New Milford, CT Poacher

[dts52]

Hopefully this guy isn't a TNet'r. If he is and you are reading this, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You are a slob and a poacher and you nearly cost me a new permission that I haven't had the chance to hunt yet.

I got permission to hunt this farm in August and have been saving it as a sort of "last hurrah" for the season as our ground is freezing up pretty fast here. When I called the land owner today to let him know I'd be there Friday morning he told me that last week a MD'r interrupted the deer hunt of him and two guests. When confronted, the guy with the MD'r told him that since the land wasn't posted, he thought it was open to MDing. BS! Boy, does that pi$$ me off! Everyone knows how stupid that sounds. My front yard isn't posted so does that mean anyone can come and MD there? Can you guess what would happen if you did?

I was eventually able to calm the property owner down after listening to a lot of comments about "you people" (meaning MD'rs) and the nerve, who do "you people" think you are, etc. etc. I was able to convince him that his trespasser was an exception and that almost no one hunts without specific permission. I told him that he should have called the police and had the guy arrested. He agreed but pointed out that the process would have ruined what was left of the day. He also mentioned that the guy was wearing no orange, just all brown and was in the field which was being hunted by 3 people with high-powered rifles. If this landowner wasn't someone who has known me for years, I'm sure he would have told me to go pound sand.

Number 1 rule: Only hunt where you have permission

Number 2 rule: If the property isn't posted with No Trespassing signs, refer to rule #1.

To the rest of you: HH
dts

 

[Kray Gelder]

Glad you saved your permission.

 

[against the wind]

Boy,, what a jerk!!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello dts52,

I'm glad you preserved your new permission.

Sadly, I see this all the time...people just go to a farm field and detect without permission. What is even worse is they leave a mess of unfilled holes and trash (cigs, cups, cans and food wrappers...etc.). I talk to all the farmers, get permission and yes even give them some of my finds; they usually do not want any. Since we are on this subject, people see someone detecting a field, so they think that they can just pull up, jump out and swing with no personal permission...this needs to stop! Lately, three of my farm permissions asked me "who are those people detecting over there?". I said, I have no idea; he stated "he is getting sick and tired of people just showing up on his land, trashing it and leaving"...not good for our hobby and future permissions.

GL & HH

Doc

 

[Ogre1190]

They're out there...and there needs to be posts like this...so those of us who promote and defend this hobby can be on the lookout for creeps like this. I'm very outgoing and inquisitive, and I'll normally stop when I see someone I don't know who's MDing in my area...never know when you can make a new friend. Last April, I saw someone I didn't know, swinging in an abandoned school I frequently hit. Stopped to introduce myself and as I walked closer, it looked like he had a herd of freaking gophers following him! Dozens and dozens of unfilled holes and dug plugs in a perfect trail behind him. I asked if those were his. He said "Yeah...this school closed last year. It's ok." Wrong answer. I told him to fill all the holes and reset all the plugs. He cracks, "What are you...a Cop?" Ding! I'm a retired LEO (36 yrs) and I pulled out my retired badge and said "Not anymore...but I know every Officer here in town and if you DONT fill those, I'll take a pic of you and your vehicle and go get one of them. The school district still OWNS this property and you'll find yourself facing a criminal damage to state-supported property charge!" (a real thing here in Illinois). As I pulled out my phone, he said, "Wait! I'm sorry...I'll fix them! I'll fix them!" And...he did. Every last one. Not afraid of confrontations. Never have been. Just don't like people who disrespect this hobby of ours and it make hard for the rest of us. 😠 Ok...rant over.

 

[A2coins]

Good job saving your permission. I had the same problem here in A2 took a while to resolve it..

 

[Terry Soloman]

I bet dollars to doughnuts it was a Connecticut MD'r named Craig. Glad you saved it!

 

[Iffy Signals]

Sorry about that. I forgot my orange vest in the truck

 

[dts52]

Hello dts52,

I'm glad you preserved your new permission.

Sadly, I see this all the time...people just go to a farm field and detect without permission. What is even worse is they leave a mess of unfilled holes and trash (cigs, cups, cans and food wrappers...etc.). I talk to all the farmers, get permission and yes even give them some of my finds; they usually do not want any. Since we are on this subject, people see someone detecting a field, so they think that they can just pull up, jump out and swing with no personal permission...this needs to stop! Lately, three of my farm permissions asked me "who are those people detecting over there?". I said, I have no idea; he stated "he is getting sick and tired of people just showing up on his land, trashing it and leaving"...not good for our hobby and future permissions.

GL & HH

Doc

I was a bird hunter back when I was younger and bad behavior did as much to kill that sport around here as the general anti-hunting sentiment. I had a number of permissions here in Connecticut and in New York which were closed down when people threw their trash on the ground, hunted without permission, left cattle gates open, violated various safety rules, etc. We all bemoan the loss of MDing sites but who can blame the landowners when there are people like this guy out there? Folks can see a dozen MD'rs who are ethical and respect the property without giving it much thought. They see one guy trespassing or trashing the place and they throw us all into the category of no-good slobs.
HH
dts

 

[sandchip]

And it ain't just metal detecting, but bottle digging, arrowhead hunting, you name it. There're worthless sh!theads in every hobby and in every state. Not only are permissions lost, but this type of behavior is one of the primary reasons we have restrictive laws in place now in many states.

 

[SD51]

Wow, that bozo carries his b$lls around in a wheelbarrow! Where's a hand grenade when you need one! Sorry, I've seen this crap my whole life and stopped bird hunting years ago because of turds like this. Wish someone got his license number so we could all just walk right into his house when he's having dinner and say, "Didn't see a No Trespassing Sign!"

 

[pulltabfelix]

maybe this poacher was not a home owner or land owner. It has been my experience that home or land owners tend to respect other's property. For me, it is simple I don't hunt private property regardless of signs or no signs being posted or not posted.
My exception are county, city, and state property that is laying fallow and has no signs about trespassing. Around my neck of the woods if a government entity does not what you trespassing they post that fact very clearly.

something similar happened to a fellow detectorist here in GA. He was long time friend of farm owner and hunted his property. For some reason the land owner opened the land to a local metal detecting club hunt. The results of a few club members, digging and not filling holes due to the competition to find the most in the least amount of time. Plus some of the members (probably the same ones) left junk they dug on the ground where they dug it along with the trash from their snacks and lunches. The farmer then closed his land to everyone including his friend.

I know a lot of part employees in the county parks since I walk my dog frequently and hunt in those parks. I tell them to call the county police when they see anyone digging and not covering their holes when metal detecting in the park.

For most of us it is just common sense to carefully cover holes like we have never been there and to remove all junk we find and above all not to litter the park. But there are the few jerks who thinks the rules don't apply to them? I guess these are the same guys who throw down cigarette butts, leave their can drink cans or plastic cups where they leave them. And what about the jerks who completely remove pop tops (designed to remain with the can) and drop them on the ground.

 

[dirtdigginfool]

We recently lost a GREAT farm permission, a site I dug my first (and only) KG...One Saturday this summer we hunted one field while waiting for the beans to come off the juicy field. This is a standing permission, the only rule is we have to contact the farmer before going. So after waiting what seemed like FOREVER, beans came off. We contact the farmer and he says no deal. He saw 4 or 5 vehicles in the field we were in the next day, with 10 or so bozos stumbling around with detectors. He thought that that was us, with friends, without notification. Seems someone saw us detecting and decided it was ok to drag their entire clan out there. Can you believe that out of TEN people detecting, not ONE door knocked of asked permission. Thanks guys!!! I hope they all dig nothing but pull tabs and can slaw for the rest of their detecting careers. This permission was a home run...even tho they didn't hunt the good site, they caused us to not be able to. I drove past that farm about every other day to check the beans, or lack thereof...only to get denied when they did come off. He might cool off and come around, we plan on contacting him this spring. Really, really blows my mind. Thx for listening to my rant...Ddf out.

 

[fistfulladirt]

Not detectorists, but I’m occasionally running trespassing deer hunters off my acreage, especially when they’re on a blood trail. Is it too much to knock and ask first? GMAB!

 

[SD51]

We recently lost a GREAT farm permission, a site I dug my first (and only) KG...One Saturday this summer we hunted one field while waiting for the beans to come off the juicy field. This is a standing permission, the only rule is we have to contact the farmer before going. So after waiting what seemed like FOREVER, beans came off. We contact the farmer and he says no deal. He saw 4 or 5 vehicles in the field we were in the next day, with 10 or so bozos stumbling around with detectors. He thought that that was us, with friends, without notification. Seems someone saw us detecting and decided it was ok to drag their entire clan out there. Can you believe that out of TEN people detecting, not ONE door knocked of asked permission. Thanks guys!!! I hope they all dig nothing but pull tabs and can slaw for the rest of their detecting careers. This permission was a home run...even tho they didn't hunt the good site, they caused us to not be able to. I drove past that farm about every other day to check the beans, or lack thereof...only to get denied when they did come off. He might cool off and come around, we plan on contacting him this spring. Really, really blows my mind. Thx for listening to my rant...Ddf out.

Just a thought... maybe a nice Christmas gift might help.

 

[dirtdigginfool]

Just a thought... maybe a nice Christmas gift might help.

Great idea SD...I'll pop over with some of the wife's home made cookies...he's had a few weeks to ponder the fact that we did no wrong. Ddf.

 

[dts52]

We recently lost a GREAT farm permission, a site I dug my first (and only) KG...One Saturday this summer we hunted one field while waiting for the beans to come off the juicy field. This is a standing permission, the only rule is we have to contact the farmer before going. So after waiting what seemed like FOREVER, beans came off. We contact the farmer and he says no deal. He saw 4 or 5 vehicles in the field we were in the next day, with 10 or so bozos stumbling around with detectors. He thought that that was us, with friends, without notification. Seems someone saw us detecting and decided it was ok to drag their entire clan out there. Can you believe that out of TEN people detecting, not ONE door knocked of asked permission. Thanks guys!!! I hope they all dig nothing but pull tabs and can slaw for the rest of their detecting careers. This permission was a home run...even tho they didn't hunt the good site, they caused us to not be able to. I drove past that farm about every other day to check the beans, or lack thereof...only to get denied when they did come off. He might cool off and come around, we plan on contacting him this spring. Really, really blows my mind. Thx for listening to my rant...Ddf out.

I hope he realizes it wasn't your fault and gives you permission again. If anyone is looking for a second income, I foresee a market for "new" No Trespassing signs. The new ones will say:

NO TRESPASSING, HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING

OR

METAL DETECTING!!!!!!

HH (For as long as it lasts)
dts

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Hopefully this guy isn't a TNet'r. If he is and you are reading this, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You are a slob and a poacher and you nearly cost me a new permission that I haven't had the chance to hunt yet.

I got permission to hunt this farm in August and have been saving it as a sort of "last hurrah" for the season as our ground is freezing up pretty fast here. When I called the land owner today to let him know I'd be there Friday morning he told me that last week a MD'r interrupted the deer hunt of him and two guests. When confronted, the guy with the MD'r told him that since the land wasn't posted, he thought it was open to MDing. BS! Boy, does that pi$$ me off! Everyone knows how stupid that sounds. My front yard isn't posted so does that mean anyone can come and MD there? Can you guess what would happen if you did?

I was eventually able to calm the property owner down after listening to a lot of comments about "you people" (meaning MD'rs) and the nerve, who do "you people" think you are, etc. etc. I was able to convince him that his trespasser was an exception and that almost no one hunts without specific permission. I told him that he should have called the police and had the guy arrested. He agreed but pointed out that the process would have ruined what was left of the day. He also mentioned that the guy was wearing no orange, just all brown and was in the field which was being hunted by 3 people with high-powered rifles. If this landowner wasn't someone who has known me for years, I'm sure he would have told me to go pound sand.

Number 1 rule: Only hunt where you have permission

Number 2 rule: If the property isn't posted with No Trespassing signs, refer to rule #1.

To the rest of you: HH
dts

Ahh..the old “there wasn’t any signs (so I figured I could take your stuff) excuse.
Heard that one used here numerous times.

 

[ripvanb]

yeah, there be a lot of jabronies here in CT.

 

[devldog]

Unfortunately the saying we all grew up hearing: "it Only Takes One" is true. Especially in our hobby. I'm glad you were able to keep your permission intact. All the hunters in these Jugheads area ought to learn their address and carry and unload All their Trash in their yard.