Rhino259

I really have no idea what this guy was doing. The gun he was carrying was an older lever action rifle. It was a larger caliber than a .22 thats all I could tell. He fired to shots into an oak tree that fell during an ice storm last year. All I can figure is maybe he saw a chipmunk or somthing. When I told him the land belonged to me he didn't act in the least bit suprised. I guess he was hoping his statement would make me think twice about whos land it really was or somthing. When I proceeded to amble off into the woods it was at a much faster pace then before and he kept looking back over his shoulder. That kind of behavior I would find normal from any trespasser. The only problem was he was walking in the opposite direction of the road. It was to say the least an interesting experience I hope I never go through again. The main reason a call him over because at first I thought it was my friend who lives down the road from me. I found it a little weird though because whenever we hunt on each others land my friend an I always let the other know when we will be hunting.

MountainHunter

My rule on shooting peopel is if they are on my property and I feel my life or the life of a loved one is truly threatened, I will shoot. I woould NEVER shoot someone over someTHING, such as deer, property rights, stealing my stereo or computer, etc. IfI heard a noise IN MY HOUSE and came downstairs with my pistol in hand and saw someone headed out the door with my stereo, etc., I would yell at them to stop. If they stopped I would tell them I had a gun and to slowly set down the stereo. If they ran, I wouldn't shoot them; I'd chase them and yell at the top of my lungs. If they dropped the stereo and pulled something out of their pocket, etc. that I thought was a gun, I'd shoot them absolutely.

It's different if I'm out in the woods. If someone enters your house, it's pretty clear they mean harm of some type or another (most of the time, it's just property harm, which isn't worth killing/maiming someone, IMO). In the woods, it's not so clear to me. Hard to know what I would have done in your situation, Rhino, but I think I would have been very quiet, maybe tried to snap a picture of him, then report him to the police. The fact that someone else also reported him tells me that he was acting strange. Just makes it that much more dangerous a situation, IMO, especially "trapped" in a tree, when he has a rifle and can run hide behind something to get a good, protected shot. I say "Hide and Tell" in that kind of situation. But that's just me.

statjunk

This is a tough one for so many reasons.

I would definetly have made an immediate descent from the tree. I would definetly have drawn my pistol and kept it at my side. I may have caused an escalation of the situation if he wouldn't have dropped his weapon. Failure to have responded to my commands would likely have resulted in death to the trespasser.

If Idid not have apistol, which is stupid in my opinion, I would have stayed silent and hoped he'd just mozy along.

Don't point your weapon at anyone unless you intend to use it.

I sure would like to know the laws surrounding pointing a weapon at anarmed person on your property. I'd like to believe that is perfectly legal.

Tom

BigTiny

You might want to request the police bring a k9 unit out to check your property. That guy might have a grow going on your land. Sometimes those guys will pop off a few rounds when they enter their crop zone. If police are waiting on him, the shots will usually bring them out and he will tell them he was hunting. They also think the shooting will run off anyone raiding their crop. Usually they're wrong about the last one. Don't go searching by yourself, they like to booby trap the perimeter.

Planter

You can't carry a pistol while bow hunting in this state and I don't think anyone is really gonna pop someone just cause they are trespassing. Lots of talk but no one is out of their mind.

Splitear_Leland

Some of you guys are crazy. I'm curious, do you call yourselves Christians. Let's just kill someone because they were acting weird. Even though the man has a firearm doesn't mean he had any intentions of using it to harm someone else. So he fired into a down tree. I've done that, to see if my scope was still sighted in. Some of you are completly out of touch, and yes that is a personal attack. If your first resort is to kill another human being, may you fry in Hell.

MN/Kyle

Speachless about all the rambling and ignorant responses, I read them all. About 3/4 of them are idiotic IMO. Why would you even think of shooting someone for trespassing and acting "wierd". I don't get it, prob never will.

alleganydeerslayer

JUST JOKING....IT IS SO BIZARRE, JUST TRYING TO MAKE LIGHT OF IT. TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION.

TraxRax

Let'snot forgetthat Asian nut last year or the year before. He took out almost an entire family. Let him walk then maybe go look for his vehicle, get the tag #.

turtleshell

You'd be in prison. he did not threaten you in any way, I would be angryand tell him to get off my land, but I value my freedom too much to shoot the guy for no reason and go to prison.