Trespassers

I have been trying to help a friend of mine who is new to hunting with killing some hogs on his place. He has bought his first gun, bought his first game camera, and actually shot one hog with his boys. It has been neat to talk to him about the experience. Now understand this guy had never owned or fired a rifle before and thought this was the greatest thing since slice bread. He was so excited about his 2 boys getting to hunt and shoot their first animals and experiencing that with them. Today he sends me this photo and is very concerned and upset. He lives in Van Zandt County near Providence. Please know that I am not against hunting hogs with dogs but you need permission before you jump fences and trespass. I do not see any excuse for trespassing on someone elses land. This guy would have said yes if asked but now he is forced to deal with this. See the photo below. If this is you please speak up and I will get you in touch with the land owner and he would probably go with you.

Good photo of Class A offense!Got to think what region of the state he is in so no big surprise in the scenario.

Just another reason hog doggers get a bad name. My brother had dealings with some a couple years ago. After a dog bit him, it cost this guy some serious money!!!

Should be easy to find out who these guys are. Then prosecute. I would not even hesitate to send them to jail. Pretty brazen.

I could understand if a couple of your dogs get off property and you have to chase after them, to bring them back. Clearly this is not the case. These guys are POACHING.

Where is Providence in VZ county? I've been in VZ county for 12 yrs and I've never heard of it.

I am not trying to start a war or hack anyone off. I posted the photo since on the threads in the past they never had photos but instead a bunch of accusations. Again I have no problem with running hogs with dogs as long as you have permission from the land owner. This is not the case in this instance. These are probably a couple of good ole boys but the fact remains they do not have permission to hunt on this piece of land. They crossed a fence with guns.

Near Grand Saline

Yep thats pretty ballsy having just walked up to a rooted area with a cam on it have the dogs pick up the scent and then proceed like they own the place. Incredible

We all understand where you are coming from and what you are trying to say.

We also understand that most Texans learn about trespassing and poaching when they are about 6 years old.

Talking about grown men here

Not local high school kids.

Not college kids on spring break.

Not wandering yankees who don't know any better. Nope. Those are no good rotten poachers. Lowest of the low.

Frankly I don't see how anyone can draw a line between poaching deer and poaching hogs.

One thing to understand about poachers is that they are usually up to about 10 other kinds of bad stuff in their personal lives. No good rotten.

One thing about poachers is they know they are breaking the law when they cross that fence. When these guys get caught you dont know how they are going to react. Things could escalte quickly. Most of these guys arnt affraid to break other laws to protect their worthless buts.
I would turn everything over to the game wardens and police.

Do you or your friend own the land? If not could it be that they already have permission? They prob dont just have seen a few people who have posted pics and ended up they had permission to go get their dogs.

I thought of something that happened to me one time. I came home to find a man and a woman walking down a road on our place. Of course I drove up to them and introduced myself. They were my new neighbors whose place was about 500 yards away. They got curious and were coming to introduce themselves. After a little tension I learned that they meant no harm and we are now good friends. I walked them to the back of our place where they had crossed the fence and a four wheeler was parked on their land. I looked over and there was a Glock pistol on the 4-wheeler. They left it on their land and did not bring it onto mine. I apreciated that. When I see the picture above I see at least one guy with a gun maybe both have them. I might could believe the we were just trying to get our dogs story if they did not have guns.

It is my friend. They DO NOT have permission from him. He ownes the land and is not a renter. Like I said earlier in the post he has no idea who they are. He had to call me to figure out what they were doing. I would not post something with a picture showing some one breaking the law if I was not sure. I posted this at his request and he looked at it and approved. Again i have no problem with this scenario if they have permission. If they do not whose fence they are crossing to do cross it. They guys house is not far from this camera. He watches it flash at nightfrom his house

Have him call the game warden, with this photo the GW has enough to go looking for these people.

I'd print that picture up along with a wanted/reward at the bottom. Put it at the local feed stores/walmart/etc.

List what they're wanted in connection to also: Trespassing, poaching, etc.

Somebody knows 'em. Either they'll call you or call the friend. Either way, i'd bet these guys will get the message.


Also, any front facing pictures that you held back in case they were THF members, or is this all you have?

This is all he has. Not trying to hang anyone but was worried they might be THF members. Like I said he would let them run dogs on his place and would probably want to go with them but they never asked but instead just did what they wanted. He is buying more camera's since i informed him if the hunting was good and no one confronted them they will be back. Heck their on foot and look to be running so they were not to far from a ride home. All the stuff I have learned form the forum shows guys letting dogs go and not catching them until they were on a hog literally. These guys are right with their dogs anyone know what that means? The dogs are not on leashes?

im glad i hood hunt. the one guy have a gun. i dont under stand why they didnt take camera

I doubt if they even knew the camera was there.

Definately east Tx, thats Cooter in the overalls telling Jethro to run after the hogs

Those boys are wrong. Find more pictures and prosecute.
They know what they are doing.

Seems they are doing the hunting not the dogs.The dogs are with them instead of hunting.Also looks like a catch dog running loose,is that a three legged dog up front?Bet they have been their before.If looking for a dog ,they should have went to the house and asked permission unarmed.

I understand letting someone clear their name in case they made a mistake, but I don't think they made a mistake. This picture give the appearance that they had clear intentions of trespassing to find a hog.

Give the picture to the Game Warden and let them handle. I wouldn't want to confront them without a weapon myself.

Before you decide to prosecute you need to make sure that no trespassing signs have been posted about every 200 hundred yards because they might not have known they were trespassing. Also you need to take into consideration that they might be after their bay dogs who have already bayed up a group of hogs and the dogs in the picture are catch dogs.

This is Texas, not yankee land. You cross a fence, you're trespassing, unless you know it is your fence.

If somebody's dog goes on my property, and my house is right there, they better knock and at least try to introduce themselves and ask permission. And regardless, they better leave the firearms and other dogs back in their truck. No excuse for that. I'll go help them get their dog if they handle it properly, and maybe even start a friendship. Come on my land uninvited with guns and a pack of dogs, and we'll have issues. I think that's a no-brainer. Not saying to prosecute, but at least a talk with the GW might be called for. I guess there's always a chance they got confused and thought they had permission to go on that particular parcel, but more likely they are just helping themselves to your friend's place thinking nobody will know....

yea well they might have had permission on a neighboring persons land and didn't know they were trespassing. Just because there is a fence doesn't mean it's a boundary line. Unless no trespassing signs are posted.

Yep, he's right. There is a requirement to notify they are tresspassing before a person can be charged with tresspassing and be given a tresspass warrant. Then, if they come back, for any reason, at all, they can be arrested by you, or the cops/GW/etc, and will be taken off by whatever LE dept you call.

That may be so, but poaching is a criminal offence signs or no signs.

U might make u an account on easttexashogdoggers.com it's a huge possiblity that some one knows them there or they post there. Also I am almost positive that first dog is 3 legged. If you would like me to post the pic over there I will.

Feel free. But once again the landowner just wants them to ask before jumping the fence.

Billy Gordon you are right i zoomed in on the picture and the lead dog does appear to have only three legs.

Retrieval of Game: No person may pursue a wounded wildlife resource across a property line without the consent of landowner of the property where the wildlife resource has fled. Under the trespass provisions of the Penal Code, a person on a property without the permission of the landowner is subject to arrest.


Under the Texas Penal Code (§30.05) it is an offense for any person to enter property that is fenced, posted with a sign(s), or marked (purple paint) without the express permission of the owner.

The fence is enough. There does not have to be signs. If you cross a fence you are trespassing. I can not believe people are trying to justify this. On this post there is a really neat man mbennett I have meet him and he did me a awesome deal on a couple of hog traps. He hunts with dogs and i thought about calling him and seeing if I could go with him. I have no doubt he has permission when he hunts and matter of fact i imagine that he is called by landwoners to come help them with the hogs. I bet mist folks on here are like him and are honest. I have abosultely no problem with hunting hogs with dogs. What I do have an issue with is people jumping fences with guns and dogs like they own the place. It is not right no matter how you cut it. Because you have dogs that do not know fences or bounderies is no excuse for entering someone elses place to retrieve your dogs. It is your responsibility to keep you dogs in check.

You can be charged even if there is NO FENCE OR PUPLE PAINT




The purple paint, No trespassing signs, (MEANING YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED) and carrying a firearm just up the level of the charge that can be filed.

With The firearm and poach game this elevates the charges to Felony class A.



Without permission you are trespassing.

Two week-ends ago we found beer bottles, almost like they wanted us to know they had been there, throughout the ranch and 3" shell casings on the ground. We have checked all gates and fences and haven't found out yet how they got in. To top it off they had to be in a vehicle.

And people don't understand the pain and concern that the Land owner has when he has been trepassed..

They want to think no gate, r no fence, r no paint, IT MUST BE PUBLIC LAND AND WE DON'T NEED PERMISSION.

Does your friend know the adjoining landowners? They might have these guys contact information or at least know a name. Either they started on a neighbor's place and tresspassed on to your friends, or they were tresspassing on the neighbors too and they might want to know.

You know if you really wanted to be nasty aout this whole thing it would probably not be hard to track down the guys that own a 3 legged hog dog. Someone knows them and i imagine they have already been made aware of this. My hope is they come forward and apologize and everyone can move on. Who knows if they will time will tell.

The landwoner spoke to all his neighbors and showed them the picture. They were all as angry as he was and have no idea who they are.

That was the clincher, call the game warden.

only legit way to fix the problem

thanks tacobass. i always call the landowner and even call the nabors . but all it takes is one bad apple to make the hole barrel bad. if my dogs cross a fence i call the landowner and he calls the other landowner. but most of my places i just drive in and treat it like its my own.and if i catch somebody i call the g w . second thing iv been told by are g w is that all hunters should have a written note from landowner in yur wallet, so if u get caught you just show you have writen premision . i always ask the landowner to give me a check and write on the back of it cause iv got all the info... tacobass you can go anytime with me... send the pic to me on my email.. fivebkennels@yahoo.com

Well I own land and I had a problem with rabbit hunters and there dogs oneday when I was deer hunting and I called the GW and told him they were hunting so close to my fence that his dogs were on my land, and what he told me was that since these dogs where hounds there is a law and this is what he called it THE RIGHT TO RETRIVE they can go on you land to get there dogs but hunting has to stop right at your fence and they CANNOT have any weapon. So these guy if they are trying to get there dogs off of his land they are still in the wrong with the gun in there hand , HANG THEM!!!!!!!

No way a hunter has right to cross fence lines with or with out weapon to retreive their dogs.Been told by a buddy thats a game warden you have to get permission to enter anothers property to retreive your dogs and if a problem he will go get them.Why get into a hassle just check with land owners before hunting the area.Some might say get all those hogs and some say just go in their and get the dogs and not hunt on their property.My dogs will get out at times mile or two but i always have a tracker and get permission all around the areas.

So whose right? Sabine bottom or Billy Gordon????

Sabine Bottom said hunting stops at fence!!!!

They are with their dogs and they have their guns!!

They are still hunting!!!

Hang em!!!!

Billy....... That aint your friend from Alba is it????

Dont have any friends in ALBA...

I call . Read the Penal code and see what you find there.
You can even check under estra and nuisance laws. You have NO RIGHT TO TREPASS ON PERSON.

Simple matter> Get written permisssion from landowner before you enter.

Sabine Bottom!

Please show us that law in statutes so we all can see

Texas doesn't have a dog retrieval law. Some states do, but Texas isn't one of them.

even when hunting my own land or letting a friend hunt my land i inform the landowners on all sides that someone will be out there hunting and ask permission to cross over to there property if necessary while hunting

they probably got caught up in the heat of the moment on a chase and accidentally jumped i wouldnt worry about it. who knows maybe they are government trappers

Where I live this is a sticky issue as well...we are over run with hogs and we have a lot of locals that have hog dogs. Dogs can't read posted signs or recognize property lines so when someone turns out a pack of dogs more than likely they will cross one or more properties before they "bay up". Most of the guys that I know that hunt them locally don't carry weapons, usually a few pigging strings and that's it. They bring them out live and sell them to a processing plant somewhere around Forth Worth, I believe. Around here most everyone has already worked out with the land owners the right to enter their property if they are chasing hogs because most land owners want them gone by any means possible....There are a few folks that own property around here these boys know they can't go on and for the most part they will honor the property owners wishes. As far as I know we have never had issues with trespassing when it comes to "local" hog hunters, but I am sure at some point it happened. The bottom line is if you hunt an area make sure you know all the property owners and have spoken to them about entering their property, when they find out what you are doing 90% of them will invite you to come on their property. leave all vehicles at the gates and don't drive around you may damage valuable pasture or farm land. If retrieving a hog or hogs requires a longer distance ask permission to use a 4 wheeler, but again be careful not to damage property...my two cents

best thing you or your friend can do is SKIP the internet "experts" and go directly to the local GW and sheriff.

ditto. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/warden/find_warden/county.phtml

Some people just don't care.