So, the neighbor shot across the property line.

[sampotter]

Got into a groundblind today at 2:30 on a 130 acre farm I have been hunting for 4 years now. Rained like crazy last night and was clearing, so I was optimistic. At 2:45 I hear a shot close by. 7-8 blow by me. Crap. Oh,well. There are 2 adjacent pieces of property that are 100-200 yds from where I was and both guys hunt, so I was not particularly surprised to hear a shot come from that direction but in the back of my mind I strated thinking about the treestands that each of those guys has within 20 yards of the boundary line. Nothing wrong with that except one of them faces away from the farm I hunt, but the other one faces towards it,and thats where the shot came from. I hate going into the woods if I don't have to during hunting season, but I couldn't shake the feeling, so I wandered down there to have a look-see. I get to the area near that stand just in time to see a UTV pull away on the other property with 2 people in it. There was a gutpile I could see under the guys stand, so I knew he connected. The farm I hunt has a high-tensile electric fence along the boundary line for our dairy heifers, so I decided to walk along that to look for drag marks just in case. Sure enough there was a drag mark coming from mys side and headed downhill to the gutpile under the guys stand. I backtracked along the drag mark uphill about 20yds to a spot with a bunch of blood and a clump of hair. I know he could have shot the deer on the other side of the fence and it ran onto my side, but I've shot enough deer to know that clumps of deer hair usually are found at the spot where the deer was initially shot.

Regardless of what exactly happened (no doubt in my mind), the fact that the guys treestand is 20 yards across the property line but faces back across has always pissed me off. Not to mention- 3 years ago I had permission to along the edge of the northern neighbor's property to access the N end of this farm and when I came out of the woods with my brother at dusk and am wlaking down the road this same SOB yells from his porch, "You'd better not do that during gun season- I might mistake you for a deer and shoot you." WTF- who even suggests stuff like that?

So, I called the landowner and left him as message explaning the situation. Called the wrong office at the DEC to at least ask for advice and they gave me a different #. Called another neighbor hunter to at least verify that I was thinking of the right J-OFF.

Then- I went to his house and politely knocked on the door.

His teenage daughter answered the door, and no he was not home, he was at his hunting club showing off his crotchhorn. His wife was there however and I very politely explained my concerns. She said there was no way Jimmie would do something like that but then the daughter goes, "Oh, yeah- he shot it up on the hill and had to drag it back down to his treestand!"

F-me! It was hard not to burst out laughing! All the while the wife is giving her the STFUP eyeball. The best part was the daughter said it twice just in case I had imagined it the first time!

The wife also suggested that its hard to know where the line was...- (remember the electric fence?) She also acted surprised when I told her I was hunting that farm even though I was pretty sure she was standing on the porch with Jimmie 3 years before when he offered to mistake me for a deer.

In the end I left my name and #, shook wife's hand and asked her to have Jimmie call me.

I know this can'r be the first time as he only has 20 yards of his own property in front of his stand and then the farm that I hunt. I wonder if I can get a Posted sign the size of a billboard...

[teamcowboyup]

Just feel lucky they didnt cut the fence and drag the deer.

[fasteddie]

It takes all kinds !

[rong]

take a 4x8 sheet of plywood and make your billboard(right in front of his stand) he'll get the point,sucks people are like that,but some really get weird when it comes to harvesting a deer.

[brandon_h]

One of the adjacent landowners has a couple ladder stands set up righ on our property line. Im just waiting for the day to run into the same problem sam is having. Hope the guy gets the message, as what he did is.just wrong

[nyantler]

I would make it clear to the guy that if I ever caught him red handed I would call the DEC right then and there and let them sort it out... I make it a point not to patrol our hunting property.. because it just ruins a good hunting day.. but I also make it a point to confront any trespassers... usually I am very nice the first time and give them a warning and explain my rules so they clearly understand... leaving them with... That will be your only "nice guy" warning... anything from there on out they won't enjoy.. it seems to work. They usually end up telling me old hunting stories from the area..lol

[New York Hillbilly]

Another thing that drives me nuts! I have the same problem with a couple guys that hunt on neighbors property and put stands only yards from our line and face directly onto my property. What the hell are people thinking or aren't they? When you point directly at the other persons land and are within yards, whose land are you really hunting? Something I would never do or allow on my land. It's a matter of safety first and respect a close second in my opinion. Should not be done. No deer is worth getting killed over.

[First-light]

I have a stand that is 10 yards off my line. I hunt it at bow season only. Gun season rolls around I back off 60 yards and stay on the ground. Unless it is understood that you can shoot on to another property (within limits) the guy is wrong. There are two other tree stands that are within 30 yards of me and we have never had a problem. I guess it also goes as far as knowing the other people around you and how good the relationship is. If any of my 4 neighbors shot one on my property and I wasn't in danger from the shooting I'd probably help him drag it out. I guess I'm pretty lucky. I hope that guy gets the message Sam.

[jpastor1759]

some people are a-holes. I hate guys that are creep in on other people spots. what goes around comes around. I would just piss near his stand sight every chance i got.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

I would piss out of that stand as i was taking it down!! I f he want's to play around on the borders and shoot deer on others land,well he would have to find himself a new stand every couple weeks. I know its not right but hey fight fire with fire..

[Steve7]

I can relate for sure... posted my issue this hunting season with a trespasser on my property. see deer hunting section... trespasser situation. get the authorities involved. I did.

[G-Man]

Well i play devil advocate here..so he got a 4 pt off your place now he's done hunting. is a deer worth the aggrovation? Let him know you know and be done with it. The deer may of ended up crossing the fence anyway. If it were me id let him know that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, either you can co exist in harmony or be stressed and woried about someone getting your deer... I try to get along with my neighbors and have a stand on a propertyline over looking the land next to me which was sold, the new owner was pissed the stand was there i explained he was welcome to hunt the stand anytime he wanted as was the previous owner(its the only tree over looking a brushy area). Seemed to diffuse the situation he's hunted it 3 years in a row opening day of gun now. Some people are just over protective of "their" deer if your not enjoying it then you need to change, did it ruin your morning hunt?. A good sit down and drink talking with the neighbor might be the right thing just my opinion..

.

Edited November 24, 2011 by G-Man

[bubba]

I would make it very clear to this guy that even if he shoots a deer in his 20 yard window he has no legal right to cross the property line to retrieve it, and of he does it will end with a tresspass charge. Then I would call the DEC report it and let them go talk to him even if nothing comes of it. Once they are in a place like that, they tend ot check it closer after that. Just maybe he might get the point. I would also tell the officer about his comments of mistaking you for a deer. Drop this in the lap of the authorities.

[JPP]

don't sweat it

put posted signs all along the property line so he clearly sees them.....put several of them

then, before the season starts put a lot of human scent around that area of the fence line

the prpoerty isn't even yours, so don't get so aggravated over this

[RifleSharpShot]

Shoot back lol,,Just kidding

[Jafo]

Sigh..... I dunno.. Is it really such a BIG deal that he went a whole 20 yards into a property you don't even own? It is late, I am full of turkey and not that sharp at the moment, but it sure sounds like you are making a big deal out of nothing. I could understand it if it was perfect strangers but from what I read these are people that own the adjacent property. All of the people who own property next to mine have the right to hunt my property and vice versa. To me, you sound like a jealous hunter who is sore that somebody tagged one instead of you, but that is just me.

[sampotter]

Its more about the principle of it all. I don't own the deer; neither does he, but I am the only one with permission to shoot one on this property. Laws are laws. If you crosshave the line you crossed the line. Dont think for a second this is the first time either. The big thing is the history I have with this guy. Who offers to mistake you for a deer and shoot you? Not funny.

[New York Hillbilly]

I agree it is a tough one to get worked up over people hunting land neither you or they own, and it might be a good bet that the way to have everyone kicked out is to drag the land owner into the middle of a dispute like this but I don't agree with the "what's yours is mine because it's ok with me if you consider mine your's".

To each his own I guess!

I lived next to a guy twenty years ago who took a man he worked with and the mans young son, deer hunting. It was opening day and a pile of guys all crammed into a small swamp that was known to be infested with deer, but was also so full of stands that you could sit in one and see others in their stands only yards away from you. A deer ran between this mess and in the firestorm the man's young son was shot and killed. I will not relay the graphic detail of how the event was described to me and my wife but that almost put an end to my hunting days. My wife swore I could never take my son hunting with me if I did not buy or own property and post it tight.

So in 1991 I bought my property and have done just as she said and although it has cost me a fortune in taxes and upkeep I have many great memories of hunting with my son, family and friends that I have invited over the years. I even set chairs out in certain places and have taken the old timers (some in their 80's) out to help make it easier for them to get that "just one last deer". It has been my great joy to share with others the excitement of hunting, but it has been my choice to do so.

I stay off my neighbors land no matter how good the deer hunting is on their side. On the rare occasion when we had to recover a deer (twice since 1991) that crossed over, I asked first, left no mess and got out as quick as we could. I hunt and insist others do as well on my land far enough in to lessen the odds of a wounded deer crossing my line. They on the other hand have continued to hunt so close to my line that it is an almost annual occurrence with them, but to their credit they do come to the house an ask and I always say yes. It gets old though!

Hunting on the property line and shooting into others land is the same as hunting on the land and to my mind it is wrong. It's like watching cows in a field of green grass stick their necks through the fence to eat the grass on the other side. Grass is always greener.......huh! Where does it end? Should I be able to just come jump in your truck and drive off, come sit in you house and make something to eat and settle into your couch to watch TV?

I limit my hunting party to 4 guys at any one time on my almost 180 acres. So when my neighbors want to invite three times as many people, on their half as much woodland, is it my responsibility to absorb the overflow?

What's yours is yours and what is mine is mine. If I offer to share what I have that is my choice. I don't want others to assume they have some right to just help themselves. I don't much care if others don't get it but they better respect it.

Edited November 25, 2011 by New York Hillbilly

[growalot]

NYHB...boy do I get it...and well said...

[G-Man]

I Agree with the legality of it but i feel you really need to try and get along with your neighbors. A quick example is a person i know bought a large piece of property 250+ acres and posted it i asked if he went and met the neighbors to which he said no i own enough of my own land i don't need theirs. The first opening day he sees a guy cuttin the the corner of the property, chases him down with a 4 wheeler and kicks him off saying can't you read signs? next time he'll prosecute. Well the following year he shot a great 12 pointer and it crossed over the propertyline. Funny thing is it ran on to the property of the guy he thru off the previous year who didn't let him retrive the deer.. After much ranting calling the dec ect the guy still wouldnt give up the deer(his property) turns out this guy owned 300 + acres in the shape of an L around the guy i know. he cut the corner of the field to get to his stand rather than walk thru the loud brush/woods. Instead of finding out why/who the guy was and maybe letting him cross for permission to retrive deer. he made an enemy still to this day. Its funny how a sit down vist before the season laying out ground rules/expectations may have avoided the whole thing.. to late after accuzations start flying unless some one is the bigger man.

[nyantler]

I Agree with the legality of it but i feel you really need to try and get along with your neighbors. A quick example is a person i know bought a large piece of property 250+ acres and posted it i asked if he went and met the neighbors to which he said no i own enough of my own land i don't need theirs. The first opening day he sees a guy cuttin the the corner of the property, chases him down with a 4 wheeler and kicks him off saying can't you read signs? next time he'll prosecute. Well the following year he shot a great 12 pointer and it crossed over the propertyline. Funny thing is it ran on to the property of the guy he thru off the previous year who didn't let him retrive the deer.. After much ranting calling the dec ect the guy still wouldnt give up the deer(his property) turns out this guy owned 300 + acres in the shape of an L around the guy i know. he cut the corner of the field to get to his stand rather than walk thru the loud brush/woods. Instead of finding out why/who the guy was and maybe letting him cross for permission to retrive deer. he made an enemy still to this day. Its funny how a sit down vist before the season laying out ground rules/expectations may have avoided the whole thing.. to late after accuzations start flying unless some one is the bigger man.

Now there is a story worth listening too... one of the adjoining properties to ours was owned by an elderly gentleman who posted his 300 acres.. one day while walking down the right of way to get to the back corner of our property I happened upon the gentleman stacking wood in a small shed on his land so I offered him a hand for an hour of my hunting time and have since had sole permission to hunt his property... I had heard what a hard guy he was that kept everyone off his land... we have been friends ever since.. he recently sold his estate to his kids who still let me hunt there free of charge...giving me 1000 acres to hunt instead of 700... the trespassers i have caught on our property do not own land next to our property they simply trespass trying to take advantage... we have no problems with adjacent land owners or the people they let hunt their land.

[RifleSharpShot]

I say stay on your own property and off others and you won't have a problem,,Now if you don't own the land of course theres nothing you can do...Sounds pretty easy!!

[Jafo]

I tend to think some people (generally from the city) treat their land like a dog would. They bark at everyone who walks by. Quoting the law doesn't change that. Hey, it is your property and if you want guard it like Fort Knox from your NEIGHBORS, that is your prerogative. We are not talking about huge hunting parties crossing lines, we are talking about one man sitting in a stand on his own property, see's a deer a few feet into the adjacent property and harvests it. Not quite the crime of the century in my book, but to each his own. I think the post by G-Man sums it up. Now you have created bad blood, harassed another persons wife, got the landowner involved in a neighborly dispute and for what? A few pounds of meat, antlers, 20 yards and property line... The amount of time you spent on principle would have probably been better applied in the field hunting IMO..

[sampotter]

Jafo- I don't think you read my original post thoroughly. There is no bad blood. I did not upset the wife. She was smiling as I shook her hand before I left. Law enforcement was not involved, the landowner was made aware of the situation but is not involved. I don't feel like I overreacted for a second. I just want the guy to be aware that its not ok to do what he did- a guy by the way who did not deserve to be merely warned considering my only other encounter with him.

By the way- I am a farmer- I work hard all year and I take my hunting seriously. When I do get a chance to hunt I don't need anyone lazily poaching a deer up ahead of me even if it was only 20 yards across the line. Wrong is wrong, but the degree of which is why I was moderate, polite, and did not get DEC involved.

[Dave]

All I have to say is legally as long as their tree or ladder stand is on their property there is nothing you can do. We may not like it but we have to live with it. If they shoot a deer , who really knows what side of the property line it was shot at. Unless you see them take the shot and see the deer. Tricky situation!!