Moved Private Property Sign...
spangler
daBurgPosts: 990 Officer
While out scouting or hunting, I track my routes via gps. When I get home I upload them to GE.
So, last week I was out scouting a new area of a wma I frequent. While walking up a fire road, I hit a private property sign. It came as no surprise to me as I knew there was a patch of private property ahead on this road. So naturally, I turned around.
When I got home and uploaded my route, I noticed that where I turned around, at the sign, was about 200 yards from the actual private property line. Looks like someone's up to shenanigans.
And indeed, it cut me short of checking out something that had looked interesting to me on GE. I'd like to get back out to check it out but am wondering how this should be handled? Guess at a bare minimum I need to make sure I don't enter PP using my gps.
Thanks in advance.
Replies
In fact, looking back on it. I should have noted that there was no gate...
Go to the property appraisers site for that county and do a records search, find that property and check boundries.
Most sites will allow you to download a .KML file that allows you to view the boundries in Google Earth.
When I had a big lease by a WMA, people from the WMA side would mess with my signs all the time. Usually they would be vandalized moreso than moved. People really loved to fold them inward like a book (they were thin metal signs)
Property owner wanting a buffer zone.
WMAs have the boundaries marked with paint on the trees, they used to use red but I think they changed to yellow now for some reason, plus if it buts up to private property there is usually a WMA sign at the corner as well.
My posts are my opinion only.
A common tactic used by both the public hunter to keep others away and the private land owner looking to buffer. Do your due diligence before you remove it or wander inside.
My dad had a cousin and uncle in Michigan who used to post no trespassing signs all over the place on public lands a day or two before deer season. They always had the place to themselves for a few days before the competition could figure it out.
Very common in every State I've hunted. As usual the punishment for doing this is minimal if any at all. Just laughed off by the powers to be.
The race is not always to the swift....but to the cunning.
Many things to do.
Knots to be unraveled
'fore the darkness falls on you
If I was reasonably certain I was correct the signs were bogus I'd treat them the same as flagging tape on WMAs. Totally ignore and walk on by.
The county GIS, as mentioned above will allow you to really see where the line should be. They usually start with a map rather than a areal but you can change that so as to get a good solid look.
Yeah, I confirmed with wma boundary kml file I have, as well as double checked county GIS. No doubt that sign wasn't legit. They got me haha.
That's why used to take an 8 foot ladder with us when marking property in PA. Someone would have to at least put in some effort to bend/tear down our signs. I'd say 95 percent of them lasted for 10+ years. Well worth the pain in the **** weekend of hanging them.
In college, I lived off-campus in a complex that had a laundry room. The first couple of weeks I could not get a **** washer or dryer if my life depended on it. So I went back to my apartment and created a semi legit looking "Out of Order" sign for both 1 washer and 1 dryer. Id' place the signs on 2 machines before heading to class in the morning and came back to my very own washer and dryer. When I was done, I'd just take the signs with me for next time. This worked for 3 years straight.
Would suggest contacting FWC on their website...they'll get you in touch with a LEO in the area. Provide coords and specifics...if you get it in writing from FWC LEO what the boundary vertex is, take that with you. Bogus signs in the woods....great
A reliable GPS is the best tool going. When I lived in KY I had KY Dept of Wildlife on speed dial giving coordinates of bait piles and stands left over after the season. Never bothered me a bit. Lots of stands ended up in the auction/trash pile. Like to see that here. Three Lakes alone would supply tons of scrap metal
I haven't found it yet but somewhere in my vast picture collection I have pics of a series of NO PARKING signs in the Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio. Totally bogus that someone took out of City of Portsmouth trash pile trying to discourage others from accessing "their" public land. Made good targets for some
Does your current turkey load cover a NO PARKING sign at 40 yards. I know some that can say "YES" 
I would bet most likely the owner. They know what they have on their hands, and chances are they're running a trail cam or 2 to monitor activity. If you can print out a boundary line and then actually get an LEO to sign (as recommended above) that would be awesome. My guess is you would be hard-pressed to find an officer that wants to get involved with it to the point of issuing something written, but worth a shot.
GearLobo.com
"Good things come to those that bait."
My biggest fear is that after I die, my wife will sell my fishing gear for the amount I told her I paid for it.
I'd ignore it and use it to my advantage....
He'll, I'd ignore it and hunt on. Everyone else will turn around like you did at first. Just have your info handy in case a GW stops you.
Genius! Always good to see a little gamesmanship and ingenuity at work!
these kids wouldnt survive a day back in the day