Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Poachers on My Ranch

I have 300 acres in South Texas. There is no cattle on it. It is in very much of a "natural state". The roads are grown over, etc. I only go to this ranch about three times per year. I am the only family member who goes there (no partners visiting, etc.). I go once about this time of year to scout for deer trails and then another two times during the hunting season to hunt. I have been very succesful as my formula has always been as follows: create a safe haven for deer where there is zero human activity except for my annual scouting trip plus two hunts. I don't use deer feeders, etc. When it is time to hunt. I put a pop up blind about 100 yards near a deer trail. I have been very successful using this approach.

Well, yesterday I was doing my scouting (looking for deer trails) and sure I found trails, bedding areas, plenty of tracks, poop, etc. I also found a gravity corn feeder (non motorized) hanging from a mesquite tree in a rather discreet location. It looked like it had just been placed there as it was very full and there wasn't a lot of animal activity around it yet. I don't know who the hell put it there. Now, ask me if I am PISSED OFF!. I believe one of the locals is assuming that I NEVER go to this ranch (since I only go about 3 times per year, they probably have never noticed me going there so they must conclude -use it or lose it -which is BULL SH_T). This is my privately owned ranch d_m it. I have the right to go as few times a year as I wish. Nobody has the right to trespass let alone put a F_CKING deer feeder on the place.

OK, now that I have vented. Please give me advice on the best course of action. I welcome any ideas.

Ideas:
Put up a trail cam and try to photograph the bastard(s).
Put up some type of note.
Take up a sniping position on opening day.
etc.
FYI: I already removed the feeder.
Please give input on best course of action. I am very frustrated and your constructive input would be appreciated.

Wow, I'd be pissed too....first thing I would do is let the local Game and Fish officers know about it and maybe have them keep an eye out for ya.
The other thing is I would post the entire property like to the tune of every 25 yds or so as posted no trespassing (if this hasnt already been done.
The other is yes a trailcamera (for proof) and then I would hunt that area opening morning.

Remove the feeder. If you want to leave a note, I'd suggest something non-confrontational like: "I found your feeder and know that you must have been lost when you put it here, because this is private ground and I don't recall giving anyone permission to hang a feeder or hunt on it. If you would like your feeder back, please call me at (xxx)xxx-xxxx and we can discuss it.

M. Saenz

Take pictures and map the GPS coordinates.

File a complain with the county sheriff, or whoever is the chief law enforcement officer for the ground where the ranch is located, so that you are on record should something happen down the road.

Stop by the adjacent ranches and ask the owners/managers if they are having the same problem with trespassing on their ground.

Don't confront the trespasser(s), since you don't know how he/they will react. You don't want what happened to those folks in WI to happen to you.

Jeff

I would guess someone has seen Muy Grande in the area and picked the best spot to bait him. Time to put up the posted signs.

Been there my friend,...and I know how chapped you are at these nit-wits. A lot of your success at removing these fools will hinge on the local law officers......game warden and deputy. If they are good at their jobs you might see these goons get caught......if not,....good luck. See what kind of conservation officers you have there in that county and tell them your problem. Good luck and don't do anything stupid though.....it's just land...be cool about it.

Call the county game warden first. The sherrif's office will give you his number.

Leave the feeder where it hangs and show it to him (the game warden) before taking it down. The idea of the posted signs Tom264 gave is a good idea and the game warden will propably suggest the same. The trail cam is a good idea too but if they find it they will just steal it.

A sign where the feeder was hanging that says, "the local game warden has seen your feeder and is aware of your trespassing, he is watching for you". It may not help but will give a little satisfaction imagining the look on their faces.

What side of your ranch it is on will propably give a clue who put it there.

Texas game wardens take trespassing very seriously, if the warden is worth his salt he should prove helpful.

Two of my very close friends are state game wardens although not in your county, so I'm familiar with their methods. You should here the some of the storys they've told me!

Bill

I really agree with that. Posting a trashy note will only "throw down the gauntlet" and they'll be back for sure. Let them know they're busted and you'll be watching for them and they'll probably move on.

Maybe something like, "I dropped off your feeder at the Game Warden's office and explained how you got lost out here. You can just drop by there to pick it up, thanks."

do like we do here in oregon. put a full body mount deer in the field and just wait for them to shoot it. if they use guns, they will give away their positions, and then you and the law can go get them.

We have a 360 acre farm in Ontario, 400 miles away. We work hard at putting food plots in, (10 acres) and know locals enter it while we are away. They cruise the road and glass the fields while we are there and they see what we have for deer.

I went to the local MNR office and introduced myself to the local MNR Conservation Officer. I asked him if he would like to hunt our farm and he was more than happy to accept our offer. We only take mature deer and he agreed with our shooting requirements.

Last year we hunted ten days on the farm and left. The MNR officer arrived on day 11 to hunt with his son and found three hunters returning to their truck parked at the gate posted no trespassing. The hunters were all cited and the word is out....Don't hunt our farm unless you want a citation.

Chances are, if you own a big chunk of land and don't frequent it, someone is hunting it. I recommend finding a local you can trust and permit them to hunt it. The one deer we give up to the MNR officer per year saves game.

I've dealt with people who buy land here in WV and who are in the same situation as you. First off,like it or not we're your neighbors and are likely to be the ones who would have to help out if an emergency arose on your place like fighting a fire,searching for lost people,coming to your aid if you needed it,etc. Here in WV if there's a emergency and your around and are needed,you WILL be required to help. Lock your land and it may burn before legal access is gained. So what to do? Do as wade suggests,try meeting the locals and in time I'm sure you'd find some you could trust to keep an eye on the place and have access to it in an emergency while not having to give permission to hunt if you didn't want to. Believe me not as many of us locals trespass on private property as y'all think and the ones that do are quick to leave when they see someone frequenting the place. Hope this helps out!

til later

Around here our hunting grounds that we have hunted for all my life are being posted and the land owners aren't letting people hunt because "city folk" come out here and road hunt and shoot whatever they want. They also run fences down and leave gates open. It is becoming very hard for me and my brother in law and son to find land. We have some landowners that allow us to hunt on some of their ground which just happens to be some really good ground. We have to wait for them to get their deer but I can wait. It seems the respect of others and others property is going down the drain. SAD very SAD. HAPPY HUNTING

Actually ruger,we're dealing with the exact opposite as y'all. The land is bought up by the non-locals and no one is allowed to hunt it. The shame of it is,our deer population was just getting down,due to increased bag limits,to where the all damage permits issued did not have to be used,our forests were starting to recover from the damage done,and fewer deer vs vehicle encounters. Now,because of the safety of the nonhuntable lands, the deer are starting to over populate and all the adverse affects of it are starting to happen again. Of course you can't force people to let hunters on their property so increasing limits would only thin out the deer where hunting is allowed. A friend of mine is head biologist for our district and says they honestly don't know what they're going to do.

til later

Whatever it is it still sucks, we have alot of geese in the spring and now some out of state guides have came in and bought alot of the ground I used to hunt to out of staters. I don't mind out of state hunters but for a guide to come in and buy the hunting rights is ridiculous. It just makes me angry to see what is going on. HAPPY HUNTING

Yeah just terrible those guys BUYING Land that anyone could've bought and making a place for them to hunt,nevermind that you USED to hunt there.I'm not picking on you Ruger but that attitude hurts us all.

Here's an idea to throw on top of the other good ones posted here.

Set up a game cam on the guy and picture of him and then og to authorities.

SAY CHEESE!

Biggest problem in South Texas isn't other hunters, other landowners or what people refer to as "locals" but rather 2 groups.

1. Ranch Hands at the neighboring ranch. More big bucks (and I mean big) go home in the back of someones truck who was "guided" by a ranch hand/ranch manager on a ranch they have no business being on (also a related problem of ranch hands and managers selling deer on the ranch they work on when the owner is out of town). They know like a clock when the neighbors come and go better than the owners do.

2. Sight seeing "hunters". Guys drive down and do some road scouting while griping about the shot out lease they are on and see a big one cross the road/standing in a sendaro etc....then come back and put up a portable feeder after looking around to see if anyone else is around.

Call your game warden...depending on what county you are in this will actually lead results or make things worse. Luck of the draw on who/what you get. I'd say it's 50/50 either way.

Before you start "throwing" down the gauntlet don't forget you might be up against someone who is...

1. In the country illegally and working as a ranch hand (nothing to loose).
2. Has a huge monetary stake in that feeder (IE they are going to charge someone $5k to shoot that big buck)
3. More heavily armed than you are.

Maybe/maybe not but just a heads up.

South Texas is full of ranches owned by absentee owners. If you arn't there, stuff is going to happen. People will not respect your rights, and given the chance will steal you bind, game included. Game wardens in TX have too many active calls to run down, don't expect them to keep watch on your place. Nothing will stop thieves with the possible exception of your presence. Consider renting your ranch for grazing, or better yet hire a foreman and run some cattle of your own. Then someone will be there, and you may make a dime or two out of the deal.

If you could only get the license tag number from his truck, then you could prosecute.

I know how you feel, I used to have a lease in east Texas and was impossible to keep others out of it. They even cut the lock off of the deer blind and left beer cans inside.

This is easy.

What you need is a 5' long piece of blue 3/8" air hose & two buddies to hold em down. You fold the hose in half & hold it where you fold it so's ya got two whipping tails hanging out 2 1/2' from your hand then you swing that rascal like heck and....

wait, did you say preachers or did you say poachers?

Oh poachers.... $hit, never mind....