DuckSouth.com

Worst word to call these folks is outlaws- that makes it sound cool. I hate when folks say outlaws are usually some of the best hunters. No, they usually hunt unmolested, unpressured wildlife. They are thieves. They are stealing private property rights and wildlife. Call them thieves. Those are fighting words and shameful.

I caught a fellow shooting turkeys off of my uncle's property this past spring. These are turkeys that would not even look up if you drove within 50 yards and got out. I called one up in June that was gobbling his butt off at thunder- with my mouth. And I sound like a dying Rhode Island Red calling with my mouth. To be blunt about it, killing these birds would be like killing a tame rooster. I actually did not catch him red-handed, but he was running his mouth to folks about it. My uncle does not allow hunting on his property, as he wants it for a sanctuary. That's fine- it's his property. I actually enjoy watching the wildlife myself, but I'll be damned if I, family, will sit aside an watch other thieves steal birds from my uncle. He was out of the country so I emailed him and told him what was up. He hired an individual to watch the property and investigate and put up cameras. In the meantime we posted the property, he spent a lot of money on a camera system (put signs up saying it was monitored), and the investigation lead to two individuals as the culprits. As it goes, they are still living on dad's dime, so my uncle called their fathers and said if it didn't stop he was prosecuting. A couple of the adjacent landowners would testify that he (they) openly bragged about killing a couple of trophy birds on the property.

You have to take these drastic measures to stop them. Put up signs calling them thieves, at least make them question their integrity as they pass by. Do something IF you're not going to hunt it.

To this day I don't believe it will be stopped 100%. The reason why? Because a lot of the time the property is empty of individuals. A lot of it is also visible from a highway that could be called the "poacher highway of America." The best deterrent against poachers are sportsmen. Our presence is usually enough to deter most trespassing.

I see it all the time while surveying rural property. A landowner says, "Oh, nobody has been back there for years." But when you get "back there", you see deer stands, feeders, flagging- a human (hunter) presence. Happens all the time. If you don't hunt or utilize the property, then someone else will do it for you. Let them start openly maintaining parts of your property and down the road you could find yourself in court under adverse possession claims. Make sure you make you property lines known, maintain them, post them and visit them every so often. It amazes me that folks will change the oil in their car, filter in the central heating and air, but they will not maintain the most valuable asset they have- their land, their dirt, their property corners and lines. A human presence is the only way to catch and possibly deter a poacher. Let them know that they, the hunter, have become the hunted. Let them know that you are actively looking for them. It's the best way to start the process of making them look elsewhere to find a place to steal from.

greenheadgrimreaper wrote:Let them know that they, the hunter, have become the hunted. Let them know that you are actively looking for them. It's the best way to start the process of making them look elsewhere to find a place to steal from.

Same route I took on a few locals. They haven't taken a shot in my neighborhood since....to my knowledge.

In MS it is $386 that's an expensive poop, and a bad judgement call but that's what it cost!!

No instant jail time.

Me. Nice guy does not work and also could be negligible to the landowner. I remember in Forestry law years ago of reading cases where a landowner knew of trespassers and they got hurt on an ATV. Sued the landowner (which was a timber company) and won. It's a crazy world we live in. The best advice I see is if you catch a trespasser call 911. If he doesn't stick around get the best description you can. It's not worth a gun fight cause some of the trash out there now are crazy. I got a family that depends on me to come home, at the same time I wouldn't turn my back either.

In marijuana fields, clear monofilament fishing line strung with fishing hooks at eye level has been used to thwart trespassers. Strung at groin level in the pathway of a trespasser on private property, I've seen well worn pathways grow up after the line and hooks came up missing. Strung above ATV handlebar level would probably get the point across on an ATV trail as well. An old piece of thin plywood with rusty nails covered in leaves or pine straw has also been able to convince some to move along. We've also had some places with 4wd trucks trespassing, kids mud riding, and doing doughnuts, which ending after placing boards with nails in their normal entry way. Set it and forget it, and don't go telling anyone it's there. You know the law and I'm not going to waste my precious time trying to catch you on over 2,500 acres spread out over 7 ranches. You pays yo money and you takes yo chances.

Had an adjoining neighbor once who shot a turkey on some of our property when I was on another place but friends from Arkansas where hunting the property the shot was fired on. I drove straight to the guys house and he was cleaning the turkey in his backyard. I told him I didn't appreciate him trespassing, he claimed he shot it on his property. I pointed out that he had two cinder blocks on either side of our fence to step over onto us, and he had built two deer stands on us. I then explained how I had a real bad habit of shooting when the bushes move with my 12 gauge 3.5 inch #5 shot during turkey season and I certainly didn't want him getting hurt, and asked if he understood me clearly. He said that he understood and I never had a problem with him again. I later walked into a restaurant where he was sitting with other businessmen and he called me over and you would have thought he was my best friend. Improvise, adapt, and overcome.

Yes, I am a nice guy, but I can be an A-hole when I need to be and I'll back it up, so it's not a threat, it's a conditional promise.