PRIVATE PROPERTY...HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOU.??

[AQUA]

BEWARE....

NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE LEVEL HEADED OR NICE.

Theres a property close by that we always over the years went across to go hunting and hunted on.

He was a nice old fella that owned it and he allowed MDers on it also.

Well the old fella passed away and it came up for sale at which point a guy from across the other side of the country bought it.

Soooooooo.... I decided to go back to that area MDing and took for granted that we were always allowed there and the new guy prolly wouldn,t care either.

BOY WAS I MISTAKEN !!!!!

Up across the field he comes in his truck going like hell....I was like...oh ****..ughhhhhhhhhhh.

Sure enough he is all but frothing at the mouth.......WHAT THE F*** DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING DIGGING UP MY LAND.

I said.. I,m just out looking around..sorry.

There was obviously no reasoning with him or even talking to him...he got no shirt on or any socks or shoes ....lol.....so I just turned and started walking away.

He says...GET OFF MY LAND BEFORE I WRAP THAT THING AROUND YOUR BLOODY NECK.

I just kept on walking. He was literally busting a vein...wow.......like calm the hell down.....he obviously forgot to take his Prozac.!!!

I,m not bad person at all and well respected in the community. Most people in the area would never say anything other than ..whatcha finding ?

Just remember there are people that freak out about someone being on their property.

It was obviously my mistake and although he over reacted hugely.... I cannot say anything as I was in the wrong..no question about it.

I have thought about stopping in to see him to apologize...but at the same time I,m really mad that he reacted the way he did.

So I,m on the fence about what I should do.

Was a good lesson learned....I will never go on private property without asking again.!!

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

......So I,m on the fence about what I should do....

I would answer that by quoting something you said yourself:

Most people in the area would never say anything other than ..whatcha finding ?

You're right: the encounter you had is the exception. Most people are not like that. Sooo.... sometimes in this hobby you gotta have a thick-skin. Do you think it was strictly the metal detector (the act of "detecting") that set him off? Or do you think that your merely being there (just walking along or whatever) would have elicited the same thing ?

 

[AQUA]

I would answer that by quoting something you said yourself:



You're right: the encounter you had is the exception. Most people are not like that. Sooo.... sometimes in this hobby you gotta have a thick-skin. Do you think it was strictly the metal detector (the act of "detecting") that set him off? Or do you think that your merely being there (just walking along or whatever) would have elicited the same thing ?

By his over the top reaction I,m assuming any kind of infringement on his property would get the same reaction...I was caught totally off guard ..almost speechless.
But the more outsiders that move into the area the worse it is getting.

We used to be able to hunt rabbit/deer etc...anywhere and no one minded...now got to be very careful where you go or even cross their land way back in the woods with your 4 wheeler.

Things have changed I guess.

But still it was my responsibility to ask permission...I,m not making excuses...just puzzled at the extreme reaction I got.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

We used to be able to hunt rabbit/deer etc...anywhere and no one minded...now got to be very careful where you go or even cross their land way back in the woods with your 4 wheeler.

Things have changed I guess... .

Well, and sometimes people STILL "don't mind". But do you go by "actual practice" (ie.: "no one care[d]) or technical laws/boundries? Even though most people would say: "you go by actual law, not actual practice", yet I bet if you looked closer at persons who answer this way, you would find that EVEN THEY subconsciously go by "actual practice".

As proof of this, have you ever noticed that when someone posts something like "going to such & such beach" or "going to such & such park", and "can I metal detect there?". Often time you'll get people from those locales to chime in with an answer that goes something like this: "Sure, come over. We hunt there all the time. The beach is wide open to detecting". But notice how the person answering that never said that there was no law. They're saying (in effect) it's what actual practice is. How are we supposed to know for sure that 100 people who "just routinely detect beaches along a certain coast", simply haven't asked enough questions of the bureaucrats? Perhaps if you sleuthed long enough and hard enough, you could find something to preclude you written somewhere?

But no. On the contrary, the average person reads that "everyone detects there", so we naturally assume "it must be ok". Therefore, we ALL sort of (whether we admit it or not) go by actual practice, not actual rule.

I know this example jumped across the lines of public vs private, but .... just to illustrate that your past practice of "no one caring", and your subsequent mind fart to not even think you "needed to ask", is understandable. If you or I too cut across a vacant lot 100 times on my way walking to work or school, it would be understandable on the 101st time, if we never thought to ask.

 

[doc-d]

His reaction seems a bit extreem, but if somebody were on my property I did not know or expect, I may respond a bit on the aggresive side.......BUT first, we need to hear from the person.......

 

[Jeremy S]

There were some locals out here who acted like that when anyone so much as looked at their property. The final kicker was when they ran an electrical utility inspector off their property at gunpoint. He returned with the cops and they found a huge puppy mill operation. Needless to say those property owners spent some time in prison, plus the IRS burned their @$$es for years worth of back taxes that they never paid. I personally think that they should be shot for the way that they were treating those dogs.

I can see a few scenarios here with your experience.

1) He may frequent issues with trespassers and you may have been the 10th guy who he caught and the unlucky one to get vented on.

2) He's just a redneck prick who had the opportunity to yell at someone, where a simple "this is private property, please leave" would have worked.

3) He is growing pot or has a meth lab and is a bit paranoid of someone discovering it and reporting him.

But you kind of had this coming. You didn't ask for permission to hunt private property!! New owners = old permission is no longer good!

 

[AQUA]

But you kind of had this coming. You didn't ask for permission to hunt private property!! New owners = old permission is no longer good!

I can agree with this statement.

But he seriously was over the top..he had just moved there in the last month before that. You would think he would take a different approach to the situation especially being new to the neighbourhood.

BTW.. I,m not looking for sympathy or such...this is really just a warning as to what can happen to others.

Anyone who reacts as he did can just as easily shoot someone .

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Hey Aqua, question for you: regarding the old fellow passed away, who "allowed" people to hunt and detect on his land: Was there ever actually a time when you, or those hunters you allude to, actually went to ask that old fellow? Or was it just that you just knew he wouldn't care? I mean, did you have some sort of formal written permission, for example, or was it just a case of "everyone knows farmer bob in small-town" type casual-ness ?

 

[HutSiteDigger]

yes

 

[AQUA]

Hey Aqua, question for you: regarding the old fellow passed away, who "allowed" people to hunt and detect on his land: Was there ever actually a time when you, or those hunters you allude to, actually went to ask that old fellow? Or was it just that you just knew he wouldn't care? I mean, did you have some sort of formal written permission, for example, or was it just a case of "everyone knows farmer bob in small-town" type casual-ness ?

I had not personally asked the old fella but a few had...

He just never cared and no one ever done any harm to his land... its just that kinda neighbourhood overall..

Until people from outside the neighbourhood started buying up the properties here... mostly Germans/ british and Americans.

Then things started changing.. not saying they are wrong... just much different from what it used to be like in a neighbourhood where everyone knew everyone and no one cared as long as no damage was done.

 

[WheatbackDigger]

You were in the wrong and the new property owner got his point across. I would be a little po'ed too if someone was out on my property. I wouldn't have gone off like that, most likely my uninvited vistors would of been escorted off my property by the law. Count your blessings, you didn't spend the night in jail.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Have you considered going back to the new owners house and apologizing for being on his property without permission. Even if he doesn't allow you back on you will have the satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing.

 

[TNGUNS]

I love living in a rural area and have really been very lucky about obtaining permission. Lots of land to hunt. The bottom line is that I always get it or do not go. I had a couple of confrontations after I bought a farm on Dayton Mountain with hunter's etc coming on without permission. I took great pains to put out food plots and stock the pond and fix camping areas. Never refused anyone who asked to fish with just a request that they only take a few on the Cats as we considered them a food source. I didn't allow hunting as we are avid deer hunters. But let a person come on without permission and I mad a point of making ruckus over it. Always the same excuse, "Well so and so said it would be OK" (a blatant lie), and it burned me up. It was well posted and anyone who came on it without permission did so knowing they were trespassing. Just my 2 cents.

 

[the bone]

I've only seen this kind of reaction once in my life and it was while metal detecting. the funny thing is the guy that flipped on me doesn't even own the# property my father does. the guy was deer hunting (without permission) and I was swinging along through the woods and I hear some jerk start screaming at me from the trees demanding to know who I was who the $#@! I think I am messing up his hunting on his land. my response was I'm john $#@!ing Doe when he heard who I was I watched all the color drain from his face because he knew how screwed he was I told him his hunt was over and so was the rest of his season on this property and he'll be lucky to find a permission when all the landowners around here hear about this. he had a real nice ladder stand I told him better not be there in the morning, it was so I hooked a chain to it ripped it off the tree dragged it out of the woods and crushed it with the loader tractor. the thing is I really didn't have a problem with him hunting there and we all kind of have a setup like aqua was talking about where we all walk across eachothers properties and its pretty much a free for all as long as you are a good steward and respectful but I have a major problem with someone actually pretending to own property they do not.

 

[dieselram94]

As far as him not having a shirt on and being barefoot... well I tend to dress like that when I am at home and I am no redneck! LOL! I would try to apologize just to set it right. If he had the money to buy the place more than likely he is somewhat reasonable. I can understand why he got that upset for sure. It is his land...unless he is engaged in some illegal activity there he more than likely will be more than reasonable when you apologize.

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[dieselram94]

As far as him not having a shirt on and being barefoot... well I tend to dress like that when I am at home and I am no redneck! LOL! I would try to apologize just to set it right. If he had the money to buy the place more than likely he is somewhat reasonable. I can understand why he got that upset for sure. It is his land...unless he is engaged in some illegal activity there he more than likely will be more than reasonable when you apologize.

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[Tom_in_CA]

reply

Have you considered going back to the new owners house and apologizing for being on his property without permission. Even if he doesn't allow you back on you will have the satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing.

Ha, there was a case, on a recent post, where someone tried such a thing. Went back, tried to shake hands and try again, start over, etc...

The case in the post awhile back was where a person had gotten a "no" for an old town demolition site. Once they got back home, they realized that this spot looked REALLY good. And they realized that they'd failed to leave their business card/contact info, in case the const. guy changed his mind. And they thought: "maybe I can explain myself a little better, and get him to change his mind". But when they got back to the site, the const. worker went ballistic. When forumites read the story, everyone was quick to give great "slow-motion-replay" advice. They tell him "well you should never have gone back" and "what part of 'no' don't you understand?", etc....

See how that works? But if the const. worker had had a change of heart, and the guy had found 5 gold coins, guess what all those same people would have been saying?:

"Wow congradulations!" and "see, it never hurts to try again", and "persistence pays off!".

See how monday morning slow motion quarterback replay works?

 

[the bone]

I remember that post and the main reason that he should have never gone back was because as I recall he gave the guy attitude right back in the first encounter with him. as far as I can tell in this exchange aqua didn't argue or give the guy any grief. so going back and giving a formal apology makes a lot more sense. i

 

[jeff of pa]

LOL I Didn't read all the Comments here before Posting,
But I can imagine as not everyone is Cool.

although I am so Layed back, if I had owned the property,
I would have either ignored you or introduced myself.
"Clothed of course"

However you said it yourself :

Well the old fella passed away and it came up for sale at which point a guy from across the other side of the country bought it.

Soooooooo.... I decided to go back to that area MDing and took for granted that we were always allowed there and the new guy prolly wouldn,t care either.

BOY WAS I MISTAKEN !!!!!

It was obviously my mistake and although he over reacted hugely.... I cannot say anything as I was in the wrong..no question about it.

Lesson learned. Perhaps a Case of Beer { & hope he is, or isn't an Alchoholic
depending on your attitude } , a Shirt that says I caught a Trespasser & all I got was this Stupid T Shirt , or Gift certificate would be in order
with that attempted apology, Via Delivery Person with Card & Phone # of Course.
But I wouldn't ask for permission after.
If he doesn't volunteer, Let it pass. Don't Beg, or appear to be bribing him.

 

[CASPER-2]

Boy - your story sounds almost identical to more than a few of mine
my friend and I had real old fields that oldtimers said we could hit anytime
some times they'd come out and talk or we'd stop at the house if we saw them
and talk - think that is reason they would let us - for the company now and then
we'll we had a few like yours - we did not know - old guys passed away - we didn't know
out there hitting - one time 500lb woman drove across field and missed my friend by inches - on purpose
and started screaming at him that her family bought the property recently and next time she'll drive over him - I was like 50 yrds away
and heard her yell "...and tell your f#$%ing friend too" so I slowly headed towards my vehicle
we've lost a handful of permissions like this - that one was a shame - we were getting stuff from 1600s on up
maybe when she dies we can ask the next owners