Trespasser tree stand found

[catskillkid]

    I was reposting my neighbor's property line this weekend and found where someone had knocked down a section of his rock wall to drive a quad through it. There is a poster sign directly in front of where the wall was taken down so there is no excuse for playing dumb. This person made a quad trail onto my neighbor's land by cutting lots of saplings and brush.  I followed the new trail to a newly installed ladder stand approx. 200 yards into my neighbor's property. I am the only person he allows to hunt there. I rebuilt the wall and removed the stand and placed it back on the other side of the wall. My neighbor does not want to be confrontational with his neighboring property owner and it quite possibly may be someone trespassing on him too as the properties are very large. The stand was placed in a spot where he could shoot onto my land too.

 

I followed my neighbor's wishes but I would get the DEC involved if this happened on my land. 

 

Any thoughts?

Edited September 8, 2015 by catskillkid

[Four Season Whitetail's]

    I was reposting my neighbor's property line this weekend and found where someone had knocked down a section of his rock wall to drive a quad through it. There is a poster sign directly in front of where the wall was taken down so there is no excuse for playing dumb. This person made a quad trail onto my neighbor's land by cutting lots of saplings and brush.  I followed the new trail to a newly installed ladder stand approx. 200 yards into my neighbor's property. I am the only person he allows to hunt there. I rebuilt the wall and removed the stand and placed it back on the other side of the wall. My neighbor does not want to be confrontational with his neighboring property owner and it quite possibly may be someone trespassing on him too as the properties are very large. The stand was placed in a spot where he could shoot onto my land too.

 

I'll followed my neighbor's wishes but I would get the DEC involved if this happened on my land. 

 

Any thoughts?

You did well grasshopper....lol     Rather than drop a dime or snitch on a salt lick you did just what most normal people would have done.

 

Myself, I would have attached a signed little note just to inform him who the nice guy was that didnt call the law for the destruction and did not own a new stand but now, after you made the first nice gesture....The next time would result in a little different mindset.

 

I do have to say that either this guy thinks he can hunt this land and has the ok to do whatever he wants or he is really brazen.  Probably not much of a hunter with the wheeler trail to the stand. 

[dbHunterNY]

yup you did the right thing.  I'd keep an eye on that spot though.  if they do come back you've earned the right to not be so considerate.  usually if they thought they had permission you'll hear about them going to the landowner.  if you don't it means they got caught and know it.

[virgil]

Maybe set up a trail cam over the area of the rebuilt rock wall.  At least that way you'd know who it is.

[grampy]

Leaving the stand on the other side of the wall with a note, is what I would have done. The ball is now in his court. See what happens next before taking the next step.

[GreeneHunter]

Well hidden Trail Cam(s)  !

[Hock3y24]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago, took down 2 stands and a trail cam. Left a note saying. To contact property owner to retrieve there belongings and put up new posted signs. (This property hasn't been used in 3 years so they made themselves at home despite the posted signs). They responded by popping all the locks off the sheds and garages looking for there stuff but there's nothing of value in them.

[growalot]

Well not your land..but had it been mine...I'd be a tad crazed over the rock wall ,but over the edge on any tree/sapling cutting...so the stand would have come home with me...after I put up a note with my cell number...that  he could have gotten off any of my posted signs...saying I have the ladder and he can call so we can exchange his funds for the damage to my property for his tree stand...that I had contacted the police and informed them of the situation...

Edited September 8, 2015 by growalot

[jjb4900]

Well not your land..but had it been mine...I'd be a tad crazed over the rock wall ,but over the edge on any tree/sapling cutting...so the stand would have come home with me...after I put up a note with my cell number...that  he could have gotten off any of my posted signs...saying I have the ladder and he can call so we can exchange his funds for the damage to my property for his tree stand...that I had contacted the police and informed them of the situation...

yeah, that's a special kind of scumb@g that will take apart a rock wall and chop down trees.............not too sure I would go too far out of my way to get him his stand back.

[Otto]

The same thing happened to me. I took the tree stand down and let my neighbor know where it was for him to pick up. He came the next day, no apologies or explanation, but he never put one on my property again. If it ever happens again, it will be a phone call to the DEC.

[G-Man]

I bought some adjoining land that had some stands on it I believed belonged to adjoining landowner, so I took them down placed against a posted sign. On trail to where stand was , as the owner of the stands was seldom there. 3 weeks later they were all back up in same trees , so a chainsaw dropping the tree with stand in it and smashing them to scrap was the next step, the trees was later cut up for firewood. Not hard to read. Name address on posted sign ,I'm not a thief so I didn't want them, but I have not seen the owner of the adjoining property since. (It's a small piece I surround now.)

[Cory]

I found a stand a couple of years ago overlooking my field in a tree that had many posted signs around it . So to the guy that put it there I still have the stand and use it its just not where you left it. Once again thanks for the donation.

[Jaeger]

I had a similar problem.  A neighbor sold his land to NYC and when a stand of mine near the border fell down, he immediately built a permnenant wood stand nearby (on the land he sold) overlooking my property.

 

I did not call the DEP, but someone he chased off the city land did. The city cops stood and watched as he took the stand down. (and found several other permenant stands he built on the public land)

 

He put up and left up a metal ladder stand on the public land as well.  It dissapeared over the winter.

 

Tresspassing is a problem best nipped in the bud.  Especially if it is on land you control(have permission to hunt).

 

I'd call the DEC and let them deal with it.  We complain about the ECO's a lot, but in these situations, that's what they are there for, to deal with people breaking the rules and interfering with our hunting and enjoyment.

Edited September 10, 2015 by Jaeger

[catskillkid]

I had a similar problem.  A neighbor sold his land to NYC and when a stand of mine near the border fell down, he immediately built a permnenant wood stand nearby (on the land he sold) overlooking my property.

 

I did not call the DEP, but someone he chased off the city land did. The city cops stood and watched as he took the stand down. (and found several other permenant stands he built on the public land)

 

He put up and left up a metal ladder stand on the public land as well.  It dissapeared over the winter.

 

Tresspassing is a problem best nipped in the bud.  Especially if it is on land you control(have permission to hunt).

 

I'd call the DEC and let them deal with it.  We complain about the ECO's a lot, but in these situations, that's what they are there for, to deal with people breaking the rules and interfering with our hunting and enjoyment.

 

Even though the land parcel abuts my property, I need to do as my neighbor wishes for his land. If that trespasser encroaches on mine, i will definitely get the ECO involved. I'll be sure to walk by the area many times during the hunting season.

 

BTW, I looked at the tax map and discovered that the trail / land he entered from is owned by an absentee landowner. I'm sure he does not have permission to be there either. These parcels are very large, about 200 acres in size and not patrolled very often.

Edited September 10, 2015 by catskillkid

[Five Seasons]

we had a trespasser who cut a lot of saplings and branches. We lease the property and the land owner was pissed. We knew who the culprit and the guy called and was basically in tears asking him not to press charges. Trespassing is trespassing, but it's a whole new ball game when you alter the woods.

 

I'd try to catch him on a cam and get charges filed. that's just BS.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Good luck on this one. These cases end up with nobody being a winner. Hopefully, your prize is not missing tree stands.

[catskillkid]

Good luck on this one. These cases end up with nobody being a winner. Hopefully, your prize is not missing tree stands.

 

 

I'm not out to make enemies, just want him to stay away

[philoshop]

You handled it well. Damaging a rock wall and vegetation on land not your own is uncool.

I carry ziplock baggies and business cards for situations like this. If they want their stands back, they had better have a damned good explanation for their behavior.

[Five Seasons]

You handled it well. Damaging a rock wall and vegetation on land not your own is uncool.

I carry ziplock baggies and business cards for situations like this. If they want their stands back, they had better have a damned good explanation for their behavior.

 

someone probably knows better than I do, but when we had the issue and did some quick research we actually found that the damaging of terrain/vegetation carried a much stiffer fine than trespassing.

[gjs4]

Pull it and lay it in the hole in the wall

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[Jeremy K]

Just me ,but i would assemble it by the road and make sure to round all the bolt heads off in the process.

[jjb4900]

not too sure how much of an obligation anyone is under to track down the owner of any property that is put on any property that isn't theirs....illegally or otherwise.

[Core]

Once cellular trail cams become more ubiquitous this kind of thing will go away. You'll know real-time when someone is there, at which point you can either pay them a visit or call the cops.

[Five Seasons]

not too sure how much of an obligation anyone is under to track down the owner of any property that is put on any property that isn't theirs....illegally or otherwise.

 

none really. But it's sort of in the same category of "starting a war/feud". Bad neighbors and trespassers seeking revenge can ruin your season. Even if they're in the wrong.

[growalot]

 

BTW, I looked at the tax map and discovered that the trail / land he entered from is owned by an absentee landowner. I'm sure he does not have permission to be there either. These parcels are very large, about 200 acres in size and not patrolled very often.

 Right there is an opportunity...you go to the town clerk find the owner and # then either call or right them a letter...explain that their land is being used by trespassers that use them to go onto you and would like permission to post and patrol the property for them...this would help them in keeping any tree damage/or theft down and help keep them off your place.

I did this...sent only one letter and advised them that their woods were ready to be logged again ..that we weren't loggers and wasn't recommending anyone but did go to college for land management/forestry. They never replied and I did not contact them again. Another neighbor told me he had several times, to buy the place...she passed and mentioned us in her will 10 years later...we got 24 1/2 acres for 10,000.00...

So you never know...just how you handle things...