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Mushroom Hunting Trespasser dilemma?

3K views 36 replies 31 participants last post by  JBSedon 
#1 ·
Caught a guy mushroom hunting on my farm yesterday. He was parked roadside a mere 50 yards from a freshly POSTED- NO HUNTING sign and passed 2 others when coming down the lane. He said he has hunted my farm (I bought it last July) for the last 10 years. I was not nice to him, I asked if he ever thought about asking yearly to make sure the property hadn't changed possession and told him their was no excuse. He acted like he didn't know and was real apologetic.I asked him if he found all the mushrooms in his sack on my property, he said yes and he had 3/4 of a bread sack full. I was mad, couldn't even think straight mad. I just told him to leave but as he was getting is his car I wondered If I had the right to take "my" stolen mushrooms. I honestly wouldn't have felt right taking them, but I also don't think It was right to let him off with no punishment. Hell I guess I should have called the sheriff but since he wasn't a total ass I didn't. Would it have been fair to ask for my mushrooms back? Would you have a problem taking them?
 
#3 ·
A GW told me if it is on YOUR property, it is YOURS. Doesnt matter WHO put it there, or WHO claims it is theirs. The law says it is YOURS.

You are a pretty nice guy for letting him keep YOUR shrooms.

I would have thanked him for picking MY mushrooms and dont come back for more. I will pick the rest myself.
 
#7 ·
yeah I'm with buckster as well. I'd chalk it up as a warning and get nasty if you run across him again.
 
#12 ·
I would have first got his full name, address, plate number, vehicle description. Then taken his picture with my cell phone. He knows there are mushrooms are there, he might not return but he may send his friends after them. or spite you in some other way.

Dont be surprised to catch him hunting there.
 
#13 ·
I'd have to agree with buckster also...I use to hunt a 600 acre farm for years... Went there in bow season one year not knowing it had been sold and ran into the new owner.... He told me he had just bought it and diden't want anyone there and followed me back out to the gate.... Thats all it took i haven't been back since...Kinda sucks i loved hunting there but what can ya do it's not worth going to jail for tresspassing...
 
#14 ·
There is nothing new under the sun.

Ever wonder what your actions are setting in motion and if your action are helping to return to a time when a few controlled the lives of everyone in the land?

What if a few ended up owning everything and you the surf, what then would you think about picking the kings plant? Wouldn't it be better when you had the power to keep those terrible times from returning that laws were passed protecting you from imprisonment for poaching that plant?

Before fuming ask what kind of government am I helping to empower. After you've done all you can to understand historically the impact of your actions, and you choose the best path, you've done all you can to protect freedom. No one can ask more of you.

I am a land owner.
 
#16 ·
It seems like die hard mushroom hunters do not think "posted property" applies to them because "they are only mushroom hunting." I'm interested to pull the cams on my property and see if I see anyone sneeking around.

I would have taken the mushrooms
 
#19 ·
I think you did the right thing! If that guy loves mushroom hunting as much as me and that was his honeyhole.. Not being legally allowed to return is punishment enough, That guys gna think about all those shrooms he's missing every year for a LONG time!!

J BaKe 330
I might like seeing the guy every year after he promised to give me a fair portion. Nice to come home and find some for dinner and the guy could easily be talked into watching over the place. If he has any smarts at all he's know that if anything went wrong he'd be the laws first stop and probably make sure things were good.

Running him off is a right (for now) but just makes one more person an enemy. Most country folks know you can catch more bee's with honey than vinegar.

Just got to add things up and see what's worth what. Some people I don't mid as enemy's as they have no desire to be a friend.
 
#21 ·
To the knucklehead on the trailcam...what a douche.

To the original poster, I think it's an unfortunate situation and the man obviously didn't know he was trespassing. I know that the lady that lets me hunt her land has pretty much said come and go as you please. I do call however frequently and remind her when I plan to be out there so she knows what's going on in her woods.... But honestly some owners don't care to get that phone call and maybe the people who owned the property before you had a good relationship with that guy. I assume if he had been there for 10 years and been invited back every year, he must have been respectful of the landowners and property. It may have gotten to the point where the landowners said you are welcome any time. Should he have checked before the season? Yeah, probably... But in his defense, if the lady where I hunt sold the property tomorrow or sold it this summer after already confirming that I'm welcome back in the fall for bow season, me and the new owners may have the same problem you had. I would be apologetic because I would never want the label of trespasser and I'd try to convey to the new owner that it was an honest mistake.

I guess in short, you did just buy the property and you have the right to control the access, but now this guy is telling your new neighbors and anybody he meets that he didn't mean to trespass and the new owners an a$%hole instead of "I didn't mean to trespass, but the new owner's a nice guy and explained that he doesn't allow people to hunt on his land".

karma
 
#22 ·
Lol

This reminds me of the time I was hunting my farm for turkey and a strange lookin feller came walking through my decoy set. I said hello what are you doin. He said he was mushroom huntin, I said your tresspassin too but another question where the hell are your shoe's? LOL
I later spoke to some locals and they said I met the village Idiot. Ha LOL I said holly snapple there's a village of them? Only in Vinton Co. Ha LOL
There's just no way to be in every spot on my land at once and figure there's no real way to solve this problem. I've tried the law in Vinton co and there pretty much to busy to bother with lil ol me.
 
#23 ·
I have been in turmoil for the last several years. I lost the best woods I had and it kills me to know all the sacks of mushrooms that rot there. It has definitely crossed my mind to go back, but I haven't because it wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be so bad if I knew they were being collected and enjoyed! Oh well, lots of other woods n mushrooms waiting for me!
 
#24 ·
This reminds me of the time I was hunting my farm for turkey and a strange lookin feller came walking through my decoy set. I said hello what are you doin. He said he was mushroom huntin, I said your tresspassin too but another question where the hell are your shoe's? LOL
I later spoke to some locals and they said I met the village Idiot. Ha LOL I said holly snapple there's a village of them? Only in Vinton Co. Ha LOL
There's just no way to be in every spot on my land at once and figure there's no real way to solve this problem. I've tried the law in Vinton co and there pretty much to busy to bother with lil ol me.
I had the same experience.......had to call the sheriff on a neighbor who kept pulling up my survey markers. Had to get it surveyed because he thought he owned 30 acres instead of 3. He was kind of the "bully" on my road and everyone was afraid of him......except me. I called the Sheriff several times for him pulling up my markers and shooting my posted signs. Long story short, it took the Sheriff over an hour to get there each time. Last I heard there is only one sheriff now on duty per day in Vinton county. Looks like you will have to take care of the problems yourself......to a point.
 
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