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Story and Polk County Punks

J

JOHN DEERE

Member
I got a beef with some out of county shotgun hunters and from the looks of it, a local. I got news from friends in SE Iowa that my ground was being tresspassed on this morning. Fortunately, I had paddlocked the gates so they had to hoof it 1.5 miles to the back. There were two new SUV's in the driveways with Polk and Story county plates. They even had the nerve to tear down my Posted No Hunting Signs, and leave there vehicles there while they hunted. I know that they are with a local, who after this will probably lose his privaleges for distruction of property, on 80-100% of the land they drive. He is really pissing off local landowners. I think I am mad enough to make the 2.5 hr trip over there this morning to stomp some sense into them. Venting.
 
I hope you do go down there and talk to them! It happens all the time around here. Last year an out of county hunter went right through a wild life refuge. It was posted all over but he or they were unable to see it. Every year the shot gun hunters just seem to go where they want to, who knows if they have permission or not. I'm sure most of them do but it makes you wonder. Well good luck and I hope you can find them!
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MB
 
The best way to cure the problem is have the DNR write them up. Pocket money will get there attention quicker then a butt chewing. Al
 
Unfortunately guys like that are why I quit shotgun hunting because they were running over everything, permission or not and landowners start taking the stance of not allowing anyone on their land. Al is right, a$$-chewings don't phase people like that, they get them on a regular basis. But now if they were to have all four tires go flat mysteriously...No probably better to get them for trespassing,destruction of property,etc.
 
Been there done that. I got a nice 10 poiont on opening day a few years back. Came back out the next day to find the CRP crawling with orange. It was the same group that saw me hauling the buck out the day before. They didn't think I was coming back on Sunday. A phone call and pollice report later, problem solved. Those $100 tickets get a little respect. Of course a vigorous shouting match preceeded the phone call. Be carefull if you confront these idiots, after all, they are carrying loaded weapons. Hopefully they didn't get anything! Good luck.
 
When confronting a trespasser on your land, just get their name or their tag number and report it.

I learned this year that the trespasser will always have a story and try to talk himself out of getting the ticket. One guy even tried to take my tag number and say that I was the one trespassing when I told him I would be reporting him. He tried to make it into a "his word against mine" kind of deal.

From now on, I'm just going to ask them who they are and get their tag number. Then I'm just going to tell them they are trespassing and show them where the property line is, get them on their way and tell them not to come back.

Then I'm going to report them and let them tell their story to the judge.
 
I think most of the above comments are on the right track. I skip the arguing and yelling. Just find out who they are and prosecute. Also if you carry a little pocket camera and get a snap shot it makes it pretty easy to prove they were on your land.

I put way too much time, money and effort into my farm so my family and friends have a nice place to hunt to let some one try to sneak on.

Prosecute. Paying that fine takes a lot of the fun out of it and they seldom come back. Also the word spreads and it helps avoid future problems.

The actions of a few who don't respect the wildlife, the landowners or other hunters reflect upon the image of all hunters.

The way I see it they are threatening the future of hunting and they either need to shape up or find a new sport.
 
Old Buck -

I love the pocket camera idea. I agree completely with what you said. I spend nearly every weekend on our land - building stands, planting trees, trimming lanes, putting in food plots, fertilizing. We've made our land into some good hunting property.

Then during the gun season, some idiot that doesn't set foot in the woods one day for the whole year thinks that because he's not seeing any deer in the spot he's in that has the right to go for a walk or find a different spot on your land. And then they wonder why your mad at them. Like I said..no arguing anymore. Just a tag number and a photo. Smile...say cheese!
 
I will also agree with Old Buck. A camera or video camera is the way to go along with a note book to write down the license plate and make of the the vehicle. As always without this information it is his word against yours. I think there is a lot of people who have trespass problems. Solve them in a manner they won't forget, by calling the law inforcement.
 
John Deere, i know exactly what your going through. I monitor a stretch of timber right across the road from my house for the landowner. The landowner asked me to watch it for him and to not let anybody on it to shotgun hunt since he does not live there. I talked to him two weeks ago and he specifically told me that no one had permission to hunt. Saturday A.M. i caught six guys going through there like they owned the place. I confronted them told them they did not have permisssion to be on this ground and to leave now. They asked who i was and i told them that i monitor the timber for the owner. That's when it got ugly. One guy looks at me and says "F--- YOU" you don't own it we can hunt it if we want and starts to walk off, then the rest of the guys got in on it. I never been treated so bad before by a group of guys, when there the one's breaking the law. I finally said screw it and left and called the DNR. I wrote down the vehicle makes and the licence plates. When the DNR showed up thay were already gone. They were coming out when they seen me at both of there vehicles. I told the DNR what happened and gave him the info. The DNR said they would take care of it. Will they? By the ways there plates were from Story County. Sorry so long. Also Venting!!
 
My family owns timber down in Missouri and we have some similar problems with tresspassers. Our land joins up with thousands of acres of public land and these "hunters" decide to ignore our signs and stroll around hunting deer and turkeys. It makes me sick when I know where a big tom is stutting around only to travel the several hours it takes to get down there, go to my spot and find an empty turkey shell. We have had to kick several deer hunters off because they "thought it was public ground".....apparently people can't read.....and are blind......
Good luck and good hunting!

-GunnerJon
 
I forgot to add another item I always carry - a cell phone with the county sheriff's phone number and the local conservation officer's phone numbers keyed in. It is nice to let the trespassers do their arguing with law enforcement people.

JETHRO, I don't know how your local conservation officer is but mine is great at following through.

Next time carry a camera or videocamera. Photograph the vehicles, showing the plates and where they are parked. Also, if you can, photograph or tape the trespassers coming off your land carrying guns. They are going to have an awful hard time coming up with good argument to persuade a judge that they are not guilty.

As long as I'm giving out tips another one is to work with nearby landowners and help watch eachothers properties. We all have eachothers cell numbers and watch eachothers properties, record license plate numbers, triangulate the location of shooting, share info on suspicious activity etc. That way even when I can't be there I know a number of others are keeping an eye on things.

We also do the same thing with poachers during bow season. I heard a rifle shot at 7:15 am on November 10. I made a quick call and within seconds, without leaving my stand, someone was on the road taking license numbers and checking things out. All information is shared with local law enforcement. You may be supplying the piece of the puzzle they are missing.

It is amazing how quite it is after a couple years of aggressively patrolling an area.
 
I forgot to add another item I always carry - a cell phone with the county sheriff's phone number and the local conservation officer's phone numbers keyed in. It is nice to let the trespassers do their arguing with law enforcement people.

JETHRO, I don't know how your local conservation officer is but mine is great at following through.

Next time carry a camera or videocamera. Photograph the vehicles, showing the plates and where they are parked. Also, if you can, photograph or tape the trespassers coming off your land carrying guns. They are going to have an awful hard time coming up with good argument to persuade a judge that they are not guilty.

As long as I'm giving out tips another one is to work with nearby landowners and help watch eachothers properties. We all have eachothers cell numbers and watch eachothers properties, record license plate numbers, triangulate the location of shooting, share info on suspicious activity etc. That way even when I can't be there I know a number of others are keeping an eye on things.

We also do the same thing with poachers during bow season. I heard a rifle shot at 7:15 am on November 10. I made a quick call and within seconds, without leaving my stand, someone was on the road taking license numbers and checking things out. All information is shared with local law enforcement. You may be supplying the piece of the puzzle they are missing.

It is amazing how quite it is after a couple years of aggressively patrolling an area.
 
Well, I didn't make the trip over to Monroe county. I couldn't justify the drive, just to get in a shouting match or possibly shot. I'm sure it would have got ugly. Don't know if they shot anything, but will check it out this weekend. What really upsets me about the whole deal is the total lack of respect that was shown. I emailed the local hunter 3 weeks prior to season, and talked to him two weekends ago letting him know that the farm was off limits. He assured me he would stay out. Not only did he hunt it, he let his buddies break the signs right out off the posts when they couldn't get in the gates. That is too much. Don't know how this is going to work out. Maybe I will move all operations west. Just can't keep those idiots out. Hate to give up the best hunting ground in the state, but something has to change.
 
John Deere,
Sorry to hear of your situation, although I live in Story County and there are lots of imature "temporary residents" here, not all act like these jerks. We went through the same thing last year on our farm in SW Iowa....after driving around a few sections taking license plate numbers and getting names, the word got out that we meant business. We let it be well known there would be surveylance cameras in the trees.....haven't seen any of those problems this year. Old Buck has the right idea....don't become confrontational...get even the legal way.
 
As a temporary resident of Story and a native of Polk I feel terrible that the actions of a few have clouded the image of our hunters. I personally hunt a friends farm in SW Iowa, I understand the frustration with tresspassers it happens every year. I would like to point out that the problem with tresspassers is not just from out-of-towners. My friends family aquired their farm 7 years ago, but the same groups of locals take it upon themselves to cross the fence every 1st and Second season. I have heard the excuse more than once, they think the fact that they have hunted there for years gives them indefinite permission. The only thing tresspassers have in common is that they feel they are in a sense above the law. Rather than pointing figures and slinging accusations I have taken it upon myself to become more informed and to let the law take care of the matter. I found the phone number for the DNR in that area, I will be waiting in my stand next sat and sun for those individuals who try to come on through. Arm yourself with your best defense, your cell phone.
 
My friends and I all carry a sidearm or shotgun while patrolling. Tresspassers are a lot less likely to get ugly if they see you are armed.
 
Good point bucksnort, I will also have a cell phone, and a gun to protect my self from the big deer down there! Maybe you can bag a tresspasser and a buck. Which would be a bigger trophy?
 
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