Dealing with trespassers and unknowns when living in remote areas

The dogs let us know when any living being is near, there's different barks and intensity that generally tell us how close the threat is. I also stay armed with a pistol pretty much all the time, then there's a rifle in the house. We had a coyote come in pretty close onetime, I chased after it and shouted some cuss words that I didn't know I had in me. It was gone pretty quickly but kept taunting me from a distance.

The land is fenced and gated and I've since added an electric polywire around the base of the fence. Most of my livestock is trained to the wire, and hopefully the wild dogs and coyotes will learn what it is.

I live so far out in the boondocks that we do not have to worry about trespassers.

In fact we do not even have to deal with solicitors.

Also we do not have to deal with anyone, that includes service people and repair people.

I generally offer them a glass of water, maybe a place to warm up in a pinch, and occasionally a jump-start or a ride.

I had some kids show up to fish in my pond.  A couple of times I had hunters track a deer across my property. I only had one somewhat serious problem. That was 40 years ago.

This topic has been big for me. I'm taking over my dad's former hunting property, where "they told 2 friends, and they told 2 friends, and so on, and so on..." (old shampoo ad reference). The neighbors my dad's age are either deceased or have no interest anymore, but their kids and grandkids and friends would continue coming to hunt. They didn't even know my dad. Not cool; I'm not a hunter but in my dad's world you meet the person and say thank you and offer them some meat if you get anything, or offer "if there's anything you need" to an old man whose property you're hunting on.

Once the whole surrounding area knew about "the cabin" (it's not really a cabin, just a small one room house), there was not only hunting but breaking & entering (one time it resulted in me arriving to a gas smell! Someone climbed in the window and bumped the stove knob!!!), and breaking into the shed, and even timber theft!! My dad didn't want to cause a fuss because it's a seasonal place and we're "outsiders" (even though he bought the place in 1989, before some of those people were born! The entitled little twerps).

When my dad passed in 2024 I did the following:
- Made friends with the 2 neighbors adjoining us. One was already mowing the lawn for us but we started inviting them for a bonfire and hanging out every time we're up there. The husband is a very large man, proud of how he looks intimidating even though he's a teddy bear, so we told him he is the only one allowed to hunt there, and he has our permission to kick anyone else off if he runs into anyone. He was very happy to do so, he doesn't want those kind of people causing trouble next door to him either! We pay him for maintenance and alerting us of anything of note. They offered us use of their outdoor hand pump well if our electricity ever goes out again, to help ourselves to water any time. I gave his wife a ride; the guys traded advice on how to fix things. We're good

- I walked the perimeter, posting legal POSTED signs, closer than the law requires. I also bashed down 3 deer blinds (old wood planks propped or nailed across little trees). There was even a small platform with a hole, with a metal ring in it like a latrine. Gee whiz, next time I went up there, that was gone. They obviously came, saw, and took some of the wood & the ring to use elsewhere. They got the message. (along with signs and purple paint)

- I noticed where ATV tracks entered a field and I put a yellow rope with a POSTED sign, and a sign that politely said that illegal activities have been reported on this property, "borders are closed", thank you. (haven't seen ATV tracks since; I think it was young people or neighbors cutting through and they genuinely don't want trouble)

-  got new locks & made the outside of the house look different than when my dad was in charge. (cut back more brush, spiffed things up, put out a decoration or two)
- Walked through the woods and randomly put surveyors flags, especially where the timber theft occurred. If the person comes back they know we are aware of it.
- Sprayed purple paint along borders when I posted signs. It's not a purple paint state officially, but I'm on the border of one, so it can't hurt.

- Put up new house numbers and several signs on the tree at the foot of the driveway (POSTED, and another sign about illegal activities being reported, and a "smile you're on camera")

In addition, we spread the word with everyone we could (even the guy who came to fix the electric bragged about a deer he got there!!). We told my dad's friend's wife & grandson that "the family" no longer wants hunting, explaining about the breaking & entering & the timber theft. People seem to take it seriously when I mentioned those things. I even said to one person nicely, "yeah, I wouldn't want anyone getting in trouble for something they didn't do, so just spread the word the whole place is off limits" and they took an attitude like, "oh wow, thanks for telling me".

BTW, as soon as we'd say my dad passed, some people would immediately ask if the place was for sale, even before saying "sorry for your loss" or anything. That showed who our potential friends aren't.

We're installing wired cameras on the house this year. Dead batteries are not useful.


If anyone is having trouble with trespassers and is ok with lying, I gotta say that the timber theft bit seemed to get people's attention. Tell people you've had timber theft, or poaching, or breaking & entering (or something illegal & believable for your land) and you wouldn't want any trespassers getting in trouble if it's not them, so best stay away. This worked well with neighbors and acquaintances (and even on the phone with the tax assessor! "oh, wow, sorry to hear that" "yeah, so spread the word if you know anyone who's been hunting there")
I'm not looking to get anyone in actual trouble, I just want them to stop, so this is a friendly, chatting, "I'm on your side" peaceful first attempt.

I went running though the countryside with a Laird in Scotland who explained right-to-roam to me. Seemed so free compared to my upbringing in Utah.

I know of one land-owner here in Utah with right-to-roam type signs hanging on a gate to the property, but I haven't visited. And Utah law states landowners who allow public recreation on their property aren't liable for injuries.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I went running though the countryside with a Laird in Scotland who explained right-to-roam to me. Seemed so free compared to my upbringing in Utah.

Yes, there is a countryside code here which covers guidelines (like shutting gates after you and basic politeness) and as long as you respect that then technically you can wander anywhere that isn't someone's back garden in Scotland. Most people are fine, it's a pity to let a few spoil it for everyone. In practice it tends to be the common land, estates and forestry land that people like to walk in. Even in Engand, as long as you stick to public footpaths you can access much of the countryside. I guess we don't have enough land to be able to set so much aside for public parks, and everywhere is closer together.

Nancy Reading wrote:
Yes, there is a countryside code here which covers guidelines (like shutting gates after you and basic politeness) and as long as you respect that then technically you can wander anywhere that isn't someone's back garden in Scotland. Most people are fine, it's a pity to let a few spoil it for everyone.

It's the same in Scandinavia. You're allowed to be most places by default, the places you can't go without permission are exceptions to that rule (people's gardens, fields with growing crops, etc). Mostly, there aren't any problems with this. The only trouble I've heard of is people getting their strawberry patches raided by tourists who don't understand those exceptions. You are allowed to pick wild berries on other people's land, but not cultivated berries in someone's garden... The distinction does seem obvious, but I guess if one hasn't grown up with those rules, it might not be.

Our way of dealing with "unknowns", on the rare occasion that any turn up, is to give them coffee and get to know them... We love company, and there are way too few people who find their way out to our place.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I went running though the countryside with a Laird in Scotland who explained right-to-roam to me. Seemed so free compared to my upbringing in Utah.

Right? I went hiking in Wales and England "on private property" (said with a gasp) with a friend, who whipped out a booklet that showed every path, trail and byway that by law we were allowed to use. Some of the paths were through pastures, and one time I had to run because of a ram, but keeping in mind that people bring their dogs into these spaces (!!) I was amazed by the goodwill and trust and community spirit on the part of everyone involved. And I saw amazingly beautiful spaces.

Tereza Okava wrote:keeping in mind that people bring their dogs into these spaces (!!)

Keeping dogs under 'proper control', which might involve a short leash, comes under politeness! There have been incidents where cows have trampled dogs and people (they can be very protective of their calves and react to dogs) but it is pretty rare. Dog 'worrying' of sheep unfortunately less uncommon.

I did see signs in some places about dogs harrassing sheep (with some horrifying photos) but from what I could observe UK (and maybe European) dog culture was a whole different level of politeness. I was amazed to learn that my friend's neighbor (who lived in the other half of their joined house) had 3 herding dogs in the yard that worked on the local estate. I never heard a peep, and remarked on it, to which my friend huffed "well of course not, everyone would call the council!!" Having a dog make noise was pretty much unthinkable. This of course in a tiny Welsh hamlet where everyone was up in everyone else's business, certainly must vary according to where you are. But thinking of my own street and the dogs out barking all night, biting the delivery guy, etc, I felt rather embarrassed in comparison!

Tereza Okava wrote:... I never heard a peep, and remarked on it, to which my friend huffed "well of course not, everyone would call the council!!" Having a dog make noise was pretty much unthinkable.

I have a friend who has raised and trained dogs, and specifically trains them *not* to bark. They are allowed one "Hello, you at the door" bark as an alert to the humans, but that's it.

It's sort of like "the boy who called wolf". If a dog is constantly barking, people put them on ignore - or worse. If a dog is normally quiet and barks in alarm, people assume there's a problem and investigate.

Now if only I could convince my geese to be more like a well-trained dog? It's mating season right now, and they're more possessive of their space than usual. They do keep my ducks safer from Eagles.