Assess this situation for me- HUNTER - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Gpinder · 05-13-2006, 12:23 PM

Let me set the scene for you. I live in Franklin on an acre of grass that is surrounded by state owned woods. There are about 25 acres back there and I know people hunt in there. It is surrounded by private properties so a hunter would need permission from a land owner to go thru their property to get to it.

Yesterday my wife was home alone with our toddler and our neighbor called and said there was a hunter in the yard. He was about 5-8 feet in the yard on the grass, so not in the woods, and about 40 feet from my home. The guy was in full camo with a large gun (I don't hunt so I couldn't tell you what kind of gun it was). My wife said he didn't have on any orange what-so-ever. She yelled to him to get off the property that small children lived here and that if they saw him they would be afraid. He just said ok and left. Ok, there is a huge swinget in my yard, so it is obvious that children live there, why would he come close to our home with a gun? And after he left the neighbor told my wife that he had been looking in our windows with binoculars. She was very clear that he wasn't looking around but straight at our house. My wife called the police and they came out. There was nothing they could do because the guy was gone but they did say that it would be a great cover for a B&E. We were initially just assuming that it was a hunter trying to find where he was but then the whole binocular thing... And what are people hunting this time of year?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated because my wife and her friends who live on the street are now freaking out.

John

Skip N · 05-13-2006, 12:29 PM

Should've called the police ASAP

Slammer223 · 05-13-2006, 12:30 PM

It was probably just some jerk looking around with his binoculars.Full camo sounds like turkey hunting.Good thing is you have watchful neighbors and will help each other through this time of worry.I wouldn't be TOO freaked out,but I'd be careful for a while.The PD will be mindful of the incident as well,a good thing.

Backbeach Jake · 05-13-2006, 12:49 PM

No orange and hunting? He needed to be interviewed by the police. That's a no-no. Also shows how much he cares for safety. Next time, give a call.

pal156 · 05-13-2006, 12:55 PM

turkey season i don't think you need to wear orange. but i would,and not go in yards, he should know better

Diamond Tackle · 05-13-2006, 01:00 PM

I used to actively hunt.Not so much any more just because of time constraints.
The behavior you just described is completely unacceptable.
Stay in touch with you local PD. IF you see him again ,try to get his Hunting Lic #, in NJ we are required to wear it in a holder on middle of the back so it is easily legible . Write down the #,and then contact fish and game and also PD.
No way I would tolerate that, esp with kids around. He is probably after turkeys, nothing else is open in the spring as far as I know except maybe groundhogs . He may be a peeping TOM (no pun intended)
Only time anyone shoud do this , is if a wounded aninmal ends up on your property, and then you get the owners permission before hand so as not to alarm anyone.
Places Ive hunted, if you pulled that crap, you would be looking down the barrel of a gun and the next thing you would feel if your lucky, is the click of the hadcuffs.

tattoobob · 05-13-2006, 01:15 PM

I would tell your wife and neighbor to call the PD asap, also get an alarm system installed.

ScottC · 05-13-2006, 01:44 PM

Wow that is pretty creeepy, I would definetly look into getting an alarm system, you can install one yourself for short money. Especialy if you leave them home alone.

stiff tip · 05-13-2006, 02:34 PM

unless the guy is ,,,wearded-out;;; its probley a turkey hunter that got turned around in the woods...i hope... lots of hunters in the woods now huntin tom turkeys ..if theres a lot of land around u the hunters r about ....camo out..its a safe group i hope ...

Goose · 05-13-2006, 04:10 PM

Sounds like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to and ended up getting lost, maybe he used the house as a way point.

hulkyj61 · 05-13-2006, 05:09 PM

Wow! Lucky you have good neighbors. I'd just keep my eye out and call the cops if you see him again. If the problem persists and the cops do nothing, I'd invest in an alarm system and/or some sort of personal protection (Mase, Pepper spray, Gun, Club, tazer, well you get the idea) but you may need to get a FID card or some sort of licence for those. Just be careful, Massachusetts has laws that protect criminals if they get hurt breaking and entering (yah, they can sue you).

TheSpecialist · 05-13-2006, 05:24 PM

He was turkey hunting. Turkey is open season right now, and no orange is needed. He should not have been in your yard, unless he was retrieving woundd game. In that case he could have unloaded his gun, an called a game warden, or rang your bell. He was deffinately in the wrong. You could walk into the woods like 100yds and put up some posted no trespassing signs, they have to be every 100' , maybe put them up in an Arc or semicircle. If it was me I would have called the cops first, then waited for them to confront the guy. They could have got the scoop. By your wife confronting the guy, he knew he was busted and was'nt hanging around. Also I would never confront an armed individual, unless I was armed myself.

By the way in Mass discharge of a firearm within 500' of a home or dwelling, without the owners permission is a citable offense. Also hunter orange is only mandatory during the shotgun and muzzleloader seasons for deer, and when hunting on a wildlife management area for any game except ducks, and geese you need an orange hat only.

sok · 05-13-2006, 06:05 PM

Get a dog.

spence · 05-13-2006, 06:08 PM

I'd just like to take this moment to remind some of you that hunting is immoral

This event would have seriously disturbed me. There's some good advice above...

-spence

sok · 05-13-2006, 07:32 PM

stiff tip · 05-13-2006, 07:51 PM

tell george w bush that

spence · 05-13-2006, 09:09 PM

No popcorn necessary, it was just a joke!

-spence

Gpinder · 05-13-2006, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sok

Get a dog.

We actually have 2 60+ pound dogs. But what would have happened if I had let them out and hadn't seen this guy? Of course they would have barked and ran up to him. Would he have shot them?

Skitterpop · 05-13-2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spence

I'd just like to take this moment to remind some of you that hunting is immoral

This event would have seriously disturbed me. There's some good advice above...

-spence

I agree.... I feel better having someone else kill my food for me

He was on a turkey with a long gun most likely.... if its true the neighbors saw him checking out the house with nocs he was probably trying to check out your wife....definitely creepy....I would alert all local neighbors to notify police if he is seen close to any of the houses or any other hunters for that matter.... IN YOUR YARD???? Thats wrong.

Jeffrey

spence · 05-14-2006, 10:55 AM

Well, he could have been trying to see if anyone was home before he walked into the yard!

-spence

tattoobob · 05-14-2006, 12:04 PM

Spence fess up it was you

rob-s · 05-14-2006, 01:19 PM

if it was a pervert or a crook caseing the house
he could have most likely hid in the woods and glassed from a cocealed location.
turkey hunting season is in progress.
the sport could have wounded a bird that went in your houses direction..

half the responces only add to the parinoia of the situation.

the sport could have been disoriented and had to come to the road close enouph to determine his berrings.

your neighbor should have called the cops, not spread fear, i doubt she saw him glassing your house, if she/he did the call would have been the first action to take.

i would have not hesitated to let the dogs out, what better way to assess the intruders intentions.

i think the situation is totally inoccent, however if any of the neighbors or your wife sees this again it is likely more than coincedinse.

myself i would not have hesitated to confront the sport, but i am familiar with hunting and know of turkey season, if i had i could easily tell if it was a crook or perv or hunter.
i dont know where franklin is but do know is states where hunting is less prevalent , sports as also less educated to ways of the sport therefore more likely to create a tread like this.
i also know that a crook or pervert most likely would not have been seen parading threw the yard with a shotgun in his hands

Swimmer · 05-14-2006, 01:53 PM

What specialist said is probably true, at least about what he was doing. Don't wait a moment to call your local p.d. Don't stare at him out the window, don't wait for him to do anything. Call the p.d. Your wife has no business confronting and armed person even if he is in your yard. About the only thing I could condone was if she looked out the front windows to see if she could spot a registration plate on any vehicle parked nearby, but only after she contacted the p.d.