Lol not really. Most don't even know what a woodcock is. But some will dang sure pot them a deer if they get the chance. A slow-driving truck pausing now and then near my place is usually either: 1)couple of good ol' boys having some beers and seeing the sights or 2)a couple of good ol' boys looking to shoot them a deer or two. Sometimes both pastimes are combined together.

This would be my guess. I know it must irritate some people but I really don't give a hoot. We have people stop by our place, even try to climb the fence to take pictures. People are weird and if I don't know them or care for what they are doing, I have been known to do pretty much what you described. Pictures of the license plate, driver, and call into law enforcement if they don't like what I'm doing. We have not had the property poached that I know of, but the people trying to climb our fence, park in our entrance, littering our entrance, well the need to find another hobby and a different place to do it.

No harm in just viewing animals at all. I have no problem with that. But realize I dont know who you are and others wouldn't either. Most people in my area would observe a person stopping by for a bit and see how long they are there and what they are doing. I expect people to stop in front of our place on the highway to take pictures. It's pretty cool to see the exotics. But there are those that have bad intentions and its sometimes better to approach the visitor and see whats up.

Case in point, there was a guy that was parking on the gravel road a few years ago. After I approached him to find out what he was doing he told me to F off . I called his plate in to the Sheriff's Dept. Turns out they catch him and the guy had a warrant out and was hiding there for some reason. After that kind of thing, and people littering in front of your place, poaching, etc, well, you get a bit protective out here away from where it may take law enforcement a bit longer to get out here.

If you had been out by my place and I had seen you had kids I would certainly pull up and say hello. More than likely invite to take you out on the place and see a few animals. And I would also explain that we get a few wierdos out here that choose to not treat our property with respect and thus why I tried to find out what was going on.

Good intentions usually by both sides. With the traffic off I-10 here where I live its not unusuall to run into anything from drug traffic, coyotes(people who haul illegals across border), poachers, and what have you that choose to feel your place is a neat place to stop and rest or get away from the law. So we take precautions to vehicles and people we dont recognize in our area.

People who live in the country and own property are generally pretty "cautious" when they notice strange vehicles stopped near their property. 2 years ago, my wife and I were in our deer blind and the road along our property line is a dead end and ends at my neighbors place. We know what the neighbor drives and he goes up and down the road numerous time a day. Well, this night we notice a "strange" white car that drove down our road about dusk and stopped adjacent to our fence. About 15 minutes after legal shooting time, we hear a gunshot very close, maybe even on our property. I go to check it out and find the car but no one around. Called the Sheriff office and told them we had possible road hunters. Long story short, when the guy came back to his car, I held him at gunpoint until the Deputy showed up, then DPS trooper, and finally Game Warden. The guy said he had permission to hunt on a neighbors property but was several hundred yards from the neighbors property and the gunshot sure as heck was not shot from neighbors property. After taking statements and talking to the suspect, the Game Warden cited him for road hunting and told me that I might be called as a witness if it was contested.

The next day during daylight we found a big hog that the road hunter had shot on ANOTHER neighbors property across the road and fence.

Now I am sure some people will say "you would have never held me at gunpoint", but I did. (I am also a retired police officer so I have had some experience in that area.) I also had my wife video the encounter. You ever know what legal procedures could come back and I wanted myself and actions documented.

I extremely cautious the rest of the hunting season in case of retaliation, but I never got called as a witness. My guess is he paid his ticket and found someplace else to hunt.

People underestimate what can come from an old fashioned conversation. If you have a concern, and that's the case just ask someone! Wouldve put everyone on the same page instead of making assumptions.

Don't speak to these types. No words, no worries...video would speak for itself.

They waste a lot of LEO time just by sending or calling to follow up on their evidence of someone enjoying nature.

And ask if they need help. That is the first thing I do when I'm out and about around here. You can usually tell whether or not some one is up to no good.

Too bad you weren't there to ask him what the hell he was doing. He probably thought you guys were road hunting, but it's pretty dumb to just get out and start videoing.