One day last week I saw an unfamiliar pickup turn and head up the lane that goes back to my ponds. There are a couple of houses on this lane that could've been its destination, but I watched it go on by those and disappear over the crest of the hill towards my property. When it hadn't reappeared after a few minutes there was nothing to do except lock up the shop, jump in the truck and head over to take a look. Going to the house and picking up a firearm first, never entered my mind.
When I got over there they were headed back up the hill on their way out, so I just pulled over and waited. Turns out they used to camp there almost 40 years ago, and were just curious about what might have happened to the place since then. They were quite pleasant and apologized over and over again for wandering in. It was no big deal to me.
I've run trespassers off in the past during deer season who were carrying firearms, when I wasn't, and never had any problems. Maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe things are just different around my part of the country, I don't know.
