Shed hunting trespassers and rule breakers

[LDennis24]

Oh cmon Rainier10, I was blasted on the corner crossing thread for saying this kind of thing happens constantly. It rarely ever happens. Like almost never... They aren't trespassing, hunters don't act like that. We are a team and we need full unfettered access to all public lands at all times for any and all reasons. We are America!

You know where I'm going with this... I'm sorry that you once again have to deal with trespassers who accidentally ignored your no trespassing signs and were just exercising their right to enter public lands. How many times a year would you guess hunters trespass on your property?

Rainier, sorry this is happening to you, people suck for sure. Unfortunately these kind of things ALWAYS come along with owning land.......anywhere.

Dennis, FWIW, there is a HUGE difference(most would say) between folks wanting to hop a corner, compared to the happenings at Rainiers place.

In my experience being in a similar situation it's not different. They do it (trespass) because they think they won't get caught and can just play stupid. So so many people play stupid and act like your being unreasonable when you confront them over this crap. I have repeatedly seen the same thing from people who get back onto a piece of public land that normally is inaccessible and suddenly they end up on private land. I have sat and watched people from a distance just to see if they will dare cross the property line, and more often than not, they get to the line, spend some time looking around for anyone who might see them, and then they cross the line and keep going, and when they get confronted they act like your the a-hole. Nothing anyone can type and post on the internet is going to convince me otherwise. Rainier10 knows its true also. It happens just as often as the guy who doesn't trespass. Quite possibly more trespassers than non trespassers most of the time.

[boneaddict]

Not justifying anything anyone is doing there, but I do think one of the contributing factors is that it once was open.  I can’t tell you how many sheds I found there in the past, before shed hunting became a money sport.   I think people get in their head their own entitlement of “ownership” of a spot.  I went a canyon or two over last year on a fluke and was shocked at the amount of private property and loss of  access.  I just turned around and came home.  Others, not so much……

[Feathernfurr]

Let me be upfront, I’m not saying anyone in this thread does this…


I see an incredible amount of instances in Idaho where private land owners abuse the public that’s adjacent to their land. The private guys that have turned the adjacent public into dirt bike tracks, gun ranges, and cattle grazing (actively in defiance of local law enforcement) is insane. Nothing more upsetting than having a hunt ruined by guys coming out to harass you because they think they own the public.

I grew up hunting the east coast were its only private, even the water (Virginia you can’t duck hunt within 500 yards of an established land owner blind. Miles and miles of river that are completely untouchable). Western folks definitely take their public land for granted in my opinion.


In the end it’s as simple as the old saying of do unto others. Don’t trespass on private property, don’t destroy or inhibit access to private. Easy day.

[OutHouse]

That video is great but whatever you do, do not do that in WA. I know its ridiculous but you could be sued and they would win. And, your insurance will not cover the liability.

[300rum]

I wouldn't buy property surrounded by government owned land.  They always advertise that land bordering government land is somehow better but I think having private around you would be better. 

[boneaddict]

Please keep this thread on track.  Please do not derail it with more corner crossing debate.  That is another topic.   
THank you

[LDennis24]

I wouldn't buy property surrounded by government owned land.  They always advertise that land bordering government land is somehow better but I think having private around you would be better.

I think it would depend on how much public land was around me. If it was a parcel on the edge of a vast amount of national forest then I would not mind it. But if it's an area like a few I hunt around I know I would be too frustrated to even be able to enjoy the property most of the time. Which is where I think Rainier10 is at with his property and all that's going on with it. Just over a sense of entitlement and some shed antlers? 

[Rainier10]

So I have some land locked DNR south of me. That piece is rarely a problem.

To the east of me is a huge expanse of DNR but to get to it you have to go through private or access it from the east. My place used to be DNR then in a land swap western pacific timber ended up with it and then I bought it from WPT.

I also own a piece that borders national forest.

I will say that there are really good people out there too. Multiple people have done the work and reached out to ask about access. Two people reached out when I first bought the property. One had a long range target on my property he wanted to retrieve and the other one had game cameras that he wanted to retrieve.

[blackveltbowhunter]

I only know Ranier thru a mountain meeting several years ago, and his history on hunt wa. My opinion is he is going above and beyond in attempting to responsibly  grant access to the adjacent public, doing it all right from the landowner side of things, [ It sounds like the dnr in question is accessible from other access points just more difficult to get to if not through Raniers land ]. IME with landowners he is in the minority. Violators should be dealt with harshly, and I wish him all success in deterring them. He should Start a go fund me for a month of private security during high traffic times! I will donate.

We need all the landowners like him we can get, most simply want to lock it up.

[Rainier10]

I have had multiple people offer to come up during shed season. Problem is if someone is at round people normally behave better.

The saying goes it’s what you do when nobody is looking.

I give permission to archery guys, muzzy guys, rifle guys and permit holders so there is somebody around most of the time.

You can’t watch all of the land all of the time. I’m too busy working to pay for it all, improving the habitat, teaching hunter ed and moderating the site.

It started out as 20 acres near the DNR and NF that I could base camp out of to hunt the public around. As vacant land went for sale next to me I would buy them to keep the land undeveloped, its winter range for deer and elk. The biggest issue facing wildlife is loss of habitat and I’m trying to do my part to help.

I didn’t want to be the guy that blocked access even though legally I can. I heavily posted my land do others would know it was under new ownership in hopes they would stay off mine and just move through to the tens of thousands of public land.  I feel like the abuse is getting worse and I know I’m starting to get real frustrated with it.

[trophyhunt]

This sounds more vengeful than just regular trespassers, sounds like a group of people who truly believe they have an ancestral right to the land.  I’d buy as many cell cameras as possible and it would be my mission to get them charged w trespassing. 

[bearhunter99]

Times are different now.  With GPS and Onyx and similar apps there is no reason for people to “act dumb”.   It’s just an excuse.  In my experience it has actually gotten worse since the technology became available.  People now know they are trespassing and just hoping they don’t get caught where before it was often just a mistake….


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[MADMAX]

One word


“Enforcement”

[Rainier10]

It’s really the same as the drug use and stealing happening here in the city, no punishment so people just break the rules.

Like I say the people trespassing through are what I call the good ones.

I now pack a pustule with me everywhere. These cameras are on my property in some pretty remote places. I have no idea what they are doing that they don’t want to be on camera for or what they would do to me. I’m also a little worried about what I would do if I came across them.

So frustrating to get to a camera following cat tracks and come up on a missing camera not being able to see what was walking by.

[Rainier10]

I don’t think it’s a tribal thing but I do think it is someone who feels entitled to be there and isn’t happy with the signs and cameras. It’s just insane that it is happening in the middle of private ground.