No Trespassing

[Dan Andrews]

No Trespassing means NO Trespassing!!

I'm not sure what it is about this concept that sportsman just don't get now a days but they had better take note. Here in Niagara, land is getting more and more scarce for hunting. Not only is there allot of development taking precious hunting areas but trespassers are ruining it for everyone.

Unethical hunters have threatened land owners, fisherman have cut fences and littered private shorelines and the anti hunting/fishing agenda is spreading rapidly. Less and less people have the time to go fishing and hunting and the general public is losing touch with nature and the importance of using it. How can we justify killing an animal with a gun or fillet knife when you can build a home on it's habitat and then idle your SUV into a drive through daily?

Regardless of their reasons the signs are going up and the lack of space to partake in our sport is now forcing some to trespass. This has now reached the critical point where either you do some heavy negotiating with land owners, break the law or add to the numbers who have just plain given up hunting and fishing.

You can help

When you see a poacher or trespasser that is threatening to make our sport even harder, call the tips line 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667). By calling in a violation not only are you helping a private landowner but your saying that anglers and hunters care about the law. We are not a bunch of gun toting littering rednecks who have no respect for the law or the rules set out before us.

Click the banner above to go to the MNR "Tips" reporting page and read the information they need. This will explain what they consider a violation and the best way to report it. If we all work together, we can not only save our resources from abuse, but we'll create a better overall picture for the general public to judge us by.

[bigugli]

Thank for posting the pic with the topic. A lot of younger people don't know that the red dot means "stay out", "no trespassing"

[smerchly]

Some of my old hunting spots have million dollar homes sitting on them now . Many huge homes are being built in the country side right now.....I hate to see this rural expansion , but they call it progress . As more homes fill those areas , shopping malls will soon follow and that pond that was full of turtles etc. will be a nice smooth piece of ashphalt....... We cannot stop the population from increasing .....

If I was a farmer , red signs would be put up......too many "uneducated" gun toters out there . As Chilli said , approach the farmer , have a OFAH card , and enjoy the hunt & help the farmer rid of animals that damage his young trees & crops.......share your "catch" with him too !

[Dan Andrews]

Things are changing for the better in the gun safety department Smerch. The Hunter Education Program has been a huge success. Even those good old boys letting their licenses expire or upgrading etc, the general hunting population is getting schooled on firearms and hunting safety. Hunting is now considered the number 1 safest sport due to the statistics. Keep in mind that even if you fall while hunting and the accident has nothing to do with firearms it still counts against our hunting stats. That's pretty incredible that it's still consider number 1.

[Guest canadadude]

I use to hunt the shotgun season for deer....... gave that up it was like Vietnam out there get set up and then 20 stinking so called hunters would smash through my area shooting at anything that moved !!! and then there gone to smash through the next forest, freaking nuts I just hid in my tree stand till they all split then came down and went home ......I gave up that sport way to many nuts out in the field for this boy

[AwolRJ]

I grew up on 100 acres of farmland, had a few trespassers/poachers over the years but not many. I think the prob around here is lack of areas to hunt. I wouldn't think of hunting on crown land around here. If you gotta mow the guys yard in the summer or plow his driveway in the winter it's worth it to get a chance to hunt and not get shot at lol.

[Dan Andrews]

Well had a run in today on my way into the woods. Some guy stops the car and starts yelling something at me. He wants to know why I'm hunting on a property that's posted. He's angry I walked right past the NO Hunting sign with my bow and into the woods. He points to the sign pictured above.

"Excuse me Sir" I said "but I have written permission from the landowner on my person allowing me to hunt this property". His facial expression changes dramatically as I continue. "The sign you are referring to does not mean no hunting". "Yes it does" he exclaims. I dug in to him. "Get your facts straight buddy, the sign means No Trespassing. I have written permission signed by the landowner. He asks who owns the land and I tell him and explain where the property line starts.

He sticks to his guns about the sign but says if I have written permission he's fine with that. I then dig in again. "No it's not fine. If it said No Hunting I'd be breaking the law". "But you have permission "he asks. "It doesn't matter if it's your own property mister, if it's posted no hunting your breaking the law for hunting your own property permission or not!"

His tone changes again and the apologies start. He said he recently got between a hunter and a gun. One beautiful morning over coffee he was watching a deer come across the field in his yard. About halfway across he sees the gun. An altercation takes place and we now have one more anti.

He tells me I'm the nicest hunter he's met and I apologize for the trespassers and explain that hunters who trespass should be referred to as poachers. I really do let this guy off the hook without the riot act because I've heard this story too many times. Fort Erie has a horrible reputation for the arrogant gun toting crew that calls their activities hunting. They give us a bad name.

I was going to go on to explain to him how he might be breaking the law by interfering with a legal hunt as by this time the conversation from 50 feet apart in the trees had stirred up the forest enough that my chances are greatly reduced unless a deer comes from far in the other direction. I'm in a hurry to get to my tree stand so we leave with an agreement. Hunters stink here in Fort Erie except for me

I wish now I had taken the time to go talk more with the gent. The evening provided no deer sightings and his impression of area hunters was still bad. I've said it before that a hunters best camouflage is a suit and tie. We have to remain part of the general public, stay in touch and fit in.

This guy and his neighbors and friends etc, need to know that they don't see most legitimate hunters because they do blend in. The bright orange trespassing idiots who threaten people on their own property are the only ones who stand out like a sore thumb. The general public need to be reminded not to approach these poachers as they are armed criminals.

Call the police! Call the MNR hotline! Don't know the number? Just call 1 800 222 TIPS or 1 877 TIPS MNR. These jerks need to be reported and charged. If the elusive conservation officer confiscates their gun they will surely learn the lesson. If these idiots aren't stopped there will be no hope of ever returning hunting as a normal activity in societies eyes. The poacher is our worst enemy selling ammunitions to the anti hunting movement.

Please pass on good habits to your kids and teach them how to hunt. Help educate and protect the non hunting GP and don't trespass or break the law while hunting!

[jwl]

good points Dan,just a question..if the property was posted No Hunting by the property owner and not because it is in a No Fire zone and you had permission from the land owner to hunt there...would it not be ok...?? perhaps the landowner just doesn't want every ole yahoo with a fire arm out there thinking they can hunt there

[Guest canadadude]

good points Dan,just a question..if the property was posted No Hunting by the property owner and not because it is in a No Fire zone and you had permission from the land owner to hunt there...would it not be ok...?? perhaps the landowner just doesn't want every ole yahoo with a fire arm out there thinking they can hunt there

Acctually Jack if the land is posted "No Hunting" it is acctually illeagal for the landowner or anyone else to hunt that parcell of land!!! If the landowner posts the land no trespassing it is legal to hunt that parcell provided you have the landowners permission!! If you don't have permission then you are tespassing and therefore hunting illegally!!

[Dan Andrews]

Yes even the landowner can be charged. If it is posted as of January 1st of that year, it will be illegal to hunt there even if the signs come down part way through the year. Good reason to stick to the no trespassing signs and leave the no hunting signs alone.

Tommy I'm pretty sure your poaching fish if fishing an area that's posted no fishing. I wouldn't use the fact the police don't care to justify your fishing there. If you want to question the signs and negotiate the sign be taken down then fine. please don't encourage others to fish no fishing zones because the authorities don't care. There's a reason for the signs being there in the first place. At least find out why before deciding to disobey them. I'd probably delete that post if it were mine. If you did I'd edit this one.

[jwl]

I just meant if it was posted by the land owner because he doesn't want crowds of hunters on thier land as a deterant, but it's still in a legal hunting zone, and not a regulated area..then isin't it still ok if the owner says it's ok...it's not the government or MNR that posted the no hunting sign but the land owner who doesn't want respasser with fire-arms milling about....and area that says no tresspassing posted by the owner is not illegal if the owner says you can go there, it's just to keep undesirables of the property.

[Guest canadadude]

Dosn't matter if the landowner posts it no hunting he's not allowed to hunt it or anyone else, this is why it's better to post it no trespassing!!! I think the reasoning is if the MNR catches someone on a no hunting posted area then they make the bust and they don't want the public to use no hunting deignations as a deterent to land use!!! If you post the land No Hunting it's that way for everyone, no questions!!

[knightfisher]

There are no trespassing signs there Dan. Not no fishing. You can fish the area from the

road and such, you are not suppose to hike into the bush. Some of the land is owned by

the city, some is owned by the residents living there.

It's totally legal to fish there.

[basskicker09]

if your fishing in a no tresspassing its the same as fishing in a no fishing zone without permission so that means tommy is poaching

[knightfisher]

Permission has been granted to a few of us so not to worry, Tommy was not poaching

[basskicker09]

nobady has been given written permission to fish in the no tresspassing areas at gibson except for the sgaf and i dont even think they fish there anymore so he was poaching

[knightfisher]

nobady has been given written permission to fish in the no tresspassing areas at gibson except for the sgaf and i dont even think they fish there anymore so he was poaching

Just curious, when you and your father were fishing down there amongst those

no trespassing signs and we were all fishing there for

a while, then we hooked up with my daughter and then moved to fish Beaverdams,

what exactly would you call what you and your dad were doing down there

[Dan Andrews]

Sorry Tommy I assumed you meant no fishing signs. I have fished areas that were posted no trespassing in the past such as the water works. The threat of a $500 fine got me thinking. Apparently there were these vandals .......... and you know the rest of that story.

I will not fish if there is a no trespassing sign without consent. It's getting harder to find water now a days but I don't think ignoring the signs will help that any.

[Guest canadadude]

Alittle clarification trespassing and poaching are 2 different things all together!! The fines are completly different and the criteria in which the charges are laid are as different as night and day!!! For instance at the 4 falls area fines are handed out for Trespassing not fishing related unless snagging or other fishing violations occure!! If the area was a sanctuary then poaching and other violations can be enforced!!! If you are fishing on posted no trespassing land you are not poaching unless the area is designated as no fishing!! You are still however breaking the law if you are in fact Trespassing!!

[Guest canadadude]

if your fishing in a no tresspassing its the same as fishing in a no fishing zone without permission so that means tommy is poaching

Wrong again

[Guest Rockfish]

I remember the Winter a few yrs back when the No Trespass signs went up in the Decew area and it was just after the ice fisherman were kicked out because of all the garbage. They were bringing out huts, having fires and then leaving all their beer bottles and crap right on the ice.

Another area that was abused and then lost and some may be drinking that water.

[Guest Rockfish]

Permission has been granted to a few of us so not to worry, Tommy was not poaching

It's really not a good area to draw attention to because of all the garbage that's always left around there. There's really no fish at all in that area anyway except for maybe a few deer butts around.

How about the guys who'd launch their canoes to fish in there. If I as a shore fisher, am a poacher, they must be super duper poachers

The canoers are taking their risks of getting a fine in a posted area, so it's up to each individual and how fast they can run or paddle away.

[Guest canadadude]

How about the guys who'd launch their canoes to fish in there. If I as a shore fisher, am a poacher, they must be super duper poachers

......."super duper poachers"

[Dan Andrews]

An interesting read that has taught me some things

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/mnr/enforcement/a...g.html#property

Still best to get it in writing. If you are an OFAH member click here for a consent form.

Dude the City is more concerned about liability issues then about the fishing at the four falls. They don't care that you're fishing, they just don't want you in there. Same goes for the hydro stations and canal property.

The message of this topic was No Trespassing MEANS No Trespassing. I still stick to that. Whether it be hunting or fishing if it's posted or if your told to stay out, do it or your going to make us all look bad. This makes it easier to put a fence up around the next spot. If you have permission for a posted property then your no longer trespassing.

Just curious but this area in Decew your talking about. Is there a fence your going over or around and is it posted? If so then you do need written permission.

[basskicker09]

Alittle clarification trespassing and poaching are 2 different things all together!! The fines are completly different and the criteria in which the charges are laid are as different as night and day!!! For instance at the 4 falls area fines are handed out for Trespassing not fishing related unless snagging or other fishing violations occure!! If the area was a sanctuary then poaching and other violations can be enforced!!! If you are fishing on posted no trespassing land you are not poaching unless the area is designated as no fishing!! You are still however breaking the law if you are in fact Trespassing!!

this time dude you are wrong on two parts fishing at the for falls is both tresspassing and a fishing violation look it up in the regs but im pretty sure your not aloud to fish with in 50 or 75 feet of a fish ladder or obstuction

and if you are fishing in a no tresspassing area you can be charged with poaching and fishing from the bridge is not tresspassing there is not one sign on that bridge tommy clearly said he ignored the signs