# Worst fear has come true -



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Well, I was chatting briefly on another thread about my fear of the hunters coming up in our area since hunting season started yesterday.

It came true. Last night I came home to find a hunter not 500 feet from my pens with a shotgun. I was so upset.

This guy was on MY property to hunt next to my home, next to my family, next to my animals.

Needless to say I lost it, called the Sheriff, and obtained his license plate number. The road going up to my home is actually owned by someone else, and then where my property starts, is a road leading to other property - and that road is owned by us. These people are trespassing through 2 peoples property to get to "their friends" property to go hunting.

The land is in litigation right now, as people bought land back behind us that they have no way to get to. It is in a "land lock" right now and there is to be no one except us on the roads, since we live here full time and we have permission to use the road to get to our land. Not to mention we live inside an association that does not allow hunting.

Well, I lost it on the guy - who proceeded to tell me that I need to "be checked in and get some mental help"! Excuse me for loving my family and my animals.

The sheriff told him to leave. And he did, however, I am worried about more coming up! I have huge signs all over the roads and our property about "beware of dogs", No trespassing, no hunting, private property, sheriff will be called. I put boxes in the middle of the road to get attention. The one by my house says -"for the love of our family and animals - Go hunt somewhere else! Sheriff will be called"

I am just a wreck sitting here at work - scared out of my mind! :? 

Like I told the sheriff last night, since there are no laws about how close someone can be to a house when hunting - What am I supposed to do. He said unfortunately there is nothing that he can do until something happens. My response was so when I come home to dead animals you think there is going to be a freakin' note saying " sorry I accidently shot your animal / child - here is my name and information?????" I don't think so. I also told him that if something happens, I will hold him and the sheriff's department personally responsible, as I have voiced my concern over the safety and the illegal activity of tresspassing and hunting on my property. :twisted: 

My gosh, it is going to be a long couple of months during hunting season. I can only imagine what this weekend is going to be like!  

Allison


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## cute kids (Oct 5, 2007)

phew. that is really awful and scary. i am worried, too, as hunting approaches. i am on a main road, which is a help, but i have nine acres and abut hundreds more of open farmed land and woods. one reads of so many 'accidental' shootings of pets, livestock, and PEOPLE. 
I TOTALLY understand your outrage and fear. don't know what to say about how to relax when you are away. you seem to be doing all that you can. 
hmmmm, i think there are orange reflective collars out there for dogs.....maybe we should be putting them on our animals for the season??? maybe at least give us some peace of mind.
my ng wether LOOKS like a deer........light fawn color. great.
good luck to you, and i am sure you are welcome to share your worries here any time.
anybody have any ideas about how to stay safe at this time of year???


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Goodness! I am so sorry for what you are going through. Without owning some of the roads I really don't know of any advice to give you except the private property signs and such but you have already done that. The signs serve as a warning though... and I would think the man that was on your property should have been fined... I wander why they didn't fine him.... maybe someone else can answer that. I hate it when other people trespass!! That bugs me more than anything! Last year we had a kid a couple of friends come up to my in-laws house and say that his 4wheeler was stuck on THEIR land but he couldn't remember where it was so he won't THEM to help him find it :roll: They looked but couldn't find it and he told the boy and the man that was with him that it was PRIVATE PROPERTY and they were not allowed to be on it (we have had problems in the past with kids riding 4wheelers through and cutting down fences to get in, our property is entirely fenced). Would you believe that the boys mother called that night and thought that it was WRONG of them to not want him on there land... that he should have some right to ride on it because he had a 4wheeler????? I mean come on..... You wouldn't believe the way some people think.

I really hope that the problem with the roads gets fixed soon so you will have a few more options maybe. Keep us posted!


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you all for your support! My Llamas were laying down directly infront of him and I do not think that he even saw them!

I really think that something happened yesterday - be it someone came to the house or something because my Rott meets me on the front porch and the pup out at the road everyday. My pup would not come off the front porch, and my Rott was on the couch curled up and would not move. When I finally got her off of the couch, she was limping real bad and went into my bathroom and layed on the floor. She NEVER lays in the bathroom.

Who Knows, and no way to prove anything. It sucks


Allison


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Oh Allison that is terrible!

We have laws about how close they can be and one time they were so close they were standing by our back FENCE! which be the way is only FEET from our house! and the back fence is the back part of my goatpen.

During hunting season I wouldn't tie my goats out to eat the brush - most of it was gone or turning colors anyway.


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## enjoytheride (Oct 5, 2007)

Maybe you could lobby your county for some appropriate laws with FINES so that it would bite a bit to get caught trespassing?
Not the same thing but there was someone here shooting very close to my place at night-it went on for a week or more. The third night it was so close I finally decided to call the sherriff- I didn't realize that the magic words I thought someone was shooting at my house would trigger such a response but 3 deputies came up (back up for each other I guess) - they did not find anything but I never heard any shooting again and it's been over 2 years. Iguess someone here got the message.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Unfortunately last night the sheriff was to lazy to come out- instead he called me and talked to the "suspect" on my cell phone on my dime - can you believe that???

My husband said next time tell them that we will take care of it ourselves, adn they will be out quick as can be! LOL! 

Usually I get home about 1-3 hours before my husband at night. I am just so scared to even go out to feed, in fear that me or one of my animals will get shot.

I am seriously thinking about spray painting a stripe on my black goat and my llama, as I don't think I can get the reflective collars fast enough for them! LOL! That would be funny!


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## needs to know more (Oct 7, 2007)

Not sure about the spray paint, but check your local feed stores, and any auction barns if there is one near. Get a paint stick. They come in orange as well as many other colors!!!!! And are non toxic!!! I don't know if all feed stores would have them, but we do and we are just a small store!!!! 

Even though I am a hunter, I have dreded hunting season for years. Where I am now there isn't any big game, but lots of birds along the canal. So far everybody that has hunted along there has been safe. But heaven help them if I ever see them even thinking about taking a shot towards my place. But I do remember having to keep my horses right at the barn. Specially the buckskin!!!! They didn't like it and neither did I!!!!


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## fritzie (Oct 6, 2007)

you can get the hunting dog reflecter collers that are orangeusualy at the pet store. i have a doe that looks just like a deer & i use to put them on her at hunting season. here is a picture of her with a deer to show how much she looks like one. i thought that every state had laws about how close they can be to a house when shooting


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Supposedly Idaho does not - at least that is what Deputy Dumb A$$ said last night. I am currently looking at the Idaho regs, and trying to find something!

He told me flat out that until something happens, there is nothing that they could do. I am going to have my hubby park a vehicle at the bottom of the hill tonight so hunters can not come up, and then when I leave, I can put it back and we will just have to do that for the next few weeks until they get the hint


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## needs to know more (Oct 7, 2007)

Any way you could put a gate up there? Even if you don't own the property the owners might allow it. Might be a little safer than parking a vehicle. 
Best of luck to you!!!!


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## cute kids (Oct 5, 2007)

i googled 'hunting collars' and got several sites to come up. at least one has orange vests to put on horses.......and i realized my two mini donks are probably even more likely to be shot at than my goatees!!! there are many orange collars out there, and orange halters, too, for those with equines. 
you yourself could stick on an orange vest when you go out.
not saying this is going to help, but at least sober and consciensious hunters will have some idea what they are looking at.
i can't beleive this dodo bird wasn't even fined for trespassing.
and i am so sorry about the dog behavior; does make one wonder if 'something' happened. maybe it was loud shots. anyway, i am just sorry for you. i would also be terrified in your situation.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

This whole thing makes me wonder why I ever moved here. I never even thought that this would be a problem.

Thank you all for the information 

I called fish and wildlife and asked them about the rules for being by houses and the lady felt the same way I did about there was not a law reagrding how close to houses. She said that it just has never made it to legislation - I think I know what I am going to be up to for next year!!!


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## cute kids (Oct 5, 2007)

good for you. you just might save yourself or others from horrible heart break. this rule is really necessary, esp as more people are living in rural areas.


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## samall (Oct 7, 2007)

We have problems with hunters here almost every year, because of the creek and all the timber they think they can just help themselves. It's really too bad hunters like that make it harder for the ones that DO respect people's property. I have no problem letting someone hunt if they stop & ask so we can talk to them about looking out for our animals, but most of them just don't bother! My Mom's pasture shares a fence line with ours. Two years ago we noticed a vehicle in my mom's pasture in the dark when we were coming home after one of the kid's school concerts. My husband & I went out to see what was up. It was three guys hunting *****, & they said they had permission from the owner (my Mom). We told him that was fine if he had permission, but to stay far away from our fenceline and not to shoot towards it. They said they would. We went to the house and talked to my Mom (she lives with us), and she told us that she hadn't given anyone permission to hunt out there and never would give someone permission to hunt right in the pasture. We went back outside and heard shots right by the house. This was when we still had horses in our pasture, it was pitch black out, and they were all running full speed scared of the shots. My husband went to talk to these guys again and found them standing down by the creek shooting up hill into the trees....right into our pasture. He sent them off the property and we haven't seen them back, but it is kind of scary going and talking to people who are trespassing and who are carrying guns. I can't believe the nerve of some of these people, they were trespassing, they lied right to us, and then they did exactly what we asked them not to. 

Other times we have been awakened in the middle of the night by someone's **** dog howling at our front door because they were out hunting on our property (again without permission) and the dog took off. Once there was even a drunk guy running through the garden right behind our house trying to catch his **** dog. Some of these people just do not think!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Forgive my ignorance here but isn't hunting done only during daylight hours? 
Nonetheless this is absolultely assinine.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

It is from dawn till dusk. 

I put up 16 signs going up my 1/2 mile road, and then also put boxes in the middle of the roads. So far no one else has come up. My husband stayed home all day Saturday to watch everything for me, and I have been leaving all the outside lights and barn lights on.

I don't think anyone has been up here since the first day - thank goodness.

Talk to you soon


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## samall (Oct 7, 2007)

nancy d said:


> Forgive my ignorance here but isn't hunting done only during daylight hours?
> Nonetheless this is absolultely assinine.


Most hunting is during the day...I'm not sure of the laws for **** hunting but around here they are always out at all hours of the night with their spotlights and dogs. I am pretty sure the spotlights are illegal but they still use them all the time.

A lot of the daylight hunters don't follow the rules either...we get the lazy guys that will shoot from the road without even getting out of their vehicle.

kelebek glad you haven't had any more of them. It's so frustrating when they think they can go wherever they want whenever they want.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I am hoping that the guy that I busted went and told everyone that there was a crazy lady up there that needs mental help! LOL! 

I am not playing with these stupid people. I am hoping to take my gun safety course next weekend to get my concealed weapons permit. For some reason they will not take my military records of proof that I took gun safety. I guess shooting an M-16 doesn't have the same safety procedures as any other gun... LOL!

I am going to bed all. I have been doing a "home show" all weekend for 11 hours a day this weekend. I am burnt out and tired. I will check in tommorrow!


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## cute kids (Oct 5, 2007)

pull out an M-16 and these guys would scatter for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:


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## getchagoat (Oct 6, 2007)

As a hunter I really, really hate to hear those stories. Doesn't anyone have respect for other people's property? It gives people a bad opinion of hunters. Acting that way also hurts thier chances of getting to hunt other people's property. I have had permission to hunt a lot of farms because the owner knows I will be responsible and leave with more trash than I brought. We have those people here as well. I wish I had a dollar for everytime I've stuck a .45 in my belt and took a flashlight to run people off of our property. Not all of them are hunters, some are just drunks and pot smokers. And you gotta love the ones who come to plant pot on your land. And for goodness sake, how do people mistake a farm animal for a deer? If you can't tell what it is how could you ever hope to get a clean kill?


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

LOL! I hear you there! I used to hunt when I was little with my father, and actually have talked to my dad about coming up and shooting one so that we can split the meat. But that is cause it is MY property and I know where we can shoot. I would not mind letting people come up who are bow hunting IF they ask, but a high powered rifle on private property next to my home is another issue...LOL!


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## DancinGoatGal (Oct 5, 2007)

**** hunters are REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY bad around here sometimes! We've had dogs upto our fence line.. Those dogs get shot! 

We heard some one's **** dog get eaten by a bear one night! Now THAT was disgusting... they were fairly close to the house too.

As a hunter I know where you stand Brad.. It's terrible! Luckily We have 112 acres to hunt on, and a farm below/around us.. We don't have to go anywhere to hunt - BUT this also is a prime spot for other hunters (deer and **** alike) because it's out in the middle of nowhere! 

In WV you can't hunt closer than I think 300 yards from any building!! Barn, House, outbuilding - anything!


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

SO here is the latest on our hunting problems.

I received a call from my neighbor at the bottom of the hill who loves animals. She is from Germany and her husband from England. This is their summer house here, and will be leaving for Florida the end of this month.

She caught a father and son on her property last Saturday as she was walking down to the mail box to get her paper and was talking to them. The next day she saw them on the property again, and noticed that they had guns on the side of their 4 wheelers. She asked them to stay off of her property and that she did not want hunters around, as the deer are hiding on her property and she wants them left alone.

She went on to tell them that she started this summer with only 5 and now she is down to one that comes every morning to eat. She told them to go somewhere else. The land behind her belongs to a lumber mill.

Anyway, the kicker is, is that the man they came off with a remark about the "renters" at the top of the hill will not allow hunting, and now she isn't and where is he supposed to take his son hunting at now?? Like it is our problem.

The man is the ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT of our land!!!! He is the man that I went to talk to when I found hunters by my house the day I wrote about in the beginning. I had mentioned to him that the property owners around here needed to be called and told not to hunt or to not send their friends up here to hunt, and yet HE is trespassing and trying to hunt!

I was appalled, and we are calling our landlord on Monday to talk with him. This is CRAZY! I guess he thought that I did not know Ms. Augustine below. But she called to tell me yesterday, because before she realized he had a gun on the 4 wheeler, she told him that they were leaving for the winter and she is so worried about the animals now!

I hate stupid people.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

WOW, Ok I might of missed it somewhere, but do you all have NO HUNTING signs on your property? If you do, and someone doe hunt on your property, then they can be arrested for trespassing. If they walk beyond the sign that says it, then they are trespassing, and I would be calling the police in a heart beat. Also, the thought of them coming on the property with 4wheelers, that tears up the property anyway, and if they have no respect for the people and the land they are on, then they will not care at all about tearing it up.
Good Luck. I hope everything works out.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

By law we have to have the signs no farther then 660 feet apart, which we do. But unfortunatly we are not there during the day, and when we do catch them, the sherriff doesn't even bother to show up. I told them next time I will shoot the trespasser first and then call them! We will see how quickly that they show up now~

Funny thing is I only have a BB gun on the property hahaha!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I personally have grown up in a family of hunters...small and large game. I was ALWAYS taught to respect the land and the property of others. I only ever had one incident here in the last 10 years and it happened to be someone who doesn't live in the area...a city slicker thinking that just because there are trees they can hunt!! Any how it amazes me that ANY human can have such disrespect for another. Thankfully my property borders a cattle farm and the farmer who owns it and has buddies hunt it tells them not to "shoot or cross" the hill. He knows that I will protect my own! Dog issues can be taken care of...warning first then a bullet if caught again.
Not sure of the laws as far as hunting close to a residence but come on now ...you have a loaded gun in your possession..use COMMON SENSE...and if you don't have common sense then you shouldn't have ANY weapon! OOPS...just my opinion!


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## cute kids (Oct 5, 2007)

and a VALID opinion.......in my opinion.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

> and a VALID opinion.......in my opinion.


Thank you! I was hoping to not upset any one..


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## needs to know more (Oct 7, 2007)

I agree!!!!!!!


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## getchagoat (Julie) (Oct 5, 2007)

Brad just told me that if you are in the county, you should be able to call either the sheriff or the state police. That's how it is here. And if they do anything illegal as far as hunting, you can call the game warden.


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## redneck_acres (Oct 18, 2007)

Put brightly colored coats on your goats-maybe that'll help some. Speaking as someone who has hunted in the past, most responsible hunters aren't out to shoot anything other than a deer, bear, or elk. I truly do wish you the best of luck in protecting your goats this hunting season.


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