# Preventing snowmobile tresspassers



## Munsterlndr (Oct 16, 2004)

Anybody have any ideas that have worked for keeping snowmobiles off of your property in the winter?

I have a 40 acre parcel that I hunt on but don't live on, and there are snowmobile tracks all over the place. I'm not that concerned this year (except for possible liability) but I'm planning on planting a number of trees this spring and creating several food plots and don't want them torn up next year. Also. part of the property is cedar swamp that the deer are wintering in and I don't want anything to push the deer off of my property.

The property is clearly posted and the driveway is gated but they just go around the gate. I did not have any problem with foot traffic or atv's tresspassing during hunting season but snowmobilers seem to think that tresspassing laws don't apply to them. Btw, I'm surrounded by private land and the adjacent landowners don't allow snowmobilers, either but they have just kind of thrown up their hands and live with it.

Any words of wisdom?

_________________________________
Munsterlndr
Curmudgeon in Training


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## Bwana (Sep 28, 2004)

Munsterlndr said:


> Any words of wisdom?


-How about a fence.

-How about some "trail cams" in frequently violated areas to try and get some pictures. If you can make out the numbers on the sled you can report to police and try to prosecute. I would bet the guys that snomobile in a particular area are probably buddies. So one attempted prosecution may go a long way.

-You could "construct habitat" that is not snow mobile friendly. Examples, mass plantings of evergreens, hinge cutting along property line, logging on borders, brushpiles...etc. This will take longer but may be a good idea as people will think twice about running their snowmobile through an area that is so thick they will scratch their sled and possibly impale themselves.


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## GrizzlyBear (Apr 27, 2003)

Is a ditch feasible? Many of the landowners by us who have had similar problems have installed ditches to prevent the problem. If the ditch is wide and deep enough, it should prevent them from coming on the property. Not sure if its applicable, but it works well in the right situation.

Evergreens would work as well, but if planted as small transplants, the snowmobilers would go right over them. It might be an expensive way to try to remedy the problem if they kill some of the trees. I would opt for the brush piles before the evergreens. Seems like it would be more effective, and cheaper too. Good luck with whatever you choose.


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## davidshane (Feb 29, 2004)

BUCK SHOT!

Trespasser are going to have to learn. Since our state does little to protect the rights of landowners, sometimes you just have to take things into you own hands. 

Ofcoarse I'm just kidding; however, I do feel your pain!


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## hartman886 (Aug 29, 2004)

A lot depends on how far you live from the property. My probelms were on property I live on. Fences work but get torn down. brush piles work till the snow gets deep. Patroling works but to get #'s is hard. Being an a-- works but your sticking your neck out. calling the law works but takes call after call after call.
Yes my problem has been taken care of but it took several years and took doing every one of those things I have listed. If you can start now with whatever you can and KEEP TRYING. My problem got better year by year.
chris


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## farm hunter (Sep 6, 2004)

How About approaching the local club - and giving them permission to cross the property - on marked, trimmed and maintained trails. Make it clear that wandering off the trails would result in their being responsible for liablities and would probably result in you not letting them cross the property anymore.

This worked for us. In fact - now the local club kind of keeps track of the property - and makes sure no one wanders. Also, our camp is 2 miles in - their trails give me easy access on foot or by skiing in. They also trim our main road back in. 

Just a thought?

FH


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I like this idea....

http://www.pasty.com/discus/messages/713/736.html#PN

Ok, I've gotta give credit for that find to Garden Bay. He found it and posted that link on another site. But I thought it fit right in with this thread.  :lol:


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Every year I have snowmobile trespassers and every year the neigbors always get the same warnings. We had snow three weeks ago and I followed the tracks to pinpoint the problem neighbor. He went across my land and on to two other private lands. I contacted the other private landowners and apologized that the problem snowmobile came through my proberty, but absolutely had no permission. With this week storm I called Sunday and confirmed talking with the father that his grown son was the snowmobile trespasser. I again stressed absolutely no sowmobiles allowed, period!

My real problem is "retaliation". If I call the CO there will be retaliation. This is just as my boat and canoe were stolen by steelhead trespassers and my deer stands vandalized and deer shot and left by deer violators. When I had my habitat cutting done this fall the father of the snowmobiler was caught trespassing by my partner at 4:45pm after the loggers went home at 4:00pm.

On the front drive the snowmobilers knock down my driveway entrance mounds. I put up pink flagging as a fence, but they drive right through the soft fence..... ha ha ha ha. I'm not allowed to put up a good fence because of liability.

I'm in favor of the snowmobile license, but what good is the license if we're not allowed to shoot snowmobiles? :evil:


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## Ju30-30 (Mar 7, 2001)

Would you be allowed to put up a string of barbed wire about neck high on your property line?


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## wecker20 (Mar 10, 2004)

And us snowmobilers wonder why our trail system is in jeopordy of getting smaller. Laws are getting strickter. It's because of the few, or a lot, that don't respect others property. Sorry to hear this happening as often as it does. The recreational tresspassing ticket is getting pretty steep too.


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## mike hartges (Jun 9, 2003)

I used to have trespassing problems with snowmobiles and atv's. We put up 1000 feet of field fence along the road and the trespassing problems stopped. It was a lot of work and it cost some cash, but I'm sure glad we made the investment.


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## jig head (Jan 13, 2003)

I am a snowmobiler also.

I have them tresspassing on my land also.
please dont let a few a__hole snowmobilers ruin it for the rest of us myself I would never go on someone elses property without permision


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## Munsterlndr (Oct 16, 2004)

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I guess my best bet is going to be a combination of fence and screens of evergreens. I have over 700' of road frontage that will have to be fenced so it will be expensive. Money I would rather put into habitat improvement.

I liked the ditch idea but there is already about a 5' ditch along the road but the county plows fill it in with snow so it does not pose much of an obstacle.

Concerning the buckshot and the barbed wire fences, don't tempt me! Somebody else suggested land mines just to make it a little more sporting.:lol: 

As far as just giving them permission, I guess I don't understand this concept. let's see, someone intentionally breaks the law so I'm going to reward them? Should I do this with poachers, too? Sorry, I don't agree with this one. I understand that you suggested only allowing them on clearly marked trails but it's been my experience that once you allow some access, the next guy is going to say "gee, we thought it was ok because we saw other tracks" and the problem will just get worse. I just don't understand why people think it's ok to trespass on posted private property.

Thanks again for the input.

___________________________________
Munsterlndr
Curmudgeon in Training


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## wagoneer (Nov 22, 2004)

I was worried about that kind of thing as I just got 40 acres myself. So far no problems, but I am still looking.

One option I heard that I like is to make the property really look like someone who cares (and might be checking up on it) owns it. Post it with good quality signs and make sure your gate is 'professional looking'. The only true way to keep them out though is to block where they are going in. I would suggest getting evergreens as large as you can afford. If you can't afford nearly the amount that will be needed, I'd start laying out brushpiles.

If you do plant tress, make sure to use a very strong, visible stake, like 2x2" wood or in tree tubes. It would help to plant randomly as well, so they can't predict where the stakes will be. That may start to discourage them.

Also, a trail cam may not lead to reading the numbers and a tresspass conviction, but it may give you an idea of when they tresspass. You might be able to take a vacation day or two and stop by at that time, or ask the local authorities to do a drive-by.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

Munsterlndr,

Sorry to hear your having issues with snowmobilers. We're not such a bad bunch but just like hunting, fishing and ATV'ing there are a few that try to give us all a bad name and reputation.

As far as a fence I have an idea that we implemented not because of snowmobilers but as an alternative to expensive fencing. We have 600 acres to surround and instead of using a conventional "fence" or barbed wire we are currenty using "used" well pipe and hi-tinsel fence wire. 

One suggestion; We were having "issues" with a couple of our neighbors in regards to were the lines were in relation to some of there hunting blinds and shooting lanes. I'd suggest that you make sure you know were your lines are before you start putting up any kind of fence. We made our intensions clear to our neighbors by asking each of them (3) if they were interested in "particapating" in the cost of a survey of our lines, then advised them after this was done we planned on "marking" that line to prevent any further disputes between us and them.

We got the used 1" & 2" well pipe from a local well driller. Its the "drop" pipe that go's into a 4 to 6" wells that use a submercible pump. These pipes have to be periodicly changed and is usually plentiful. We actually got all we wanted for free! We did pay his son to cut the sometimes 18' lengths into 6 to 8' lengths. We've gotten over 500 so far and will be going back for more this spring! Standing on the tailgate of a pickup we use slide hammers to install them down to 4' every 30 to 40 feet, setting up "brace" points every 150 foot or so, and at the corners. We then run the tinsel wire (*purchased from Farm & Fleet and Tractor Supply.) along the line and attach it with aluminum (clothes line) wire to the pipe. Another "cheap" alternative to buying signs; We made up a couple of stencils and spray paint our "notice" onto pieces of scrap aluminum/vynal siding and attach those at every other post. If your concerned with someone not seeing your "fence" you can hit the top of each post with some "hi-vis" paint. This cheap but effective "fence" now gives us our lines and has helped prevent further conflicts with a couple of our "neighbors". 

Good Luck!


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2005)

Munsterlndr,

Good luck. Been there. Struggled with that. Gave up...

The problem I have is that I'm a snowmobiler myself, and I make tracks coming in and going out of my property. Someone else said it earlier that snowmobilers seem to think that if someone else rides there then it is okay. So they just follow the my tracks onto my property. One saturday afternoon about 5 years ago I had a group of 22 sleds ride within 10' of my cabin which is a mile off of the road. I struggled with it for a while and then just gave up. So far they havn't caused any problems, havn't damaged anything, and they don't seem to bother the deer. Don't get me wrong, I'm still ticked that they think they can trespass anywhere they want but I'm not going to take any further action until some damage is done.... then, watch out...


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

Question, coming from someone who has lowlife human sewage (no, I do not, and will not, apologize for calling them anything else) trespassing with snowmobiles on my property (on which I do not live) every winter - is there anything that one could do that would cause damage to their machines, yet not physically damage the operator? Looking for creative ideas here. Something like driving a spike into the ground in snowmobile "runways", etc. 

Catching these guys red-handed would be almost impossible.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2005)

Personally, I will not attempt to do something to damage the snowmobiles. No matter what I could do there is always a chance that somebody will get hurt. It doesn't matter if they are trespassing or not, you'll still get sued...


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## wecker20 (Mar 10, 2004)

We let sleds ride our property but tell the atv neighbors to stay on the 2-tracks because of farming the hay from the fields. The land behind my house I stay off of because of seedlings planted. Haven't had anyone ride back there but if they do, I'll post signs stating why I do not want sleds here. Everyone that rides this area knows me or my dad so it isn't a big deal or hassle. The gates are locked until the snow flies. Then we open them up.


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## brokenarrow (Oct 6, 2003)

I am not a snowmobiler, never have. I let the club put one trail thru my land and it became two trails after they carefully asked me for the opportunity. They put up a gate on the road also for off season.
The one point I wanted to make is that the trails are sometimes very benifitial in heavy snow periods. I have seen where they walk off the trail in belly deep snow only to come right back to it. 
The trails I have run right thru 2 of my plots. So far they shut the trail down before any damage happens and they dont open it till enough snow is there. That would not apply in your case since they more than likely are on your land cause the trails are not open?


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