Not again! but not as bad

[SS MAYFLOAT]

A couple of years ago, I found a deer slug in the transom of my boat. The guy that did it made it right with me.

I went out to start up my tractor to plow some snow out of my drive. As I went to open the door to my shed, I noticed that there was a hole in the door from another deer slug. (My shed is about 15' away from my boat) This was fresh since we just had gun/deer season. After the slug went through the door, I looked for where the slug went. Lucky me that the slug hit the base foot of my log splitter.

Now I need to figure a way to get the 12 acre parcel of wooded area next to me made off limits to hunters. The area has grown a lot in the past 5 years. Houses completely surround this plot of land now. The owner says he has no desire to post it.

This has me worried as my house is in the same line of fire from these idiots that don't pay attention to where they are shooting. I'm trying to figure out who would be best to contact in this situation. Wildlife officials or sheriff? I may need to canvas the area residents to see if they have encounterd any problems too. I'm afraid that maybe next season that the slug will be in my house. If the hunter cannot be found, who would then be liable? The property owner?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

i think you need to start with the county commissioner with your area. a petition from the neighbors. even the sheriff's office. could post it for public safety.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

I'm not a hunter, but 12 acres seems like a very small area to be shooting if it's surrounded by houses, unless you happen to hunt only right in the middle. I'm sure the kids in that area probably love that plot of woods. Maybe it could be a city or county ordinance that was overlooked. I'm sure the Sherriff could point you in the right direction.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

I agree with TD.

A few years ago my cousins all got together out back of our house off of uncles drive way they were not on our land by any means. Well they were supposedly shooting at "targets". I happened to be asleep at the time I believe I was working 3rd shift. The next thing I know is it sounded like hale hitting the roof and what might of been the side of the house also. This is the second to time it's happened to use but not right in a row. This woke me up. I found out my father was being pelted in the head from it.

My father told me to call the law so the quickest thing I knew to do was call 911. My father told the cousins that were shooting that he was going to shoot back if they didn't stop. Well the dumb *****@$ shot again after being told that my father was fixing to return the favor, so my father shot back 2 or 3 times. Well the sheriff's deputy showed up and basically laughed it off and brushed it off of there shoulders like it was all a joke. Then the deputies went down across the road and BSed with the cousins because they (the cousins) were finally back at home after all that mess. I don't recall seeing any reports being made out or nothing. My father didn't seriously injure anybody.

Well believe it or not we all get along now a days, but there is nothing like moving from NY to Alabama to be treated like crap by my father's family. See the father of the cousins in subject knew somebody at the court house, so the man at the court house kept saving him every time he or his sons got into trouble.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

the good ole buddy system. it don't work here anymore, they're all in jail.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

Here in VT we have Safety Zone Signs and Regulations available to property owners. If there is a safety zone sign that means NO SHOOTING unless you have specific permission.

It is sad that a hunter can be so careless and dam dangerous too! I hunt in many areas and one is populated with a few farm houses and out buildings.... I am very aware of where to shoot and where not to.

You should approach the neighbor and offer to post the property for them. I know the poster only keep the ones with integrity in check but it is a start.

Glad it was not a person who was hit by that stray slug.

 

[Fish n Geer]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

I hate hearing about this kind of stupidity! What the heck is going through their minds? We have alot of state land here in Michigan to hunt on.But there is no damn way i will hunt on it.Too many people like this running around with guns that shouldnt be allowed near one.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

Check with the DNR first to see if any laws was broken. In sc where I hunt you cannot hunt within 300 yards from a house that you dont own unless you have written permision.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

Got to love those connections. The ER where the mrs works at has a uniformed officer. It so happens that one was a sheriff that stopped us one day from shooting in my back yard. That officer happened to be working yesterday and my wife told her about it. She (the officer) said she is going to check in on it and that they had other complaints about that particular plot of land being hunted on.

 

[woodrat]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

I've had a fair bit of this kind of trouble too. Behind my place are thousands of acres of corporate forest land, and a logging road runs through my place back into the forest land. hunters go through the road to hunt elk and deer up behind. I have had illegal campfires, littering and trespassing on my land, and every year someone tears down a couple of my no trepassing signs. I have had people shooting elk at night only about 300 yards from my house, I've found dead, gut shot deer on my place, too. A few years ago, there was a big bull elk wandering around for a week or so with about 6 arrows sticking out of his neck and shoulder.

I've never been anti-hunting, but I sure am anti-drunk-jackasses-with-guns.

A couple of years ago, I asked the timber company to gate the road, but they declined, saying that they wouldn't be logging again off of that road for years, and so they didn't have any equipment vandalism worries that would cause them to install a gate. They told me I could install a gate, but the forestry grade gates that would actually keep people out cost about $2-3k to have built and installed.

I'm always glad in those years that the elk choose to be somewhere else but near my land.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

Hmmm, what do you know The sheriffs office acted pretty quick today. This morning there were 3 trucks parked in the field next to my house. A sheriff dropped by my house to tell me that he had put a note on their windshields. He said they are requesting to see a letter written by the landowner for his permission to hunt along with their tags and license.

About an hour later, I saw the game warden parked by their trucks going thru their gear. Finally something is moving faster than molasses around here

 

[oops!]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

ive got 250 acers in central alberta with a few natural gas wells on it. you dont want to be shooting around there.
HOWEVER.... the hunters dont know that!!! we saw spent cartridges and a target right by a valve head!!!! they were using the valve head as a leaning post for the gun!!!!

an top of that, the local atv club has a trail map. it showes the trail going right thru my property!...a quick call to my lawyer fixed that. but they still bring the atvs and guns right thru despite the signs and fences. they vandalize the cabins . every thing.

so we out up PRIVATE SHOOTING RANGE signs all over.
stoped 85% of it immeadately.

mabe a simmelar cure for you?????

cheers
oops

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

A couple of years ago, I asked the timber company to gate the road, but they declined, saying that they wouldn't be logging again off of that road for years, and so they didn't have any equipment vandalism worries that would cause them to install a gate. They told me I could install a gate, but the forestry grade gates that would actually keep people out cost about $2-3k to have built and installed.

Why not just drop a tree or two across the road? Cheap gate...... just does not swing open.

 

[woodrat]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

i've thought of the tree thing more than once, but the problem is is that there are two or three corporate tree farm owners and the state that also have legal acccess to use that road. I need a gate so that I can keep the scumbags out but not run afoul of the legal easement across my land.

That and every pickup in these parts has at least one chainsaw sitting in the bed at all times. Even a large tree (which the timber companies have left none of!) would do much more than slow someone down.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

maybe a few hidden game cameras with the flash taped might help. Wally world has them fairly cheap. Then you can pursue with evidence.

 

[ANIMAL]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

I don't have to hunt. Deer walk right through the yard. If I started shooting them I wouldn't get to see them up close. I've had an 8 point buck within 100 feet of me in clear sight and nether one of us moved untill I spooked him off. For you guys that can't keep people off your property find a couple of good sized trees and run a cable across the road. As long as you don't put a lock on it nobody can say anything and most people that see it in time won't bother to see if its locked or not. We have a road like that for power line right-of -way and thats what we did. Stops people real quick and when they get mad they are the ones tresspassing. You can do what you want on your own property. We were nice and put flags across it but that didn't stop a couple of 4 wheelers from landing on their butts. Pretty much stopped tresspassing.....ANIMAL

 

[JCF350]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

We get our own signs and post the properties around here. The Sheriffs deputies don't ask who posted the signs they just arrest the hunters for hunting on posted property.

 

[ANIMAL]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

Out where I stay when in Oklahoma if we decide we don't like you or catch you stealing we leave you for the critters. We have a full grown brown bear and a cat with a 5 inch paw print {buddy owns 50 acres in the middle of a game reserve}. And they have both been seen up by the house. The cops don't like comming out there unless theres a bunch of them. I think they are a little afraid of us. I can hear you comming from a mile away so I have plenty of time to hide if I need to, and some times I do for practice. And the old eye in the sky can't see you if you're under ground. Hunt on our land with out permision and you might have a hunting accdent....ANIMAL P.S. My buddy's a 'Nam Vet so you don't want to wonder around to much if you know what I mean.

 

[sam7684]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

Yes, that is very, very dangerous.

 

[i386]

Re: Not again! but not as bad

That's really scary.