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hunter harassment laws

S

simplyliving

New Member
Please hear me out on the reverse side of this issue. Then I would appreciate any comments or advice from ethical hunters.
I have a small rural acreage near some popular hunting areas. While I do not hunt personally, I have no issue with the hunting that goes on all around me except for one. A man who claims to be a hunter and uses the hunter harassment laws to hide behind, and twist, for his own purposes. He has threatened to shoot my dogs or have others shoot them, set out poison bait for them, killed my barn cats, rides an ATV down a public road and then around the edge of my property line, threatens me and my teen aged daughter, and sits in his truck in front of our place at dusk and dark with his lights off every night.
He has made numerous false reports to several legal agencies that I have violated hunter harassment laws. He claims this because my dogs have barked at him when he has driven his truck and ATV on an access drive that connects to my property and runs about 20ft from our house. He uses this drive to access the neighbor's field who had given him permission to hunt there. On their property, he has permanently placed three stands in a strip of trees that are barely over the 200 yard limit from my livestock. My dogs are simply doing their job by barking at strangers near our home. I have offered to him and his friends, several times over the last years, that if they would simply let me know when they were hunting, I would be happy to keep my dogs inside during that time. He has refused and scoffed at me for the suggestion.
He also claims I have violated the harassment laws because the deer no longer appear at his stands since they smell my dogs in "his" area. So why do I see numerous deer in the field around his stands, directly below his stands, and also all around my own property on a nightly basis?
I have never known this man to actually hunt in those stands. As far as I've known over the years, he's only used them to lease out to friends.
I keep my dogs confined in the house or barn at every time that I'm not home and have always done that. The exception is if my 13yr old daughter is home alone and I want the dogs with her if she goes outside the house for obvious safety issues.
I do not allow them in the area he is hunting, but I do take them with me around the neighboring hog confinement, where I am employed, to chase off rats, possums, skunks, and racoons that are a problem near the buildings, feed bins, and livestock compost. There have been times when they have run into the field after something, but I have always called them back when I've seen it. I do not "send" them near his stands or intentionally allow them to wander up there. I have sent them with my daughter when she goes for a walks around the area alone, again for safety reasons, but I don't allow her to do this during hunting season because it's too dangerous with the numerous amounts of hunters around us.

So, may I please ask all the legal hunters:

Have I violated the hunter harassment laws?
Is this a valid excuse to shoot my dogs if they step off my property?
Was it a valid offer/option by me, to ask him to notify me and then I'd keep my dogs inside? Or should I be expected to keep my dogs confined for the duration of all hunting seasons?
Is it considered routine for hunters to sit in vehicles, on public roads, nightly, to watch their deer stands? If so, please explain why for me.

I'd sincerely appreciate your replies and discussion of the hunter harassment laws and any responsibilities or ethical codes
on the hunter's side of this issue.
 
I could see sitting in his truck at dusk to see what time deer show o[up in the field. But seems like he just wants to do what he wants and doesn't want to take few seconds to let you know when he'll be out which would benifit him more nothing worse than having dogs running around you while you're hunting.
I set traps in my nephews timber last year and stopped by both neighbors to let them knnow when I was putting the in and when they would be gone. Didn't have to but I don't want to catch one of they're dogs.
To put it simply he seems like an azz.
 
I have a question for you, Do you allow hunting on your ground? I would guess not. I think you have had a past experience with him and it did not go so well. When I read your post I think you are intentionally making yourself out to more caring to hunters than you may actually be. What he is doing for the most part is shaddy but not illegal. I would think the reason he will not tell you when he is hunting is so you do not spook the deer intentionally before he gets there. As far as sitting in the truck in the evening I would say that a majority of hunters do that.
 
As far as the dog issue goes, whether it's un-intentional or not, you are responsible for them at all times and also responsible for keeping them on your property. Many times we've had discussions on here about people shooting dogs and opinions go both ways everytime. I've had personal experiences with dogs harassing me in my own yard a 1/4 mile from their homestead. I've gave plenty of warning shots and told the neighbors to please keep them off my property... Someone elses dog barking and growling at me in my own yard/property and they do nothing about it... well, a lead bullet costs a lot less then stitches....
As far as the ATV goes... Im almost 100% positive it is illegal to ride an ATV in any ditch or on any public road unless used strictly for agricultural practices. Snowmobiles are the exception for ditches.
It sounds ridiculous to me that he sits in his truck with the lights off at night by your home. I'd probably be calling the police to report suspicious activity.
As far as the livestock, the 200 yard limit only applies to a livestock feedlot. I personally asked my conservation officer about this because my neighbor has cattle just on the other side of my fence in all of his timber. The timber/grazing/roam lot is excluded from the 200 yard limit. The feedlot would consist of where your livestock congregate to be fed out of bunks, haybale rack electric waterer, etc... If he is firing a GUN within the 200 yard limit of your livestock feedlot, call the conservation officer. That being said, if you go put a bale of hay or a feed bunk on your side of the fence with the intention of lessening that 200 yard limit to make him move his stands, then you could probably be hit with hunter harrassment.
From everything you've said, I wouldn't say you are violating any harrassment laws, but please, for your dogs safety and to avoid other problems, keep them on your property.
 
I don't think you have broken any hunter harrassment laws.I am not positive but I would even doubt there is a 200yard limit that he has to stay away from your livestock.If he has permission to be on the land he could put a stand in a tree on the property line if he chooses.But he must be really thick headed if he puts one there if your dogs are that big of an issue.
One thing I do know is that it is illegal for him to threaten you or your family.
If you,your daughter and your dogs are on your property there is nothing he can do about it.You are entitled to it.
 
There are 2 sides to every story and obviously we're hearing just one.

With that said the only thing I can say for sure from your side of the story is that if this guy threatened you as you said, it's one thing. If it were me and he threatend my daughter, the law would be called immediately if not sooner.

Also, if things are going down as you describe them, IMO you're not violating any laws.
 
In the end it doesn't matter what anonymous people on a forum say, you need to call the law in your neck of the woods and let them know what is going on before it gets out of hand.
 
Going by your description of the events, it seems that you are being reasonable and the other person is not. I also cannot think of any laws that you have violated.

However, as a landowner and a dog owner myself...you have a responsibility to keep your pets on your property and not allow them to "roam" onto neighboring properties at ANY or ALL times. It sounds like that for the most part, you are keeping your pets in your yard. But nothing is quite so frustrating to me than to finally be able to relax and enjoy a hunt on my own property and then here comes the neighbor's dog(s) and there goes the turkey/deer/etc. I have had this happen more than a couple of times and it is unacceptable and very inconsiderate to me.

For comparison sake, look at it from another perspective...suppose you had a family gathering or social event going on in your yard/house/etc and I showed up unannounced with some friends and decided to start barbecueing some hamburgers on your grill, etc, and otherwise disrupt your use of your property. I would imagine that you would have some feeings about that. :grin: I know I would. People who have dogs that "run" oftentimes don't think of things that way, but they need to. (Again, it sounds like your dogs are mostly under control, but if that other person shows up to hunt and your dogs do run down to see him, etc, then I can understand where some of the friction may be coming from.)

IMO if your dogs bark at somebody close to your property line, as long as they remain on your property, then that is something that he just has to deal with.

One last thing...below is a cut and paste straight from the DNR regs regarding the 200 yard rule. IMO, I would disagree with at least one interpretation already offered to you in this thread. (That is not to say though that a DNR officer did not give contrary advice, because I have seen a few cases where different officers gave differing opinions as to how a given rule is interpreted.) For me though, I would go with the language below.

Prohibited Hunting Near Buildings​
Although you can hunt in a road ditch in Iowa using a shotgun shooting shot, you cannot discharge a firearm or shoot or attempt to shoot a
game or furbearing animal within 200 yards of a building inhabited by people or domestic livestock or a feedlot unless the owner or tenant has given consent to do so. Feedlot means a lot, yard or corral where livestock is confined for the purpose of feeding and growth prior to slaughter. Pastures, hayfields or cropfields where animals are allowed​
to graze are not considered feedlots.
 
He would need your permission to hunt with 200 yards of the building. Unless he is hunting an incredibly small piece of land, it should be no problem to get further away from the building.
 
Have you spoken with your neighbor who has given this person permission to hunt this ground? Maybe if he new what kind of jackwagon this guy is, he may not allow him to hunt there anymore? I would also contact your local CO and sheriff about this guy also.
 
fatboy said:
Have you spoken with your neighbor who has given this person permission to hunt this ground? Maybe if he new what kind of jackwagon this guy is, he may not allow him to hunt there anymore? I would also contact your local CO and sheriff about this guy also.
Click to expand...

Completely agreed.

Hunters like that need stopped, it ruins it for everyone else that love the sport enough to appreciate it and EVERYONE involved.
 
fatboy said:
Have you spoken with your neighbor who has given this person permission to hunt this ground? Maybe if he new what kind of jackwagon this guy is, he may not allow him to hunt there anymore? I would also contact your local CO and sheriff about this guy also.
Click to expand...


Also agree.Has has no right to be mad at you for what you, your daughter, your dogs, and anyone else does on your property.Fact of the matter is its your ground and hes getting upset for what you do on your own place.You aren't doing a thing wrong,perhaps you are being to nice.What an A**hole.
 
thank you

Thank you all for your advice, knowledge, and opinions.
To answer some of your questions, yes, I have called the local law enforcement several times and also the DNR in our area. I am a single woman living out here with a teenage daughter. I don't fool around with threats or with people "lurking" around.
I have also talked with the property owner. It is the same man I purchased my acreage from. Both properties were originally the same large farm which was divided up after an estate sale. When I moved in, I was told that I was welcome to use the surrounding area for trail riding with my horses. I have always made it a point to stay away from the areas where the owner has also given permission to hunters.
I am now pursuing legal action to keep this man away from my property and home. However, I wanted to talk with other hunters first because I don't want to be unreasonable. I want to try to make sense of what this particular "hunter" is doing. I have never had any problems with any other hunters.
I do understand that it would be very discourteous of me to allow my dogs to spoil someone's hunting and I would never intentionally do that. I keep a careful eye on the calendar of hunting seasons so I know what is going on around me. I am also trying to gain a better understanding of hunting and trapping regulations and habits (why I'm respectfully on this site). But I also wish that this "hunter" would respect that I don't appreciate him coming into my yard on his 4-wheeler, with my daughter present, and verbally abusing me with obscenities and threats. I also hope that he will realize his current behavior around my home could be interpreted as stalking.
I know that this is only my side of the story as some of you have commented. And I have no way to verify any of this to you except for my word. Thank you again for your feedback. It has helped to assure me that this particular hunter is out of line and contributing nothing to the respectful sport of hunting except a black mark.
 
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