Trespassers.......
Wisconsin
D-Bags.....
D-Bags.....
Started baiting up on private property in Iron County for the Purple Heart Veteran that we are taking out this fall. Made a run up to the property to check the baits and pictures. Why do I have ZERO people on public land and these 2 BOZO's miles from the pavement. Nothing like going for a ride in your UTV on someone else's property. I will be sending this picture to the authorities. Nothing like lack of respect for private landowners.....
If one thread is meant to stay alive, it's this! As we get pics of trespassers, we should post them here, and keep updating.
Had these idiots drive there car a 1/2 mile on my 4 wheeler trail to tear up my food plot. Thought they were local kids and posted the picture at the local high school. The next week I came to check my camera and someone stole it so I set them up for the next visit. It took 6 months for them to come back but a couple of buried 2x4 with 16 penny nails to care of 3 of the 4 tires. They left the disabled vehicle up on the road so the cops were called. The car is still impounded. The license plate and vin number came back to the previous owner and they said they sold it last fall and conveniently don't remember the person's name.
Yup spike strips on trails are the way to go. I have had trouble with ass hats on atv's since April. Put down some home made spike strips at the end of May. No more problems.
I like the idea of spike strips, just curious what the legal repercussions would be if a trespasser was injured because of them. I feel it should be their fault, if they get hurt trespassing it's on them but I never know these days. Does anyone know what the law is if someone gets hurt on your land trespassing is the land owner held responsible? Sorry for changing topics here.
Any kind of device used to intentionally damage property or cause injury will be held against you in both civil and criminal court.
Hey.....I was working on a project and the board with old nails fell out of the truck or was left behind....
Booby traps are probably illegal, but you might be able to put up a notice "severe tire damage spikes ahead" and cover yourself. The sign alone might keep them out. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who really knows.
I don't actually have spike strips made to do harm. I have 2 old drag sections that I store in different locations on the land. I store them spikes up as they tend not to settle in the ground as bad that way. It would suck though if some trespasser with very expensive aftermarket tires on his atv were to happen to have run over one of these.
I'd probably forget about spikes, if I set them out, and run them over with my own vehicles!!
Unfortunately your liable for the damage. However, I doubt a person knowingly trespassing would seek reperations. If they were smart they would because the fine for trespassing is less than the cost to repair the damage they incurred. This info brought to you curtesy of Brian Smith MPPD.
I know a guy that was a computer guy.... anyway, trespass problems,,,,, and thefts..... so he set up cameras, that looked good, but were actually junk, yet he had gps chips in them..... he had another camera, hidden, and walla, the scum bag, stole the obvious cameras,, and the authorities, found their man, due to gps..... I thought that was pretty smart
Sweet, my favorite is people who put locks o gates I love carrying a few extra bike-locks around and adds extra one. Really pisses some people offfbutgood for laughs!
I hunted on an army base a while back and knew a soldier that had a connections to the military DNR office on base. He told me there used to be a problem with tree stands being stolen on base so the DNR office put some stands out with GPS chips in them. The thief was caught red handed and turned out to be an MP. Can you imagine how that affected his career? Thefts pretty much ended after that.
where can you get gps chips for placing in these items?
Good info gentlemen thanks!
The link is one tracking gadget. It is small and reasonably priced but because it transmits via bluetooth it's range is VERY limited. To counteract that shortcoming when the owner goes online and puts that tracker in 'lost' mode it will send it's position every time it gets in range of anyone else's receiving device so it then reports the position because it is in lost mode. If you are lucky that will leave a trail that ends where your tracker ended up.
Obviously this device has limited probability of a successful recovery. They do have an app online that will show you where other trackers are already setup and based on how many are around you it might or might not benefit you in finding a camera or whatever got stolen. I have like 5 active tracking locations within 20 miles from me so that device would be pretty useless for me. Most of those are probably homes away from a road and hence well out of bluetooth range of someone just driving by. Plus I doubt a bluetooth signal will get outside of a vehicle driving down a road.
I have seen adds for trackers that are for putting in things like trucks, boats, etc that when in active mode will alert you immediately when it moves. Those are probably too bulky to use in hunting related equipment and I believe they communicate with cell phone and/or satelite technology.
The tree stands I posted about had military technology trackers in them, I bet by now there are some small trackers of similar reliability to do what would help find game cameras etc.
I know police use tracking devices that they attach to a car, sometimes even without needing a warrant. Maybe talk to a cop you know to find out what they use and how well it works.
GPS Tracking of all vehicles by police need a warrant now. Years back no warrant was necessary and Police freely tracked suspects. There technology is sifistacted and expensive to say the least.
As far as damages incurred on your private property - it depaends. Anyone - anyone can sue anyone for anything@! Frivolous lawsuits are brought all the time. As a civil action they can become costly. But as Crusader Dad pointed out that the likely hood of that occurring is slim.
It should be noted that if you place a dangerous item purposely on your property with the intent of causing harm to someone you might just find yourself in criminal court. Road spikes is most likely the most common resource to this trespassing and I cannot see anyone getting into trouble on YOUR property.
Figures that warrants would be needed now. I just knew there was a case (I think in western Wisconsin) where wardens wanted to track a particularly bad poacher. They placed a tracker on his truck. The case against him got thrown out of court because the tracker was placed on his truck without a warrant while it was parked on the guys property and apparently that made the tracker illegal to use.
As far as the bluetooth range issue, if you suspect you know who took something with your bluetooth tagged item in it you could always take a laptop with bluetooth and that tool on it for a ride past the suspects house, vehicles, hangouts, and hunting areas. Bloodtrail, I bet cops could legally do this too as sort of a 'fishing' tool while driving past known bad guys homes and hangouts. Pawn shops too. Then get a warrant based on the evidence of the tagged stolen item being detected. Might need to get the company that owns the software for that tool to modify it so that it that allows police to fish for all reported stolen/missing items instead of just a particular one. Maybe they already have it. (using a good antenna that picks up bluetooth signals)
Wardens are legally allowed to trespass right? I can only imagine all the violations a warden would find if he ran over or stepped on a board with nails.
If we wanted to split hairs. A tall gate barring access to property could be something you get sued for. Said scumbag tries to climb gate in meth induced state and falls breaking many bones. While funny as hell, this scumbag decides to sue you for having the gate there that he had to climb. With the liberal judges in the courts he would probably win.
Ron...your killing me!! What a funny man - Don't quit the day job!
What your referring to is the "Open Fields Doctrine" - this allows any law enforcement officer to travel onto any ones property in the course of their lawful duties. "Curtilage" is a "private" area of the home that a reasonable person would expect privacy (i.e. fenced backyard, area immediately around the home - detached garage). These areas need a search warrant as the "Open Fields" does not.
However, courts have ruled that your "driveway" is an area of lesser expectation of privacy as you regularly accept visitors, UPS Guy. Fed-EX guy, neighbors, friends).
If you devise and place a "booby-trap" device such as a "punji-pit," road spikes, or a trip wire connected to a shotgun and someone is injured because of it, you are civilly and criminally responsible and liable for the injuries caused. This has been upheld in court cases in the past. Further, by the time all is said and done the person you injured will probably own your house, your hunting property, your car, boat, guns, and bows.
BTW, Land Surveyors have certain rights to trespass too while perform their duties...
Correct Mike, only liable for damages to said property.....while engaged in the process of surveying.
So if a Land Surveyor was walking down a trail to access a section corner while performing a survey and he/she stepped on a spike strip or triggered a booby trap of some kind there could be some serious issues... Just say'n.
Hi Mike,...first off, I am not a lawyer so I am not giving a legal opinion, just a lay person's opinion. That being said, I recall reading (years ago) accounts of people intentionally "booby-trapping" their property (a cabin and then also some hunting land) to catch a thief and trespassers. In both cases the offenders were injured, then in court they admitted their offense, and then sued the person who set the trap. The offenders won big time! If I recall correctly the rationale of the court was that the value of life and limb exceeds that of property and privilege, therefore the cabin owner and the land owner should not have set the traps to intentionally injure someone. Therefore they had to pay.
If there is an attorney on this forum it would be great to get a legal opinion, but for now the above is how I recall this issue being handled sometime ago. I doubt the laws have changed.
I have caught people trespassing on my land,...deer hunters and raccoon hunters on numerous occasions. As irritating as it is, it seems to be the norm nowadays. As much as we might like to "get back at" these folks, we have to be very careful if we go that route. I asked myself if the satisfaction I'd get would be worth the potential cost. The answer was "probably not" so all I did was tell 'em to leave & not come back! (That does not always work!)
I just had a portion of my land surveyed this past winter. The surveyor explained to me that he did have the legal right to trespass on neighboring properties in the performance of his duties. I think that if he was injured while doing this due to a hidden "booby-trap" he would have the same legal options open to him as the fellows mentioned above.
Yes casekiska I agree.
Fivers and I are both Land Surveyors and I was just pointing out that we have the right to trespass while performing our duties... possibly even more trespass rights than game wardens...
Definitely more than a warden. You can go anywhere you need to as part of your job. A warden can't just go searching anywhere hoping to find a violation. In addition I believe they need to get permission to go on other private properties in an effort to catch someone.
Pretty sad that there are dirt bags knowingly going on others lands. Where I grew up, you posted your property lines every other tree it seemed so there was no " I wasn't sure where the line was" Bouncing Bettys out of the question?
Anytime a surveyor has needed to access our property to do anything on the neighbors they have contacted us. I know they don't have to do this. But imo a courtesy phone call or letter goes a long ways. Both times they have just left messages, but I appreciated it. Plus it narrowed down what surveyor I use when I need one. It's just good business.
