Tresspassers, how do you deal with them?

I had a run in with tresspassers on ATVs this weekend. I was at my cabin with 4 friends doing some target shooting saturday afternoon. We had just put the rifles on the rack when I hear machines on the trail behind the cabin getting closer. I ran toward the noise and see 3 ATVs turning around and fleeing. I got within 25 feet of tail end charley as he sped up the hill away from me. I ran back down the hill, jumped into the F-100 and begin the pursuit, 1 friend joined me, the other stayed at the cabin with his sons.

Within 500 yards 1 ATV is coming straight at us. He tries going off the trail, around me on my side of the truck. I put my arm out the window motioning him to stop. He does. I loudly tell him that he is tresspassing and to shut off the machine and remove his helmet and goggles so we can talk. He is about 15 years old and looks as if he is ready to E36 M3 his knickers. I told him to calm down, that he and his friends had scared us when they started to drive onto our rifle range where we were teaching 2 kids to use a scoped rifle. I also said running away from us looked pretty bad as the cabin had recently been burgled.

He is now starting to really shake and gives me his name. I ask who he is with and he says that he is with his buddy and the buddies grandpa and he had no idea where they were. I believe that he has told the truth.

At this time I hear another machine approaching and shut off. I tell the kid to stay where he is and run to the other machine. This one is the grandson. I get a similar reaction from him and tell him that I will escort them to the property line.

Gramps is waiting for them at the property line, next to my cut single strand fence. My friend fixes the fence while I talk to gramps about what they are doing. He tells me that he has been back ther several times and has admired the cabin. I point out that the cabin is in the center of 320 acres of very rolling country and is posted, with the only entrance being a gated trail. I have his name and told him that if anything comes up missing the sheriff will get his name and if we see him there again the sheriff will be called. He was cordial and had no problem with that.

I have dealt with other tresspassers similarly and had good results. Do any of you have recommendations or similar experiences. During this encounter the only gun visible was on the rack in the back window of my truck.

Sounds like you handled it quite well. My involvement with trespassers usually involved vandalism and me wishing I had just run them over "in my excitement" as I drove up to the scene.

I know when I was a kid with a dirt bike, I got all over other peoples' property. I did actually try to be respectful and not tear stuff up, but it was still trespassing.

I would say that's the textbook way to deal with a simple trespass. You were firm but not mean. I don't think I would have remained as calm and collected as you did, I would have been more "who the berkeley are you and what the berkeley are you doing on MY property?!" while holding a loaded weapon.

Drop a few trees across the trails they are using, should make your place a lot less fun.

Grandpa should have known better.

Did you say they cut the fence? That's beyond the pale.

Let me ask you this: if they had approached you about riding the ATVs on your land, would you have granted them permission, or are insurance/accident concerns too much of a hassle?

I've gotten permission to fish on some posted land before, but the agreement always stipulated in writing that if I somehow managed to injure or kill myself, it was my fault, and in no way could the property owner be held liable. That was almost 20 years ago, and I imagine things are even worse now.

We used to have a gang of neighborhood kids who would shortcut through our backyard. A fence and three overly enthusiastic dogs later and we have no problem with them anymore.

In your case it sounds like you handled it well, probably better than I would have given the circumstances. Keep a record of when you spoke with them, their manes and the fence repair date for future reference, they may be back.

Brett_Murphy wrote: Grandpa should have known better. Did you say they cut the fence? That's beyond the pale. Let me ask you this: if they had approached you about riding the ATVs on your land, would you have granted them permission, or are insurance/accident concerns too much of a hassle? I've gotten permission to fish on some posted land before, but the agreement always stipulated in writing that if I somehow managed to injure or kill myself, it was my fault, and in no way could the property owner be held liable. That was almost 20 years ago, and I imagine things are even worse now.

I do not know that they cut the fence. The fence is a single strand of 1940's electrical transmission wire. It has been knocked down and patched so often that a limb probably fell on it and knocked it loose. The wire is there more to keep us from wondering off the property, it is very heavily wooded. However, there is a no tresspassing sign right next to where gramps was sitting.

I would probably deny them permission as we have several youngsters that walk my trails when they are visiting and there are hundreds of miles of public trails in the county, and you can get on them within 1/2 mile of my property.

I had a problem with hunters on my 5 acres. It is wooded - but it is a residential neighborhood boxed in by homes on 3 sides and a large wood behind that. I fired a shotgun in the air and hollered that they were on posted, private property and I was writing license numbers down. They left - and I probably should have handled it more maturely but... they never asked to hunt on my property and it is a goddamn dangerous place to hunt with a rifle.

I would probibly have a conversation with the local law enforcement and let them know what you did and who they were. Make it clear that you are not pressing charges but want it documented that they were run off the property. It will make things really simple in the future. It may also get the word around that there are other better places to ride your ATV.

I don't get many stray ATV's in my yard. I would recommend some signage in the woods letting people know that they are about to trespass.

It also helps to know your neighbors and have one or two keep an eye out for such things if you're not on the property all the time. My parents own a 112 acre heavily wooded property in a rural and prime hunting area outside of Fayetteville NC. They rely on a couple neighbors that live on adjacent properties to keep an eye out for trespassers, illegal logging, and any issues with the property. In exchange, they get to fish the couple ponds on the property and maintain a baiting/hunting stand in one of the very few isolated clearings (which is apparently very very productive during hunting season). My point is that it helps to have an extra set of eyes invested in the well-being of the property.

pinchvalve wrote: I don't get many stray ATV's in my yard. I would recommend some signage in the woods letting people know that they are about to trespass.

pilotbraden wrote: However, there is a no tresspassing sign right next to where gramps was sitting.

A few trespassers impaled on stakes would send the right message. Not too many or you will appear to enjoy the killing but... one or two near each trail head ought to do.

Freshly impaled tresspassers will attract zombies, so I would avoid that if possible.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: A few trespassers impaled on stakes would send the right message. Not too many or you will appear to enjoy the killing but... one or two near each trail head ought to do.

This should do it.

Someone said you should have the police report it, but not file charges. They may not do this, but its not a bad idea to ask. I know around here if you aren't pressing charges, there will usually be no documentation taken by the police. They have better things to do.

You handled things well.

Just shoot them.

Ask the sheriff to give them official trespass notice. Then if you see them again, press charges.

I just ignore them, and they always go away.

I live a few minutes from an indian reserve. They have the right policy, and attitude, IMO. The land belongs to everybody. Nobody is denied access, and it works. I ride a fair bit of single track there. Nobody looks twice at you when you pass through their property, and people don't abuse it.

Wow. This is a seriously backwoods thread.

I can't relate...

I've done some recreational trespassing in the past. Whenever possible, I get permission, so it's not really trespassing anymore. One of my rules is that you NEVER go anywhere near someone's house. Abandoned houses are cool, but there's a lot of occupied structures that look like they're falling down.

Overall, it sounds like you handled it really well. In this case, the trespassers were idiots. If you get spotted, you stop immediately and identify yourself. You don't try to run, you don't stall. You stop what you're doing and make yourself known.

Does that single strand fence surround the entire 320 acres?

I always liked the way this sign was worded:

Trespassers will be shot.
Survivors will be shot again.

Take a tip from Charlie:

Trip wire, grenades, tube. A couple of those going off might make people reconsider. Granted, you may lose your freedom over this.

Claymores? OK, OK... Toe poppers.

1940's commo wire is probably copperweld. You can't even buy that anymore. I tried recently. Finally gave up and used galvanized wire rope.

I have 10 acres now. With all the meth labs, people don't wander into strange driveways much, but when the neighbor's labs are-a-runnin', I get trucks down my driveway in the middle of the night by mistake. Seems like meth people don't give or listen to directions very well.

When I had 20+ acres in Texas, I found the 2 over neighbor hunting on the next over property, at the line overlooking my property. I informed him where the property line was and mentioned that I did not allow hunting on my property. He climbed out of his tree stand and left. I also noticed a kill zone recently cleared on my property. I started to go out on the first day of hunting season with my Man Rifle.

gamby wrote: Wow. This is a seriously backwoods thread. I can't relate...

I wish I could....I would love to live in the country and have my neighbors a good distance down the road

Sounds like you handled it well, and appropriately.

For those asking why it is a big deal, in my work I deal with some homeowners insurance claims from people tripping/falling/etc on the property of others. Sometimes, the facts surrounding the incident are completely ridiculous, and the owner really did nothing wrong, but sadly juries still pay these scumbags, depending on the venue. I heard the OP's story and can imagine one of those kids driving into a ditch or hitting a hidden tree stump or getting off to take a piss and tripping on some old piece of metal buried half in the ground, and then next thing he knows he has a letter from a PI lawyer. Trespassing or not, these people frequently get paid, sadly.

Make sure that your sidewalks are in good shape with no defects, and salt/shovel them promptly. Sidewalk falls and dogbites are big business.