Thought it'd be interesting to discuss problems with trespassers and possible solutions. My buddy purchased a 3 and 1/2 acre pond about two years ago. He has no house on the property and thus can not always be there to watch it. There is a farm house within 200 yards of the pond, and you would think that most people driving by would assume the farm owns the pond and thus stay out.
However, last year there were several instances of trespassing, which involved litter, loud drunk campers at night, and so on. This year we know of at least three instances in which somebody was on the pond. None of these people have been caught yet, and the farmer next door refused to investigate possible trespassers for safety reasons, since this usualy occurs at night.
Anyway, we hung a locked chain across the gravel driveway going back to the pond a few weeks ago, complete with a no trespassing sign. The only possible way to get around this is by driving threw the neighbors yard, and sure enough somebody trashed their property last week to drive back there.
Finaly, this past Sunday I was fishing the pond with the pond owner and his wife when a vehicle pulled all the way back to the pond. Three guys drinking beer started to get out, ignoring the pond owner's wife. She aproached them and asked if she could help them and the driver responded "Oh, we're just here to do a little fishing", not even asking but telling her their intentions. She told them it was private property and to leave, at which point the driver got angry and said "You mean we aren't allowed to fish here?", like it was his right to do so. She then pointed over to me on the other side of the pond and said "Do you see that guy over there, he'll put a bullet in your rear (cleaned up for your reading pleasure) if he catches you out here again.
Anyway, there are a few points I wanted to make with this story. First, I can't believe that people have the guts to fish a pond when the house right next to it is the possible owner, and second that I can't believe they are so brazen as to simply pull up and fish while we are standing there. I'm guessing that the trespassers are locals who know that the pond owner doesn't live in the area, and am searching for ways to eliminate the problem. This Friday starts labor day weekend, so I plan to hide me and my truck in the pole barn just before dark, in the hopes of catching more of these people. If somebody shows up I plan to keep hidden and call the sheriff on my cell phone, as I want to bust these people for trespassing before they can get away. I figure word spreads fast, and if you simply kick them out then everybody knows you will only do that. However, if they get a nice $200 ticket for breaking the law then others might be warned that we meen business. Other ideas and options welcome, and I've love to hear your stories.
