Got this guy trespassing on my posted property twice before the season.I just checked my game cameras.Anyone know where i can get these photos enhanced??He will pay one way or another.This is a $2000.00 mistake if I can ID the SOB.

Camera upgrade?

We had trespass hunters a lot in Montana when I was growing up. They would always argue and tell us that they had permission from this other ranch that was our back border across the river.

To me poaching is taking an animal without a license or out of season.

Both are illegal.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
Got this guy trespassing on my posted property twice before the season.I just checked my game cameras.Anyone know where i can get these photos enhanced??He will pay one way or another.This is a $2000.00 mistake if I can ID the SOB.

Your first picture seem most likely to have pay dirt. Having said that, smarter people than I might do better with the second one with brighter light.
Sometimes you can add white noise to a signal and filter it better.

NSA could probably do this in two minutes but not take the two minutes...

Looks like he has a bow in his hand.Cocksucker is in the middle of one of my food plots.Access will not be so easy next year after I get busy with my backhoe.

My best approach to trespassers has been to figure out where they park. If you can get that down, you are golden. Might take some driving around to come up with that info. They really don't like it when you are there waiting for them, take their picture, and take a photo of the license plate.

I do agree that you need a better camera. Check out a site called Chasin Game and see which cameras do well with motion blur. I've had good success with Scoutguard 550's and Browning Dark Ops cameras.

That said, you do have a direction of travel, so maybe the parking spot can be worked out from that.

Jeremy

quote:

My best approach to trespassers has been to figure out where they park. If you can get that down, you are golden. Might take some driving around to come up with that info. They really don't like it when you are there waiting for them, take their picture, and take a photo of the license plate.

That is an option, but a better and safer option will be to get the local Game Warden involved. Confronting someone could turn out bad on several levels. JAO.

I hope you catch him.

If you are that serious about it you really need to get a cell phone game cam that sends quality pics instantly. Trespassers are a pet peeve of mine.

- The 15th and 16th were weekdays, which suggests it more likely that he's local.
- He sure is reliable if the times on your pics are accurate.
- Odd that it doesn't look like he's using a light at all - it would probably be pretty dark that time of day and unless it's near a building you'd think a light would be necessary.
- Carries bow or gun in same right hand, which to me suggests he's a lefty.
- No beard, but maybe a moustache.
- Wears a knit type hat.
- Doesn't look like camo, but IR pictures play havoc with fabric patterns.
- Looks like a grunt tube around his neck.
- Looks like he's wearing camo rubber boots.
- Looks like he travels light, with no backpack. Tells me he doesn't hunt all day.
- If you only got him coming and not going that's a clue.
- Any chance he's hunting predators or do you think he's hunting deer?
- May be a good time to up the camera settings to take 3 shot bursts. Maybe lay out a pile of branches to force the guy to walk right at or right by the camera.
- Not sure exactly what you are going to to with a backhoe, but I'm in pretty good shape and it would probably take a water filled deep moat to keep me out of somewhere I really wanted to get in to.

I'd look at Google Maps or something similar to see if there are any obvious places the guy may be coming in from or areas he parks at. Contact your local game warden, show him the pics and he may be able to crosscheck the licensing system with addresses to create a pretty small list of local suspects. For all you know, the guy has been caught on other trailcams as well. Can't hurt to make the call and get a report filed.

Good luck - we want to hear how it works out if any progress is made.

quote:

Not sure exactly what you are going to to with a backhoe,

The backhoe is for AFTER you catch the SOB!!!!!

We just caught a poacher on our gun club. We had him picked up for an outstanding felony warrant and are pressing charges for trespass with a firearm these guys a creeps and deserve whatever the law allows!

Bob:

What settings does your camera have?
Multi shots, video maybe??

Some good suggestions have been made. Re: branches, a log moved to block
and guide him toward the camera may work IF he don't spot the camera and take it.

Don't do anything stupid and end up hurt or jailed over it like I probably would.

Good luck catching him and let us know.

George

There is a backwoods road that goes for miles.All through private land.I was going to put up a barb wire fence with a 5 foot ditch on my property side.There is heavy swamp on both sides of the road.water is about 6 feet deep in swamp.I figure the ditch would fill with water.No more easy access.I think he is gone for the year now as our rifle deer season is over.However I will be ditch digging Friday.

Concur that confronting the SOB is a bad idea.

That said, finding the parking spot and, especially, snapping pix of vehicle and plates is a very good idea.

Second best is finding the parking spot and setting up game cameras from multiple angles to catch him getting out of his car and returning.

You probably have a real gotcha if he brings back something he didn't have on the way in.

quote:

We just caught a poacher on our gun club. We had him picked up for an outstanding felony warrant and are pressing charges for trespass with a firearm these guys a creeps and deserve whatever the law allows!

Something we do agree on.

While the subject of poachers is at hand, this was from the TP&W weekly Game Warden reports from Nov. 17, 2017.

Texas Game Wardens Bag High Profile Trophy Deer Poachers

Criminal Cases Illustrate Temptation of Grayson County’s Big Bucks

AUSTIN – Deer hunters will go to great lengths in pursuit of a trophy white-tailed buck; poachers are willing to go farther, breaking ethical rules and game laws designed to protect and conserve one of Texas’ most prized wildlife resources.

Investigations into the illegal take of three whitetail bucks seized by Grayson County game wardens during the 2016-2017 hunting season illustrate just how far some folks are willing to go to bag a trophy deer. Grayson County in northeast Texas along the Red River is known for producing quality whitetails, and is one of only a handful of counties in Texas where bowhunting is the only legal means of harvest.

The cases filed against the individuals responsible for illegally taking the three seized deer, which have a combined gross Boone & Crockett score of over 535 inches, and a combined civil restitution value of $34,954.80, should serve as a warning to would be criminals.

Arguably, one of the most bizarre of the three cases involved the biggest buck. Rumors spread like wildfire after photos of a huge 19-point buck surfaced. Game wardens received information suggesting the hunter’s story didn’t add up. On Dec. 16, 2016, the man who killed the big buck, John Walker Drinnon, 34, of Whitesboro, Texas, told game wardens that he killed the 19-pointer on public hunting land in Oklahoma. The wardens had obtained a game camera image of the deer in question, photographed on public hunting land on the Texas side of Lake Texoma, which contradicted Drinnon’s claim.

Working with their counterparts in Oklahoma and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents to build a case, game wardens eventually obtained a confession from Drinnon that he had killed the buck in Grayson County from a public roadway with a rifle. Charges were filed against Drinnon for taking a deer without landowner consent (a state jail felony), hunting without landowner consent and hunting from a vehicle (Class A misdemeanors). Drinnon was also issued citations for no hunting license, hunting from the public roadway, no hunter education, and illegal means and methods.

On Oct. 12, Drinnon pled guilty to the felony charge of taking a whitetail deer without landowner consent in 15th District Court in Sherman, Texas. Civil restitution on the deer, which scored 202 B&C, was estimated at $18,048.10.

Advances in stealth surveillance technology have made game cameras essential gear for serious deer hunters. In Grayson County, wary old bucks present a challenge for bowhunters, but seldom escape the camera or coffee shop gossip.

While Timothy Kane Sweet, 37, of Sherman, didn’t claim the 19-pointer he bagged originated out of state, he did attempt to hide the fact it was another Grayson County monster buck. Sweet claimed he killed the deer in neighboring Fannin County. What he failed to consider while concocting his tale was that the deer, which scored 177 B&C, exhibited a unique rack that had been captured on a game camera in Grayson County. Once again, rumors flared and tips sparked a game warden investigation. During an interview with the game warden, Sweet claimed he made a poor shot on the deer that didn’t draw blood, but returned to the area later that evening to inspect. When the buck jumped up and began to run off, Sweet said he shot it five or six times illegally at night with a pistol.

On Oct. 20, Sweet pled no contest to charges of illegal means and methods, improperly tagged whitetail deer, and hunting out of season (Class C misdemeanors) in Justice of the Peace Court in Whitesboro, Texas. Civil restitution was estimated at $10,664.35.

The third case involves an individual who killed a big 10-point buck during the 2016-17 hunting season and attempted to take advantage of hunting license benefits reserved for disabled veterans. Brian Eugene Culp, 47, of Gunter, Texas, tagged the 157-inch B&C whitetail using a Super Combo hunting and fishing license (available at no cost to disabled veterans) that he did not qualify to possess.

On May 19, Culp pled no contest in Justice of the Peace Court in Whitesboro to a charge of hunting without a valid license. Civil restitution was estimated at $6,242.35.

“These cases exemplify the hard work and dedication state game wardens deliver day in and day out to enforce Texas game laws,” said Col. Grahame Jones, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Division Director. “I want to extend special recognition and gratitude to Grayson County game wardens Michael Hummert and Daron Blackerby for a job well done.”

Hummert was also the lead investigator into a 2014 poaching ring on the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in Grayson County. Working collaboratively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hummert apprehended a group of five subjects who were sneaking onto the refuge to poach trophy bucks. The investigation led to six felonies and 34 Class A misdemeanor charges filed.

Grayson County game wardens would like to thank the public for their assistance in these cases. Game wardens would also like to remind the public that they can report any illegal hunting activity to Texas Game Wardens using Operation Game Thief (800-792-GAME) or by contacting their local game warden.

An attorney friend of mine in Alabama had some locals poaching on his land. Caught em, prosecuted em, they got a fine and two years later he caught em again. Prosecuted em, they got a bigger fine.

He waited 14 days for appeals time to run out and filed a civil lawsuit against them for depriving him of the use of his property. He won in civil court to the tune of $10,000.00 each. THAT put a stop to his poaching problems.

Hit em where it hurts.

If you have a local small town paper like I do for my land, it is very inexpensive to post the picture in the paper with a single line that says, "If you know this person, please contact (phone number)." It stopped the guy that was trespassing on my neighbor's land. Many people in town seemed to know him.

Try to get foot print sign and follow back to where he parks. It could also be helpful with a prosecution.

Very interesting discussion and your idea of digging a trench to the swamp sound like fun, BUT, please let your local game warden know.

The wardens often are looking for certain poacher and welcome leads.

This year I was heading up to Canada to do my whitetail hunting. Going thru Minnesota I saw where a vehicle was parked in backwards on a public trail. Since he blocked other vehicles from going into the trail, somebody decided to put about a 20 pound boulder thru his windshield.I thought it was funny and deserving! Something to think about.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 69deer:
This year I was heading up to Canada to do my whitetail hunting. Going thru Minnesota I saw where a vehicle was parked in backwards on a public trail. Since he blocked other vehicles from going into the trail, somebody decided to put about a 20 pound boulder thru his windshield.I thought it was funny and deserving! Something to think about.[/QUO
Sounds like a god old hillbilly lesson to me. Too bad you could not use the backhoe to put the truck in the swamp.

Revenge is fun to think about and I know ranchers that have buried trucks, slashed tires, etc. But depending on how sick the dirtbag is they will “get even” by cutting fences, shooting cattle, leaving roofing nails in your roads, sabotaging tractors, or just dropping a match in the dry season and you lose the whole ranch.

If you think this could possibly be a neighbor - or the neighbor is knowingly letting him come across your place - in a similar situation I sent the photo to the neighbor I suspected as being part of the problem with a letter saying, “It looks like we have a poaching problem in our area. But don’t worry, the game warden the photo and I’m working on catching this poacher”. That seems to calm some people down without starting a range war.

And I hope you have good security boxes and locking cables on your cameras, I'm surprised you haven't lost that one yet.

I've gotten in the habit of putting them down a bit of a brush tunnel to keep people from spotting them. You get some false trips from brush moving in the wind, but it makes the camera a whole lot harder to spot.

Best of luck catching this guy.

Any update? get that ditch dug?

George

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Any update? get that ditch dug?

George

Ditch is dug.My Son shoots sporting clays with a couple Detectives from a local PD.He showed the pic to them and they are trying to enhance it.I can`t completely stop anyone from trespassing,but I can make life miserable for them .Especially if I can ID them.OB

Sounds like you are on the right track!
I would do as crshelton suggested, contact your local Game Warden. Often times they are investigating dirtbags just like this or this one and any and all evidence they can accumulate can help them bust this guy. Chances are if he is flagrantly trespassing your land he is doing that and worse elsewhere.
Good luck with your endeavor.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
There is a backwoods road that goes for miles.All through private land.I was going to put up a barb wire fence with a 5 foot ditch on my property side.There is heavy swamp on both sides of the road.water is about 6 feet deep in swamp.I figure the ditch would fill with water.No more easy access.

Hopefully you have not inadvertently kept deer and game from entering your property along that border.

quote:

Originally posted by erict:

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
There is a backwoods road that goes for miles.All through private land.I was going to put up a barb wire fence with a 5 foot ditch on my property side.There is heavy swamp on both sides of the road.water is about 6 feet deep in swamp.I figure the ditch would fill with water.No more easy access.

Hopefully you have not inadvertently kept deer and game from entering your property along that border.

They can come through the swamp all winter when it is frozen.

Wildlife adjusts really fast to changes in the environment. Too many folks do not realize that.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Any update? get that ditch dug?

George

Ditch is dug.My Son shoots sporting clays with a couple Detectives from a local PD.He showed the pic to them and they are trying to enhance it.I can`t completely stop anyone from trespassing,but I can make life miserable for them .Especially if I can ID them.OB

Good luck OB. I hope you lined the moat with feces encrusted bamboo spikes.

quote:

Grayson County

Post the pictures on a local Facebook page or find some kid savvy in local social media so someone will recognize him and his gear. Some folks have good results doing that. Gotta say 4:16AM, he's no lazy trespasser.

While some of the "fixes" and "retribution" sound like fun and most certainly deserved, they also might be a felony. Be careful. You might find yourself in trouble.

We have had poaching problems from time to time. We have seen poachers being dropped off on numerous occasions. More often than not, the parked cars we were suspicious of ended up being people with car trouble. However, the last one was a convicted felon with multiple firearms, a poached deer and drugs. One never knows.

Call the law. Don't take it into your own hands.

This has been a constant problem for us over the years.

A couple years ago, some of our cows got out. Looking for where they escaped I found our fence cut with 4-wheeler tracks leading to a pile of deer entrails.

Years ago, I put up "hunting by permission only" signs but I caught this guy hunting that said he had permission. I said from who? He said the owner. I said I am the owner. He then said goodbye, jumped on his dirt-bike and left. Dirt bikes don't require a license plate. Since then I just put up no trespassing signs even though it is a hassle. You have to post one at the county courthouse to make it legal. You have to put it up high enough that the perp doesn't tear it down. They still blast it with a shotgun.

The problem in my home state of NC is the perpetrator has the law on there side. I've called the law, knowing a hunter was on his stand. When the law showed up the access road was visible and the perp climbed on his dirt bike and ran like hell.

Once I threw out some old decking boards on the other side of the fence that didn't have the nails bent over at previously used crossing places where the fence had been cut multiple times. The boards were still on my land.

Another time I bulldozed cedar trees to the easy/likely places. For those who don't know cedar trees are full of stickies and just about impossible to climb through.

I hate the sons of bitches. One part of my place has about a mile and a half of gravel road in a creek bottom, spotlighters love to spotlight my hay fields. Game Warden caught 4 different guys in one weekend, all if them went to jail and it sort of slowed the activity down for a while. It's not unheard of for a "found" pick up or 4 wheeler to develop flat tires, a broken block or catch fire around our area.