I am hoping to get a bit of input regarding a property I purchased in May in central PA. It's about 150 acres of steep mountainous land that shares a .75-mile border with a modest sized state game land. During the summer and fall I would see a hiker or 2 from time to time and another time I had a couple of 4x4 trucks making their way through the property. I have since installed gates at main access points to prohibit motor vehicle use. I have also seen ATV tracks, but nothing destructive. Due to erosion concerns, the only ATV’s I want on my property are my own.

On opening day of rifle, however, my young son and I counted at least 12 hunters on property, most of them just walking around. I feel that is excessive. My tree stand setups ended up being useless. I also found the first litter on the property that day which ticked me off. I have enrolled my property in the forestry stewardship program and plan to practice QDM on the property. I am spending time and money installing food plots, habitat improvement, and road and trail improvement. None of my goals can be met with hunters on the property whose ethics and standards are unknown.

My forestry consultant is telling me to post the land without exception. I am hesitant as I am willing to share the land with a controlled amount of people who share my vision for it and might be willing to pitch in. I also do not wish to build resentment with the local folks. Any experiences or thoughts would be helpful.