Trespassers, poachers and horses

[Rich]

That's a good idea, I think Toby who posts on the board has a nice hand winding set up he'll probably be able to give you some advice. The one thing I'm not so keen on is all the wire in the fence, if keeping people out is your objective then yeah it's a good thing as like you say all the brambles and undergrowth cover it making them really really difficult to get over. I can't help but think of the time when you want to replace it. Makes using a chainsaw or a billhook really difficult.

[Binz]

If using a security/wildlife camera, make sure it's set up to also record date and time as this will be better evidence if you get the law involved.

[Meadowcopse]

My small plot (mainly meadow and orchard) is on the edge of a village with a footpath near by. Vehicle access is by a private gated track for a few fields (and owners) and is not a public right of way - unfortunately one of the metal track gates has been stolen and another damaged and Google Street View have had the cheek to travel along and film a section of it from the dead end of a public road to a by-pass (still at the early stages of getting them to remove the footage which shows their vehicle entering the gated track).

I get a couple of random dog walkers determined to walk through, one middle aged woman kicking a ball around for two dogs in a newly planted area of young trees seemed surprised someone 'owned' it and oblivious to the obviously planted trees!

Teenagers randomly appear from the cover of the hedgerows sometimes when I turn up and would seem to be smoking something other than just tobacco (the occasional purge in the nearest village causes them to stray away from the houses).

The track and public footpath alongside gets fly-tippers and people in random sexual liaisons and and the odd drug dealing exchanges - with various biological and packaging debris associated with the activities (the Police are taking more interest since the drugs wrappers went from a herbal to powdery residue).

Last year I cleared part of the grassland mowings with an old fashioned hand hay-rake (it took some time into the evening). The car that parked up at the other end of the field with its occupants divesting items of clothing weren't expecting someone with an oil-lantern and hay-rake to wander out of the twilight and they drove off rapidly crunching through the gears without getting dressed!

Despite this, I'm fortunate that the agricultural neighbours and nearest household neighbours are decent and communicative and keep an eye out for anything dodgy, as do the genuine regular local dog walkers and walkers. (I really sympathise with those who have 'problem' and misguided neighbours or persistent trespassers, thieves and vandals and poachers).

I'm easygoing with folk passing by who are genuinely interested, but firm with randoms whose approach is shifty or suspicious.

[happybonzo]

The arrogence of the Horse riders used to get to me. There was a Bridle Way through one woods that I worked in. Some of them used to get very snotty when you pointed out that they were on a Footpath and had no right to be there.

Also, walkers creating "desire" paths can be a real pain. I used to fill them up with brash and the brash used to get pulled out of the way or trampled down.

The best comment was alonfg the lines of " I've walked in these woods for years and always gone where ever I liked" Oh no you didn't because the old Gamekeeper used to take pot shots at people.

[SteveA]

i do feel sorry for you guys with trespassers/fly tippers etc. due to the nature that i wish to use land i wouldnt dream of it myslf (ide get arrested)!

do you find it worse if there are public paths/byways near the edges of your land or is the problem just as bad if youre plot is tucked away in amongst other plots? would it being out of the way make it more attractive to explore?

[Exeldama]

Personally i think teenagers and kids are ok.... they need a little slack. We moan at them all the time and yet dig up the playing fileds and tarmac the village green... far better to show some respect to them to, and if they sit in the wood and enjoy an escape from modern living who knows maybe they will actually give a monkeys about whats around them.

Im not close to my patch but if i a lad asks me nicely he/she can wander through and sit etc (no vehicles). Adults NO No. Kids are not all imbeciles after all you lot were teens once.. ok i should rephrase that.

[happybonzo]

You are welcome to my "local kids" How would you like them delivered?

[RichardKing]

A couple years back I saw some local kids on bikes riding around the tracks, I just ignored them.

But a couple of weeks later they had built ramps, butchered trees & randomly hacked around with a slasher. The broken tools (presumably stolen) I later found laying around in the woods.

I printed some leaflets & posted them in every house in the village. Spoke to everyone I could find.

Got the police to talk to the mother of a kid I was told was the leader.

They dont seem to have been back, but padlocks were superglued just after.