Trespasser in my woods

[chuckp]

As used in this chapter, "agritourism provider" means a
person who provides the opportunity for agritourism activities...

"Agritourism activity"
Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "agritourism activity" means:
(1) an activity at an agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness
operation where the general public is allowed or invited to
participate in, view, or enjoy the activities for recreational,
entertainment, or educational purposes, including farming,
ranching, historic and cultural agricultural activities, self-pick
farms, or farmers' markets;
(2) an activity involving an animal exhibition at an agricultural
fair; or
(3) natural resource based activities and attractions, including
hunting, fishing, hiking, and trail riding.

INCLUDING HUNTING...

If you allow anyone to hunt on your property, you are, by definition, an agritourism provider.

Kind of hard to argue black and white.

After being sued years ago after someone got hurt I will minimize my liability. Attorneys make a lot money for suing for reckless and negligent issues. BTDT.

 

[Rookie]

After being sued years ago after someone got hurt I will minimize my liability. Attorneys make a lot money for suing for reckless and negligent issues. BTDT.

Understandable. However, trying to argue that the law wasn't designed to protect land owners and that, somehow, trespassers are somehow immune to the law was the only issue I had.

 

[hopper68]

I live in a small unincorporated town so people sometimes keep animals that might not be allowed in some areas. Neighbor was raising small goats for 4H and one day they found their way into my yard. A knock on my door let me know there were goats in my yard and with my permission they would remove them.
It is nice to know my neighbor is teaching his children to be respectful of other's property.

 

[JimH]

It wouldn't end up good for you or your dog if you was on my place...

Keep control of your dogs and you....period!!![/QUOTLike I said,I have coon hunted for close to 50 years and never had a landowner conflict.Yes my dogs have got on property that I didn't know who the owner was- you do the best you can to control your dogs,but anybody that thinks you can call a good dog off of a good track has never been coon hunting.My dogs are family,someone shoots my dog for tresspassing when he is chasing a coon,one of us won't make it out of the woods.Now if it is a persistant problem with the same people,let the law handle it-don't take it out on the dog.

 

[ghitch75]

Like I said,I have coon hunted for close to 50 years and never had a landowner conflict.Yes my dogs have got on property that I didn't know who the owner was- you do the best you can to control your dogs,but anybody that thinks you can call a good dog off of a good track has never been coon hunting.My dogs are family,someone shoots my dog for tresspassing when he is chasing a coon,one of us won't make it out of the woods.Now if it is a persistant problem with the same people,let the law handle it-don't take it out on the dog.

i have raised and hunted plenty on huntin' dogs and 50 years or not you should have control of your dog......just as the family dog i have now i can call her off from CHASING any thing.....

deer,coons,opossum,cats and other dogs or what ever......

if that dog is truly a family member you wouldn't let them get a place where they would get shot.....period!!!!

 

[JimH]

i have raised and hunted plenty on huntin' dogs and 50 years or not you should have control of your dog......just as the family dog i have now i can call her off from CHASING any thing.....

deer,coons,opossum,cats and other dogs or what ever......

if that dog is truly a family member you wouldn't let them get a place where they would get shot.....period!!!!

My coon dogs don't chase deer,possums,cats or other dogs,so I don't have to worry about that.Coons,especially in late December and January will be rutting and some tracks easily go 2-4 miles by gps.It would be wonderful if you could call a dog from that far,but I haven't figured out how.The gps collars do help you keep track of the dog,even when they aren't on a track.Like I said,I welcome coon hunters-the more coons killed the more turkey nest survive.

 

[phylodog]

So you just cut the dogs loose and they go wherever they go? You watch them via GPS and then go wherever they go when it's time to retrieve them?

 

[JimH]

So you just cut the dogs loose and they go wherever they go? You watch them via GPS and then go wherever they go when it's time to retrieve them?

When I turn the dogs loose it is on property that I either own or have permission to hunt on, no exceptions.Having lived in the same area for my entire life,pretty much everyone knows me and my truck. Technology has helped a lot-I often call landowners while I am hunting to let them know if I am going to end up on their property.The gps allows me to keep track of the dogs and hopefully head them off if they are going where I don't want them-property I don't have permission to be on, near busy roads,state park property etc.I don't drink,cut fences,steal tree stands or deliberately trespass.These are the activities of a thief,outlaw or poacher. I just coon hunt.

 

[phylodog]

Sounds like you have the decency and respect for others to try and keep from causing problems. My hat is off to you for that, I wish everyone was willing to make the effort.

 

[JimH]

Sounds like you have the decency and respect for others to try and keep from causing problems. My hat is off to you for that, I wish everyone was willing to make the effort.

Thank you,I to wish others would ,make it a lot easier on everyone!

 

[churchmouse]

It wouldn't end up good for you or your dog if you was on my place...

Keep control of your dogs and you....period!!![/QUOTLike I said,I have coon hunted for close to 50 years and never had a landowner conflict.Yes my dogs have got on property that I didn't know who the owner was- you do the best you can to control your dogs,but anybody that thinks you can call a good dog off of a good track has never been coon hunting.My dogs are family,someone shoots my dog for tresspassing when he is chasing a coon,one of us won't make it out of the woods.Now if it is a persistant problem with the same people,let the law handle it-don't take it out on the dog.

OK. You are in your woods and some dogs are chasing the deer you want to hunt when the time comes. How is LEO going to handle that. They will have done the damage and been long gone when Ranger Smith can get out to see whats up. This is not a free range thing here. What do we do. Let the dog screw up what we have worked to secure.
Not being crude or spiteful. Do you have your own land you run them on. Or do you just borrow some.

Having seen what pack dogs can and will do how is it possible to know what from who out in the woods. It is something to be considered.

 

[JimH]

OK. You are in your woods and some dogs are chasing the deer you want to hunt when the time comes. How is LEO going to handle that. They will have done the damage and been long gone when Ranger Smith can get out to see whats up. This is not a free range thing here. What do we do. Let the dog screw up what we have worked to secure.
Not being crude or spiteful. Do you have your own land you run them on. Or do you just borrow some.

Having seen what pack dogs can and will do how is it possible to know what from who out in the woods. It is something to be considered.

Coon dogs don't run deer or they are not coon dogs.No doubt there are some dogs that people like to call "coon dogs" that will,but there are a lot of "deer hunters"and "sportsmen" out there that I wouldn't classify as such....

 

[churchmouse]

Coon dogs don't run deer or they are not coon dogs.No doubt there are some dogs that people like to call "coon dogs" that will,but there are a lot of "deer hunters"and "sportsmen" out there that I wouldn't classify as such....

Agreed.
Again, having seen what pack dogs can and will do this can be a touchy subject.

 

[JimH]

Agreed.
Again, having seen what pack dogs can and will do this can be a touchy subject.

Yep,I've seen both sides also. Also know some" coon hunters" that I want nothing to do with!

 

[CHCRandy]

You guys are either talking **** or have never hunted with dogs. You really think you can control where a fox hound runs? Where a breeding rabbit goes? Where a Coyote or deer runs? You don't think a good dog can get suckered into a trash run by another dog? I have been on both ends. You think I didn't want to shoot that CO the day he walked in on my stand, opening day at daylight.....to check my license on my land? You think I didn't want to shoot that trespasser who was driving deer on my land, an hour after daylight on opening day? I remember a guy who had a meth lab, in Kentucky...and he made the mistake of shooting at my dog. He got his ass beat then went to jail.

Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash. I have seen people get hurt bad for shooting at a mans dog. I have seen a guy mysteriously fall 25' from a tree stand. I have seen guys get sued, and lose $40,000 for killing a mans beagle who "ran" onto his land. If someone was to have ever killed one of my dogs for simply running onto your land, we would have had a gun battle and one of us would lose. Plain and simple. And there are others in this world just like me. Hell, I beat the hell out of the mailman for pepper spraying my dog, I have no doubt what I would have done had he shot him. That dog is my family and hunting partner, as such...I will defend it like one. If you are that afraid of dogs, stay in the house. If hunting frustrates you that much, maybe you need a new hobby. **** happens, even on your own land.

 

[churchmouse]

You guys are either talking **** or have never hunted with dogs. You really think you can control where a fox hound runs? Where a breeding rabbit goes? Where a Coyote or deer runs? You don't think a good dog can get suckered into a trash run by another dog? I have been on both ends. You think I didn't want to shoot that CO the day he walked in on my stand, opening day at daylight.....to check my license on my land? You think I didn't want to shoot that trespasser who was driving deer on my land, an hour after daylight on opening day? I remember a guy who had a meth lab, in Kentucky...and he made the mistake of shooting at my dog. He got his ass beat then went to jail.

Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash. I have seen people get hurt bad for shooting at a mans dog. I have seen a guy mysteriously fall 25' from a tree stand. I have seen guys get sued, and lose $40,000 for killing a mans beagle who "ran" onto his land. If someone was to have ever killed one of my dogs for simply running onto your land, we would have had a gun battle and one of us would lose. Plain and simple. And there are others in this world just like me. Hell, I beat the hell out of the mailman for pepper spraying my dog, I have no doubt what I would have done had he shot him. That dog is my family and hunting partner, as such...I will defend it like one. If you are that afraid of dogs, stay in the house. If hunting frustrates you that much, maybe you need a new hobby. **** happens, even on your own land.

Cool your jets wild man. Cool out. Now.

 

[phylodog]

Wow, just Wow.

The flip side of that coin is that if you care so much for your dogs you wouldn't put them into a position where someone might harm them. Just because your dogs can't read no trespassing signs doesn't give them (or you) a free pass to go wherever the hell they (you) want. Your right to hunt with dogs doesn't trump a landowner's right to their property and restricting access as they see fit.

I dealt with this **** all hunting season this year. Having spent a significant amount of time and money over the past couple of years we finally started seeing a few good bucks on the place and the deer were showing up consistently. Then a few weeks before season we have three dogs that start showing up and running through the food plot. Once they are seen on camera the deer vanish for several days. We did the right thing and had the Sheriff's Department talk to the owners. That lasted about a week then the dogs were back so we had Animal Control talk to them. That lasted less than a week and we got pictures one night of the *******s on our food plot looking for the camera which was capturing their dogs destroying what we worked hard for. Fortunately we were able to get a couple of conservation officers out there before they ran off with it. We finally pulled the camera so they wouldn't steal it and wrote the whole place off for the season.

So now what do we do? Everyone knows it isn't easy to find hunting land in Indiana and we've found a good spot, have the land owner 100% on our side, have made significant investments in time and money to get it where we want it and now we have an ******* neighbor who refuses to control their dogs ruining it for us. So we're just ****ed because "dogs will be dogs"? What is the next step? They win? We just simply walk away? I love dogs as much as anyone and share the sentiment that someone hurting them is going to end very badly for them but I damned sure don't allow them to go where they shouldn't either.

There's definitely room for outrage on the topic but I'll be damned if it goes to dog owners who allow their dogs to go wherever the hell they feel like it.

 

[phylodog]

That attitude ranks right up there with the "I was only mushroom hunting" trespassers who have ruined a few turkey hunts for us over the years.

 

[churchmouse]

Like I said, this is a touchy topic. And yes it can get angry.
Phylo covers it pretty darn well. Just because your dogs are, well, dogs does not mean you are not responsible for them. This was my entire issue. A dog will be just that. A dog. Of course you guys that spend endless amounts of time/energy/money training yours are a plus. But still, if they run through Phylos set up it ruins his work regardless of how you feel or even operate.

CH.....WTF man. Seriously.

 

[Leadeye]

I'll see dogs on cameras out here in the deep woods occasionally, but not for long. I think nature sorts that out around here and is one of the reasons I don't keep pets. I've run into a guy hunting with a dog on my ground only once and I think he was lost but didn't want to admit it. My son and I did find a dog collar once while walking through the woods, it had a name and phone number on it which I called when we got back to the house, but the phone number wasn't active.