# Any rules on "Glassing" someone's property?



## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

Odd question here... and a bit of a long story...

I bought a house on 10 acres on a dead end road. I am one of 4 houses on the road which is about 3/4 miles in total including a small shorter dead end road off mine. 2 houses are on the short section with 20 acres each and me and another guy are the only ones on a longer section. I believe he owns all the property other than mine. So there is A LOT of open area between my house and the next closest house. The roads (mine and the other short dead end off of it) are both paved and come off a country dirt road with all private property for as far as you can see. No state land anywhere.

Long story short...well... Long.. deer tend to congregate on my property as I back up to a small branch of a river and behind that is a swampy area. 

I am an avid, responsible deer hunter but I have an issue. 
Over the course of the past few weeks, I have had more than a few vehicles driving down my somewhat secluded dead end road, stopping in front of my property, and using binoculars to glass my 10 acres. I am only annoyed with this because they stop in an area that is in a direct line to my living room windows and they are using binoculars. We have two small children, one of which my wife is nursing. 

This bothers me as I feel it is a blatant disregard for my privacy and, as a deer hunter myself, I would never think of glassing a 10 acre property with a house on it... Literally, these people sit in front of my house almost nightly with binoculars. Same few vehicles.

Finally, the other night I confronted one of these vehicles. He saw me come out of the house and quickly decided it was best to move on from where he was stopped. He moved to the end of the street where he sat with his headlights shining on an open field (also private property). I jumped on the quad and headed down there to talk with him. 

Asked him if I could help him (Another guy in the truck as well)... "Nope"
Asked what his business was driving a dead end road and stopping several times a week glassing in front of my house... "looking at deer"
Told him that I didn't appreciate him stopping in front of my house with binoculars on a regular basis as feel it was an invasion of my privacy, have a young family, and wasn't sure of his intentions. Looking or looking to shoot...? He then started to raise his voice with a very confrontational tone..."Who the He** are you?? "We are responsible hunters and hunt 340 acres Northeast of here looking at what is in the area." 
Then we had a bit of an exchange regarding his intentions and that was it... Nothing terrible... 
He then started driving away and I followed him and pulled in my driveway.

Like I said, this guy is one of two or three vehicles I see. Dead end street (paved) with hardly any traffic. 3-5 vehicles a day from the residents of this street.. 

Would you be a bit bothered by this? My thought is that these guys may not be doing anything illegal (I don't make a habit of harassing hunters), but it is a creepy and just odd... Plus, this guy has half a section of property to hunt and he is worried about what is on my 10 acres? claiming he is "taking a look at what is in the area" That doesn't make a lot of sense.... If he isn't permitted to hunt on my property or the adjacent ones, what is he hoping to accomplish? 

Thoughts?

Thanks!


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

Perfectly legal, and common. About the only option you have to stop this is to plant a screen.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

plugger said:


> Perfectly legal, and common. About the only option you have to stop this is to plant a screen.


Thanks... I kinda figured that would be my option. Unfortunately, for me, my property is situated in such a way that I have a lot of "side lot" which consists of uncut fields and small clumps of tress. It would be quite a bit of labor and money to plant anything that would block the view..

Another thing I forgot to mention is that a neighboring property owner (Not on my road but a 1/2 miles down the dirt road) warned me of poachers/trespassers in the area. He advised that he has had issues with people "road hunting" for antlers and leaving the headless carcass. My fear is that someone decides to shoot from their vehicle at something on my property near my house... If that happens, there will be major problems.

I do appreciate the response!


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Check your local soil conservation district a screen of white pine would be fairly cheap .


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Yep plant pine trees. I'd look at spruce or a mixture of white pine and spruce. If you have a good deer population, they will eat the white pine.
It'll be work but not much worth having comes easy.


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

Thirty pointer said:


> Check your local soil conservation district a screen of white pine would be fairly cheap .


I didn't like looking at my neighbors junk and I wanted a wind break when I built my house 16 years ago. I bought a crate of 500 white pines from our soil conservation district for around $200. Those pines are close to 20' tall now.


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## Dish7 (Apr 2, 2017)

I planted 50 white pines once and the deer ate every one of them until there was just a small nub left. If you have good deer density you may have to protect them. I'd go with spruce.


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## Bucman (Jun 29, 2016)

I second the screen. pines with autumn olives work great and fast.
Sorgum or sunflowers also in the spring to start.Good luck


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

MIoutdoorsjunkie said:


> Odd question here... and a bit of a long story...
> 
> I bought a house on 10 acres on a dead end road. I am one of 4 houses on the road which is about 3/4 miles in total including a small shorter dead end road off mine. 2 houses are on the short section with 20 acres each and me and another guy are the only ones on a longer section. I believe he owns all the property other than mine. So there is A LOT of open area between my house and the next closest house. The roads (mine and the other short dead end off of it) are both paved and come off a country dirt road with all private property for as far as you can see. No state land anywhere.
> 
> ...


Is there any possibility of getting the road converted to a private road?
Get with your neighbors and park a ways behind the vehicles to let them know they are being watched. Take pictures of the vehicles and license plates in case anything happens on the properties. You can't be accused of harassing hunters if they do not have permission to hunt any of these properties.
Get together with your neighbors and have everyone give everyone else written permission to act as their agent for the purpose of dealing with trespassers.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

The solution is obvious. No deer no sightseers. Spook the deer every time the viewers show up. They will tire of the game before you do. 
Spruce makes a far better screen than pines. Grows faster plus it maintains their lower branches.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

petronius said:


> Is there any possibility of getting the road converted to a private road?
> Get with your neighbors and park a ways behind the vehicles to let them know they are being watched. Take pictures of the vehicles and license plates in case anything happens on the properties. You can't be accused of harassing hunters if they do not have permission to hunt any of these properties.
> Get together with your neighbors and have everyone give everyone else written permission to act as their agent for the purpose of dealing with trespassers.


Thanks for the suggestions... I am a new resident so maybe the others are just used to this type of thing when the season rolls around and/or it doesn't bother them. I will say I am the only house on the main stretch that is exposed. The guy at the end is built up on a hill quite a ways from the road. I will speak with my neighbor and see if they too have the same concerns then will formulate some sort of plan. However, being the new guy, I don't want to start a big mess. If others see no problem, then I will just leave it alone and start planting some strategically placed pines next spring. 

The only reason i think the road isn't considered "Private" is because the county maintains the road. If it were private, the 4 residents would need to plow snow, make road repairs etc.

Thanks!


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

MIoutdoorsjunkie said:


> Thanks for the suggestions... I am a new resident so maybe the others are just used to this type of thing when the season rolls around and/or it doesn't bother them. I will say I am the only house on the main stretch that is exposed. The guy at the end is built up on a hill quite a ways from the road. I will speak with my neighbor and see if they too have the same concerns then will formulate some sort of plan. However, being the new guy, I don't want to start a big mess. If others see no problem, then I will just leave it alone and start planting some strategically placed pines next spring.
> 
> The only reason i think the road isn't considered "Private" is because the county maintains the road. If it were private, the 4 residents would need to plow snow, make road repairs etc.
> 
> Thanks!


I thought about the maintenance issue after I posted. That would be a big expense.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

Luv2hunteup said:


> The solution is obvious. No deer no sightseers. Spook the deer every time the viewers show up. They will tire of the game before you do.
> Spruce makes a far better screen than pines. Grows faster plus it maintains their lower branches.


Good suggestion.. Any recommendations regarding spruce varieties? I have had terrible luck with Blue Spruce developing something called "Needle cast" and losing half, most, or all of their needles over time.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Norway or white spruce makes a great visual screen. Mine is a little over 20 years old. Close to 40' high. Both sides.


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

OP. Sounds like you have a nice place. While you are waiting for your screen to grow. Why don't you just come out on the front porch when they show up and sit down and watch them through your binoculars. See how they like it.


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## high brass (Dec 28, 2010)

MIoutdoorsjunkie said:


> Good suggestion.. Any recommendations regarding spruce varieties? I have had terrible luck with Blue Spruce developing something called "Needle cast" and losing half, most, or all of their needles over time.


I would recommend Norways. Needle cast is a big problem for Blue Spruce [Colorados] but Whites are susceptible to it as well. Norways look good and are faster growers, but they get huge, so make sure you give them enough room.


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## Bucman (Jun 29, 2016)

MIoutdoorsjunkie said:


> Good suggestion.. Any recommendations regarding spruce varieties? I have had terrible luck with Blue Spruce developing something called "Needle cast" and losing half, most, or all of their needles over time.


Douglas fir


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Take pictures of their license plate. Anyone that parks in front of my house to glass my fields gets their picture taken. Don't like it, stop somewhere else to look at the fields and stop jack lighting my house while you do it.


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

Nostromo said:


> OP. Sounds like you have a nice place. While you are waiting for your screen to grow. Why don't you just come out on the front porch when they show up and sit down and watch them through your binoculars. See how they like it.


I would do this and make sure they see you taking pictures of them. then you could also have a chat with the local CO about it, with pictures.


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## The Rev. (Apr 13, 2010)

Call the cops and tell them you got a creeper watching the kids


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