TLDR up front(the rest is LONG & I've had a drink(s)): I live in hillbillyville and my neighbors are shooting Bambi in my yard. I've no problem with shooting Bambi, but if somebody gets to shoot Bambi in my yard it's going to be me damn it!

And now for the rest of the story: THiS is LONG

I've mentioned before that I moved to a lake (I was Marty Byrd's neighbor before Marty arrived). I bought a property 18 months ago, in an area that I'd say was largely never developed, and is being gentrified. I've posted before about a dispute w/ my neighbor about parking in the road, which was successfully resolved, and we're still able to drink a beer together when he comes down.

I've had several other minor altercations since I moved here. I bought 40 acres of lake front land in an area that is only partially developed and the neighbors were used to having the run of the place. Fwiw I wasn't the only newbie to the area. A local sold off close to a thousand acres on this side of the lake and it was divided into 20-50 acre parcels that were all bought up resulting in an influx of new land owners.

I bought a parcel at the end of a private dead end road, for privacy and to live the quiet life. Some of my neighbors believe they have an actual right to trespass on my land, simply because no one stopped them before I moved in.

Among other incidents, I was out landscaping one day and 2 neighbors came tearing through my yard on their 4 wheelers, on the way to the bar just down the road. I really couldn't figure out how they got there so I followed their tracks, only to find that they'd actually held up a fence I put up on the back of the property, with a no trespassing sign smack dab in the middle, so they could ride their 4 wheelers under it.

Naturally I hopped on my tractor and pursued them to the bar. I left the running tractor in front of the bar's door and went inside and explained to them that driving thru my yard wasn't cool. That hasn't happened again, and I've gotten to know most of the locals ( It's fair to say most have them have heard about me) and most have come to accept that this is my place now. I'd say I get along well with most everyone I've met here.

Except that we have a poacher(s)! If you've gotten this far you should understand that I am at the very least tolerant of, and accepting of guns, hunting, and trophy hunting. If you'd like to debate that topic just back click right on out of here. This isn't the thread for that debate.

That said, while I'm for hunting and consider myself a hunter, I haven't shot a deer, (or anything besides a couple of raccoons that kept trying to break in) in several years because I'm old, lazy, and I've begun feeding the deer that live on my property. I feed them corn every day. I regularly have between 8-12 deer that come and eat 10' behind my back window every afternoon, while I watch and drink a beer. They know me. I have salt licks out for them and I also have a couple of fox that come and eat every day as well.

Finally: POACHERS damnit!!

When I bought the property I put up no trespassing signs all around as my way of pissing on the area to let the other animals know it belongs to me now. This is a very well known and popular deer hunting area. I found 4 deer stands on my property on the first few hikes exploring the property. I posted my signs all around and waited 6 months. I went back and 3 deer stands were still up.

I took each deer stand down, laid it on the ground and tied purple surveyors tape around the tree. Purple is the universal no trespassing color here. This was in the spring. I went back 2 months later and every deer stand had been hauled off.

I was out for a hike today. We're well into deer season here, bow season has come and gone and we're in rifle season now. 2 of the deer stand that I took down previously have been re erected on the same trees as before and the purple surveyors tape removed from the trees.

I know who did it. There's little doubt. There is also a tree stand built into a tree on my property (basically a tree house for shooting deer). When I took down the tree stands last spring I couldn't take that one down so I posted a no trespassing sign on the tree trunk, between the steps nailed into the tree, with my name and phone number. I did that because I know who the neighbor is that was hunting there and using these stands. At that point I was willing to compromise with him to continue to hunt on a limited basis, if he'd simply ask. He's never asked. He's resumed using that stand by climbing over the no trespassing sign and he put back 2 more tree stands on my land.

He's undoubtably poached multiple deer. I had an incredible doe, who had twin fawns this spring,that'd come play in the lake right in front of my window. I'm not saying he shot them, but I haven't seen them in a few days.

OTT what's my play?

Fwiw the tree stands are now in the loader of my tractor sitting in the driveway.

Can you legally torch the stands when you find them? Or is that not safe/smart? Hacksaw maybe?

They're typically made of metal. The metal ones are now in my driveway. The only one that would burn is the permanently built treehouse which is in a beautiful tree that I have no desire to burn down.

Buy a couple game cameras so you can catch the poaching neighbor in the act. Show him the images you collect and tell him they will be sent to the local game warden.

Buy a condo so you can get some privacy and live the quiet life.

The ATV story makes sense to me as locals thinking a bunch of rich dicks bought the land, and might not be living there yet, or might come once a year, but as soon as they realized a real person lives there they stopped. You said you fit in well with the people you've met, and I'm not surprised based on your threads and experience.

What's the deal with the guy you know is hunting there? Has he met you? It seems really, really out of line to re-install stands after you've clearly made it known a new owner is there and paying attention.

I'd be really pissed but would probably wuss out and look for a way to resolve it politely. What's your goal?

If you're looking for an angle, the few hunters I know hate having to share their space. One guy I know told his son he couldn't come to his house to hunt until he got a buck himself. So if this guy realizes you're a hunter, maybe he'll respect that more and stay off your land?

seems like a good play to me.

How much does a deer stand cost? Are they going to want it back enough to come talk to you?

also, I thought you werent allowed to shoot doe?

just as allowed as hunting on private property w/o permission. <$50?

take a shtt in each one and see who comes to complain about it

Shoot them, ldo
Like why is this even a question? Someone comes on your land and kills your animals and takes your food...come on man.


ETA: haven't read the OP yet, but still prolly gonna be shoot em

You need to take a torch to those deer stands and build yourself a nice gazibo or something. Next, get those bastards in the ass with a shotgun.

I wouldn't have any place for Banksy to swing by and tag!

He has not met me. He's made zero effort despite my making it known I own the land. I posted a no trespassing sign with my name, phone number, and address, on the tree trunk of the tree house deer stand that he uses. He's been climbing over that sign to use the stand.

He doesn't actually live here. He has a small place (100'x200' lot) that I own around on 3 sides. He's a known deer hunter/bow hunter in the area. When I moved in I learned from the neighbors that he's a "known good hunter". I figured if he asked permission to continue to hunt that I'd probably allow him to kill 1 or maybe 2 deer per year on my land as a way of "making nice". The problem is that when hunting season rolls around he regularly has between 4-10 pickups in his driveway so I know he's bringing all his buddies down to hunt on my land, or offering illegal guide services, and poaching my deer.

Despite posting signs, and tearing down his stands, he's never even bothered to ask for permission to hunt on my land.

He had one that wasn't worth much. The other one would cost probably $400 new. It even had a nice cushioned folding chair up there.

The doe part was hyperbole. I can guarantee that this guy is only poaching the very largest bucks off my land. Shooting does is allowed in most places for population control.

All of the deer stands are now laying in my driveway so I'm not about to **** in any of them.

Your advice never disappoints. I'm shipping for gazibos new.

That would be the ultimate power move. He comes and talks to you to get his stands back, and you just stand there and look at him as he collects them and realizes there is a giant **** in each one of them.

also build a big 10ft tall block wall around the three sides of his hunting lodge, lol

Are easements a thing where you live? Have you confirmed your metes and bounds with a lawyer?

Yes, and no he doesn't have one. Yes. We're talking about stands 1/4 mile into my property.

Impound the tree stands. When you find one, use a cable to lock it to the base of the tree and put a note on it informing the owner that if they want it returned to them they need to contact you. If they contact you to claim the stand, schedule a meeting and contact the fish and game department letting them know what's going on and to request a warden's presence for the meeting. Or get a wireless game camera that texts you images right after they are taken and confront him while he's in the stand.

For the permanent stands just cut them up enough that they are rendered unusable.

How ghetto and/or isolated is your area? There are plenty of hunters that don't give a **** about what they do and will be super aggressive and retaliatory, usually with other hunter *******s if they're confronted about it.

Well he sounds like a great neighbor. I'd definitely make him come ask for his stands back. Cameras do seem like a good idea, and if a bunch of trucks show up when he's in town it should be pretty easy to know when to expect him to be hunting.

If you're pretty sure he'd go to the treehouse, maybe something like this? (Battery powered motion sensing 120 dB alarm)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M30SH96..._t1_B002RLHMGA

I assume it would scare the deer away for a while and ruin the hunting, and if you were around it'd give you a chance to confront him on your property if you wanted to. If amazon sold poison ivy oil you could spray all over the treehouse I'd suggest that too.

The first thing to do is the obvious - call the Sheriff, or whomever the law enforcement force is in your area. Regardless of possible poaching, you've been trespassed on plenty. If the sheriff goes and has a discussion with the guy, it may scare him off.

WRT the 4 wheeler guys, it would be uncouth to suggest the old piano wire 4 feet off the ground, so I won't do that.

Yes on the game cameras. You'll have to hide them well or you'll never see them again.

Last, but not least, step up your game on the no trespass signs.

Non-zero chance that he's illiterate.

If he's running a guide service it seems like taking his tree stands is gonna make that unprofitable real quick. Just don't get yerself shot.

I think the game camera angle is the play.

Given your experiences so far with these folk, I think you would be able to then bring a copy of the tape to the offender's house and discuss it with him.

Same as you used the satellite images to get the dude off your road, explaining the no trespassing sign and the video of him and the "now, I dont want to have to go to the game warden, etc.. but I would appreciate you respecting my property, etc." seems like the play.

Regardless of what you do, I hope that folding chair from the tree stand is now prominently set up on your front porch.

The issue of them hunting or being on your land which isn’t right and should be enforced as best you can. Saying that, it’s a little wild that you believe the deer are YOUR deer. I get that you feed them and such but to claim them as yours is a little out there imo.

I have the exclusive right to hunt, or decide who hunts on my land. I also have the right to decide who comes on my land. That said, I don't think it's that much of a stretch to say they're my deer. While I don't believe I have any ownership over them I do have the right to control their conservation or to hunt them for myself.

Hunting is very big business in this area. Many people buy large tracts of land just for the exclusive right to hunt on it. Many other hunters lease tracts of land for the sole purpose to hunt. Anyone who owns or leases land for hunting would consider the game on their land to be theirs in the sense they have the sole right to it while it's on their land.

In the very rural area in which my kin live, posting 'no hunting' signs along with the 'no trespassing' signs is fairly common. I expect in your situation they would be ignored just the same.