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Old November 7, 2008, 02:39 PM   #1
nra_guns_winner
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what would you do? (True story of a friend)

A buddy of mine was out driving his property line checking fence a few weeks before deer gun season, last winter. He saw that a neighbor had put up a tree stand (not a fancy one) almost on the property line. With out a doubt the neighbor had been hunting here or was planing to. So my buddy cut the tree down that day. Well what would you have done?
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Old November 7, 2008, 02:59 PM   #2
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I would have posted a sign saying something like: "Please don't plan on shooting deer on my property or tracking it onto my property, which is in this direction. Thanks!"

Then, I'd keep an eye out during deer season with DNR's phone number handy.

Cutting down a tree is a horrible thing to do for such a silly reason.
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Old November 7, 2008, 03:03 PM   #3
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I dunno.

I'd say it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission. Even under threat of civil suit, if the tree is gone, the judge can't issue an injunction protecting the tree.

It seems like your friend nipped it in the bud.
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Old November 7, 2008, 03:17 PM   #4
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We gonna have a little ol' fashioned discussion if anyone cuts a tree down on my land... Whether or not I planned to hunt from it is not my neighbors place to determine. I may have a certain deer in mind that hops the fence FROM your land onto mine...
I may actually cut a dozen of your trees down, dropping them on the fence to make it easier for that deer to come across.
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Old November 7, 2008, 03:20 PM   #5
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That old coot buddy of yers is nuttier than a butterfinger fer cuttin down someone else's tree and stand on their own property.
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Old November 7, 2008, 03:54 PM   #6
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I faced a situation this year that wasn't too far removed from this one. I posted a polite, but firm note on the stand and road into my property. The offender called me immediately and apologized profusely, offered any number of ways he could make it right and ended up inviting me to a killer dove shoot.

Now I know the guys who own and hunt the land behind me and we can help watch out for each other. I've also been told I'm welcome to hunt any stand I want on their property, any day I want to. They even invited me to join the dove club next year and the offender is going to pay my dues.

Maybe the guy is trying to take advantage, maybe not. All I know is that I chose the diplomatic route and it's already paid dividends with the possibility of many more to follow. If nothing else, I can say I'm keeping my friends close and my enemies closer.
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Old November 7, 2008, 04:02 PM   #7
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uuummm - maybe try talking to the guy before the chainsaw come out? If a neighbor cut one of my trees, it would spark a war that neither of us would win.
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Old November 7, 2008, 04:06 PM   #8
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That old coot buddy of yers is nuttier than a butterfinger fer cuttin down someone else's tree and stand on their own property.
Quote:
So my buddy cut the tree down that day.
If I was that property owner, I would sue his butt for damages...at least the replacement cost of a similar-sized tree. Some fully grown trees cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Last edited by Creature; November 7, 2008 at 04:12 PM.
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Old November 7, 2008, 04:41 PM   #9
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i have a similar situation, my buddy and i were hunting a piece of property surrounded by other known hunted properties. we meet up halfway to the truck from our stands and he was telling me of a guy who came with a climber from another property and setup forty yards from my buddy (still on his own property though). so what does my buddy do but get down, walk right towards the guy, stare him down (the guy wouldnt look at him for some reason so says my buddy), drains his lizard right on the property line, and then dumps out his spit cup. now this is not how i would have handled it, but it doesnt surprise me from my buddy gary, he doesnt let anyone walk by him cuz hes afraid they might try to walk over him. i couldnt believe he did that.
nothing is solved by immature reaction. i havent been back to this property with my buddy because i guess there is a small war going on. i bet now neither hunter will get a deer from that property this season. what a waste.
i wouldnt have cut down the tree.
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Old November 7, 2008, 04:49 PM   #10
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Nuthin'. I wouldn't have done a danged thing. It's his property, right up to the property line, and it's his right to do with it as he pleases.

I like to hunt as much as the next guy. I don't like to be bothered, interupted, or messed with. I don't do those things to others, and I expect the same in return.

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Old November 7, 2008, 05:00 PM   #11
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I would have left my name and phone number in his stand, and would have struck a deal once he called.

Opening up some good rep might land you some pretty good favors and maybe even a hunting partner. Never know what could come out of it. I had a friend who knew all bordering neighbors and they have a nice set-up, with allowances for searching for the wounded that got away, for example.

I am always out to make friends.

If the dood is cool, great, if he ain't...set up your own spot on your side of the fence and camp it out.

Cut down my tree and stand?!?...uhh...we gonna have a problem
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Old November 7, 2008, 05:01 PM   #12
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He saw that a neighbor had put up a tree stand (not a fancy one) almost on the property line
Your buddy sounds like an idiot to have as a neighbor. If the tree stand was not on his property, who gave him the right to cut the tree down?

I've got a tree stand on my land, three neighbors have tree stands on their property as well. NEVER a problem.
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Old November 7, 2008, 06:25 PM   #13
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Your friend broke the law, neighbor didn`t. Your friend trespassed and did intentional ,malicious damage to neighbors property. Didn`t matter if tree was 2ft. or 200ft. on neighbors property,friend had no business cutting tree down. He should man-up and make amends with neighbor. This is the kind of stupidity that makes a landowner turn into a first class #*@%$.
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Old November 8, 2008, 01:30 AM   #14
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Yea my buddy jumped the fence to cut a neighbors tree. And as far as I know the same neighbor still lives on the property. Some neighbors are pains in the AS?ES. Well that would be my long time friend. He has gotten married within the last year, so maybe that will help keep him under control.
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Old November 8, 2008, 02:01 AM   #15
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!!!

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Old November 8, 2008, 10:59 AM   #16
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I would NOT have even thought about doing what your buddy did. I do understand how he feels though. Around here where I hunt there are many very small parcels that are hunted and it is considered very poor manners/sportsmanship to set up close to the property line. I did it once myself but will plead ignorance. I had been bow hunting and gun hunting my land and for two years I had not seen any sign of anyone hunting the adjacent property. Well guess what? I arrived in the woods opening day of gun season and up the tree I went with my climber. As daylight arrived, much to my surprise, there was a ground blind on the other property not more that 50 yards away! Both of us had crowded the property line. Due to the wind direction that day it totally ruined both our chances to score. No words were exchanged but I backed off the line and I noticed that he moved his tent blind a considerable distance off the line also.
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Old November 8, 2008, 11:14 AM   #17
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I do understand how he feels though.
I don't. I do not understand how a person can feel justified in trespassing and vandalizing, nay...destroying a neighbor's personal property because he feel there might be a possibility that this neighbor MIGHT be illegally hunting on his land.

So..please. Explain.

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Old November 8, 2008, 11:16 AM   #18
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We are hunting a fence line this year. We okay'd it with the adjacent property owner, and we are deep in a holler so there's little need for the neighbor to worry about stray bullets. I think communicating with neighbors is the way to build better fences, not more strings of wire.
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Old November 8, 2008, 04:56 PM   #19
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Creature

I thought that my post was very clear. Let me spell it out. 1) I stated that I would NOT have responded the way this guy did. 2) Cutting the tree or any other trespass is WRONG. 3) As I stated in my first post, setting up right on the property line is considered poor manners where I hunt. 4) Therefore where I hunt people that do this are few and far between . 5) Finding someone who "crowds" the property line just is asking for trouble, like the example that I gave in my first post. 6) If you can't understand this point of view, so be it. It's not a LEGAL issue, it's just using good manners and being a good "neighbor".
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Old November 8, 2008, 05:07 PM   #20
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Where is setting up on a property line written as poor manners or poor form? I think as long as I do not shoot across a fence, it is often the only spot to set up for a particular animal. Now if 2 guys are both after the same animal they just need to work together or decide a schedule.
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Old November 8, 2008, 05:23 PM   #21
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Where is setting up on a property line written as poor manners or poor form? I think as long as I do not shoot across a fence, it is often the only spot to set up for a particular animal. Now if 2 guys are both after the same animal they just need to work together or decide a schedule.
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Exactly.

"Poor manners"..."bad sportsmanship"..."asking for trouble"....all used to describe what a property owner had every right to do. And then to use "I can understand" when someone got his skivvies in a bunch and illegally committed sabotage. The gall it takes to cross a property line and to destroy a tree so that it cant be hunted is beyond understanding.

Last edited by Creature; November 8, 2008 at 05:28 PM.
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Old November 8, 2008, 10:01 PM   #22
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i would've contacted the neighbor to find out his intentions. asked him as nicely as possible to not shoot at anything on my property, or towards my property. if they did in fact shoot something on their side and it ran onto my property,they would only have to ask me or my wife for permission to search for it.

there is this thing called a safety zone. don't shoot towards it or carry a loaded firearm/knocked arrow within it, 450' of property line,a dwelling occupied or not, school playgrounds,parks etc.. if after asking him/her i found out that they did in fact break the agreement. then i would be pressing charges if possible.
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Old November 8, 2008, 11:14 PM   #23
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I see the original poster is from Wichita. In Kansas, it is the law that if you shoot and wound an animal you are legally obligated to follow it up and retrieve it. Getting nasty because a neighbor puts up a stand near a property line is childish and immature. Deer are not in short supply around Wichita. They are just like the city bus. Just wait ten minutes and there will be another one by.

I have a fence that has a huge Cottonwood tree in the fenceline. The neighbor has a treestand on his side of the tree overlooking the deertrail that comes from my pasture, over the fence into his field. As much as I detest bowhunters, it isnt worth a war with the neighbor over a stupid treestand. If he has that much of an inferiority complex, then go out to the Sedgewick County Zoo and get a bucket of Lion poop and take it down there and spread it around and the dood can set in the stand until H freezes over and no deer will come within a half a mile. I sure woulda liked to have been that neighbor and caught him cuttin down that tree on my side of the fence.........oh yeah.
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Old November 9, 2008, 01:53 AM   #24
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Don' know about the Midwest but...

Hunter harrasment is illegal and punishable by a#! whippin where I live. I'd say cutting down a tree w/somebody elses stand in it (not to mention the tree was owned by the stand owner!) is hunter harrasment.
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Old November 9, 2008, 01:59 AM   #25
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P.S.

How would your friend feel if a bunny hugger neighbor did the same thing on his property? It wouldn't be any different in my eyes.
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