RE: Tough decision as a land owner.....
It seems that this topic has been beat to death, but I'll add my $0.02.
Ignoring the fact that they are family:
- they are engaging in illegal activities (or you suspect they are)
- they have ignored your explicit instructions (or seems that they have)
Despite what the arrangement has been for previous years, the land has a new owner with new rules. They, as guests to your property, need to abide by YOUR rules, or find somewhere else to hunt. You may have another concern of liability if you know or suspect thatpoaching is occuring on YOUR land and not reporting it. You couldwake up some morning to the knock of law enforcement officials atYOUR door! I didn't read the entire thread to see where this currently stands, but if it were me, I would sit down to have a calm, civilized discussion. Even write out a document stating your concerns. I would then offer a contract. The contract would spell out every and all details of others hunting on the land with the penalty for non-compliance. If they don't like the terms of the contract, they don't sign and they don't hunt. If they sign and you find them to breach the agreement, you now have legal precident to penalize them and no one has any sound excuse to be upset. I would even have it witnessed by someone not involved in the family (a friend who doesn't hunt maybe) and pay the fee to have it notarized. Thenthe matter of it being family bickering is eliminated and it'sa sound business arrangement. This may seem extreme but it appears that this situation is too that level. Good luck!