# Dealing with crazy people



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

idiots and guns should never be allowed near each other. sadly, they often gravitate together and give responsible gun owners a bad name.

don't the traps have to have some kind of marker? If I were you, i'd ride only on set trails or roads . what a drag to have to deal with that.!


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## Msail (Jul 20, 2013)

The BEST way to protect yourself and your horse on trails during hunting season is to *WEAR LOTS OF ORANGE*. A lot of people around here wear crossing guard vests. This will make you stand out to the hunters and they will be less likely to just shoot. I've heard of dogs being shot in peoples yards in Alaska because the hunter thought they were "wolves". Unfortunately the world is full of trigger happy idiots who will shoot anything with four legs and fur. With the type of situation you're describing, I feel that something similar could happen. Hunter hears something large moving through the brush, thinks your horse is a deer, and shoots. If you wear bright, reflective orange, you will stand out through the trees. If I were you I would call the police and report hunters on land that should not be hunted on. They may not be able to catch the guy in that moment, but they will be able to monitor the area for more illegal activity. 

As for traps, they usually are not laid in places that have a lot of human activity. More commonly they are placed on tiny narrow rabbit trails and other things like that, but that doesn't mean you won't encounter them. Keep your eyes open and on the ground. Hunters usually don't have to disguise them well. It's not about the animal seeing the trap, because the animal doesn't understand what the trap does, it's about the animal seeing the bait and going_ over_ the trap, and then becoming trapped. Most animals in my experience aren't too wary of the trap til they're in it. I would be more concerned about my dog going for the bait and stepping on it than I would just happening to walk over one on your horse.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you could scare off the animals that they are trapping by , now this is a bit odd, collecting human urine and pouring a little hear and there. the critters will skeedaddle.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

most areas the traps really won't be a huge deal for the horse or the dogs.

if they are trapping coyote then it will grip your dog's leg but not meant to break anything and your horse would just destroy a trap by stepping on it unless they can trap bear in your area but that is very rare and you won't find people trapping bears along a main trail

as for disrespectful people, find out from the landowner if they are allowed to be there and if leave a tip for the game warden/local police that there are trespassers frequenting a certain road usually around a certain time


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

tinyliny said:


> you could scare off the animals that they are trapping by , now this is a bit odd, collecting human urine and pouring a little hear and there. the critters will skeedaddle.


I have really really REALLY advise against this. This is extremely rude and completely ridiculous in the eyes of trappers like myself and my family. If it is public land someone can trap there. 

We went through our line to find that someone had stuck a stick in all of our traps. We ended up catching the guy in the act. My father was going to knock him out if he hadn't had a small child with him. I couldn't believe he was teaching his children to disrespect others property in such a manner. At the time we were LIVING off of furs. Every dime of our income came from trapping and some ******* was going to completely destroy our livelihood. 

I've never seen anything larger than a deer get caught in a trap. And the deer would get caught because they would be sniffing out a doe with his head to the ground and put his head through the snare. We just released him. Bear traps are illegal now, and even kill traps are set in a way that a horse could never get his leg or head through.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

I've caught a few dogs in my traps, but we give ample warning to neighbours that we have a trap line set up some miles into the woods and to keep an eye on their dogs. Most dogs that far into the woods are chasing game- which is illegal, and here the rangers can shoot a dog at large. One neighbour a few years ago refused to bring his dog closer to home at our warning, said chasing deer was good exercise for him. Lo and behold, a week later the thing was stone cold dead in a connibear that was baited with deer trimmings. He was three miles into the woods, so we dropped him on the owners door step and told him, sorry for your luck.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Hunting seasons are pretty short, avoid areas where they hunt until the season is over. 

There isn't a practical solution that a drunk hunter and his drunkard buddies can't defy with pure stupidity. 

When I was a teenager a land owner defending his property got into a shootout with some drunks from Dallas who bought the property next to his and were shooting into his land. Fortunately, no people or animals were hurt. Guess they were all 5 beers into a six pack or something. 

I'm not anti-hunting in the least. Unfortunately, just like most things, there are plenty of idiots to go around and ruin it for the rest of us.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

During hunting season, I try to stick to the roads when I ride and avoid riding in heavily forested areas. I also wear bright colors. Fortunately I haven't had a problem with idiot-hunters, but they are out there. I've heard stories about those trigger happy drunkards...and figure it's better to be safe than sorry during hunting season.


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## Greenmeadows (May 8, 2016)

I am not anti hunter or trapper either, but these "hunter/trappers" ruin the game for the legal hunters. I have friends that hunt the right way, and have absolutely no problems with them at all. I usually know who has permission and who doesn't since my dad either farms the fields I ride in or knows the guy who does. Most of the time, they don't have permission. They trash the fields by leaving huge ruts in the mud, creating a lot more work for the farmers. And I hate how they run the coyotes until they can't run any more. That's not hunting, it's just cruelty. 

I do wear a orange vest when I think there's a possibility of hunting, but I can't even go out to the round pen when I know they're out there. I have even known of them to shoot at airplanes...which obviously are not deer. 

Coyote season lasts all winter long, unfortunately. That stinks the worst since they're usually the wildest. And the most drunk. 

The creek I was riding near is less than 1/8 of a mile from our house, and my dogs go down to it often by themselves. I am pretty sure there's not much game there unless one counts a grumpy old woodchuck and a handful of rabbits living in fear of two German Shepherds. Not too much else. Maybe a skunk or the occasional deer passing through. 
As for riding on roads, if they don't run me over, then a semi might. :sad:. Dad's fields are the safest place I've got. :sad: And they're not even that safe anymore. Stupid so-called hunters! Maybe I should paint my horse orange and put blinking lights on her, at least I'd be safe from the none drunks! 
The one idiot that was here today came flying in our drive, hitting road speed by the time he got to the field. Little kids play out there! They would have been hit if they were outside when he came! Living out in the country, one doesn't expect a freak to come flying at you driving 50-65 miles per hour in the backyard! This is the same fellow that purposely shot at his brother (who I think lived, but not sure), and trapped a lady's cats in the ditch by her house. Those poor cats died a terrible death. They're crazy!

I kind of have a guess when the wild ones will be out: after a snow, on the weekends, or on a holiday vacation time. The cops and DNR people are so busy, they can't catch all of them.:sad: Today was a surprise, though. Glad I wasn't riding at the time.


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## Greenmeadows (May 8, 2016)

That's good to know that the traps probably won't break any bones and that one could most likely see it before stepping on one. What a relief! I've never trapped anything and haven't tagged along with anyone who traps before, so I don't know much about it. But it sure is nerve racking! And as most can probably tell, I am almost as angry as I am scared of having something killed or injured by those maniacs!


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> I have really really REALLY advise against this. This is extremely rude and completely ridiculous in the eyes of trappers like myself and my family. If it is public land someone can trap there.
> 
> We went through our line to find that someone had stuck a stick in all of our traps. We ended up catching the guy in the act. My father was going to knock him out if he hadn't had a small child with him. I couldn't believe he was teaching his children to disrespect others property in such a manner. At the time we were LIVING off of furs. Every dime of our income came from trapping and some ******* was going to completely destroy our livelihood.
> 
> I've never seen anything larger than a deer get caught in a trap. And the deer would get caught because they would be sniffing out a doe with his head to the ground and put his head through the snare. We just released him. Bear traps are illegal now, and even kill traps are set in a way that a horse could never get his leg or head through.


A lot of people these days are so out of touch with reality that they don't understand how a steak gets to their table or how the leather on their belt got there.....and as a result have nothing but contempt for those who provide it for them.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

My husband hunts. I ride. We have to find a way to live together. During hunting season, I stay on our 13 acre property, it's that simple. We have it posted all over the place, which doesn't mean it's 100% safe, but no one SHOULD be hunting on it. My husband doesn't hunt on our land either - plenty of places to hunt further away from people and domestic animals. Still, when my daughter wanted to go riding at dusk the other day, I told her we'd have to stay in the paddock. Low light = poor visibility and I'm no taking the chance. 

I know it's no fun to be limited during hunting season, but for me, it's better to be safe than sorry. And I will add that there are far too many large dogs running loose and chasing deer for my taste. Not saying that's the case for your dogs, OP, but WhattaTroublemaker is right, if the owners can't control their dogs, then it's not the trapper's problem when they get caught. Dogs chasing deer is unacceptable. 

I'd suggest you stick to dirt roads or well-traveled trails if you're going to venture off-property during hunting season.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

Hunting season here too. And even though I have permission from farmers that farm the fields most of the land is leased land so we don't know who the owner told could come out and hunt. It is archery season here now and firearms starts in a couple of weeks. I usually lay low this time of year with my horse - orange vest or not - I pretty much stay out of the fields.

And if my dog went 1/8 of the mile from home to a creek - he would deserve to be shot or trapped. Dogs should stay in their yard. It is NEVER ok to let your dog roam away from home.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Greenmeadows said:


> Just a few days ago I was riding near a creek without too much thought, since no one was supposed to hunt or trap there, but then some dude comes up, driving crazy, to trap in that very same creek.


Take pictures of them with license plates and enough info to identify the location (a lot of cell phones will use GPS to put the location into the JPG metadata), and email them to your local game wardens.


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## Greenmeadows (May 8, 2016)

@Acadianartist No, my dogs don't chase deer for fun. They chase them off the property and that's it, if a deer is dumb enough to come that close. They're guard dogs, we got them to keep animals away. 

@carshon They visit the creek to mark territory or swim (more like sit in it since it's so shallow :lol on warm days and come back. For over twenty years, the landowner/farmer has been okay with our dogs doing that, and no one else had permission except a relative of his to hunt there . Unfortunately, after a phone call, we discovered that this crazy dude did get permission to be there.:-x We are, however, putting up an invisible fence anyway.

@jamesqf I know for sure that this one dude has already been in a lot of trouble for illegal trapping, but with the recent discovery that he has permission, I don't think I can do anything now. :-( The other guys are crazy enough to shoot me if I would be close enough to take a picture, or they'd retaliate somehow. Besides, they're going road speed though the fields. :-x They make me so mad! I could call 911 though when they are driving recklessly on the road. Maybe that would help...


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

May all your troubles be so small.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

We don't have a whole lot of land but, if there is one thing I cannot stand it is people who think because you have a lot of land they are welcome to it!

Since the burbs have spread out our way, we get trespassers occasionally. I don't know what the laws are in your state but here, you might be legally held at gunpoint for it; still people do it. 

Since it sounds like your problems are all happening on your family's property and not public lands... (did I misread?)

A post topped in purple, or a tree with a purple stripe on it is a legal way to mark boundaries and are akin to a no-trespassing sign. Other than clear markings to obviously mark property lines and posted no hunting signs, the only other thing I can suggest is putting up game cameras and posting signs saying that people are being recorded right under the no trespassing/hunting signs. 

Might make them think twice about breaking the law. If it's not your land though, not much you can do; that's up to the landowner.


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## Greenmeadows (May 8, 2016)

Reiningcatsanddogs said:


> We don't have a whole lot of land but, if there is one thing I cannot stand it is people who think because you have a lot of land they are welcome to it!
> 
> Since the burbs have spread out our way, we get trespassers occasionally. I don't know what the laws are in your state but here, you might be legally held at gunpoint for it; still people do it.
> 
> ...


Sorry, didn't mean to be confusing! It is a combination of land that my dad farms and land owned by another farmer, no public land involved. There are signs posted on my dad's farms that say reserved hunting (there are a few people that are allowed to hunt, but they are responsible and communicate when they will be hunting most of the time). I didn't know that about posts being topped in purple or the trees! Thanks!


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## equinesmitten (Sep 5, 2010)

I think hunters and horses will always be at odds. *sigh* If I had a dollar for every time my horses spooked at a new hunt tent that went up, I'd be a millionaire.  My favorite at odds moment was when my last boarding barn owner's soon to be ex husband hung a dead deer up on the tractor right outside of my horses' stalls...I thought they were scarred for life! I don't know about trapping though. That sounds like everyone on the property should have a plan. The last place I lived, we had good communication about hunting and horse work and that worked out really well.


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