What would Ya Do?

[fisher16]

Here is the Scenerio.............................

Walking through the woods you hear rattleing, grunting, more rattleing. As you get closer to your stand on your land you see orange, yes orange...... I know some of you maybe heated by this point. Its shotgun season your wearing orange as well. You get to your spot on your land and you observe a 18 year old kid sitting in your stand that you know some nice bucks walk by on occassion. What would you do? This recenlty happened to someone I know who is on the site. He was upset as I probably would be as well. What would you do?

My issue is two folds, this 18 year old didn't ask for premission to sit in one of our stands, and secondly he was trespassing with a firearm. If he was to be successful would he had given us the courtsey and shared his harvest. I hope so, but way sneak in and try to lure one of the many buck we have seen but have luckily stayed out of range. I hope he would share but ya just never know.

Second this kid could be out with his buddies, doing what we have all done ya you know........... doing things he probably shouldn't be doing but it was cool to do so why not. Instead he opted to hunt, and enjoy the outdoors, and try to make himself a better hunter. Can't really fight this one can I.

After reviewing these facts in this scenerio and have spoken personally to this kid a few times and even offering assistance to him if he's successfull. I ask What Would You Do??? Be mad make a case, teach him a lesson, or let it go.

[Jihad Joe]

If as in your 1st sentence you say he was trespassing on private land...I would inform him of his trespass and ask him to leave. If he refused I would call the EPO'S. Of course you would not want to get into a heated arguement while doing this. Both of you are armed and tempers could flare.

[RANGERBOAT MAN]

Shoot the little bastard the EPO's would not even show up there are to busy directing traffic

[YOTE BUSTER]

(tresspassing with a firearm oh my god )any ways i would be pissed that he was in my tree stand kick his butt out of it and my land.

[bluwater3474]

If as in your 1st sentence you say he was trespassing on private land...I would inform him of his trespass and ask him to leave. If he refused I would call the EPO'S. Of course you would not want to get into a heated arguement while doing this. Both of you are armed and tempers could flare.

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[Blarney413]

I would walk in an area where he could see me and I'd fire a few rounds in a safe direction. I would ruin all his (and my chances) of getting a deer. He would be forced to come down from MY tree stand. I would let him confront me and have him try to explain why he was there and who told him where your stand was. If he is a good kid with no guidance I would explain to him why he should have the common sense and manners to ask to use someones land. I sure as Sh*t wouldn't let him use my stand though. If he promised never to use my stand and to share his "harvest" I would help him set one up in a different area (maybe and only if I feel like being nice and whith strict rules about hunting my land). Then I would set up a camera facing my stand. If I saw him again breaking my rules I would call the EPO. My motto is "forgive but NEVER forget"

[Decareau]

Sneak up on him and blast off a couple rounds to scare the sh1t outta him. Don't stand under him in case he sh1ts his pants. Laugh. Then tell him to beat it.

[lonewolf1990]

i agree with barney 413 i think that would be the best way but with out the shooting

[outdoorev]

I would of been ripped, fisher was the land posted or town hunting by permission only? there is no excuse for someone to sit in someone elses stand or even sit near it, just common courtesy. I think he needed a talking to about courtesy

[trophy11]

there plenty of woods out there...tell him to get off your land, neverto see him again. But be calm about it and see how he takes it. He needs to learn a lesson. Dont trespass!! And remind him that if you catch him again the law will be involved next time....Agree1

[weedbed]

I would tell him to leave he knows he doesn't belong there and you can bet this is not the first time.If you let it go he and his buddies will be their every season and just a matter of time before he screws it up for your access to use the land legally.

[pupchow]

In Massachusetts, it is lawful to hunt on private property. If the land owner does not wish to allow hunting on it, the burden is his to post that hunting is prohibited.

[thortum]

If the property is legally posted [every 50 ft. or 50 yards ??] I would agree with Yote Buster. If not, and there was a chance that he could have made an honest mistake, I could overlook the trespassing. BUT.....no excuse for getting in someone else's stand!!! If he appeared to be a polite yugun [Smile1 Smile1] I might consider allowing him [alone] to hunt on my property [with permission] in two years. He gets a one year penalty......like in football. Grinning1

[noresman]

I would approach him and inform him he was on private land and needed to leave. I would also inform him climbing into someone elses stand is a BIG no no.

[fisher16]

Its posted as well. sy found him a few days ago in the stand on his land hunting. He chatted w him. Taking shots is a little extreme but I think he has learned. We became suspicious a few weeks ago about this situation. Hopefully problem is solved.

[tacoma]

Its even more impairitive as a young hunter to do things right. To many people like this kid give us a bad name. Let me build another scenario for you. Say this was private land you had permission to hunt and this same situation happened except instead of you finding the perpitrator the land owner does. As a result of a trespasser hunting on his land he shuts the land down to all hunting, including the ones that have permission.

What this kid did was unacceptable and unexcusible. I would make him aware of what he had done and kick him off the land. If you saw him again I would be sure to make a legal move to have him removed from the land!

[denrobare]

Land is posted. Stand is obviously not your own. Legally has no right to be on property without permission. Sounds like the kid really doesnt know much about ethics when it comes to hunting.

I dont really buy the new, doesn't know better argument. Everyone knows what NO TRESPASSING means. And every 18 year old knows that a tree stand that someone else puts up is not their own. He must have thought he would be lucky and hope the owner wouldn't show up that day.

Politely tell him to leave your land. If you own enough property and dont mind him hunting it, tell him where he can hunt and give him any regulations you would like him to hunt by. You are taking a chance though, you already know he doesnt obey rules and regulations well.

Personally: As a land owner (45 acres) I would kick him off my property. I worked hard to get it and keep it the way I want it. The land is for me and my friends/family. Only I pay the taxes on it, no one else. Repeat offenses would cause me to take legal action.

[swampyankee]

I had a polite chat with the lad. The stand in question is at the very corner of my property. It has been there for a few years now. The wind is rarely right for that location so I only use it once in a while. Yea, I was pissed. But I've worked hard to just let things go, life is too short to let sh*t like this get to me. The kid apologized right away, he thought it was abandoned. He thought he was still on the adjoining farm's property. I have talked with him before when he was coming out of the woods at a nearby spot. Nice kid, but I get the impression he might be a little slow on the uptake. No harm, no foul. A good teaching moment.

[YOTE BUSTER]

Your a good man Thumbsup Thumbsup




I had a polite chat with the lad. The stand in question is at the very corner of my property. It has been there for a few years now. The wind is rarely right for that location so I only use it once in a while. Yea, I was pissed. But I've worked hard to just let things go, life is too short to let sh*t like this get to me. The kid apologized right away, he thought it was abandoned. He thought he was still on the adjoining farm's property. I have talked with him before when he was coming out of the woods at a nearby spot. Nice kid, but I get the impression he might be a little slow on the uptake. No harm, no foul. A good teaching moment.