# how close can you hunt to someone elses property line?



## chris30523

I am not a hunter, but as I was walking the property line, I saw something blue in a tree, and a guy had a tree stand about 50 feet on the other side. He asked me what I thought I was doing?? I told him this was my property, and he said the other side was not, which is true, but he was facing my property, and unless a deer walked right under the stand, what he shot would be on my property. He could shoot in the other directions, but there are subdivisions close by on each side and a technical school opposite my property(he was on school property and said he had permission). I am not familiar with the laws, but I don't want to be shot on my own property!


----------



## hillsidedigger

The real problem, I know of such a case where a guy received a $3,000 fine for crossing a boundary to retrieve a deer he had shot, occurs when a shot animal manages to cross the property line before falling.

Personally, I think it should be common courtesy that no sport hunting gun be fired within 1/8th. mile of other people's residences, commercial buildings, schools, churches, other's barns, etc. or public roads.

At a former residence there were occasionally squirrel shooters within 100' of my front door.


----------



## chris30523

Last year someone(I don't know if it was the same guy)was seen by a neighbor loading a deer next to my goat pen.Probably shot somewhere else and ran down the creek.She called the game warden(her husband) and he checked it out couldn't find anyone by that time but found a pile of corn behind a gate on someone elses property about 10 ft off of my line.I am all for putting meat in the freezer but these guys are hunting for a trophy buck that beds down in my hedge row.Too many people coming into this area....


----------



## Bearfootfarm

Laws vary by states. Check with your states game Dept. Here it is illegal to "shoot onto or across posted property" If your land is posted they couldnt legally shoot anything on your side. The problem is youd have to catch them doing it to prove it. You may also want to check with the school to see it they REALLY have permission. The "hunter" would say that thinking you wouldnt bother to check. Many states have laws regulating how close you can shoot to a residence but Ive never heard of laws regarding property lines


----------



## big rockpile

We have Fence Setters here,plus we have people Buy 5 acres so they don't have to buy Tags,but manage to hunt everyone elses property.

I think here you have to be 50 yards from the road and no Baiting.Me my place is 660 feet wide.I hunt in the middle,facing the road,hardly ever see anyone go up it.

I would tell the Guy if you ever see him on your property you will get him for Trespassing.Here you can't go on somebodies property to retrive Game.

big rockpile


----------



## DrippingSprings

well here if you shoot one and it rambles over to someone elses place you can retrieve it. preferred method is go to the owner and ask permission but all you really are required is to leave your weapon off their property. This causes alot of fence sitters who shoot and claim it ran next door when they shot it off your land. I usually just drive out and get my climbing stand out and climb up about fifty feet on my side facing them or I just let them know that if theyd stopped at the house id probably gave them permission but now dont ask if your gonna be sneaky about it. I keep all my food plots etc well away from property lines. Out of view without actualling coming on the property. 

As long as memberships in clubs continue to skyrocket it will get worse. Ten years ago the club near me was getting 250 a year for memberships to 14 thousand acres now it over 1200.

All the state owned land that used to be available for everyone is now leased out by the state to clubs for big money and the lil man has nowhere to go. 

Those with limited income and family to feed are welcomed onto my place to shoot if I know they need the meat.


----------



## Lairvine

I agree with DS that there are fewer and fewer for the less than wealty to hunt anymore. that said that "hunter" you are dealing with Chris needs to be stopped, what he is doing is wrong.

My husband and I and our son and animals live off of his income, and whatever little bit we make from selling extra stock. We cannot afford a hunting club, they range in price from $350.00-$3000.00 per person per year around here. His boss has a hunt club, about $400.00 a year but there is little game there because they are idiots and shoot anything that moves. His bosses dad shot an older fawn last year...because the dogs had worked so hard..we did get that one because they didn't need it they already had their freezers full. 
Another thing around here is that what state game land we have is almost always bordered by hunt clubs. The member take their dogs in the game land to run the deer/bear and everything elso to their club land. Unfortunetly there are no laws to stop this. All fields that used to be open to the public..well $5.00 per day per hunter are now leased by the big clubs. It is hard for us that cannot afford up to $3000.00 to be able hunt for food for our families. We would much rather have wild game that factory food but it is hard to do so around here.


----------



## chris30523

My DH is getting no hunting -no trespassing signs -and posting them this PM.I am going to call the game warden as he lives at the end of my drive and see if there is anything we can do.


----------



## Stephen in SOKY

Seems unlikely ANY school board would vote giving permission (And thereby accepting liabilty) to anyone to hunt on their property. I'd check that out pronto!


----------



## wy_white_wolf

Stephen in SOKY said:


> Seems unlikely ANY school board would vote giving permission (And thereby accepting liabilty) to anyone to hunt on their property. I'd check that out pronto!


In Wyoming the local school boards do not control the property. The state does. It is open to anyone just like other state and federal lands.


----------



## Big Dave

In arkansas you have to have written permission slips on you from the property owner. You are not allowed to hunt within 150 yards of a residence using a firearm, archery it is 50 yards.The slips have to have written permission, begining and ending dates of the permission period. Signiture telephone number of the land owner or leasee.You can also be fined heavily if you are setting up a stand in your front yard. Just some laws from here.


----------



## Guest

Just to let you know, if he is facing in your direction doesn't necessarily mean that he is hunting in your direction. When I put my treestand up I put it up so that I will be facing away from the direction I hope the deer to come from. The reason why is cause I want to keep the tree trunk between me and the deer so that it will obscure my movement when getting ready to shoot. Often I shoot somewhat around the tree. There has been several times that I would be setting facing toward a fence, but I am anticipating a kill from behind me. 

Often times if a deer is heading toward a fence and is shot or shot at, the deer will not run off toward the fence but will run back in the direction it came from. His senses tells him it is safer where he came from then where he is going.


----------



## boonieman

Here you can basically hunt right on the line if you want to. As stated in another post, I quit putting food plots close to the line for that reason. Really, if I wanted to hunt my property line and face in towards my ground, I would. So I guess I can't really have an issue with somebody who does the same thing. Also, if somebody wounded a deer and needed to come over on me, I wouldn't have a big issue with that either. They couldn't call me cause I'd be out hunting too!


----------



## alleyyooper

I own the woods. The people north of me owns a strip of woods 20' wide by a 100' or so. They bow hunt as I do. I know that an arrowed deer 99% of the time will run any way it wants even the way it was headed. Seems to me those People north of me should have the courtesty to ask permission to cross my property line well before hunting season to recover game the same as I do where I hunt.
I caught him tresspassing and told him he had just used his free pass, next time I call the law and will press charges. No need to ask now as you think your to good to ask before, I won't let people with their nose in the air hunt my place.

My rifle range is now along that property line. There are warning signs, keep out signs, and all the different tresspassing signs I could find posted along there. Looks really awful all the signs hanging on fence post, trees and just plain post. I also made a road way all along my north line and run my dogs there 365 day a year morning and evening. 
Have given thought to placeing a bunch of my bee hives there too.

:flame: Slob hunters give all hunters a bad name and more amo to the antis.

 Al


----------



## MELOC

michigan must be one of the states the denies a hunter the right to track and retrieve his wounded game.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10916


----------



## michiganfarmer

Big Dave said:


> In arkansas you have to have written permission slips on you from the property owner. You are not allowed to hunt within 150 yards of a residence using a firearm, archery it is 50 yards.The slips have to have written permission, begining and ending dates of the permission period. Signiture telephone number of the land owner or leasee.You can also be fined heavily if you are setting up a stand in your front yard. Just some laws from here.


the distances are the same in Michigan, and the same for writen permission. The original question was about distance from property lines. Im sure there isnt any law in Michigan about distances from property lines, just from occupied buildings.


----------



## alleyyooper

Michigan Safety Zones Around Buildings law.

Safety zones are all areas within 150 yards (450 feet) of an occupied building, house, cabin, or any barn or other building used in a farm operation. No person, including archery and crossbow hunters, may hunt or discharge a firearm, crossbow or bow in a safety zone, or shoot at any wild animal or wild bird within a safety zone, without the written permission of the owner or occupant of such safety zone. The safety zone applies to hunting only. It does not apply to indoor or outdoor shooting ranges, target shooting, law enforcement activities or the discharge of firearms, crossbows or bows for any non-hunting purpose. 

*** NOTE NO RULES ON FENCE SITTING.



Michigan Recreational Trespass Law

Trespassing is illegal and seriously erodes support for recreational hunting. Permission is required from the landowner or leaseholder before you may hunt on any farmlands or connected wood lots or on any fenced or posted private lands. Landowners may grant verbal permission. Hunters are required to produce their hunting license to landowners upon request. 

If you wound an animal or bird and it runs or flies onto private property, you have no legal right to pursue it without permission of the landowner. Without permission of the landowner, you are trespassing and subject to prosecution.

*** NOTE YOU ARE TRESSPASSING IF YOU ARE ON ANOTHERS PROPERTY WITH OUT PERMISSION.

:flame: Slob hunters spoil it for every one.


:shrug: So with that being said I ask what is so hard about knocking on a neighbours door BEFORE THE SEASON and asking for permission to track wounded game or retrive dead game?

:nerd: Think your above the law? Or so much smarter than the people next door?
 Al


----------



## jross

Yesterday I found a ladder stand about 6 ft off our line. I spotted it 20 yards away from the 25 footer I was standing on right after I hung it. I am sure they will be surprised when I say hi. Yes my stand is close to our line, however my shooting lanes are into the swamp on our property. And if I do shoot onto my neighbors land, I have permission to so. I do not think the person who put up the ladder stand has permission, but I will have to make sure of that.


----------



## bargarguy

In Ohio you may not track and retrieve without the owners permission, I have had one such incicdent where a doe I shot crossed the property line, I asked prior to going after it and it wasn't a problem. Most guys I know will allow some one to track, if you ask first.


----------



## chris30523

The problem is solved I hope.It could have been solved better if the guy hadn't been beligerant.We posted signs and the game warden took care of the rest..Seems it is illegal to hunt on state property and have anykind of weapon on school property.The cable around the stand was cut and the stand confiscated.The game warden said he took a stand from the same tree last year.Didn't catch the guy but posted a note" see the game warden if you want your stand back"Told us if he gives us any trouble to call him(game warden)as we share a common property line.I don't mind people hunting...we do ...but I ride my horses out through there and people and kids walk through there all the time .That is and accident waiting to happen..


----------



## MELOC

PA does not give the right to trespass to recover game either.


----------

