I'm apparently turning into the grumpy old man down the road.


I suspected that the young couple that moved into the neighboring rental property were not accustomed to living in the country.  That was confirmed when I found out, while walking the dog this evening, that they have been letting their two tiny children (the oldest might be in elementary school) roam my land.

Their mother seemed understanding when I explained that it had been posted but the signs had been torn down, and that I've been having problems with having to haul out beer bottles, beer cans, etc, and problems with people hunting without permission.

Didn't occur to me until I was walking back with the dog, that I probably should have informed her that her kids had been roaming copperhead and coyote habitat.  Reminds me about the GD thread concerning the stupidity that people display in interacting with wildlife in National Parks.

Don't forget about the western pygmy rattler! Those are cute enough a kid might pick one up thinking they are harmless because of their size.

Even without considering the wildlife, it's heavily wooded hillside, with plenty of briars and brush mixed in.

I try to not go on the hillside without boots that have thick soles.  I end up digging Osage thorns out of the soles of the boots.  I've also got quite a few of those wonderful trees that have long thorns growing out of the trunks (can't remember the name of the tree).  Then there's the briars, poison ivy, steep slopes in some areas (including the area near the house they are renting)...

Judging by where I initially heard the voices coming from, they were well over 100 yards across the property line and definitely out of sight of their house.


I had been planning on getting new signs and putting them up before deer season.  I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon.


ETA:  I called my sister and told her about it. She sold me the parcel that adjoins the rental property, a couple years ago, and she had some trouble with a previous tenant of that rental property thinking that the hillside was part of the rental property and completely fine for him to move fences, remove topsoil, dump trash...

Her first comment was "IT'S NOT A PARK!!!".

Kids like to see how far they can get without mom and dad finding out. This may be the first time they've lived with such tempting places for adventure. If they seem like scroats I'd keep them off. If they were decent folks and wanted to pick up bottles and cans and assume the risks of nature, I might work out some privileges for them. A simple contract much like a deer lease can be typed up quickly and lay out thier obligations, risks they assume and hold you free from liability for and conditions that terminate the contract. You might not have to pick uo another can or bottle as long as they're there. That said, you do what's best for you.

"wonderful trees that have long thorns growing out of the trunks (can't remember the name of the tree). "

Honey Locust. Only real men climb them.

I like to call them the Devil's tree...lol. We used to a real problem with them at the farm.

A couple years ago, my daughter stepped on a fallen Osage branch, and a thorn went through the sole of her shoe (left a little blood on her sock).  Since then, she hasn't set foot on the hillside without thick soled work boots.  A month or two after her education in Osage thorns, I pointed out a large Honey Locust and suggested she not get too close to it.

She demanded that I cut it down and burn it.  Then I started pointing out other large Honey Locust trees.  I couldn't get her back on the hillside, for a while after that.

Should be interesting to see how long it takes the signs to disappear, this time.  

Last time, they were along the property line by the road, so a person walking along the road could take a few steps and rip a sign down.

This time, I put them farther back from the road, so a person would have to cross the creek before they could rip the signs down.  Probably left some gaps.  I'll have to buy more signs and fill the gaps, after the leaves are off the trees.

Tell them you have killed a few copperheads over there.  Maybe that'll discourage future trespass.  If not, kill the next one you see and show it to them.