Property lines and shooting game......

[Doc]

The deer read those posted signs and have figured that it must be safe in there. Wise hunters understand these things and put their stands where they can look into posted land and shoot those posted-sign reading deer. Of course guys hunting along property lines know that the posted signs don't pertain to them, so if they have to go over and drag the deer back over to their own side, it's not really a problem.

[fasteddie]

Usually there are hedge rows , trees , brush , etc along property lines and the deer tend to go along these areas versus going in an open field . I hope this clarifies matters .  ;D ... ;D ...

[First-light]

just to ad one more, logging crews will not cut down line trees so you do have some big trees along lines producing alot of mast crop.

[biggamefish]

just to ad one more, logging crews will not cut down line trees so you do have some big trees along lines producing alot of mast crop.

    Lets say good loggers won't cut those trees down.

[Doc]

I think a lot of those trees on property lines survive because there is generally a pretty good chance of old line-fences grown into them. Nobody wants to hit that with their chainsaw and nobody at the mill wants to encounter fencing or nails in the logs either. Ugly things can happen to chains and saw blades when that happens.

[First-light]

very true Doc, forgot about that.

[solon]

last week i was walking my property to check conditions of posted signs and check if stands needed any work -  I see a trail camera right on the property line in front of my posted sign pointed into my property !

I gave the camera a few pictures of me with one of my fingers pointing upward - btw - this is the same spot that I have caught the neighbor crossing into my property 3 times in the last 2 years

[MountainHunter]

Only a couple of responses I could identify with. You guy's realize it is just a deer right? I am with sits with trees on this one. If it isn't a persistent offender I am congratulating the hunter and helping them drag.

[Doc]

Only a couple of responses I could identify with. You guy's realize it is just a deer right? I am with sits with trees on this one. If it isn't a persistent offender I am congratulating the hunter and helping them drag.

No it's not "just a deer". It is a place that I often find campfires on. It is a place where I have had dirt-bikes and ATVs buzzing by my stand while I am trying to hunt. It is a place that I have found surveyer's tape strung through the woods so the trespassers wouldn't get lost. It is a place where I have watched trespassers wander through shagging all the deer out of the area while I tried to hunt. It is an area where a group of about 9 guys tried to set up a drive during gun season in a 1000' deep thicket that is between my house and the road (without permission of course). It is a place where my own trails have been pock-marked with deep horse tracks in the mud and covered with their horse-balls. It is a place where other people treat like their own as if they helped me out with the mortgage, or were somehow helping out with the taxes or the property maintenance.

No, it's not about a deer, and I sure wouldn't be helping one of these free-loaders with dragging a deer off of land that they trespassed on. Those posted signs are there for what I consider mighty good reasons, and I have no sympathy for those that disrespect me or my wishes by ignoring those signs. And as far as I'm concerned, those people who set up stands on a property line without a real good reason are just trespassers waiting for an opportunity.

Doc

[MountainHunter]

What about persistent offender wasn't clear to you?

[biggamefish]

  Scot how many times are you going to catch a guy?  If you go in the first year and find a gut pile under your treestand do you say sweet someone got a deer.  Next year you see the guy walking through off in the distance on your property but can't get his attension.  Third year another gut pile or two.  Then you finally meet up with the guy cleaning a deer, he says first time I ever hunted here you say congrats and help drag I doubt it. 

  People do get lost and turned around and yeah you know what people shoot deer and they can run a long way even with a decent shot.  If these people go about it the right way MOST of the time they can get thier deer.  It might take a little longer than just walking across the property line but it is the correct thing to do.

  The point these guys are trying to make I think is it is there land and not some yahoo that thinks he can just stop and walk in and make it his own.  This doesn't just have to be about deer maybe they don't want rutted atv trails on there property etc.  Doc is just saying it is his land and he pays for it and he shouldn't have to share it with me or the next guy.  Let alone patroll it for tresspassers when he is trying to enjoy his hobby on his land.

[Doc]

What about persistent offender wasn't clear to you?

ALL offenders are potential persistant offenders. I have zero tolerance when it comes to trespassers. They all seem to have one basic feature to their attitudes, and that is that the odds are in their favor that they will not be caught. And they are probably correct.

There is also another growing reality among trespassers. That is that it is cheaper to trespass and run the risk of getting caught than it is to lease property of their own. In other words the fines (if in the unlikely event they actually get caught) are less than lease prices these days. So hunters have realized that they can have exclusive use of private land at much less cost than paying for a lease.

I have no sympathy with those kinds of mentality whether they are persistant offenders or whether I just have never had the opportunity to catch them before.

This idea of helping them drag their ill-gotten deer is absolutely ridiculous......sorry.

Doc

[MountainHunter]

We all relate to things based on what we are used to. The majority of my hunting is on large tracts on mountain land. Some private,some public. I do see a difference between someone whose intention it is to hunt your land and someone who is hunting on someone else's land they have permission to be on and they have a shot opportunity on your property line and they take it. And yes in the second case I would help them drag it out. Maybe if some of these guy's see that the landowner is a decent person they will think twice about violating their property rights.

[Doc]

.........and they have a shot opportunity on your property line and they take it. And yes in the second case I would help them drag it out. Maybe if some of these guy's see that the landowner is a decent person they will think twice about violating their property rights.

Yes, let's all be kind to trespassers ....... kind of an appeasement policy ..... lol.

Don't be counting on any appeasement policies on my land. I do not reward lawbreakers.

Doc

[WNYBuckHunter]

So Doc, if someone shoots a deer on thier or public land and it dies on your land, you would not allow them to retrieve the deer?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I am with DOC on this one. Zero tolerence. THe contact info is on my signs. If you have one go on there....you better be calling. It is just too freaking dangerous to have folks you don't know wandering around on there. If you call I would be more than happy to meet you at the property line and help you track it. If I find you in there the police are getting called.

I work my butt off for the land I have (both on it and to pay for it). Let them do the same.

[MountainHunter]

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion as well as their own decision as to how to react to someone trespassing on their land. I have made clear the distinction I have been talking about. If someone is a persistent offender and it is clear they are intending to trespass then I would prosecute. If it was a happen stance occurrence I wouldn't,it would also depend upon the demeanor of the hunter,are they friendly,apologetic,respectful etc.. I trust my judgement to know the difference.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Scot, DO you live at the location you hunt? Mine is 2 hours remote from where i live. The problem I have is, if I don't take a hard line to get the word out, you never see the guys gong in. If I see one it could be his tenth trip in there that season. I have found gut piles and it pisses me off.

[Geno C]

a buddy of mine has 150 acres we have been hunting for over 20 years now and we have guys from an adjacent property where they sometimes post up right on the line which is funny because they face in a matter where they look north and have there land on the east and ours on the west, both feilds and they sit a small bruschy draw. i mean i would assume they would take a shot if a deer steps out from our feild but then they would deel with us if and when that occurs... 

[MountainHunter]

Scot, DO you live at the location you hunt? Mine is 2 hours remote from where i live. The problem I have is, if I don't take a hard line to get the word out, you never see the guys gong in. If I see one it could be his tenth trip in there that season. I have found gut piles and it pisses me off.

I understand. No one response or strategy suits every situation. Your circumstances is a difficult one. Absentee ownership or over sight is ripe for being taken  advantage of.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I am with DOC on this one. Zero tolerence. THe contact info is on my signs. If you have one go on there....you better be calling. It is just too freaking dangerous to have folks you don't know wandering around on there. If you call I would be more than happy to meet you at the property line and help you track it. If I find you in there the police are getting called.

I work my butt off for the land I have (both on it and to pay for it). Let them do the same.

I agree with you, Im waiting to see what Doc says to see if I agree with him as well though.

[Doc]

So Doc, if someone shoots a deer on thier or public land and it dies on your land, you would not allow them to retrieve the deer?

If someone contacts me and asks permission to retrieve a deer, I will give them permission, and I may even escort them while they do it. I want to see the blood trail. My name & address are on the posted signs and I live on the property so that isn't a real hard thing to do. However, I will tell you that in the 40 years that I have lived there, no one has ever done that, so I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to ever happen. Those that do not ask permission, if caught, will be prosecuted.

Doc

[Doc]

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion as well as their own decision as to how to react to someone trespassing on their land. I have made clear the distinction I have been talking about. If someone is a persistent offender and it is clear they are intending to trespass then I would prosecute. If it was a happen stance occurrence I wouldn't,it would also depend upon the demeanor of the hunter,are they friendly,apologetic,respectful etc.. I trust my judgement to know the difference.

I don't know what this persistant offender thing is that you keep talking about. It is absolutely impossible to get through my posted line without seeing at least 3 posted signs. That was the criteria I used when putting them up. along the line, you are never out of sight of at least 3 signs. So anyone trespassing on that land even for the first time is willfully doing so and they know it. It is no mistake. I don't have to catch them more than once. They have decided to disregard the signs and I have decided to prosecute just as it says on the signs. Persistant offender be damned!

Doc

[catskillkid]

To Doc & Culvercreek

DITTO!!!!

[WNYBuckHunter]

So Doc, if someone shoots a deer on thier or public land and it dies on your land, you would not allow them to retrieve the deer?

If someone contacts me and asks permission to retrieve a deer, I will give them permission, and I may even escort them while they do it. I want to see the blood trail. My name & address are on the posted signs and I live on the property so that isn't a real hard thing to do. However, I will tell you that in the 40 years that I have lived there, no one has ever done that, so I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to ever happen. Those that do not ask permission, if caught, will be prosecuted.

Doc

Good deal. I agree with you as well.

I do have to say though, that there are landowners that cause guys to not get permission because when asked, the landowner denies the guy from going to drag his deer off. Happened to me with my first ever buck at the age of 19. I shot a deer on state land, it ran 100 yards and died 30 yards onto private property. I knocked on the door and asked the guy very politely if I could drag my deer off of his property and back onto state land to field dress it. He not so kindly told me no. I explained that it was dead and only a few yards in, and my first buck, I again was told no followed by the door slamming in my face. I went and got a DEC officer (no cell phones back then) and had him come with me, the guy had the deer tagged and hanging in his garage. Nothing the DEC officer could do.