Annoyed about hunter on edge of my property line?

[S1969]

I’m trying to decide if I have a right to be annoyed or not.

Walking my dogs this morning I stumbled (almost quite literally) over a guy in camo sitting 20ft from the edge of my property line. I was actually walking on our neighbor’s property (I have permission) and trespassing a little into the woods of the nearby factory.

This guy was set up just about where the three property lines come together - to the extent I’d have to get out my survey to know for sure that he wasn’t on my property…and very close to where I walk every day (I don’t usually cut through the woods, either, so I’m sure I ruined his hunt today…although he is definitely hunting over the factory property, which is posted.)

I know that the neighbor (owns the vacant property) had given a buddy permission to hunt, but the area he was supposed to be in was not adjacent to my property, and quite a ways from where I normally walk. We have been giving that side of our property a wide berth all season. But it seems that instead, this guy has probably been sitting within spitting distance of me walking my dogs every morning for 2 months.

I certainly have no right to prevent the owner of the land from letting people hunt on it; but it seems to me that he’s offensively close to my property - and since I only own 20 acres total (including house, barn, and pasture) he’s pretty much in my backyard.

So…should I be annoyed or let it go? Two more weeks in the season. At least now I know what my horses have been staring at. :yes:

[maunder]

If this hunter has been given permission - and is at least 500 feet from a residence and is shooting away from your land I’m not sure if you would have any recourse.

I had a situation a number of years ago, where a family of hunters was given permission to hunt on the land bordering mine. I also had permission to walk that land, but did not go on it during hunting season, out of respect for their right to hunt.

I found tree stands that were about 30 feet into the neighboring land, which would have been OK if they hadn’t been pointing at my land.

I requested that they be taken down. Caused a HUGE stink with the hunters, but honestly, they had over 50 acres to hunt and they put the stands so close to my land and pointing onto my land. Ridiculous. They knew it was wrong, but chose to go bonkers at me. That’s when I earned my Witch of West Hollow moniker. I actually kind of like that. heh heh

If you want to keep your situation friendly, I’d touch base with the landowner and even ask the hunter to contact you so if that hunter IS being perfectly legal that you know when he’s in there and you don’t disturb his hunting.

[ladyj79]

I’m sure he was equally annoyed you were tromping around on your property probably scaring away any game.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=ladyj79;8437993]
I’m sure he was equally annoyed you were tromping around on your property probably scaring away any game.[/QUOTE]

LOL Oh yes, I’m sure he was! Except that I do it EVERY single morning just as it gets light out…and I pay the property taxes!

I realize I wouldn’t have any recourse; if the property owner wants to give hunting permission and he isn’t on my property…nothing I can do. It’s also possible that the land owner doesn’t realize the guy moved from where he had planned to hunt.

Neither of us own property good for hunting though - mine is entirely open and his is 90% open, but they are both bordered by woods that is owned (and posted) by the factory. People have been trespassing there since time began.

If I owned more than 20 acres, I probably wouldn’t really care. It’s just such a small piece of property to begin with that it is annoying that someone has set up so close to me, and never let us know. I don’t want to feel like I can’t be there in the morning for fear of a stray arrow or ruining someone’s hunt. (At least no guns allowed in this area, so we’re not really likely to be shot by accident.)

[Ghazzu]

" this guy has probably been sitting within spitting distance of me walking my dogs every morning for 2 months."

And yet you only just noticed him.
sounds as though he’s not causing you a problem.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=S1969;8437933]
I’m trying to decide if I have a right to be annoyed or not.

Walking my dogs this morning I stumbled (almost quite literally) over a guy in camo sitting 20ft from the edge of my property line. I was actually walking on our neighbor’s property (I have permission) and trespassing a little into the woods of the nearby factory.

This guy was set up just about where the three property lines come together - to the extent I’d have to get out my survey to know for sure that he wasn’t on my property…and very close to where I walk every day (I don’t usually cut through the woods, either, so I’m sure I ruined his hunt today…although he is definitely hunting over the factory property, which is posted.)

I know that the neighbor (owns the vacant property) had given a buddy permission to hunt, but the area he was supposed to be in was not adjacent to my property, and quite a ways from where I normally walk. We have been giving that side of our property a wide berth all season. But it seems that instead, this guy has probably been sitting within spitting distance of me walking my dogs every morning for 2 months.

I certainly have no right to prevent the owner of the land from letting people hunt on it; but it seems to me that he’s offensively close to my property - and since I only own 20 acres total (including house, barn, and pasture) he’s pretty much in my backyard.

So…should I be annoyed or let it go? Two more weeks in the season. At least now I know what my horses have been staring at. :yes:[/QUOTE]

You have a right to annoyed about anything that you want to be annoyed at. The real question is “is it worth the mental energy it takes to be annoyed about something I can’d do anything about?” To me the short answer is “no.” You may come up with something different.

If there is no threat to you or your property then keep on walking and enjoy the day.

G.

[enjoytheride]

As long as he’s following the law there isn’t anything you can do. He does need to ask permission to track wounded game onto your property (and if you say no DNR can come do it for him). He is supposed to mark the top of his hide with orange. I doubt he’s going out every single day. Hunters do tend to have day jobs like everyone else, and shotgun/bow season alternate so he might not do both.

Is he watching a game trail or a food plot? Hunting leases can be several thousand dollars for only a few days of hunting, you might want to consider offering a considerate hunter a lease on your land to make some extra cash.

A hunter you allow on your property cares as much as you do about unauthorized people stealing “their deer” if you are worried about people being near your horses.

Also, DNR is around to make sure hunters follow the law so don’t be afraid to contact them if you are concerned about something although it sounds like this hunter isn’t doing anything wrong.

[asb2517]

We have the same situation. The tree the stand is in is on our side of the fence row, but pointed away into neighbor’s field. I called the neighbor and made it clear that there was to be NO hunting on our property. The guy whose tree stand it is knew my step dad really well and is well aware of the “deer sanctuary” on our side of the fence.

I actually posted a “No hunting/trespassing” sign on the tree his stand is in.

If the guy is hunting on posted property, I’d call the Game Warden.

[S1969]

@Ghazzu;8438017

" this guy has probably been sitting within spitting distance of me walking my dogs every morning for 2 months."

And yet you only just noticed him.
sounds as though he’s not causing you a problem.

Well, the fact that he’s in camo is why I haven’t noticed him. Now that I know where he sits, it will be difficult not to see him.

To be clear, I’m not against hunting, and I honestly don’t have an issue with this guy hunting on my neighbor’s property (I call him a neighbor although he doesn’t live there). But having him set up so close to MY private property is kind of offensive to me. To have someone sitting so close that they can hear you talk to your dogs; or hear my kids’ conversations when they are walking the dogs - yeah…kind of creepily offensive.

And to wonder if he would take a shot in our direction - like the morning I bumped a big buck out of the swamp toward that spot. I wonder if he took the shot.

Again, if I owned 75 acres…I probably wouldn’t even care. The vacant part of my property is an open, 8 acre field. To know someone’s sitting just off the edge seems a little close.

I should mention, I’m also annoyed about the horse hoof prints I keep seeing on my property, too. For some reason, posted signs don’t mean a lot around here.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=enjoytheride;8438026]
Is he watching a game trail or a food plot? Hunting leases can be several thousand dollars for only a few days of hunting, you might want to consider offering a considerate hunter a lease on your land to make some extra cash. [/QUOTE]

I’ve been asked before. But I don’t own enough to make it worthwhile, and it isn’t appropriate for hunting. It just gives the hunter a place to park while they are trespassing in the woods around the factory, or on other people’s property.

Maybe this will help people appreciate my annoyance - this is taken from in my yard. The open field in the background is mine. The trees in the background are not. The hunter was set up in the upper left-hand corner of this picture within a few yards of the road we walk through with the dogs. It’s just not a very big place!

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/1912484_10204299784726463_6195152801233761836_n.jpg?oh=104da8e6311c8d054e1272773ac966f1&oe=56DAE9D6

[Texarkana]

You have every right to be annoyed… but there’s not much you can do about it.

I have the same problem. My little farm is sandwiched between four much larger properties, and this is a big hunting area. Aside from politely talking to the neighbors and asking them to make sure the hunters are aware of my horses, there’s very little I can do when the hunters are on another property with permission.

[Mango20]

I think annoyance is okay, but there’s probably nothing you can do about it. I have a similar situation. I have 6.5 acres, and am totally surrounded by hunters. On opening day, I could see two of them out my back windows (my backyard is only 75’ deep and backs up to a 100 acre farm. The neighbor on one side hunts in the woods. The neighbor in front of me hunts on their 6.5 acres. The one good thing (I hope) about tree stands close to the property line is that they are most likely shooting away from your property. I find my close-by hunters annoying and scary, but all I can do is hope for the best and put the horses’ hay out in the part of the field that’s closest to the house.

[NoSuchPerson]

I get that you’re annoyed. At my previous place, I had a metal storage building that sat in my yard about 30 feet away from my house. One day, I went out to get something and when I was leaving, I noticed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the wall, right about head height, with the metal bent to the outside, indicating that whatever made the hole came from inside the shed. So I started looking around and found the entrance hole on the opposite wall. So, yeah, I completely get being annoyed at people hunting near your property.

The reality, though, is that there isn’t anything you can do about it as long as they stay off your property. The best you can hope for is that they’re responsible hunters and they’re shooting away from your property.

[Kodiak]

As a lifetime hunter, it is both tacky and quite rude to hunt property edges and cause problems for the neighbors (by ruining their own hunting or other use of their own property). Also rather stupid since, as someone else pointed out, they can legally pursue a wounded animal only on property where they have written permission to be. Even mortally wounded, a deer can travel surprisingly long distances in unexpected directions.

You have every right to approach hunters and ask to see their written permission from the property owner. You also have the legal right to expect that someone will not be shooting across your property.

[2tempe]

I understand the creeped out feeling (I would be wondering if he is hunting deer or stalking a person… The safety part is also a little scary unless you are dressed in orange and making a racket. Seems to me that you have a couple choices: Talk to hunter, tell him you walk a certain route every am with permission of neighbor. Maybe he will relocate.
Second, plan a different route during hunting season. When I lived up north there were just places even in the parks that I would not walk my dog during deer season.

[walkers]

Not only do hunters have tree stands on my property line but one person has a stand in the woods facing the gravel road into the subdivision. So he would be shooting across the road and there are plenty of deer that eat in the grasses along the drive.I called the county and they took care of it as the stand is gone. So what kind of idiot does that. I’m so sick of hearing about “responsible” hunters, sure but then there are all these idiots and half of them drunk. All I know is the easiest way to get away with murder in this county(besides being a cop) is the classic “hunting accident” .

So every am and pm I go out target shooting to make sure all the deer leave my area. Its working some , hunters have moved on and the horses and dogs are safer. Four dogs have been shot on my road on their own property not running lose in the woods.
So go on all you hunters flame me but I am sick of you and your ruining every fall , no walking in the woods or riding , keeping the dogs in a pen so they will survive. And no I am not a new city person been out here 25 yrs. and it just gets worse. Used to be only neighbors hunted now with urbanization all these fools drive out here to hunt. I hate them!

[ReSomething]

We would definitely prefer it if the neighbor’s tree stand pointed into his land rather than ours. I don’t even go back there during the season and we keep the horses up front as well.
There are things I like about the properties around us being bought for hunting use rather than housing, and things I don’t, it’s a real toss up.

[maunder]

[QUOTE=walkers;8438439]
Not only do hunters have tree stands on my property line but one person has a stand in the woods facing the gravel road into the subdivision. So he would be shooting across the road and there are plenty of deer that eat in the grasses along the drive.I called the county and they took care of it as the stand is gone. So what kind of idiot does that. I’m so sick of hearing about “responsible” hunters, sure but then there are all these idiots and half of them drunk. All I know is the easiest way to get away with murder in this county(besides being a cop) is the classic “hunting accident” .

So every am and pm I go out target shooting to make sure all the deer leave my area. Its working some , hunters have moved on and the horses and dogs are safer. Four dogs have been shot on my road on their own property not running lose in the woods.
So go on all you hunters flame me but I am sick of you and your ruining every fall , no walking in the woods or riding , keeping the dogs in a pen so they will survive. And no I am not a new city person been out here 25 yrs. and it just gets worse. Used to be only neighbors hunted now with urbanization all these fools drive out here to hunt. I hate them![/QUOTE]

walkers, I used to feel the way you do and was quite rabid about anyone in hunting gear. I had good reason, since my land was being used by every poaching neighbor in the area. I was only 25 when I bought my place, and truly had no idea how to go about fixing the problem. They ignored my posted signs and my letters telling them to keep off. The Encon officer at the time was friends with these people and ultimately dismissed me.

I finally hit on the perfect solution. I found several responsible hunters (they are definitely out there) and they hunt and protect my land. It took the neighbors longer than it should have to get the hint, but my good hunters felt really fortunate to have permission and patrolled religiously and spread the word that I meant business.

FINALLY the poaching is under control. I still have to patrol daily - one stubborn and sneaky clout left to get and prosecute - but most days it’s now peaceful.

I DO understand your anger and frustration. One of my legit hunters is an investigator for the DEC. He tells me that normally you won’t ever hear of a good hunter - it’s the bozos and the stupids that talk the loudest and are the most dangerous. Don’t hesitate to contact the law about your problem, but as a word of advice and lesson learned please be reasonable and don’t let on that you’d like to stab the poachers with the set of antlers you have in the living room.

[S1969]

Thanks everyone, you’re making me feel better. I really have no problem with hunting, it’s just that these properties are pretty small to begin with!

[QUOTE=2tempe;8438315]
I understand the creeped out feeling (I would be wondering if he is hunting deer or stalking a person… The safety part is also a little scary unless you are dressed in orange and making a racket. Seems to me that you have a couple choices: Talk to hunter, tell him you walk a certain route every am with permission of neighbor. Maybe he will relocate.
Second, plan a different route during hunting season. When I lived up north there were just places even in the parks that I would not walk my dog during deer season.[/QUOTE]

I’m sure I do make a racket, and make myself quite ridiculous - which is kind of embarrassing to think about… Sigh. I’m walking 4 dogs, including a 4 month old puppy, so I’m definitely LOUD and silly. And I am usually dressed in orange.

There is no other route unless I just don’t run my dogs, which would piss me off royally since I own 20 acres. The other property is probably about 20 also but a lot of cleared land (it’s a tree farm) - so their hunt-able “woods” is probably about 5-6 acres total, spread out. So anyone “hunting” this area is pretty much hunting on other people’s land, typically the woods surrounding the factory.

I’m waiting for it to get light enough to walk my dogs now. I wonder if I’ll see him today. I guess I can try to be courteous and try to keep away from where he was yesterday. 2 more weeks of the season. :mad: I’ll definitely talk to the land owner when I see him next. I don’t know that he’s willing to risk a good relationship with me for a friend to hunt.

[maunder]

[QUOTE=S1969;8438614]
Thanks everyone, you’re making me feel better. I really have no problem with hunting, it’s just that these properties are pretty small to begin with!

I’m sure I do make a racket, and make myself quite ridiculous - which is kind of embarrassing to think about… Sigh. I’m walking 4 dogs, including a 4 month old puppy, so I’m definitely LOUD and silly. And I am usually dressed in orange.

There is no other route unless I just don’t run my dogs, which would piss me off royally since I own 20 acres. The other property is probably about 20 also but a lot of cleared land (it’s a tree farm) - so their hunt-able “woods” is probably about 5-6 acres total, spread out. So anyone “hunting” this area is pretty much hunting on other people’s land, typically the woods surrounding the factory.

I’m waiting for it to get light enough to walk my dogs now. I wonder if I’ll see him today. I guess I can try to be courteous and try to keep away from where he was yesterday. 2 more weeks of the season. :mad: I’ll definitely talk to the land owner when I see him next. I don’t know that he’s willing to risk a good relationship with me for a friend to hunt.[/QUOTE]

That does appear to be a small, congested area to hunt. Around here I’m dealing with larger acreage all 'round. I have 46 acres.

I used to walk with pots and pans. heh heh I was rabid.

One day left here of regular gun season and then a couple of weeks of muzzleloader. Then all done! Woo hoo. I used to cherish the days in NY when Sundays were non-hunting days. It was such a relief to not have to worry for one day a week, but that was changed years ago.

It’s a much better feeling these days, knowing my legit hunters all use the meat, don’t often hunt for just a trophy and truly respect the animals they are looking for. A couple of my hunters often go up into the woods just to enjoy and never fire their guns, even when a likely deer strolls by.