BuckAlley

I just wanted to vent. I'm so mad right now. I went down to my camp yesterday to hunt the last wknd of NY Southern Reg season. As I across my boundary line I instantly see snow filled hunters footprints crossing into my property. Something thats become all too famliar the last wk of season. I park at camp, and then notice a snow filled deer drag mark coming up from our food plot area. It went right next to the camp, and outhouse. Now I'm HOT. I head out, following the deer drag, and it goes by the foodplot where I have 2 trail cameras up. One each end of the plot. The deer had the snow all tore up feeding in it. I decide to check the cameras while there, and find both have been STOLEN. The footprints around them were also snow filled. I had gotten lazy, and only screwd them into the tree through the back w/ a screwgun. I usually have them chained & locked. But I figured screwing them would be good enough. This person pulled them off the screws, and likely broke the backs out of the cameras in process. Now I'm ripping mad, and want to put a big hurtin on this jerk! I continue on the deer drag, and find whats left of the gut pile about 60yds in from the food plot. The crows had eatten up 90% of it. This morning I follow the hunters footprints, and determined he shot this deer outta the food plot, something we never do. Its there strictly for the deer. So this piece of crap trepassed, poached a deer, dragged it across center our property, see's my trail cameras and steals them. Then as a last hooray he drags this deer right beside our camp, and outhouse.
Thing that kills me is there's not a darn thing I can do about it! [:@]Some people don't give a crap about others property. We've always been nice to other hunters on the land around us, and other camps in area. I have a feeling this hunter has done this before on our land. But he's no hunter in my opinion. He's a criminal, and doesn't deserve the right or privilege toa hunting license.

Champlain Islander

Tough thing to happen. I have owned my camp since 1982 and have been broken into twice. It makes you feel violated and when they steal equipment or poach a deer to boot it makes it worse. Sounds like you need to try to get up there during the week next year or have a local person you trust to keep tabs on the place perhaps in exchange for hunting rights.

GR8RALLY

This happens way too often and the local authorities are not very helpful. Two days after Thanksgiving one neighbor called me to warn me that he has seen some trespassers "glassing" him in his treestand, while he was "glassing" them. When he went to get down to confront them, they of course took off. Two days later, my other neighbor called who doesn't even hunt informed me someone stole his trail cam within that week. The issue is with all the woods, local authorities can't camp out within 300+ acres to try and catch these dirtbags.

White-tail-deer

The only thing you can do is catch them. You need an eye witness to prosecute. But if you can catch them and have them arrested and prosecute, everyone then knows your not a a push over and the trespassing quickly comes to an end. I speak from experience.[:@]

TPhunter

Well said!!!...Our family land was the mecca for tresspassers until I caught and confronted 5 guys, all in law enforcement, putting on a drive one morning...I got all of their hunting license numbers and turned them into the local DEC officer...They were never prosecuted because of their being in law enforcementbut they have never been back and neither has anyone else.

Western MA Hunter

That sucks.. I would be ripped as well! Sorry to hear about that.
It's too bad that we have so many A#$holes involved in our sport. That is what gives the rest of us a bad name.

FRanchiMon

Buck, that really sux. All the reasons others here have mentioned are why I wont buy a property in upstate NY.
I would be freakin out if that happened to me.
I would give up deer hunting for a couple of years and go poacher/trespasser hunting.
A couple of warning shots near their persons should give them the picture.
Or maybe a few of those signs:

**POSTED**
Trespassers will be shot- Survivors will be shot again.
(Also in Spanish - so there is no "misunderstandings")

BuckAlley

Thanks Guys. My family has had this land for 10yrs now. The first 3 yrs weowned it, it was a nightmare. Alot of hunters were pissed off, stating to us we've hunted this land for 30 plus yrs. I said well thats now ended, I understand your feelings, but you could've purchased this land just as easily. I chased alot of hunters off, got back tags #'s, gave out warnings. But it got to the point I was sick of dealing with it. The law was called a couple times, but nothing was done. The NYSP patrol it every so often now. But what I think turned it around for us was when I started chasing the law breakers right to their door steps. Once they knew I was aware of where they lived, and had their license plate #'s. The problem quickly stopped. This is actually the first incident had in several yrs now, so guess we've been fortunate. The club/camp across the road also started having trepassers arrested. So the joint effort has helped alot. But I guess we'll never stop it completely.

Phil from Maine

I have to agree that it really sucks to have this stuff happening.. Up here it happens as well and with those places being so remote that with a complaint some of them would burn you out. That is why up here alot of camp owners leave thier camps unlocked. No sence in having it broke into all the time and replacing the doors. One place I was fishing this summer I found a camp broken into so I turned it in. I didn't investigate nothing but had a call from the state police trying to locate the owners. He had told me that the back side of the camp was burnt to some extent. It is the only access to the lake I was fishing at. That is bad news when anyone does this type of stuff.

BuckAlley

We had a camp down road with that same philosophy of leaving their camp unlocked. Well they changed their minds when they arrived one day, and found the entire inside of their camp destroyed. Everything was wrecked, furniture, walls, everything inside had to be fixed or replaced. I can't see allowing a open invitation to my camp by leaving it unlocked. Thats just inviting others in to do whatever they want with it. Our camp is bolt locked, and door handle locked. All the windows have locked shutters on them. We also have a battery operated alarm system installed. I know anyone really wanting in will find away. But I'm going to make it as tough on them as I can. My camp is like my home to me. If your not personally invited stay the heck out!!!