Non-res landowners
 

myself and a friend of mine are interested in buying land in Ohio to deer hunt. Mainly bow. We both are farmers in the mid atlantic and would like to buy land within a days drive. It's just too crowded here. A 130 class buck is posssible here. (I've killed two P&Y) 140 class is exceptional.Ohio keeps getting more and more recognition for its big bucks, so its our first choice. He just got back from a trip to ohio to look at land and talk to real estate agents. The agent told him that he could never keep the residents from hunting it while he wasn't there. They would respect him and his property when he was there, but when you leave it's basically public land. How do you solve this problem and is it really that bad? I wouldn't want to plunk down 200,000 - 300,000 and then have people run all over you. I can do that here for nothing. The agent said buy an acre, build a house/ cabin and hunt public land. Anyone out there with this problem?

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Yep, that's our problem in too. Our family spends a lot of time improving land (food plots, etc.) in an effort to produce better quality and more deer. The problem is that others around the area poach and trespass over our land when we're not there.
I couldn't tell you how to correct this problem. One thing I've thought about doing is trying to grow thick brush and briars on the edges of our property where people would be most likely to trespass. I don't expect this would stop illegal activity completely, but it might discourage a few poachers and at least alert deer when people come trampling through.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Hard to keep people out when you aren't there to watch it. Post it heavily with no trespassing signs is all you can do. The locals that know you live out of state will likely tromp through when you aren't looking. I have always had issues and I live here. Not so much the bowhunter but the party hunter shotgun deer crowd that seems to just run what ever they want and by the time the sheriff gets there they are gone. I would buy a farm or land that has a house on it so that you can rent it out and have your tenant keep an eye on it. That way somebody is always there and watching and you get a little return with rent $.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I've talked to alot of people about this and some ideas have popped up.
1) make sure the land has a house, rent the house, now the renter becomes the "groundskeeper".
2) rent the ag fields to a local farmer and make him the groundskeeper.
3) lease the property to an outfitter with the understanding, lets say, only two bucks allowed off the property per year. 130 inch minimum. He can hunt it when I'm not there. Maybe that would be a win- win situation. He's keeping an eye on your land and the deer, while your getting paid for him to lease it.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Ist two options are the way to go. Scrap that outfitter idea IMO:) That may be turning the fox loose in the chicken coop.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

HIRE SOMEONE TO PATROL IT ARMED DURING HUNTIN SEASON

RE: Non-res landowners
 

HCH, yea I see your point. I was just thinking you both have the same objective, big deer. No matter what you do, the one thing it all hinges on is TRUST.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I solved the problem. I have 100 acres,cabin, wood heat, gas cooking,bath with a path on a dead-end road.Only a few of my friends used the camp and I had lots of tresspassers. We had an oportunityto lease some paper co. land so we formed a club for funds to pay for the lease. We also invite our adjoing neighbors for our dinners and fun. It has worked out well and we don't even lock the cabin. www.lazyshuntclub.org---www.gottahunt.com

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I would say one of the best things to do is not give no warnings for tresspassers.... The signs should be their first warning....Press charges right off the bat and eventually the word will get out and help some with the problem...Make surprise visits up there occasionally if possible during the deer season and travel the roads around your property to see if any vehicles are parked there and right down their plate no. ...Then if you do encounter someone and they take off you got some kind of info on them...Not all the time but sometimes..But, I think theywilllearn the diffinition of NO Tresspass after laying down a few 100$ bills....

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I have heard stories of out of staters buying hunting land and then posting the land, telling all the locals to stay the hell out, locked gates, chains, the whole nine yards to keep people out. The land owner comes back after a few months and finds his place vandalized. Seems like a very delicate situation. Around here a tresspasser will not be convicted unless he is given a warning the first time he tresspasses. It will not hold up in court. This was told to me by a cop. You must catch the tresspasser twice in order for it to stick. Once is hard enough, twice is next to impossible.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I like emo's solution the best. It's better to try to get along with your new neighbors. you have to remeber that you are the one seen as the outsider--I know you would have landowner rights and all that but there may be people currently hunting your potential farm now and have been for generations and that's hard for them to swallow as well. You would have the law on your side but I think It would be better to acquaint yourself with some of your neighbors and get them to look after your place in return for hunting privileges--everybody wins--You may lose a few good bucks in the deal but would probably be worth it in the long run. If your REAL set on keeping people out perhaps you should relocate there.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

If I spent that kind of money just to hunt then hiring a full time security company to guard it wouldn't be that much of a stretch . There's no way in hell I'd ever spend that much just to hunt anyway though , you could go on guided safaris for the rest of your life for that kind of scratch .

RE: Non-res landowners
 

It would end up being a little more then just hunting property. It would be an investment for the long term. I would hunt with my dad and hopefully my son when he's old enough( only 2 now). Land is a long term investment, and it only goes up in value.( around here anyway). Maybe someday I would retire there. Those things are important to me. If I went on safari's for the rest of my life all I would have is a room full of heads. Land is something you can hand down for generations for your family to enjoy.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

With these trail cameras now you could also have a great weapon for the courts in regards to trespassing. Post the property with signs stating that trail cameras are everywhere. That should deter 95% of any want to be trespassers.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I've found that posting it moderately (meaning no threatening signs, spreading the signs every couple hundred feet or so) works the best. Just something that says "No hunting or tresspassing", and if at all possible I would not let anyone know that the owner (you) is from out of state.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

BigWay, good thinking. I bought land in WV for the same reason. It isn't cheap when you factor in the down payment and land payments, price of building a cabin, taxesandthe gas expenses going to and from. But the rewards in the long-run will be worth it if you don't have many trespassers and are able to reach your goals of making the place better for hunting (building cabin/making food plots or wildlife clearings, etc.).

RE: Non-res landowners
 

And attract 95% of hunting gear thieves .

BigWay , I understand what you mean . The value of land is only as good as it's resale value unless you're planning to keep it in perpetuity as you are .

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I think the average person would be scared that they wouldn't see them all and get photographed by one. You could camo them so well that people wouldn't see them. I believe more and more landowners are going to start using trail cameras to watch their land.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

That would work until someone wants to come up and steal all your cameras while wearing a ski mask or something else to conceal their identity.

Even buying a chain and lock would still not be enough for someone that really wants the cameras, they could just cut through the chain or cut the tree down.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I would think that if you take the time to get to know your neighbors, they will help to keep an eye on things. As an added incentive let a couple of them know that they can hunt small game on your place before and after deer season, if they look out for things. If you simply come into an area, act aloof, and try to lay down the law, some of the locals will take deer off of you just for the challenge.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

:DI am glad I live in IA. People here aren't going to go to the trouble or risk to try to go through the woods with ski masks on searching for trail cameras or even risk their car licence plate being photographed by a camera that they did not no was there. Cameras can be hidden so easy that you could spend eternity walking through the woods trying to find them. Much easier to trespass on some other guys land that is too lazy to even post it IMO.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Hardcore,

Keep in mind that some people don't post their land and laziness has nothing to do with it.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Right. Let me restate that a tresspasser would more likely stay away from a surveillence posted property then a posted property. I think a lot of people have the mentality that if it isn't posted then they can go in. You have to post your property IMO or people will just go in at will. People that don't post their land are either too lazy to do it or don't care if people go in on their land enough to take the time to post it.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

hardcore,

What is the law in Iowa? In Illinois, I believe that it is considered tresspassing to enter land without permission whether it is posted or not.
However, in the part of Illinois where my land is located, its somewhat of an unspoken rule that if your land is not posted, then you don't care (within limits) if people go on it.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Here in IA whether posted or not you are trespassing without permission.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I live in south central kansas and alot of the land in our county is being leased by out of state hunters who only hunt it once or twice a season(Mostly pheasant and quail). But my dad has been hunting on all the land around here for 40 years and He and i dont like to see these things happen. Non-res hunters haven't started buying the land around here but we would hate to see it happening in our area. I am also not a big fan of the small time outfitters in our county buying/leasing land. If you would just do your research or hang out in a local shop you could get the names of land owners and meet them and talk to them about hunting their land. I understand wanting to hunt private land, but i dont pay a thing for land and alot of the farmers who lease around here will let you hunt after their lease hunters have left(birds or deer).

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Here is the sign you need:

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Trespassers are scum. Anyone who trespasses on private property and hunts without the permission of the landowner deserves to permanently lose their right to hunt anywhere.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

How about putting an add in the local paper for a retired guy(HE has permission to hunt only for gun season or whatever)to hunt the property as payment for watching over the place. Like do a twice daily drive around to look for parked vehicles and take down #s. Then have no set time for him to do a walk thru once or twice during weekday morn or evenings in areas that arent security cover(as to not pressure deer) but tell him to have no set way of doing things. then if he finds trespassers let him contact you or he could contact police. Think that would work? Maybe even just pay him and not give him hunting rights. Some older guys i know would love this. You could give him like a seasonal or monthly check for spending cash. I think hunting rights would be the way to go but for him only.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

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RE: Non-res landowners
 

Post a sign that says "Dick Cheney hunts here". That'll keep em out. :D

RE: Non-res landowners
 

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=132229

Hide a few near trees that beg to be climbed , don't forget to smear some "dog logs" on the jaws...

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I had the same problem where I hunt. I own 3 different parcells of land. On one 300 acre parcell I rarley hunt just because of the location from my home. If my dad brother or I weren't there you could bet there would be people on it.Becauseof a few run ins with people I was selfeshly going to scrap youth hunt that I hold at another property. I was madthat my property was being violated. People I didn't know were on my land doing god knows what. Itried toQDM the land, would they respect my efforts? I doubt it. I was already to take my agressions out on hundreds of trees if I had to and hammer signs on those trees to tell people to stay out. But I took some advice from a member of this site, which looking back was a simple solution. Let people hunt it. I let the local farmers know that if they knew anyone looking for a place to hunt to give me a call. It was simple. I now have 2 sets of father son combos hunting out there. They keep an eye out and watch the property for me. They understand and follow the regulations I have set for that land. The only thing I ask in return is they keep an eye out. It has been a great compomise. A few people get to hunt and enjoy it and I am confident that it will be respected.