a second and turn and walked back and got in his truck and went home (I guess).

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2011, 10:03:49 AM »

Be careful !

Land_Owner · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2011, 12:19:14 PM »

The Court of Public Opinion might, in this instance, be a good choice. Use a Trail Camera and get the guy poaching on film with No Trespassing signs, corn, et al. Then post his picture and some appropriate words about finding the guy that is poaching wildlife in every convenience store, library, telephone pole, etc.

Mohawk · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2011, 12:20:40 PM »

Call the Game Warden.

wareagleguy · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2011, 01:00:17 PM »

Calling the game warden in the state of Alabama is a total waste of time. The guy in the club told me called twice to the game watch hot line and was told the area game warden would call him but he never did. I have had the same experience. Alabama is not supporting the wardens and refuses to fund any kind of enforcement. We have one officer to cover 3 counties. What I think would have been the best thing to do would have been to call the sheriff and had the guy arrested the second he crossed the fence.

hillbill · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2011, 01:30:13 PM »

it is amazeing how brazen people are sometimes.what argument could he even have when yu caught him? i think yu did good!

buck460XVR · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2011, 01:56:05 PM »

Quote from: wareagleguy on January 17, 2011, 01:00:17 PM

What I think would have been the best thing to do would have been to call the sheriff and had the guy arrested the second he crossed the fence.

I'm thinkin that may have been the best also. You really had no proof of him poaching. But you did have plenty of proof of trespassing. I'm bettin' tho, that the loss of a coupla stands and the knowledge you know who he is and that he has been trespassing on your land is enough to keep him away for a while.

PowPow · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2011, 02:52:11 PM »

If you find another a climber, put a motion detector or a motion sensitive switch with a 30 minute delay connected to an MP3 player and loud speaker that comes on and says "Drop your weapon, drop it to the ground NOW". 20' drop can't be good for it. Be sure to videotape it and post it here.

pastorp · « **Reply #8 on:** January 18, 2011, 07:06:46 AM »

You probably did the best thing you could. Hit him where it hurts, in his pocketbook.

[/ make it too expensive to hunt your property and he'll probably stay away..

My best friend just inherited his family ranch in fla. I'll probably move back there when I retire. So I guess well be faced with the same issues. To bad people just don't respect ownership. We hunted this property back before I moved west and then north. I think it will be good to go home. It's -10deg this morning here in Alaska and still dark. And 60deg at the ranch.

HogFan · « **Reply #9 on:** January 18, 2011, 12:21:04 PM »

I caught a guy trespassing on some property I had permission to hunt this past season. I didn't know who he was and he was not allowed ont he property until I called my cousin to tell him. The guy and his dad have been doing it for years evidently. I understand about GW not doing any thing, it's the same way here in AR. I have called for people hunting out of season before only to be told pretty much to shut up and color.

tcencore3006 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2011, 12:43:25 PM »

I hope they were really expensive stands.

wareagleguy · « **Reply #11 on:** January 18, 2011, 03:37:54 PM »

Very nice stands. Climber is a summit and the ladder was all aluminum and looks brand new.

Mohawk · « **Reply #12 on:** January 19, 2011, 10:01:24 AM »

Then call the Sheriff, Constable, or highway patrol. I would not take that into my own hands.

scootrd · « **Reply #13 on:** January 19, 2011, 10:22:47 AM »

I'm wondering if the way are justice system seems to work nowadays this guy has recourse to file stolen property against you.
I'd call GW or LEO just to cover your backside. Guess I've become cynical , I've seen to many COPS reruns where the victim
or injured party somehow ends up being the one who gets arrested. Somehow the perps end up with their "rights" protected
over the injured party.

DANNY-L · « **Reply #14 on:** January 19, 2011, 10:29:53 AM »

Lots of superglue in the trucks door locks,leave the stands (for now)notch the trees and sit back and video.

rdmallory · « **Reply #15 on:** January 19, 2011, 02:46:46 PM »

If he comes back a well hidden game camera might help your case.

Doug

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #16 on:** January 20, 2011, 02:13:32 AM »

or ansewer the call of nature on the seat , that should be a suprise in the pre dawn hour

Jax · « **Reply #17 on:** January 23, 2011, 10:07:44 AM »

We found a Tree stand on our property up in NY that someone had been hunting in. We arent able to get up there for hunting season any more, but its posted heavily. Anyways, I climbed the pegs, and took an ax and cut the back support to the stand, then we cut a nice groove all the way around the tree so that if he climbed it to get his stand, the tree would fall

If I would have found him up there, I would have took my AR and put 30 round just passed him into the ground.

buck460XVR · « **Reply #18 on:** January 28, 2011, 07:13:49 AM »

Quote from: scootrd on January 19, 2011, 10:22:47 AM

I'm wondering if the way are justice system seems to work nowadays this guy has recourse to file stolen property against you.

Asked a friend of mine about this. He is a local Police Captain. His interpretation of the law around here is that anything intentionally left on private property without permission is considered abandoned and is considered property of the landowner(unless it is considered evidence of a crime/stolen property). Since ignorance of property lines is not an excuse for trespassing here, this includes deer stands left on the wrong property by mistake. Whether to return them to the owner or not is up to the landowner.

Quote from: DANNY-L on January 19, 2011, 10:29:53 AM

Lots of superglue in the trucks door locks,leave the stands (for now)notch the trees and sit back and video.

Quote from: Jax on January 23, 2011, 10:07:44 AM

We found a Tree stand on our property up in NY that someone had been hunting in. We arent able to get up there for hunting season any more, but its posted heavily. Anyways, I climbed the pegs, and took an ax and cut the back support to the stand, then we cut a nice groove all the way around the tree so that if he climbed it to get his stand, the tree would fall If I would have found him up there, I would have took my AR and put 30 round just passed him into the ground.

Intentional criminal damage to property and setting a trap to intentionally hurt someone is a criminal act and lowers one to the level of the trespasser. Notching a tree to injure is no different than a set gun.

wareagleguy · « **Reply #19 on:** January 28, 2011, 11:58:41 AM »

This low life knew he was trespassing and I am sure he knows I got it. I am just waiting to see if he has got a big enough pair to ask for them back!

yukondog · « **Reply #20 on:** January 28, 2011, 06:41:16 PM »

The stand now belongs to you, take it and set it on fire box up the remains and wait for him to ask for it back than say here you go.

tcencore3006 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 31, 2011, 06:08:58 AM »

I would be shocked if he asked for them back. Like Buck said, they are now yours. If he asks, tell him no. He won't give you the deer back that he shot off your property.

@ JAX- It sounds like you are a worse criminal than the trespasser. If that kills himself I would be shocked if you don't get a manslaughter charge. I am all for protecting property but never by harming other people.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #22 on:** January 31, 2011, 07:53:33 AM »

Here about 28 years ago a guy streached a wire across a old road on his place to keep dirt bike riders off. A gut that went to church with me had his head cut off by the wire. The case settled last summer. In the end not much came of it . A small fine and court cost. But living with killing someone would be bad .

squirrellluck · « **Reply #23 on:** January 31, 2011, 03:06:29 PM »

Here we can call the sheriffs dept. It is trespassing which is not necessarily hunting related. Or trespass laws are a little more strict than some. We do not have to post signs either. It is the responsibility of the hunter to know who's property he is on and get permission. I didn't know is no longer a valid defense

Land_Owner · « **Reply #24 on:** February 01, 2011, 03:40:24 AM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on January 31, 2011, 07:53:33 AM

...living with killing someone would be bad .

Our service men and women do this every day. LEO's too! Veterans and Homeowner's who have defended themselves also. There are others...

If they can do it, we can too when circumstances dictate; I could.

Your post above was in reference to the frivolous waste of human life, and I concur with your sentiment. Some folks have no conscience.

Jax · « **Reply #25 on:** February 05, 2011, 02:10:13 PM »

Quote from: Land_Owner on February 01, 2011, 03:40:24 AM

Quote from: SHOOTALL on January 31, 2011, 07:53:33 AM
...living with killing someone would be bad .
Our service men and women do this every day. LEO's too! Veterans and Homeowner's who have defended themselves also. There are others...

If they can do it, we can too when circumstances dictate; I could.

Your post above was in reference to the frivolous waste of human life, and I concur with your sentiment. Some folks have no conscience.

You guys say that im the criminal. Its my tree in my forest. I can choose to cut my trees as I please. If you choose to trespass and climb a half cut down tree, thats on you. I compare it to someone breaking into my home and stealing my belongings. Would this not compare? Or if someone comes into your yard and steals your lawn mower. Personally, they wouldnt walk out of of my yard are off my property! Same thing with my property, We have posted signs all over the place, and you choose to walk past them, and clear land and set up and tree and steal my game.... How is it different?

People who poached back in the day of the king were publicly hung!

Land_Owner · « **Reply #26 on:** February 05, 2011, 11:58:10 PM »

Mankind has gotten just a little more civilized since the Days of Camelot. It is now considered "Bad Form" to kill someone for stealing/trespassing/clearing trees on your land/etc. You can replace stuff/once he has gone you are no longer "harmed"/the land will heal. The law seems to work against us sometimes, but that is the way it is. Thieves are the lowest form of pond scum, but killing someone for stealing (fill in the blank___________; a lawn mower) makes you a Murderer in 2011.

The deer on your property do not belong to you. His poaching on your land does not make you his Judge, Jury and Executioner. Killing trespassers is Bad Form...setting traps for the killing of trespassers would make you a Murderer in the FIRST DEGREE. If he falls and survives but is maimed, YOU would become financially responsible for his injuries, medical treatment, and HIS associated PAIN and SUFFERING (added insult to injury). That is the way it is.

Suck it up. Rub some dirt on it. Mature a little. We have all been this riled up at one time or another...I know I have been and used to think like you are thinking now - you can read those threads here too. The deer are not so important any more. Trespassers are not so prevalent anymore either. Your presence on the land is enough. You persistence there is enough. Cut down that girdled tree. Do not make a bad situation for yourself so much worse. Sometime next Month/next Quarter/next Year you will look back and see it just was not worth the worry. That does not mean you give up, just find a better way to deal with it...a more civilized way.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #27 on:** February 07, 2011, 03:23:52 AM »

If you want to be a man be there when he returns . Show him the lines and explain you don't want him on your side of the line. Then enforce it . Setting traps that anyone can stumble into is a chicken way to react. IMHO !

zacharoo · « **Reply #28 on:** February 07, 2011, 07:06:15 AM »

If you are sure it is him . The next time you see him tell him you will sell him back the stands as back lease payment. Also tell him his lease is finished!!!!

Zacharoo

buck460XVR · « **Reply #29 on:** February 07, 2011, 07:44:30 AM »

Quote from: Jax on February 05, 2011, 02:10:13 PM

You guys say that im the criminal.

.............no, but the acts you are suggesting are criminal. If you do not realize this, you are an accident waitin' to happen.