Keeping Hunters & Snowmobilers Off Land (house, buy, moving)

[Li'lBeaver]

Originally Posted by my54ford

Good luck with that!!!! They just get torn down. I suggest learning to accept the things you cannot change. Especially the farther North you go. I actually tend to see your point but you'll be hard pressed to control a large tract of land with signs. WARNING! Do not think you can get away with a cable or fence to stop ATV's or Snowmobiles. You'll hurt or kill someone then it's all over but the crying....As you clean out your life saveings...

While you may be right I do not agree with just anybody having the right to use and abuse what someone else has spent good hard earned dollars to buy.
The MinneSOTa legislature needs to get the guts to legislate Harsh Penalties on those who refuse to respect others property, Then the law enforcement agencies including the DNR need to agressively enforce the laws as on the books. There is too much "Looking The Other Way" if the violator happens to be a friend or nighbor. For people to get along together the laws MUST APPLY TO EVERYBODY EQUALLY!

I am sorry if I have stepped on some toes up here but I simply refuse to accept being lied to, stabbed in the back, and used as a door mat for these types of people.

Moderator cut: Do not single out specific ethnic/racial groups in this manner

[JenLee]

My sister and her hubby live in NW Minnesota and have about 50 wooded acres along a river. They have it posted for No Hunting and No Trespassing; and a few of the young yokels ignored the signage. My sister spoke to the local sheriff; and once the sheriff caught the trespassers and fined them (according to the local laws) they have had no further problems.

I don't know if others here have used the local authorities appropriately, but it worked for my sister and her husband.

[zach71]

Originally Posted by rhartong

My husband and I are considering the purchase of a retirement/vacation home in northern Minnesota on 20 or more acres of land. For a variety of reasons, we don't want hunters or snowmobilers using the property. I understand that when land ownership changes hands, things can get unpleasant if people already living in the area have become accustomed to hunting or snowmobiling on the property and suddenly find themselves unwelcome. I don't want bad relations with my new neighbors -- but neither do I want to feel like I have to compromise on this. I'm wondering about the effectiveness of "no hunting - no trespassing" signs. Do any of you now living in rural areas have experience with this sort of thing? I understand that hunting and snowmobiling are a BIG deal in northern Minnesota!

Thanks for any ideas any of you might have.

I think you'll be fine putting the signs up. I grew up both hunting and snowmobiling and when I saw a sign stressing the fact that the owners of the land didn't want people on their property, I respected that. I never even gave it a second thought as there are 84,000 square miles in Minnesota and if someone doesn't want me on their land, there are plenty of other places to go! I didn't consider it a problem at all and always figured if someone spends their hard earned on a piece of land, it needs to be respected. That's what America is about, your home and land is yours, you paid for it and can do with it what you please.

[marmac]

it is a lot easier keeping hunters off your land than snowmobilers.

The biggest reason is hunters don't hunt at night and a snowmobile can drive faster than a hunter can run to evade identifying

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by MapGuy

Two words: Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire fences are not difficult for hunters to cross. They might keep snowmobiles out though. I cross them all the time on my grandparents farm.

[my54ford]

Originally Posted by MapGuy

Two words: Barbed Wire

good way to end up in jail or sued till your broke. You have to remember that snowmobiling is a tourist industry in this state. It's not always the locals the ride around! Also remember the road ditch is not your property (9 times out of 10) Everyone has the right to use it to some extent. If you string a wire across the ditch your looking for trouble.

[marmac]

A heck of a lot more property owners know the definition of--road ditch-- than do snowmobilers. To many snowmobilers, road ditch means anywhere from 66ft from the center of the road to 50 yards from the center of the road.
The hwy by me is evident by the snowmobile paths. To many snowmobilers the legal definition of "ditch" is----------"amywhere I feel like riding "

[my54ford]

Originally Posted by marmac

A heck of a lot more property owners know the definition of--road ditch-- than do snowmobilers. To many snowmobilers, road ditch means anywhere from 66ft from the center of the road to 50 yards from the center of the road.
The hwy by me is evident by the snowmobile paths. To many snowmobilers the legal definition of "ditch" is----------"amywhere I feel like riding "

Yes thats a valid point. Hey I'd be just as mad as anybody if the ride through my place!!! I think most riders will respect signs but there will always be those few that don't. Just like clowns that drive in the left lane all the time... What are you going to do start shooting? Thats why I first posted: you just have to suck it up! IT's gonna happen......

[JenLee]

Re: the barbed wire or any wire fences: if a snowmobiler drives at 60 MPH after drinking and hits a wire fence; they will end up with body parts missing or possibly decapitated. If that property is well-marked for No Trespassing at the beginning of the winter and all the local authorities are aware of it; I doubt if the Darwin Award winner or his family would have any recourse. But definitely check with the local law on that.

As a nurse many years ago I saw a drunken snowmobiler lose an arm hitting a wire fence. What's worse, I was told the fence had been highly marked with fluttering ribbons or tape between every post; the guy was just a drunken idiot.

[sarahrose]

I say mark your property clearly, and if you still have issues , do what the one woman did and call the police. My dad had to deal with this constantly, then after a while, he posted signs that said tresspassers will be shot, and he never had another issue............and no, he would NOT have shot anyone, but it worked.