Unwanted guests

[Speck]

I built a new pond about a year an a half ago. It is about 4 acres. I stocked it with fathead minnows, blue gills, channel cat. About 9 months later, I stocked large mouth bass. I've been feeding the fish every evening since stocking them and the blue gills and cats are starting to get some size.
Anyway, about 4 days ago, I was out feeding the fish about 7:00p.m. a white mini van pulls up to my gate. A man and four teenage boys get out with fishing poles and walk onto my property right past my truck and toward me. I asked them what they were doing? The man looked at me and in a smart way answered " we're going fishing." I told him not here your not. He asked me if I owned land around here and I told him Yeah, you're standing on it. He then changed his tune a little. He then asked if I was the one who put catfish in the lake. I asked him how he knew there was even cats in there. I asked them to leave. I've never been one to post property but because of that, I posted no trespassing no fishing and no hunting signs. I cant believe the way some people dont respect others property. I just had to vent. Speck

[SwampHunter]

Sounds like you have a nice inviting pond.

[Mo'nBack]

I've had that same problem with hunters on mine or my kinfolks land that's connected to mine. My kinfolks all let me hunt their's as long as I would post it and watch over it for them. I've had people not only on my land and the surrounding land, but I've had 5 different people actually sitting in MY ladder's and 1 climbed up in a tree I had a climber on and he had put his above mine and climbed up! Have also told people to leave that were riding 4-wheelers on my property. All of it is posted and everyone around knows this is where I live and hunt. Had 1 tell me that he didn't have anywhere else to ride and almost tried to TELL me that he was going to ride where he wanted to, when I told him to get a job and BUY his own land to ride and hunt on. It's a shame that some people's attitudes are like this and haven't even got the respect to ask first.

[Speck]

I hear ya Mo'nBack. The thing about it is if they would have asked me if they could fish there first, I probably would have let them. Its just the idea that they acted like they had the right to do it without checking with anyone.

[bowdenja]

Hey Guys,

Down here in Mississippi, all private land is posted. Whether it has a sign saying so or not. To be on it you must have written permission from the owner. Maybe something like that needs to be passed there.

I know it won't stop knuckle-heads from doing whatever they want, BUT if enough of them get fined or land in jail for trespassing then maybe things will change. With this law it's nice to know that a GW or Sheriff can arrest people on your land with out you having to call and report them.

Knuckle-heads like those make it hard for good honest people to get to do things because landowners don't know who to trust and just stop everybody from enjoying fishing or hunting on their land. It's a pity.

john

[heycods]

About 30 years ago grandpa had a large tank built on the farm, about 5 ac. after it was stocked and going good he let a friend from a nearby town fish it. a few weeks later the friend had a friend and so fourth, a month or so later one Sunday morning Grandpa went to fish his tank, thier were 10 people fishing there and he didnt know a one of them.
To make a long story short it was posted and the gates locked, as it has been every since. Seems like some people just have to see how far they can push.

[CK14]

people can be so ignorant sometimes

[wrwest]

speck, You might want to check your local regs on signs. Out here in Cali if the property is posted with NO HUNTING, the land owner can't hunt his own property either. Just a thought... I know what ya are thinking, Cali is weird, I agree with you and I live here...

[izzysfishin]

Now that is weird, no such law here Bill. The state of Mo. even saved us a few bucks by passing the Purple Paint Law years ago. Purple paint as a marker carries the same meaning under the law as a No Trespassing sign...izzy

[turkeyfootnc]

I have had this problem for at least 10 years now. Except my ponds are 10 minutes from my house. I can't be there much during the week and definately not during the morning hours. But I have found a solution. I have a friend who's retired and he is a a back-up deputy. I gave him a key and told him if he saw anybody down there to lock them up!

BTW-if you don't have any no trespassing signs posted, law enforcement won't help you