Suggestions for poachers?

[hickslawns]

Okay, here is what I have.

Several times this year on "Farm West" I have heard multiple gun shots fired. Wrote it off to squirrel hunters on the properties to the south. No big deal.

Last week, a buddy stopped by that lives close to this farm. Says his neighbor to the north (very close to this property) heard gun shots the other night. Goes out the next day and follows a blood trail on his property and says it just about had to be a deer. This would be within the last two weeks.

Talked to the guys hunting the neighboring farm. They have heard gun shots after dark walking out several times this season. This would include in the last two weeks.

Fast forward to Sunday morning. I am walking in and hear a gun shot. I wrote it off to hearing things. Several minutes later I hear another. Screw this, I call the township. They dispatched some cruisers. I know they showed because I was occasionally seeing spot lights scanning as I was climbing my tree.

Suggestions? I don't know what else to do. I sure don't want to get shot walking in in the dark. I am NOT giving up hunting this spot. I WILL be contacting the GW to make him aware of the incidents. Other than catching them in the act, do you guys have any suggestions? I hate to call it in every time I hear shots in the dark. It is possible it could be coyote hunters. I doubt it though as I don't know too many guys in this area that hunt coyotes. The ones that do forget about it until after deer season for the most part. I just don't want to be "the boy that cried wolf". I also don't want to see deer poached on a regular basis. I am lost on this one. Never had to deal with it before.

 

[uglykat26]

i think yer doing the right thing

 

[Jackalope]

Okay, here is what I have.

Several times this year on "Farm West" I have heard multiple gun shots fired. Wrote it off to squirrel hunters on the properties to the south. No big deal.

Last week, a buddy stopped by that lives close to this farm. Says his neighbor to the north (very close to this property) heard gun shots the other night. Goes out the next day and follows a blood trail on his property and says it just about had to be a deer. This would be within the last two weeks.

Talked to the guys hunting the neighboring farm. They have heard gun shots after dark walking out several times this season. This would include in the last two weeks.

Fast forward to Sunday morning. I am walking in and hear a gun shot. I wrote it off to hearing things. Several minutes later I hear another. Screw this, I call the township. They dispatched some cruisers. I know they showed because I was occasionally seeing spot lights scanning as I was climbing my tree.

Suggestions? I don't know what else to do. I sure don't want to get shot walking in in the dark. I am NOT giving up hunting this spot. I WILL be contacting the GW to make him aware of the incidents. Other than catching them in the act, do you guys have any suggestions? I hate to call it in every time I hear shots in the dark. It is possible it could be coyote hunters. I doubt it though as I don't know too many guys in this area that hunt coyotes. The ones that do forget about it until after deer season for the most part. I just don't want to be "the boy that cried wolf". I also don't want to see deer poached on a regular basis. I am lost on this one. Never had to deal with it before.

+

Get a clear view of the road away from the deek and pack some snacks.


Hard for them to deny poaching with an immobile vehicle that contains a light and a gun......



Obviously this is a joke...


.

 

[CJD3]

But a trail cam (I.R.) near the road could be useful if someone were road hunting and had to stop at a specific spot to get the shot...

 

[jagermeister]

I doubt that it's coyote hunters, as most guys don't coyote hunt until well after deer season. If they're shooting while it's dark, I really don't know what else it could be other than poachers. I like Joe's idea with the decoy... but instead of shooting out their tires, shoot them with a good camera. Set the fools up for failure and catch them in the act. The Wildlife Officer doesn't have the resources to focus all his attention on your case, so if you really want something done I think you'll have to catch them in the act.

 

[swantucky]

Honestly unless you have a ton of time to devote to this your FUCKED!! I have been trying to manage a job, family, poachers, tresspassers, and trying to hunt. I was sitting in the stand tonight and realized I have seen as many tresspassers/poacher as deer so far this year.
1) quad coming down the edge of the cornfield as i was heading in to hunt (he turned around when he saw mw and hauled balls out of there)
2) tresspasser set up in ground blind (I was on the phone with the property manager and said I was taking the blind when the poacher opened a window on the blind and skedadeled
3) guys riding a dunebuggy, by the time I called the law they were GONE after seeing me on the phone
4) misc. quad tracks through the bedding area

I live 5 minutes from the property and try and watch as best I can but they seem to still do their thing. I have some tricks up my sleeve but nothing I am willing to share

 

[hickslawns]

From now on I am not calling unless i see them or KNOW they are in the same woods. Frustrating though.

 

[rrr]

Have a good talk with the GW, express that you are not a prick, don't expect him to be a prick, and just want the laws to be followed. Do everything that you can with the landowner's permission as well.

 

[RedCloud]

I would at least express your concerns to your GW and just tell him you thought he should know what is going on out there. He might take it upon himself to keep an ear to the ground and maybe take a few trips out that way. I know the GW here likes the heads up approach and takes a few extra minutes to swing past every few days to keep a check on things.

 

[Milo]

.308 with steel cores

 

[Beentown]

.308 with steel cores

Nice choice!

Beentown

 

[finelyshedded]

Honestly unless you have a ton of time to devote to this your FUCKED!! I have been trying to manage a job, family, poachers, tresspassers, and trying to hunt. I was sitting in the stand tonight and realized I have seen as many tresspassers/poacher as deer so far this year.
1) quad coming down the edge of the cornfield as i was heading in to hunt (he turned around when he saw mw and hauled balls out of there)
2) tresspasser set up in ground blind (I was on the phone with the property manager and said I was taking the blind when the poacher opened a window on the blind and skedadeled
3) guys riding a dunebuggy, by the time I called the law they were GONE after seeing me on the phone
4) misc. quad tracks through the bedding area

I live 5 minutes from the property and try and watch as best I can but they seem to still do their thing. I have some tricks up my sleeve but nothing I am willing to share

Razor wire them sumbeeches! LOL Goodluck Swanny, I hope you get them good. Your having your share of BS too! Bowhunting is getting harder these days unless your hunting deep in several hundred acres of posted well monitored property...and that is hard to come by these days! Sorry to hear this Phil! Sounds like your doing what I would do because there is nothing much left you can do. Goodluck with the situation!