Public land hunter surounding private land??

[dtrain56]

I got a little problem and an ethics question....during rifle...how close do you get to posted private land...

it seems every year public land hunters get closer and closer ( and a lot bolder)to my posted signs and even caught one guy set up inside them and he said he saw them....


where has the courtesy gone...and with about 40,000 acres of public land to hunt between the ANF and local game lands why do hunters file around 50 yards apart around my property...which is only 50 acres ?????


also had a fixed stand stolen in the three days i wasn't in it...gun started on monday....hunted til tuesday...came back saturday...

what is going on!!!!

[scotman]

Yea only takes one thief to ruin your hunting season. Too bad those tracking devices were not more economical and smaller where you could attach one inside the frame of your treestand.

[berudd]

What are the laws in your area? Do they define how close someone can be to your boundary? If not, I would say that as long as they are on the public land they are not in violation. It might be annoying to you but that is about the worst thing I can say about it. Some might try to call it unethical but that would be a misuse of that word. Why do they do it? Well, don't we all try to find the sanctuaries and hunt the trails in and out? Your 50 acres is a sanctuary of lower hunting preasue, either real or imagined.

Here is the part you will love. Assume a guy is set up right on your border. If the biggest buck you have seen steps accross that line and that guys shoots him he has done nothing wrong. Many states have laws that say a hunter has a right to claim his kill if it runs back on your property after being shot. That would just be a hoot wouldn't it.

You might want a buffer zone around your land but you really have no right to that. Your control ends at the property line and you pretty much just have to live with whatever happens on your side.

No then, if someone DOES come on to your land it should be met with swift and maximum reaction. Call the sherrif and report the trespassing. If you find stand on your land, guess what. You just got yourself a new stand. It would be in the back of my truck in a heartbeat if it was me. I would have zero sympathy for anyone that was trespassing unless I truely believed that did it by mistake.

You know you could always just dump a bunch of corn in the middle of your land. We all know that piles of corn are irresistable to deer and once you put it down they will never leave your property. (Heh, heh, sorry could not resist with that one but you gotta admit it was pretty clever how I worked that topic into this thread )

[DeanoZ]

I'm going to play devils advocate here, because I hunt public land, and a particular part I hunt is right on the border of someones private land.  In fact, without stating the obvious if you hunt public land the surrounding property  could only be private land no?  Having said that my stand is set up literally within 30 yrds of the border.  I can see the posted signs from my stand, but I'm respectful and don't venture beyond the border.  Nor would I shoot a deer over the border no matter how big it is or how badly I want to kill a deer.  I hunt this specific spot because the border happens to be a strip of woods approximately 75 yrds wide with a stream that runs right through it.  In some cases its less than 30 yards wide and others about 100 yards wide.  The particular spot I hunt I would say is about 75 yards wide of which 30 yards is public and the remaining 45 yards is private.  This strip of woods is a funnel separating two long CRP fields...it also leads to a cornfield about a half mile further north.  For this piece of public land its about the only spot that consistently produces deer encounters.  As a matter of fact I had a bad shot on a doe and nicked her on that very spot and she crossed over to the private land.  Before I went any further I contacted the private land owner and asked for permission to track the doe.  The owner was more than willing to allow me access and was grateful i asked for permission before doing so.Personally, I don't see it as an issue or even a question of ethics so long as I don't trespass or shoot into the private property, neither of which I would do.  Additionally, if I happened to see a stand setup on Private land in proximity to where I would hunt on the public side, I would move.    The amount of public land available to hunters is finite, especially in Jersey, I think both private landowners and public hand hunters should be considerate to each other and respectful of this fact.

[Bluegrass Archer]

Ill try to put myself in your shoes here. Im guessing your property is not to far out of reach for the public land hunters, sooo dealing with other hunters is just going to happen. Ive been hunting public land this year, and guys will absolutely take advantage of private land boundaries. They realize that private land has the potential to be a sancurary. They have the right to be there, i dont think ethics is an issue unless there shooting on to your land or trespassing and in that case you have the right to be upset; but when there not i wouldnt be upset because deer will still recognize your land as a safe place compared to the public land. I would take the mindset that im hunting public land but have the advantage of 50 acres to myself, a really good thing and more mature deer especially would recognize that, especially if theres good bedding area on your property. Lock those stands because theres those people out there that just dont care. But all in all, id say dont worry to much, i think your in good shape. Having private land next to public could be a really good thing in my opinion.

[scotman]

I think both private landowners and public hand hunters should be considerate to each other and respectful of this fact.

Although I agree with that most hunters atleast were I live don't bother reading posted signs. Had a guy shoot a deer and run over onto my fathers land I caught upto him and told him he would have to call and ask my father for permission to retrieve it seeing how he is trespassing already. He did not take too kindly to it and never called my father to boot. Sure I could have gave him permission but he was already trespassing but I don't pay the taxes on my fathers land, my father does. The problem I have is people want to hunt the land but don't want the add expenses like taxes and maintenance. Posting a 100 acre parcel will run you some money and time.

So to the OP you don't have to give respect to slob hunter When someone steals from you it is game on. Make sure you report it to your local dec office and local sheriffs. That way when you do call on them for someone trespassing they will be well aware of the stolen treestand issue. Make sure your land is posted according to the local law guidelines. The posted signs have to be soo many feet apart and soo high off the ground if you plan for any charges to stick.

[Elkinde]

I've got a Buddy with your exact same situation and same problems to boot. I feel sorry for him because I also worry about my stands on property that borders public. I realize that if one wishes they could set up in the tree right next to my stand because it's close to the border. Lucky thing for me is that it's a wet thick mess to get to from the access area. I believe that if a hunter knowingly set up right next to my stand it could be considered harrasment in WI; and against the law.

[chucksniper]

They aren't tresspassing, guess your stuck.

[SHKYBoonie]

The laws to this subject vary greatly from State to State. In TN where I live, my Mother-in-law's land backs up to a Management Area. The law in TN states that anyone who wants to hunt within 100 yards of private land have to get written permission from the closest private land owner to the location they want to hunt. Now this may only be in this particular area because these are their residents. In KY, where I hunt, one of my farms back up to a State Park that allows bow hunting. As long as the public land hunters stay on the right side of the posted signs there is nothing I can do. I have had a situation where some of them were trespassing and all I had to do was prosecute one hunter and it stopped it all! The word travels fast when it was mostly locals doing the trespassing. I hated to do that, but it sure slowed them down.

[jsjandro]

im in northern wi, and i got a 40 of mfl land behind me. used to have bad problems with a group of local ding dongs and when i got ruff with em they scedadled. still have people walk up to the boundary and just sit there - dont know why? they must have my permission to retrieve what they shoot and if they dont take the time to talk to me before season i show em NO sympathy.
 
where the  rest of the courtious world is like you and i is a wonder man. i hunt public land for grouse more than anything and when i see signs i simply turn around and hunt my way somewhere else. theres no need to hug the line without identifing yourself ethically speaking. sure, legally you can, but if game falls that way of the line you just opened up a can o worms that SHOULD HAVE BEEN  sorted out beforehand! period! anyone who comes to me first and lets me know what they got going on in my area (thats right! i live here and how am i supposed to know you aint planning to case my place!) gets a hand shake and a go ahead - and a warning that if something goes awry i got your plates.
 
kinda like marraige - you take my daughters hand you'd better hold it tight and with care - or im coming at ya with lemon juice and razorblades!