How would you confront a trespasser?

[Outback]

We had some 'poachers' on our family land years ago. A truckload of folks came near the house and four guys got out. I walked up top them and asked if they were lost. It turns out my beloved great uncle had sold them a hunting opportunity on his sister's land. He was still butthurt about the way the land was divided the previous year. Well, he apparently failed to mention to these guys that he no longer had title to this part of the land. They left without incident.

Now last year, I was hunting alone and I see headlights coming down the ranch road right about dark. I'm in a blind and notice that the truck stopped. When I got down, I stalked up to it and it and no one was in the truck. I slipped up to the house and called the GW. He got all excited and jumped in his car - 14 miles away in Llano. About that time, the truck drives slowly by the house and the GW asks if I'm comfortable following it. I grabbed my .45 and followed from a safe distance. A few minutes the GW and other various LEs intercepted them. Turns out they were ranch hands from the neighboring ranch cutting through our ranch. They claimed they never got out of the truck but I found the empty truck. The GW came to the ranch and we looked for any evidence that they has poached but found nada. That was a strange night and no I hadn't been drinking!

Confronting trespassers is so dependent on the circumstances and would never be worth dying over to me.

[catslayer]

depends heavily on the circumstances.

Yep...

[Worksalot]

A couple friends and I confronted two trespassers on the friends’ ranch. We approached them slowly and asked them politely to not come back. They were repeat trespassers. I never would’ve expected such a heated encounter. One of the trespassers started screaming at us. They finally left on foot. It was puzzling why the one individual acted so angrily to the point of almost becoming violent.

[Radar]

Observe and report.

I have always wondered about the folks that talk about detaining them. If you tell them to stay put because the po-po is on the way how do you plan on making them stay there? Shoot them in the leg? Whip him....what if he decides to do the whipping instead?

I think a lot of that is tough talk same with shooting dogs and cats. Some guys probably had to do dishes or go get tampons and they angry.

[Hunteraudit]

Depends on the situation. There would absolutely be a discussion. And I wouldn’t initiate any contact unless I was confident I had the upper hand. Things can get physical quick.

[Jspradley]

I think a lot of that is tough talk same with shooting dogs and cats. Some guys probably had to do dishes or go get tampons and they angry.

'

You may be onto something here.

[AntlerCollector]

I've got lots of poachers stories. My family has been running the same deer lease in Hardin/Polk County for 50 years. Before I started running it in '89 my Grandfather and his brother ran it. His brother was also the Hardin County Constable. He wasn't nearly as nice to poachers as I have been . Every situation has been different though. Some ended with a hand shake, others with guns drawn, and trips to jail. I hate it, and wish I never saw a poacher. It's scary stuff.

[Mr. Whiskers]

We have had stuff stolen off our lease to include my car hauler. There would be a confrontation

[Radar]

'

You may be onto something here.

[Rocket15]

Like others said, start polite and see how it goes. They could be there for legitimate reason. We had surveyors working thru our place opening weekend for future pipeline. We talked with them and they were told by their company to not start before 9 and be off property by 2 due to deer season. I wouldn’t want their job this time of year with all the trigger happy people out there. What’s even worse is contracts haven’t been signed, they have no keys to gates but are already making the right aways.


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[Farmdog]

I had a guy at the whitewing hunt this year standing right along side my friends killing birds with his son just fireing away and I asked who he was, Pablo Fielder assumed he belonged, that guy needed a ticket for being there so long, the field was waay too small for that nonsense

[rvd]

I think a lot of that is tough talk same with shooting dogs and cats. Some guys probably had to do dishes or go get tampons and they angry.

Agree.

[curtintex]

I once caught a fully uniformed prison guard trespassing to fish. I let him go with a warning. I caught a guy with a gun in a deer stand. I took his gun and made him run to the gate and leave. I caught his buddy 15 minutes later and made him abandon his brand new Dodge dually (turned out to be Dad's truck) and run to the other gate. Both guys were college kids. I called the sheriff and a deputy came and got the truck and guns back to the rightful owners. Word spread and I didn't have many more problems.

When I say I made them run....I told them that they could have a two minute head start and then I was coming after them and that if my fat-*** caught them, they were never leaving. Scouts honor, those guys looked like broken field runners hauling butt across those pastures. I had no intentions of chasing them, but they didn't know that.

I never pressed charges on anyone though.

[Rick]

I have a buddy who went up to his moms propety and had the neighbor jump over his fence with a .44 mag to question him about trspassing. If he wouldnt have had his kiddo with him...the neighbor would be dead.

and your buddy would probably be in prison......

[Hardware]

If on land without permission you'll be having a conversation with the law to explain why and also for documentation if it happens again.