Anyone ever caught somebody poaching on their land and able to get them arrested or in trouble? Closest I came was about 8-10 years ago when I was on a new lease. We didn't acquire it until the start of the season, which was archery only in October. I was walking the property, scouting and heard a gun shot and some people faintly talking. I slowly made my way towards that area and when I got there I saw 2 guys throwing a buck over the barb wire fence, then loading it into their truck. I reported the truck to the LO and Game Warden. Nothing ever came of it but I was surprised (not anymore) that someone at 10am would drive down a dirt road, and shoot a deer in broad daylight. A few years ago they ended up drilling an oil well about 3/4 a mile north of our main stand and 1-2 times a year you'd hear a diesel truck drive down a road...stop, gun shot, then take off again after a few minutes.

Last year was our final year on the lease as the deer numbers continued to drop, not necessarily from poachers but it definitely didn't help.

Similar story. Couple meth head looking dudes walking down the country road with a rifle. Called the GW and he knew exactly who they were. They couldn't prove they were "hunting" but a few months later those guys took a shot at the guys doing a spotlight survey and the GW/Sheriff got involved then. Once again couldn't prove it happened despite a few witnesses but eventually they locked those guys up for something.

Yes, I caught 3 poachers from Louisiana about 15 years ago. They had shot 2 deer and multiple other species over the course of about 3 days. I called the game warden and he showed up but was extremely reluctant to press charges. Luckily the highway patrol and local sheriff were there as well. Had it not been for the highway patrol, I honestly don't believe the game warden would have taken them to jail. There's so much more to this story that I'm not going to spend the time to type it all out, but don't think that just because you catch people poaching on land that you own that they are going to jail or pay the fines associated with poaching.

Yep. Road hunters and spot lighters are scumbags in my book. Have chased a number over the years. Couple years ago we caught a guy from Colorado slow rolling the dead-end road adjacent to one of our wheat fields with a rifle barrel out his window. We stopped him and got his tag number and took pics and video. Claimed he was looking for a relatives property where he had permission to hunt and camp. Sheriff advised us over the phone to cut him loose, but the Game Warden caught up to him trespassing on a neighbors property later that day and lit him up with a bunch of tickets. Unfortunately there have been a number of poachers we haven't caught.

Yes. I met him and he got to see an UZI rifle. I invited him to come back to my ranch house and he readily agreed. I got to see his driver license and wrote down his information. We agreed that it would be best if be never came back and he kept his end of the bargain. I saw a few years later in the local paper that he drowned while poaching ducks.

Craziest poaching I've ever see was 3-day Pronghorn season in NE New Mexico. I was out there at my, then, father-in-law's parent's place. 'Little adobe brick house that the (now) ex's grandfather had built with his own hands. 'Couple miles north of Abbott. Insane road hunters with game wardens on their heels. It was entertaining to watch. (It wasn't on the family's property.) You can see for miles out there.

Had something very similar. We were living on our ranch that had an 8 acre pond on it. I am riding around in my Polaris and as I come over the hill I see a guy fishing from the bank and another guy floating in a tube also fishing. I pulled up , grabbed my rifle, and got out. Asked them what the hell they were doing and they said they thought it would be ok to fish awhile. (they had crawled over our high fence). I made them lay their wallets on the ground - I wrote down their information and then told them to get the hell off of my property which they did. I told them next time I would not be so nice. I Called the GW to report the information on them. Pretty ballsy to climb a HF in broad daylight.

Next morning I am leaving for work and overnight someone had destroyed our front entrance. Tore up shrubs, broke lights, etc. I am sure it was them. GW tracked them down for the trespassing but could not prove they tore up our entrance.

Now there's a couple of dips that need sorting out, the old fashion way.

I did, made him unload his gun and give me his DL, then told him to leave. Called the landowner from where he came from. Landowner immediately kicked him off and leased me the ranch the following year. After about 6 years I bought the ranch from him. Note: I saw him shoot at a deer on my place, but he didn't hit it. I watched him the whole time.

Lemons to lemonade. Well done.

Yes. A man with his two sons. Not only a poacher but teaching his sons how to poach. Another instance two of my hunting buddies and me caught a guy that had trespassed to poach a pretty nice buck before season opened. Parks and wildlife haul that head around in their trailer that is a mobile display they call the wall of shame. If you have seen the buck they call the “sticker buck” in that trailer, ol’ Smokey and two of his buddies caught the bastard that poached it and persuaded him to stay till the law showed up.

^^^^^

You have to love Karma.

For me?? Any human who would purposely go onto another persons property to steal anything (deer, fish, home furnishings, guns, etc) is an absolute criminal and should be locked up for years.

Just tonight I told my wife to tell me what she would do while I am gone to the deer lease on what she would do if someone was beating on our door in the middle of the night or trying to break in.

I followed her to our master bathroom where she picked up my shotgun, grabbed two shells, and loaded them into my shotgun. I told her good job. Then I asked "where do you shoot him?" She said "in the face?" I answered "the face will work but better yet in the balls" She is good to go. Man I have no patience for people who want to steal or hurt you period

I like to road hunt, you can cover a lot of country in a pickup…….binoculars only:).

“…I thought it was a bear going after my cattle”. Who would of thought it was a trespassing poacher walking over there? “Gee, I’m sorry”.

My BIL and I found a white P/U on the backside of the pasture with a gun barrel sticking out the window. We knew he checked the gas wells on the ranch and was somewhere he had no business being. When we confronted him he said he was checking on his other crews doing maintenance on other wells. We called for the GW and SO but they were tied wrangling illegals so we contacted the company he works for and explained the situation. He ended up getting fired from his job.

Yup, several.

Had a pumper go rogue and poach on our place. Took two seasons to catch him in the act.

Happened on every place I've ever been with wells and employees with keys.
Many just don't notice it.
Most of what I've experienced is neighbors that watch you come and go.
Caught some a few years ago that had been trespassing.
I'd rode my motorcycle down after work, and was asleep in a
chair and here they come about 10PM
The really sad thing I don't understand is that most neighbor trespassers
usually have at least as much or more land than what they trespass on.

Grass is greener I guess

I caught and ran one last season.

I was walking out after the morning hunt and walked past (60 yds) an older dude sitting on a deadfall holding a rifle. I nodded, then he nodded back. When I saw the POS Caprice Classic parked in the ditch, I knew it wasn't one of our guys. I walked back and asked him if he was lost. He immediately mentioned that he was a veteran. I pointed out a guy from our party that was set up 50 yards away and told him he was on private property, then he asks me if I know of any near by public land!

He left quietly.

Once in Louisiana, he dropped his gun as he ran away. GE knew him and he was arrested a short time later.

Once in Oklahoma. I was watching a big 10 point work the fence row and was ready for the shot when the neighbor shot him. He was about 30 feet inside my property and was DRT. I confronted the neighbor and called the GW. He showed up and concluded that the deer died on the neighbors property despite the obvious drag marks and pool of blood on my side. It reminded me of that Reba song

I am glad I haven't, I would be in jail

Or they over hunted their place and scared the deer off their property.