Tigerfan

We have been burnrd out, broken into, vandalized, shot at, accused of shooting dogs, and lied about. What we did was, installed cameras around our compound that is recorded onto a hard drive that will stop up to 3 years worth of data before it starts over. We also have security systems in our buildings and cameras inside them also. We have security signs posted around the compound and we have spread the word around the area that we will prosecute to the full extent of the law and will not think twice about doing that. We have almost 6,000 acres and only 23 members yet, we give more money to the community, fire district, local red cross and parish (county) than any other organization in the parish (county). We donate at least $600 worth of non parishable goods to the parish drive plus not telling what else. We haven't had any problems since we installed the cameras and spread the word. you may want to get some fake cameras and security signs and spread the word. that may work.

SwampTHING

Our 600 acre hunt camp is 500+ miles from home. In the summer there are people staying there about 7 of 10 weeks. different groups(usually 10-20 at a time)of people with permission too use the property, all we ask is each person that stays there leaves a $20 bill with a max of $100 per family. After sept1, we duckhunt 1 weekend, bowhunt 1 week, and gun hunt 1 week, then dont go back until may. Out of 52 weeks in a year there may be someone there 12 weeks.

We have gotten too know many people in the area and we support theyre businesses. everyone at the grocery store, liquor store, co-op, gas station, marina, hardware,the owners of the campground down the lake, the neighbouring cottagers and hunt camps,the farmer who's road we go down too access the property, they all know us!

We have let everyone know,, in winter if you want too use the access road to access a real popular fishing area go ahead be our guest... just close the gate behind you(not locked). We even allowed the local snowmobile club too put a trail through the corner ofthe property.If you run in to trouble out there the hunt cabin(there are 3 cabins) will be unlocked, there is oil in the furnace and propane for the stove,, there is dryed soups, coffee, tea, a couple cans of stew, blankets, an extra set of clothes,, help yourself.

In the summer if you want to go swimming come on in and hit the beach by the cottage,, bring your kids with you, help yourself to a drink,, dont throw your cig butts on the ground. The neighbor kids ride theyre bikes(we bought them a couple cheap bikes at a garage sale)in and swim and fish right off the boathouseall summer long. If we are about too eat, we always ask them too join us. The last week in august we invite everyone we know for a pig roast and fireworks, we get about 50 or so guests every year.

The neighborring farmer(very verypoor with11 kids)has permission to go on the land and cut all his firewood too heat his house and he even has permission too shoot a few does every year. His family is also allowed too hunt the road for grouse, stay out when deer season is around the corner though and they do!We hire 2 of his teenage sons to do some work on the property every year(fix roads, clear the road of deadfalls, build blinds, do some carpentry work,trapping beaversetc.) We buy allour firewood we need from the farmer every year, not for much $25 a truck load, he drops a load every week throughout the summer. We buy our breads, buns and pies from his wife when we are there. We send everyone X-mas and birthday cards with a couple dollars for the kids.

The people that had this property prior had alot of vandalism and theft. We dont have any at all,,,, NONE!

Any time there is a storm people will go in and check the property, if there is damage they will repair it or notify us(alot of times they dont even tell us they fixed something). We treat the locals very well,, and they watch out for us!

HighDesertWolf

thats nothing compared to a friends deer camp in oregon. every window in his cabin got busted out they cleaned out the cabin took all the mounts he had there, they even took the toilet paper. they cleaned out the barn took his two atv's and a pick up that was in the barn. they knocked over his mail box. they burned down his outhouse.

I think your friend should feel lucky they didnt do more then they did.

one on one

set up some motion senors,that will turn on lights at night, or radio will come on in the camp, with a sign posted. "under surveillance". when the thugs hear the radioor see the lights come on, they'll think its rea l.a fake surveillance cam in different location makes it even better, good luck,

deerslayer270

few of those lil hunnie and no more break ins...we had some problems with guys breakin into our locked sheds and stealin full 5 gallon gas tanks to feed their 4 wheelers and bringin em back empty, a bottle of sulfuric acid from napa added to the gas and no more atv left to fill up dont get mad get even....

thompsgs

My family used to own a little "shotgun" camp on 500 acres of our own land in northeastern LA. Problem was that we were one of the last private land holdouts in the middle of a pretty large WMA.Needless to say, vandalism was very rampant. Home was nearly 2hrs away so we weren't there very often unless it was hunting season. We had busted gates, broken doors, looted camps, atv tracks everywhere, and all the other usual crap. We put up multiple cameras and it wasn't long before we had a few pictures of drunk bubba rednecks breaking down a gate with the old pickup and relieving themselves on the front door. The liscense plate # and clear pictures were enough to have the 2 arrested and charged. Didn't take long before the camp was nothing but ashes and we had no evidence that the same 2 did it. We sadly sold the land because no one wanted to fight it anymore and now hunt private leases near the area. I also encourage you to be careful with the spike strips. A good friend of my brother set a few out on some atv trails that ledaround his main gate. When the bad guyrode up to the gate, he gotoffto take a leak anda spike went right through his foot. Hewas able to sue the landowner becausethe posted signs near the gate were over 100yds apart (i think around 125yds.)Luckily the landowner happened to know the judge and all he had to do was pay the medical bills. There was a posted sign right in front of the man when it happened but the nearest one to it was 125yds away. What a technicality! I hate lawyers! I would love to be able to do as SwampTHING suggested above, but here in the states we have something called liability. In my experience, at least with the sorry rednecks from where I hale, people are just sorry enough to have a kid break a leg on your property and end up owning it after the lawsuit. I wish people would take a lesson or two from Canadians so it would work here.

HighDesertWolf

something a farmer friend of mine would do in the rutted out portions of his property where the lovely local tresspassers would ride their 4 wheelers and drive their 4x4 trucks through. he would dump a couple lbs of nails in the soupy water filled rutts after awhile I guess people got the idea and got sick of pulling nails from their tires.

spike strips are too intentional and I know it could get ugly in a court battle. but nails.. LOL the ol' farmer could just say well heck I dont know how nails got in there a box of'em must have fell off the back of my or someone else's pick up.

My family has 1200+ acres in central missouri, we've have alot of problems with tresspassers ive always figured one day id build a cabin out there for hunting. but with the tresspassers and possible vandilism a camper trailer I can truck in and out as needed is really the best. With all the morons out there these days that just cant respect other peoples stuff a mobile deer camp is really the best way to go especially if you only visit your property a couple weeks during the fall for hunting. the other option if you have the money or can figure out something with a care taker to live on your property full time that seems to work well for my friend chad and his families hunting land.

SwampTHING

We are also liable for people on the property, our insurance premiums prove that! The injuries that I know of(im sure there has been a couple we havent heard about) 2 broken ankles, someone else hit a tree with an atv and broke a collar bone, another flipped a jet-ski and split theyre head open pretty badly. We tell guests who are using the property we would prefer if they didnt bring motorized toys with them, but we wont stop them if they do. They better have insurance for them though and no minors are to be allowed too pilot said vehicles. We signed an agreement with the snowmobile club that we are not liable for anyone using that trail they built.

We have never had a law suit brought against us, and there have never been an insurance claim made. Guests realize that if they were too rent a property that was similar too what they are basicly getting fore free it would cost them probably $2500+ for a week. Its been thesame groups for 10 years or so,, they get a real cheap secluded vacation.You put a claim against us, you will never see the property again!

Only problem we ever had was guests ofa co-workerhad chased the farmers kids off the property one day and threatenned too charge them with trespassing,, when the farmer went in too talk too them later in the day, they did the same. He called us thatevening too inform us what had happened. We told him stay off the property and we would come and handle it.

Myself and my brother drove up the next day. My co-worker wasnt at the camp when we arrived. His guests were, they met us at the truck and said two days in a row trespassers, incredible! So you are the guys who chased the kids out yesterday? yeah so, we are chasing you off now! You are are you? Where is Jim? huh, how do you know Jim? I know Jim, and im waiting right here until I talk too him!

When Jim got back a little while later we had a nice short conversation. Jim we just drove 10 hours to get here,, this is serious! someone chased the farmers kids and the farmerout yesterday, tell them too start packing! We are the owners of this propoerty, and the adjoining neighbors have permission too use this property at any time they wish. You have too understand these people watch over our property, they live here! They could set this place on fire and before we would be notified it would be ashes, we dont tick them off at any cost! They were packed and out in an hour!

Mlindz

I am a firefighter and I do property checks for folks. I will stay one or two nights on the property at your request. I do it because I love the outdoors. I will leave no footprints....it's like I was never there. I usually get requests to clean up and mow and trim up the entrance and or around the camp grounds. I make sure I am seen going in and out of the property several times while I'm there. I do not ask for payment, just do it because I love to camp.
I will arrive and leave exactly when you request me to. I've pesosonally caught and ran off trespassers from several properties. I report when I arrive on your property and when I leave, also what condition I find your property in. Maybe you can find a firefighter like myself in the area of your property and strike up a similar deal.

Mike

Oldtimr

Nice sentiment, but there has not been any activity on this thread since August of 2006!