Dealing with trespassing is something that most deer hunters have to go through at some point.
Most deer camps I’ve been in go through efforts to clearly mark their boundary lines, and then directly confront trespassers when seen. This goes a long way in keeping trespassing at bay.
Now that I own a small piece of property of my own, the responsibility of dealing with unwelcome visitors falls to me. Below are some tips that we can all use to dissuade trespassers on our deer property.
1. Install No Trespassing Signs
Your first line of defense needs to start with installing some ‘No Trespassing’ signs. Some invaders may simply not know that they are on the wrong patch of land. That’s of course not usually the case, but you should clearly mark your borders as a first measure.
Clearly marking your borders with signs will typically be enough to discourage most honest folks from overstepping the bounds. I prefer trespassing signs that say video surveillance is in use, whether that is true or not.
To get the most impact, make sure you maintain your signage regularly, unlike what I did for the sign pictured above.
2. Make Your Presence Known
Most land owners or lease holders are going to initially visit a new property often. This excess human activity tends to discourage folks from stepping over the line. So, trespassing isn’t always as much of an issue in the beginning.
The more you stay away from your deer property, the more likely you will have people wandering over the line. This can be a real problem in the off season, when many hunters are tied up with other things. You should make a concerted effort to visit your land as often as you can, even if it’s not the most enjoyable time of year to do so.
When visiting your land, park your vehicle close to the road, but actually on your property. Even if you have a way to pull your vehicle out of sight, you might be better off parking it in plain view as often as possible. Make it know that this is your land now.
Vacant land is awfully enticing to sketchy individuals. Frequently visited land not so much.
3. Put Up Gates
The next obvious step is to invest in closing off all easy entrances to outsiders. It’s frustrating that we have to do this, but often gates are a necessary expense. That means installing a gate or at least a cable system at all vehicle-accessible points. Shutting off vehicle access goes a long way in curtailing the problem. At least this will keep the lazy folks out!
4. Use Cameras!
Whether it be a real camera, or a fake camera, the mere threat of capturing illegal activity on film deters many people from ever crossing onto your hunting land.
– Dummy Cameras
I used to throw away old non-functioning deer cameras. What a mistake that was. Now days I mount them all over my property around any access points. While that won’t discourage all trespassers, it definitely helps when you have a bunch of cameras staring them in the face wherever they go.
Dead deer cameras can also serve as distractions from your functioning hidden cameras.
– Cellular Cameras
A cellular game camera is even better than a regular deer camera. I have a Tactacam game camera at my deer feeder, and it sends pics straight to my cell phone live, as deer are feeding in front of it.
With real time information, you may have the opportunity to intervene before any significant damage or theft occurs from a trespasser.
– Hidden Cameras
If you continue to have issues, you may have to resort to putting up functioning hidden cameras. With a clear recording of the perpetrator, you at least have something to go on. Perhaps the neighbors, local law enforcement, or a local Facebook group can intervene if you can capture someone’s face or vehicle on camera. By hiding the camera, you lessen the chance they steal it in case they notice that they got caught on tape.
5. Apple AirTags
Apple sells what they call “AirTags”. I have one on my dog and on my wife’s keys that she’s always losing.
You can hide these small devices inside high value items. You can attach them to ATV’s, farm equipment, and kayaks, among other things. Then, if a trespasser steals those items, you will potentially have a way to locate them.
6. Close Any Trails Between You And The Neighboring Properties
Besides closing obvious vehicle entrances to your property, you should probably also shut down any easy crossings between you and your neighboring properties. As they say, “good fences make good neighbors.” You don’t necessarily need a fence though. Instead, the easiest way to close paths in the woods is to hinge cut trees down over any trails. Until I did this on my own land, I would occasionally capture nosy ATV riders on my deer cameras.
7. Make Acquaintances With Your Neighbors
It doesn’t have to be your own presence that dissuades trespassing. Becoming acquainted with your neighboring property owners can help dramatically. Neighbors will often be glad to notify you if they see sketchy activity around your borders.
On more than one occasion my hunting neighbor has notified me that someone else’s truck was parked on my land. Fortunately those were false alarms, and it was just my brothers vehicle. Nonetheless, I appreciated them keeping an eye out for me, when I’m not around. I try to do the same for them.
8. Keep Valuables Out Of View
You’ll want to keep valuable items out of sight. Leaving expensive farm implements and whatnot in plain view is a recipe for trespassing, and ultimately thievery.
Unless you live nearby, I would store food plot equipment and other valuable items out of sight from the road. No need to tempt the local vagrants to come onto your hunting property.
9. Prosecutions
You may eventually find that you have to actually press charges against someone to end your trespassing problem. That’s an unfortunate step that some landowners have to resort to. Thankfully, I have not had to do so.
By pressing charges, it sends a clear message to other would be line-crossers in the area that using your property is a mistake.
Conclusion
Trespassing is sometimes an infuriating aspect of land ownership or leasing that we must deal with. This is especially true for vacant properties such as a hunting leases.
Putting out signs and cameras go a long way in thwarting trespassers, but nothing really replaces a consistent presence of the landowner.
Check out Realtree.com for further tips for dealing with trespassers.
If you found this post helpful, you might also like to read about Leasing Deer Land vs. Buying Some For Yourself.
Good luck!
Augustus Clay
