Out of control neighbor

[Larry_1207]

Hey everyone. My 1st post on here. I am having serious issues with my next door neighbor. We dont see eye to eye on a number of issues but this time it has gotten out of control and hoping someone on here might be able to send me in the right direction. I shot a nice size doe behind my stand last week. I hit her pretty good, but higher than I wanted to. I hit the artery along her back and she went right down. She got up a several times, went a few steps and crashed. She was heading toward the property line and my neighbor also hunts. I called out for him several times in the hopes he could put a final shot in her to end her suffering but there was no answer so I took the final shot myself from my stand. When I got down I wanted to be sure there was a clear blood trail where she initially went down cause I knew my neighbor would be pissed and thinking I shot her on his property. This was not a blood trail but a clearly defined red road with blood all over, ground, one trees, bushes, ect. I could actually see her bleeding from my stand @ 40 yards. Anyways, I went over to the neighbors to get permission to recover my deer, he very rudely gave his ok. The next day he was out getting his mail and I went over to thank him for letting me recover my deer and to tell him I would go back and clean up the mess if he would like me to. He was very angry, screaming at me and swearing, told me he called the sheriff and was going to have me arrested for shooting a deer on his property. Tried to explain and told him to just follow the trail but would not let me get a word in. Sheriff came and never even came over to talk to me. I called the DEC office for my region and asked if they could send someone over to document what happened and to verify where I shot the deer. Officer said he would try to come out but never showed up. The following weekend I wend out to my stand early in the morning (around 7:00am) and was welcomed by my neighbor standing 35-40 yards from my stand right on the property line with his shotgun held sidearmed. He glared at me and fired two rounds into the woods, never even looking at what he was shooting just glaring at me. I said I hope that makes him feel better, he just called me a F#($*ng jerk. I knew there was no sense arguing over it and immediatly left my stand and headed home. I called the DEC and still have not gotten any results. I think they really dont want to get in the middle of a dispute between neighbors and dont really blame them but this has gone over the top and needs to be addressed in my opition. What do I do? I cant even enjoy the last week of the season cause of this A-hole

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Thats a tough one. I would try to move my stand away from the line a little if theres room and just leave him be. Maybe not right but some people ya just cant deal with. There are 2 sides to every story but if its that bad and one went his way after hit on mine... Well lets just say i like it when its dark!

[Lawdwaz]

I'd call the State Police. They'll be glad to help.

Welcome to the drama!!

[G-Man]

You need permission to recover a deer on someone elses property. if you had it to get your doe great, if the neighbor gets ticked off afterward not much you can do t it. move your stand further away from the line , and try to take high shoulder shots to anchor it quick. some people are just like that. Now you could of done it differently.... ask land owner to go with you and follow trail together to prove it came from yours, do not gut on his land but drag back and gut on your own. You turn to be an a--hole you could of called police/dec for hunter harrassment, just say he shot at you( i doubt he picked up his casings...point them out and where you were).

Edited December 13, 2012 by G-Man

[tughillhunter]

sounds like he has issues. jealousy perhaps? maybe scout a new stand location if possible and wash your hands of him. basting blind shots in the woods is pretty rediculous and down right stupid. you did the right thing by asking perm. for recovery, and thanking him, etc. the guy is just a real tool if i can say so my self.

[phade]

Neighbor wars are the worst. Not much can be done in many cases, except trying to remain cool-headed. It's bad enough to dislike a neighbor for a reason, but that much worse when guns are in the mix and shot are fired.

[Uncle Nicky]

Is there any chance you can move your stand, so he won't be able to see you hunting? Eventually he's bound to get tired of standing in the woods with his shotgun and give up, especially if he can't see you.

I don't think the DEC takes him very seriously, or else they would have been knocking on your door.

Good luck with this, I'm dealing with a new neighbor now at my camp, he keeps putting his posted signs 40-50 yards over on MY property line, I rip them down faster than he can put them up. I sense he's getting tired of this by now, I'm seeing less & less of his signs every time I go up there. LOL

Edited December 13, 2012 by Uncle Nicky

[GreeneHunter]

Take the high road ... offer him some Venison !

[hunterman7956]

offer him some meat from the doe its not a good idea to have a fued with neighbors. Or maybe see if he would like dinner at your house after a drink or two he may open up and tell you the reason why he is so angry and you can reason out your dispute.good luck ! p.s. maybe having a local 3rd party there may smooth things out ....

[Five Seasons]

wow. fired shots? i dont know how the police would look at that, but given his history of reporting you, there's a well documented case and you "could" claim you're concerned for your safety. idk...

[Doc]

I have a policy when I suspect that there is a mentally deranged person in the area. That policy is to avoid further contact with him ..... lol. That might involve some inconvenience of hunting in areas farther from the lot-line, but would certainly be worth it to avoid any other incidents that might get even uglier. I know it doesn't seem right to give concessions to someone who acts in a crazy irrational manner, but believe me they don't make a deer that is worth some of the ugly ways that neighbor disputes can sometimes go.

[landtracdeerhunter]

This is bad, the way u described it. I'd take his actions very seriously. Call the state police and file a report about the guy firing the rounds into the woods looking at u. Get it in writting. I don't know if I would want to even hunt that area, knowing a crazy is hunting right next door. He's a time bomb, ready to blow and I wouldn't want to be around when the fragments are flying.

Edited December 13, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[phade]

Another good option, is to bring a small camcorder out with you. If you are on stand and he does this crap again, record it and then give it to the state police, DEC, etc.

Again though, all considerations need to be accounted for. What is the long-term scenario likely to be?

How much acreage are we talking about, too.

Edited December 13, 2012 by phade

[growalot]

phade..... is right...document every thing...and you should have taken time stamped pics if the blood trail and recorded the permission on your phone.....Don't expect much help from the DEC unless you are injured...I am wondering the age of your neighbor?....there could be a medical problem going on....in which case he could be a danger....you know...like i.e......they do not let Alzheimer patients drive....not a good Idea for them to have guns either...many have it for a long time with out diagnoses,,,mood swings and anger being symptoms...

[Larry_1207]

wow, thanks for all the replies. The problem I have is that this guy is unapproachable. He told me never to even come to his door again or he will have me charged with trespassing. Other problem I have is I only have 7-1/2 acres, a long but not wide lot (about 235 feet wide). I have my two stands on the far side of the wood lot and as far away from the line as I can (about 40-50 yards) so not many options there. Think I am going to try to use the video camera on my i-phone everytime I go out and try to catch him. Another thing I am thinking of is to write a letter and put it in his mailbox asking him to come over and lets settles this like two grown adults. I offered to show him the blood trail and where I shot the deer but he wanted nothing to do with it. Maybe I probably should have just let the deer suffer and bleed out rather than taking that final shot. This thing just has me confused. Ive read the Hunter harrasement law for New York and he clearly fits it to a tee. Why the DEC is not taking this seriously has me dumbfounded.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Is he a hunter?

[ants]

He was glaring at you and then fires off two rounds with out looking??? I would take that as a threat and report it to the State Police. Get it documented. This guy is more than an a$$ hole he's a crazy a$$ hole.

Report it, move your stand and keep your distance as best you can.

[hunterman7956]

I still think that confrontation is the last resort , try the local stores in the area maybe you could gather some insight from clerks, gas stations as to his state of mind .possisably the local watering hole would help in gathering info and you may find a friend of his who could breech the subject and resolve your differences . I believe its worth a shot [no pun intended ] good luck !

Edited December 13, 2012 by hunterman7956

[Deerthug]

I don't think you are going to have any luck dealing with this guy on a civil level. You don't want to be getting into a Hatfield & McCoy situation.Try to avoid him if possible. When you are out there you should definitely record his actions to CYA.

Wondering how close is your house to the edge of the property line where he shot into the woods? Is he within the 500' limit? I would range it from the nearest point of your home to the property line. He has every right to stand at the edge of his property with a firearm but obviously illegal to discharge within that 500' distance.

[arrow nocker]

Don't touch his mailbox.That is a felony.Mail it to him.

[growalot]

Well for one thing understaffed and it really depends on what unit your in...IMO...If you write a letter...you had best be VERY VERY careful on how you are wording it....hunter harassment unless documented is very hard to prove ...when he is a hunter him self....practice good shoulder shots....drops them in their track....

Also it seems he can see when you are out hunting....concider building a enclosed blind(elevated)

I had the same problem several years ago...I stayed far away from my line giving them space and they would literally line up along the line ..their side...so I could not hunt that entire area with out shooting toward them....So I put up a stand 30ft of the line facing my property...This way they were safe and I had a better chance at shooting and stopping any deer from going over the line...They would sit right under my stand...lol what did I care? I had an elevated sight out to a hundred yrds on my place

Once though they nearly shot me out of my 16ft stand 20 min before season opener...I called 911...the DEC refused to even investigate...said I needed to be bleeding or dead at the bottom of my stand and I should be hunting some where else on my property...because I had no proof as to who fired the shot!...So good luck with the DEC

[mike rossi]

Do what people who do not have their own land do: ask permission - in advance. If they say no, its no...

Edited December 13, 2012 by mike rossi

[WNYBuckHunter]

What are you talking about Mike? He said he asked permission to recover the deer and the guy said yes.

I would call the sherrif or troopers and tell them about the gunshot incident, then use your phone camera to document further incidents.

[Larry_1207]

Yes, he's a hunter. That's the part that confuses me.

[growalot]

you never mentioned his age...I'm curious...