Trespasser captured with Cuddeback camera system. (Daniel Schmidt)
I’m normally an even-headed dude when it comes to hunting and property boundaries. You will always attract more flies with honey than hostility, and a Christian attitude will sooth over problems (with all aspects of your life) and bring peace and perspective to any situation.
But what’s a guy to do when he catches someone blatantly trespassing on a property? It’s super easy to get mad, get aggressive and escalate a situation. Take this Cuddeback video I captured recently of an alleged turkey hunter (although he’s not carrying a gun or bow) trespassing on a property we have exclusive rights to oversee?
The guy entered the private land from a nearby public area, and I’m pretty positive he is cutting across the private field to get back to a public trail that’s not far away. No big deal, right? Cut the guy a break? I say no, and here’s why:
- Let him do it once, and he’s going to think it’s OK and do it more often to the point where it’s just expected.
- Don’t try to identify him and address the situation and before long he tells his buddy, who does the same thing. Trust me, I’ve seen this kind of “no blood, no foul” attitude among trespassers many times over the years.
- Let it fester to the point where you just get miserable thinking about it.
Here in Wisconsin, trespassing is trespassing. It is not a gray-area situation. It is up to you to know the property boundaries. There is no pleading ignorance. There is no “oh, I’ve been using this path for years” excuses. If you are not on property in which you have permission to be, you are trespassing. It’s that plain and simple.
What would would you do? I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. Please check in our Facebook post and add your thoughts!
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