ORIGINAL: prostock
Not sure what to do here. I'm from Illinois. On my property we have trails that my wife and kids use for riding horses and running. The main trail follows the perimeter of our property and this is used the most by my family. My wife had informed me that some stands have been set up along the property line. Most of them just over the line but one stand was on our property and had a salt lick next to it. Here in Illinois that is illegal.I have not been approached by anyone requesting permission.
My concern is that they may shoot into our trails where my wife and kids may be. I don't know who these guys are or whether they're ethical hunters. Since I have not been able to contact the hunters of these stands I have posted no hunting signs next to them. I have nothing against hunting I myself hunt my own property but my wife and kids know where my stands are and when I'm hunting. I let my other neighbor hunt my property and he calls me to tell me when and where he'll be.
I don't want to keep these guys from hunting I just want to make sure my wife and kids are safe. Plus I've heard too many stories about these yahoos from the city that come out to the country to hunt.
And no I'm not going to tell my wife and kids not to enjoy the trails and our property during October through January.
Prostock: Make sure that your name and phone number are on your signs so your "neighbors" know who to contact, or better yet put up a few "equestrian" signs near your property perimiter.
A note attached to the base of the stands that were put on your property would be a good idea too. "Hi! In case you were wondering, you're on my property. Please move your stand away from the horse trails."
Actually, that brings to mind an obscure point of interest: In a court of law, it was determined that a person who had broken into a company and stolen information from one of their computers could not be prosecutied for the theft of the information because when he went to sign into the computer, the Windows operating system greeted him with the words "Welcome!" It was determined that this was considered an invitation to access the computer which threw out the companys claim to privacy on their own network.
So, if you do post a note on a stand or whatnot, don't start it with "Welcome!"
