Hunting right on the line!

[VTbowman]

I found a climber hanging on a tree, literally on a tree with a posted sign on it, facing 5 feet away from a tree with one of my signs on it. The tree they are in has barbed wire fencing grown into it showing the property line. The fence is extremely old and who knows who it belongs to. More or less both of us as far as I am concerned.
The stand is locked and facing in such a way that its obvious the intentions is to hunt my side from his tree. Unless they are lefty... LOL

Normally I would not care but I have a ladder stand not more then 80 yards away, directly out and away on my side, facing away from the back line. My stand is situated on a small knoll that one of my log roads runs by, and is visable for 200 yards in all directions. Open hardwoods. My stand is very visable from his even with full foliage.

Most people in this area do not hunt bow season, and this stand is definately not set for any type of trail, or IMO, bowhunting at all.
I know someone will be out here during rifle season.

For years people have been cheating my back line since my ridge line is the covetted area for rifle hunting in this area. So I understand the draw to this particular area. Just great land features and funnels deer down to my fields.

So far I have not talked to anyone about this but plan to if I see them hunting it.
(Best time to accuse them of hunting your property IMO. LOL)
For now I am going to leave a note warning them of my stand location (for safety) and to please becareful when they shoot. ALSO-That I do not give them permission to hunt the property and will be watching the area for signs of doing so.

Should I mention this to my game warden?
Kinda in advance that there may be tresspassing or intentions to do so during the rifle season.
I hate to be trivial about deer hunting and land but its one thing to track a deer onto your piece and another to shoot one on your piece.
Especially when I have stands right there also.

BTW my stand has been there for years.

[fisherguy]

Just be vigilant, and at the first sigh of them trespassing, or shooting deer on your side call teh warden. Sounds like they pland to shoot a deer and claim it ran from their property to yours after the shot.

[Swamphunter]

I think the note is a good idea. I had the same thing with the land that I bought. Had 2 treestands right on the line looking over my property. It had not been surveyed for about 50 years and once I had it surveyed the stands were taken down (luckily for me). I stay off this property and to the best of my knowledge he stays off mine (knock on wood). I would bet that it is illegal to shoot onto your property, just check your local laws first.

[GWSmith]

Shawn, Mr. Stihl or Mr. Poulan are scheduled for meetings in your area...maybe they could go talk to the tree in question. They are on the T&TR committee for your area...
(Tresspassing and Temptation Removal)

[fisherguy]

LOL @ GW...he does have a point though...if half teh tree is on your side, sut halfway through it. oh, and clearly mark that it has been cut so they won'd climb it and get hurt.

[firefighter]

If the person hung the stand on your property, then call dnr ,,, they will take the stand even if it means by cutting the tree down or they will setup and wAtch the person hunt then get them for tresspassing and fine them and take their gun and tree stand....

[VTbowman]

I am sure the tree in question has the fence grown in to it so technically the tree IS on the boarder of both properties. Not mine nor his to cut down. IMHO
However, he put a posted sign on it 5 feet away from a tree, on my property, that I posted.
SO he is not on my property but surely he plans to shoot anything on either side of the fence.
At least that is my observation. Removing his stand or cutting the tree would not be right for me to do.
I can post the crap out of several tree on my siide and leave the "Warning Note" tacked to the tree his stnd is on stating he does not have permission to hunt my side nor retrieve deer without notifiying me or the game warden 1st.
I am gonna tell the game warden about the stand location and who's it is in advance but just to give him a heads up. There is legally nothing either of us can do until the guy decides to cross the fence. And even then we got to catch him doing so...
Sadly I have a feeling I will not know he did until I find a deers gut pile or drag marks back to his side...

[GWSmith]

This is a job for: TrailCam Man
Or at least a box that is made up to look like one....well on your property but colored loud enough to get their attention.
They may think twice about crossing the line if they think their picture will be taken!!!
You should probably place another note under the fake trailcam(something like:You are so busted by the real trailcam you didnt find yet)....just incase they steal it
Of course you could have the fake trailcam rigged up with a bottle of skunk juice....so that when they try to rip it off the tree it breaks the bottle and they get covered with the stuff. I'll have the design plans drawn up shortly....I'm having too much fun with this can you tell

[oo_buck]

Why can't we all just get along????????

Hate to hear this kind of stuff. Hopefully, you guys can work something out.

[Bow Hunter Derek]

Here is exactly what I'd do.

I'd make every effort to find out who's stand it is and then contact him. I'd try to have a polite conversation with him and explain the reality of the situation.

If the tree and stand is on his side of the fence he has every right to hunt out of it, same as you do on your side of the fence. But neither he or you technically can put an arrow or bullet over that fence line. I'd make that understood.

Then there is the issue of a downed deer. The problem with hunting property lines is most often the recovery of an animal on adjacent property. Now knowing that each state seems to have it's own rules regarding that issue, there may not be one simple solution for this. If the two of you have a civil conversation, I don't see why a downed deer could not be recovered by letting him get the deer off your land or vise versa.

It all depends on how you handle the situation and how he responds. If the conversation gets ugly, then you may have to get the DNR involved. But I'd make that a last resort.

I know that I've set up good relationships with the neighboring properties on the farm I primarily hunt. If I down a deer and it crosses the property line, all I have to do is make a phone call and I can go get my deer. Fortunately it has only happened once. I have the same agreement with them. Just as long as the call me or my brother-in-law (who technically owns the land but does not hunt) they can go get their deer.

[JimT]

lol at GW again... Just keep this all civil... I would put another no tresspassing sign right in front of him along with the note.

[wtnhunt]

Have to agree with what derek says here. Would try to talk with him first. If it is not going the way you think it should get the warden involved.

[VTbowman]

UpDate-
I talked with a local guy that I know "use to" hunt the property for 22 years. He asked me 4 years ago if he could hunt my side of the fence but that he was hanging his stand on theirs. I gave him permission. He told me it was leased last year by new people that are basically the town slime balls when it comes to deer hunting.
1st thing they did is kick the old guy off.
So I gave him full rights to mine although he has other spots too.
These are the kind of people that gets all their kids and wife deer tags, and then fills all of them themselves. They will drag there kids around on youth weekend and shoot all the deer and never let the kids shoot.

Face to face talking would mostly provoke more then anything. Any and all steps WILL fail, to include getting the game warden involved, because they will do what they want reguardless. (Save one.)
They are also known poachers...
This makes me REAL happy knowing I got these guys on the property right behind mine!
I think I may need 500 yards of 10 foot high fencing... LOL
Seriously, the only way to get them to not hunt that stand is to interupt or ruin a few dozen hunts while they are in the stand. Or turn a hot spot into a NOT spot.
But then again I am not interested in a war either... Nor wasting my season over this...

I though I might take one of the stand I did not hang this year and hang it on the tree my posted sign is on.
5 feet away from his stand.
Not to hunt it, but just to make a point...

I still intend to leave an official note stating they do not have permission to hunt my side and must notify me or the game warden if they need to retrieve a downed deer. I will state that the game warden has a copy of this note and is aware of this situation.
Which may or may not be the truth... LOL
But won't hurt to include...

I would think that if I were hunting a property line and saw a stand hung 5 feet away from mine, but on the other side of the fence, I would get the point without the note. But I am not assuming these folks have even 1/2 a brain between all of them to start with...
I may end up loosing a stand over it too. But I have a junk stand I can afford to risk... LOL

[wtnhunt]

I would be inclined to make sure and etch your name on that stand somewhere inconspicuous. That way if they do steal it, you can get them on a couple charges. Might also consider trying to setup a well hidden game cam(no flash) to attempt to catch them that way. Bet if they start paying fines or doing some time they might just backoff.

[Doc]

Isn't it funny how people get convinced that the grass is always greener on the other side. My property abuts a large parcel of state land and every year I see tracks in the snow where hunters encounter my posted signs and then begin to walk along the posted line. I would assume that if they ever saw a deer on my side, they probably would have no problem shooting it. People can be weird. I think they have this vision of all these deer, that are able to read posted signs, all stacked up on my side of the signs. The fact is that the habitat and deer population is better on the state land than it is on mine and I spend all my time hunting state land. The posted signs are just to help safeguard my house and a little cabin that I have at the back.

Doc