Ohio Game Fishing banner

Tresspassers

7K views 35 replies 25 participants last post by  Mattiba 
#1 ·
Just bought a new property in Medina county. Just east of wadsworth on Medina line rd. Had my first trespassers today. Wish I was home to confront them. Think they were mushroom or turkey hunting. Gonna post it and set more cell cameras. Hopefully next time I can get some face pics.
Plant Military camouflage Helmet Tree Terrestrial plant
 
See less See more
1
#2 ·
That’s BS respect your neighbors. How far into the property was it? If it’s on a boarder it’s a possibility but I would imagine it’s not and it’s some guys disrespecting your land like you said. Good luck hopefully you catch them.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Actually the sheriff is a better option. I agree though, press chargers.
Press charges against who?..someone?..or do you mean once you found out who it is?..that could take awhile...I'm like you, I would wanna take matters in my own hands if I found out who it was...
No pic of them walking back through where they came from?...maybe try and figure out which way they kept going and set up another cam facing back towards what would be their faces...I doubt they were too far off a trail...kinda looks like they were walking on one.
You may never see them again, hard to tell...
 
#8 ·
Thanks for tips guys. I’ll just set a few more cameras out and stop by more often. I’m only 10 mins away. Definitely will post it today. Just thought maybe someone might see this post and you never know it could get back to
The people trespassing. Small world. Thanks
 
#10 ·
Yep...welcome to the world of land ownership.
Sadly you'll have to post it heavily and put cameras out. You may even have a few cameras stolen after word gets out you have cameras so it's not a bad idea to hide some cameras up high watching your lower cameras. And don't forget to carry your cell phone with you when you visit in case you run into trespassers. A quick pic of them when you first approach them before giving them their first and only warning often works. Of course...If'n you have prior trail am pics of same guys...especially after you've heavily posted...id press charges when I actually caught them since they are totally ignoring the signs.
 
#23 ·
Own a bit of acreage out of state, been in the family since the early settlers which was also my family, only till my generation came did "technology" come about to see what all goes on when your a state away. Talk about surprise surprise surprise, We had our cabins completely stripped of metal from siding and internal items to animal heads nailed on trees at the drive. We dealt with Sheriffs and DNR yada yada yada. This was all before I inherited it. At first camera's "slowed" things but then cameras started to disappear regardless how hard I secured or hid them. NO wifi , cell or satellite in the area so the phone alert style is useless. Later we got a tip and found some may have been people closer to us than we thought. talk about a shock.... In the end I agree with Ross.. get to know your neighbors one way or another, good AND bad.. if your lucky they may turn out out to be an asset vs being an a$$. ;)
 
#24 ·
Make good friends with your neighbors if there are any and ask politely if they can help keep an eye open for you.
But---Go the nice route first-IMO Especially if the trespassers are locals and you don't live n the vicinity year round.
It's an easy job for locals to figure your routine of coming and going and they can sure cause lots of damage to cabins, stands even destroy food plots .
It sure is a hard pill to swallow but a friendly "I'm not allowing any hunting' might be the best route, you can always get tougher if that doesn't solve the problem.
Good luck !
 
#25 ·
Absentee land ownership is tough to secure. This is where a littke sugar makes the medicine go down. The best security you can have is a local on your land. Find and befriend someone close and give them access. Sweeten the pot with something they like, but withold what you want. Like allow them to squirrel hunt or pick mushrooms, but tell them the deer or turkey hunting or whatever your interest is is yours. Let them cut firewood or something. Give them a vested interest and they will be a good watch dog. If you deer hunt allow them to take a doe or two. I have found the absentee landowner that tries to "keep everyone the hell off my land" is the one that has the most problems. I do not worry anything about the guy strolling through or even an occasssional hunter asking to go, I just laydown ground rules. Being open to your neighbors will go a long way to securing your property. I don't appreciate tresspassers either, but I don't begrudge someone being on my land as long as they are not doing harm.
 
#26 ·
I grew up on a large farm type property, with river frontage and wood and valley, and we often had what most of you here would call "trespassers", fishing in the river from our property, or otherwise walking on it, riding their horse, etc. People came and sledded on the sled hill my dad had had built into the side of the valley.

We didn't care about any of this. My dad didn't mind or care.

Until a year or two ago, my family owned a 300+ acre golf course. We still own 70+ acres of timberland. We have had people coming onto our property all the time, taking walks, running their dogs, riding bikes, jogging, picking mushrooms, kids playing ball, riding horses on the edge of the course far from our greens or tees, people fishing a little bit in our ponds. We never made a big thing out of it so long as they did not damage the golf course or bother our golfers.

As a kid, my friends and I walked up and down the valley, gigging carp in the river or fishing, or hunting birds with our BB guns, and even though the land under the river was owned by property owners, as it was not navigable, no one cared or yelled at us about being "on my property". And this applied to a period of many years.

I am obviously in the minority on this post. I am sorry, but the attitude here seems kind of crabby. I understand if the visitors (that's what I would call them) cause a mess, or hunt without permission, or break something, or leave trash, etc.that the owner would be resentful and get mad. But the attitude of many posters here is a universal declaration, "It's MY property, so stay off, you trespasser". A kind of across-the-board resentment against any passer-by who walks across your property even if they do no harm and don't hurt you or your property. Yes, of course you have that right, if you want to take that attitude. But it seems the world used to be a more gentle and understanding place.
 
#28 ·
Many years ago, my friends had some hunting & fishing property with a cabin, up the Pa mountains. We had ONE little screw-up at a local bar & the whole cabin was shot full of bullet holes. Furnace, fridge, woodburner & fuel oil tank.
Watch what you say & do!
Did the previous owner allow friends & neighbors permission to do whatever?
Like some others said, make friends with the neighbors. Mention that you already have pics of 'tresspassers' in camo, & you would like to meet them & talk about it.
I would also post signs around the property, & mention 'NEW OWNER',,, along with the required phone number & or with some kind of contact info.

lol,,, make friends, not war,,,, specially when YOU are the newbie! ;>)
 
#29 ·
Hopefully your landmarks are in place bc when I call the Sheriff they say you've got to prove that it's your property they are on. It's aggravating . I have a guy who I give heck everytime and he keeps coming back riding his motorcycle! I don't want to spend $2000 to have it surveyed but looks like it's coming to that. Oh and he owns 1 acre on the backside that's not even close to mine. Non of the other landowners cares so he always says he's not on mine.
 
#30 ·
I use to hunt a square and then they sold a small strip in the middle of it about 5 acres
This new guy was on a rampage about trespassers and hunters posted every tree on
His place put a sign on my tree stand to remove immediately even though I had permission
On the border of 150 Acres in Medina granger rd .. got to be careful pissing off good neighbors
It’s not the end of the world .. be kind or things could get ugly fast ..
 
#31 ·
lol,,,, I've seen 'neighbors', life long locals pull out property pins & move them before a sale.
(so use a 1" x 5' piece of re-bar & pound them ALL THE WAY DOWN! ;>)
I've seen dozens of property lines that run through the neighbors house or barns,,,, AFTER the for-sale property was properly surveyed. DON'T BUY A PROPERTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE PROPERTY PINS!!
My daughter recently bought 9 acres,,, beautiful house, fantastic barn, pond & pavilion. The realtor showed her the map of the property lines, but after she moved in, it turns out that most of those LINES were wrong!
The MEAN 'ol bitty next door, owns 1/2 of the pavilion, & 90% of HER POND!
We want to make improvements on the pond, but the 'bitty' says no way. She wants $20,000 for an acre of swamp!


I also heard of 'word of mouth', hand shake agreements that POP UP, after a sale.
Again,,,, Play it safe, make sure everything is A-OK 100%,,, BEFORE you fly off the handle.


FWIW,,,
1 of my friends just got busted, big time, because his WRITTEN AGREEMENT TO HUNT was 30 something years old & the original owner passed away. The G-Kids didn't know anything about it & called the warden. Loss of guns, privileges, & BIG BUCK! (The judge gave him back the guns)
 
#34 ·
I just caught a couple of guys on 4 wheelers on my property. I was cleaning fish and heard somebody riding in my woods so I took off, fillet knife and sharpener in hand. When I got to them I gave them hell. I asked where they came from and who they were, They “came from back there”. They were 19 years old. I warned them to never come back or I’d call the law.
After about 5 minutes of giving them hell they said that they came from the neighbor’s house, they were dating the daughter. I said why didn’t you tell me that first? They said “ well you showed up holding a knife”. A four inch fillet knife, that made me chuckle inside. I warned them not to ride on my property again and sent them back. They didn’t seem to be punks.
I would not have been so worked up if they would have told me where they came from in the beginning I don’t really know those neighbors but I don’t want to be overly rude to neighbors either.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top