Raccoon hunters passing through

[General Lee]

I'm sitting down this evening eating supper and my dogs are going nuts. I poke my head out the door and can hear what sounds like some coon dogs trailing or treeing a raccoon.

Then I see about about 4 flashlights in the woods on my property. I yell to them to get off my property and they respond with "We're just getting our dogs". I said make it quick and I sat back down. As time goes on I can still hear their dogs so I go outside and it sounds like the dogs on now off my property but the hunters are still on mine.

Now since hunters are armed, I got my own protection and slipped in the dark woods a little closer to them. Without revealing myself, I ask if they are raccoon hunting and they said yes. I then told them if they don't have enough property to contain their dogs maybe they shouldn't hunt in this area. One of them responded, "I can't control my dogs on where they run". I again repeated what I said about having enough property.

I then told them, this is as nice as I'm going to be and they have seconds to get off my land. As this point they are shining their lights trying to find me and one of them says he wants to talk. I told them there will be no talking to just keep walking. They said fine and finally left.

Just another example of someone having no respect for others property. I may be wrong in my thinking, but I know raccoon hunting needs a large area and they entered 3 other properties during this hunt. I know the other property owners and know they didn't have permission to hunt and I know which property they started the hunt on (which they probably did have permission).

My opinion is ask and you may receive or if there is a chance the dogs may tree a raccoon on someone else's property, maybe you shouldn't hunt that area.

 

[300UGUY]

I had coon hunters on my property, years ago. Middle of the night, my dogs are going nuts, and I go outside in my jammies to see what the ruckus is. Darn near got run over by a neighbor, a tall skinny guy with kneeboots and a .22 rifle in his hand. He apologised for distrubing us, and told me he was coon hunting. As his dogs were well off my property, I told him goodnight, good luck, and went back inside. One of my stranger neighbors, the guy lived about a mile away, in a house that looked to be falling down. The dogs lived in kennels built into the crawl space of the house. Place had to freaking reek in hot weather. Never talked to the neighbor again, but occasionally heard his dogs in the area. When they get a coon treed, they sound like somebody has their nuts in a vise.

 

[whistlepig]

I have coon hunted myself and didn't mind coon hunters on my property at all until one night some coon hunters cut my fence to let their dogs through and let my livestock out. I love to hunt but can't get permission to hunt from anyone. It's not that hard to figure it out.

 

[General Lee]

I have coon hunted myself and didn't mind coon hunters on my property at all until one night some coon hunters cut my fence to let their dogs through and let my livestock out. I love to hunt but can't get permission to hunt from anyone. It's not that hard to figure it out.

This is what I'm trying to avoid, damage to my property. I don't the mind the coon hunting. I guess I was brought up different. If I was coon hunting and knew there was a possibility my dogs would trail a coon onto someone's property, I would ask ahead of time if it would be ok. If they were honestly trying to find a lost dog, I'd be fine with them passing through. They were hunting and their dog(s) had a coon treed somewhere other than where they were supposed to be.

I wanted to let them know it was not cool what they were doing.

 

[lockhaven]

I actually miss hearing the coon hunters around here, a few less coons are always a good thing.

 

[Hollow]

Trespassing is trespassing, it doesn't matter if they were chasing a dog or not. For all you now they were using it as an excuse to scope out your place so they can come back and relieve you of some of your belongings. I wouldn't tolerate it ether.

 

[whistlepig]

Having a little land is a gift. Not so easy to have these days. Takes some work to take care of. I would be more than happy to share my land. I have had others do this for me. But kindness these days seems to be taken as a weakness.

 

[nelsond7004]

This past hunting season has kept my nerves on end. I am a hunter myself, I don't coon hunt, but I have stayed outraged at the coon hunters lack of respect for land owners property here in Southwest Virginia. I had a run in that could have turned nasty this passed season. I am thankful it ended the way it did.

Unless I am misinterpreting Virginia law, there isn't much I can do. The way the law reads is that a coon hunter can come on my land and retrieve their dogs with or without my permission as long as they don't carry a firearm. But you and I know that some hunters will. It is a constant battle with the coon hunters that use this as an excuse to keep crossing my property.

I have worked hard to have what I have and my family farm is my own personal sanctuary for hunting and recreation. Its hard to find good hunting territory and now others want to invade it.

I don't know what the answer is, but I am afraid respect for others property and boundaries are over.

 

[whistlepig]

I am not the one to bash hunters here. Being a hunter when I was a child was an important responsibility. We were taught to act like professionals and respect the land that was given to us to hunt. It seems these days that asking someone to close a gate after they go through appears to be rocket science. I fear that the respect for the land is becoming forever gone.

 

[Scooby074]

Wait, They can hunt at night, with lights?

Holy... even thinking about that here could get your guns and vehicle confiscated

There is an exemption for licensed, professional trappers i believe, but thats it. Same for suppressors and IR.