How to deter hunters from asking me to hunt on my land

[brym427]

I have 600 acres at my home, we're in a area that's starting to get more and more built up. I've noticed the amount of hunters stopping at my door asking to hunt various animals has increased especially in the last year. The people I allow to hunt already know they can. I don't let anyone on my property especially to hunt. My wife works at home and doesn't appreciate strangers coming to the door when I'm not around and I'm getting quite tired of having to drive down to the house to tell people no all the time. If I was to post a sign at the end of my driveway do you guys think a general "No Hunting" sign would stop people from driving down my driveway and knocking on the door or what would you put on the sign?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

I have 600 acres at my home, we're in an area that's starting to get more and more built up. I've noticed the amount of hunters stopping at my door asking to hunt various animals has increased especially in the last year. The people I allow to hunt already know they can. I don't let anyone on my property especially to hunt. My wife works at home and doesn't appreciate strangers coming to the door when I'm not around and I'm getting quite tired of having to drive down to the house to tell people no all the time. If I was to post a sign at the end of my driveway do you guys think a general "No Hunting" sign would stop people from driving down my driveway and knocking on the door or what would you put on the sign?

Posting a sign is about all you can do. If you have a driveway with a gate I’d keep it shut if it’s that big of a problem

 

[Altitude sickness]

Have a sign made up

“Leased hunting land”

Or Leased hunt club.

Or (Pick a name) hunt club

Or A-10 Warthog practice range

 

[ActionBob]

Some get downright rude! Especially the 20 somethings. Like that is going to get them anywhere. They act like they are entitled... yea. NO... go work 80 hours a week for 40 years and buy your own dream hunting place.

The Communist State of Minnesota is complicit in this. Want a land owner tag. Sure just open your land to others to hunt it and we'll let you have an extra doe tag. Want priority to get an early season turkey tag, sure you can have that but the State then publishes your address for any and all turkey hunters to help themselves and you just gave up your right to say no!

This stuff pisses me off to no end. Gotta love the Republic of Texas where land owners rights still mean just that

To the OP, put up a sign that clearly states you don't even want to be asked. Be a bit rude, they are.

 

[baxterb]

 

[DillonG]

The only problem we found with sign posting is an increase in trespassing incidents. Without a sign, you can at least expect most people to come up to receive their formal rejection.

Not sure how your property is laid out. The family property I hunt is very easily accessible and is not all visible from the farm houses.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[Tundra Tiger]

A friend actually has this at his place. No idea if it helps or not...

 

[JimP]

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You need to be wary of how you word signs.

I know of a instance where a property owner placed a sign that simply said No Hunting. Some lawyer saw some other people hunting that property and took the landowner to court. The landowner lost. It came out that NO Hunting meant NO Hunting for everyone.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I have 600 acres at my home, we're in a area that's starting to get more and more built up. I've noticed the amount of hunters stopping at my door asking to hunt various animals has increased especially in the last year. The people I allow to hunt already know they can. I don't let anyone on my property especially to hunt. My wife works at home and doesn't appreciate strangers coming to the door when I'm not around and I'm getting quite tired of having to drive down to the house to tell people no all the time. If I was to post a sign at the end of my driveway do you guys think a general "No Hunting" sign would stop people from driving down my driveway and knocking on the door or what would you put on the sign?

So, you'd prefer that people just trespass without asking?

Signs saying that the property is leased to a hunt club and that nonmembers will be prosecuted seems to be the most effective.

And yes, my family owns a section (640 acres), so I know something about this.

 

[TnKen]

letting people know it is leased (whether true or not) is very effective. They know someone is paying to hunt there and the landowner is not going to let someone else hunt for free. It also discourages some trespassers because they know it is being hunted.

 

[CM McKenzie]

 

[mark-hunter]

I think that for the purpose of the existence of this forum proper subject would read: "How to get smoothly hunting rights on private properties and farms in the neighborhood".

 

[RedTag]

Just put a Joe Biden sign on the front lawn

 

[Foxi]

Years ago I found this sign on a gate and it intimidated me.
Strong tobacco,isnt it?

 

[Altitude sickness]

Unless you actually need to shoot someone someday. That sign will be front and center at your trial. That your a trigger happy nut job.

I have had to testify in court on that very subject. I was coached to say I was very afraid for myself and others. When in court you want to appear to be Clark Kent not Superman. Any custom trigger or performance work on the firearm will be seen as being a fanatic just itching to shoot someone.

 

[HankBuck]

I have 600 acres at my home, we're in an area that's starting to get more and more built up. I've noticed the amount of hunters stopping at my door asking to hunt various animals has increased especially in the last year. The people I allow to hunt already know they can. I don't let anyone on my property especially to hunt. My wife works at home and doesn't appreciate strangers coming to the door when I'm not around and I'm getting quite tired of having to drive down to the house to tell people no all the time. If I was to post a sign at the end of my driveway do you guys think a general "No Hunting" sign would stop people from driving down my driveway and knocking on the door or what would you put on the sign?

@brym427 - Place several (4 to 8+) large aluminum NO Hunting Signs at the end of your driveway and at ALL other access points, also anywhere your property line runs along a road - space 50’-100’ apart. Some companies (VOSS signs) will print specific wording on the signs and I used: NO HUNTING & NO TRESSPASSING, ALL VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED. The signs also listed the State Law by code # and the Fine imposed $500. I then added at the bottom of the sign: CELL VIDEO CAMERAS IN USE and my Last Name. A pack of 100 signs cost me about $200 and I placed them all around the perimeter of my 260 acres - especially heavy near roads, gates, driveways etc. It cut trespassing by 90% the first Hunting Season….But what helped the most was “Prosecuting” the first Hunter I caught on my Property (if you don’t Prosecute then you are wasting your time). The Trespasser “apologized”, claimed he “didn’t see the signs” and would “never do it again” - I said: TOO LATE, and let your friends know there are NO 2nd Chances or warnings. Word got around fast and I only had one other problem 3 years later — caught that guy on a camera - turned that over to police and signed a “John Doe” trespass complaint so that if I caught him again within 2 years he would be charged with Both offenses. Then I printed the picture and posted it in a local Diner and Gas Station: Trespasser - $ reward - if known contact Police Dept. No one ever turned him into Police but he likely saw the posted picture (or was told about it) - no problems after that.
Regarding those that knock-on-doors, almost never happened but when it does I very firmly tell them “NO, and I prosecute anyone that trespasses whether hunting or walking their dog etc..”. I keep my tone respectful but firm and give all fair warning that there are No 2nd chances.

 

[HankBuck]

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@baxterb — GOOD SIGN…..very Nicely worded (I’m NOT that Nice)

 

[HankBuck]

The only problem we found with sign posting is an increase in trespassing incidents. Without a sign, you can at least expect most people to come up to receive their formal rejection.

Not sure how your property is laid out. The family property I hunt is very easily accessible and is not all visible from the farm houses.

@DillonG - I Never heard of that and if you’re in Illinois - I’ve hunted there and that is NOT a State I’d want to trespass in ——- lots of Deer Hunting LEASES and they take trespassing very seriously….Game Wardens are fairly aggressive too. There are some States where if you do Not have signs posted it can be more difficult to prosecute trespassers and even if the law allows you to prosecute without signage —- cooperation from Police, Game Wardens, etc… can be minimal (they don’t want to be bothered)

 

[DillonG]

@DillonG - I Never heard of that and if you’re in Illinois - I’ve hunted there and that is NOT a State I’d want to trespass in ——- lots of Deer Hunting LEASES and they take trespassing very seriously….Game Wardens are fairly aggressive too. There are some States where if you do Not have signs posted it can be more difficult to prosecute trespassers and even if the law allows you to prosecute without signage —- cooperation from Police, Game Wardens, etc… can be minimal (they don’t want to be bothered)

We are lucky that one of my classmates became a game warden, but I noticed an uptick in random people on the property by placing trail cameras on common travel areas. People are easier to pattern than mature deer it seems. Signs will help if you want to avoid people coming to your house. It doesn’t mean they will stay off of 600 acres of your property.