# People driving across hay field



## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Iam getting tired of every time I check my one hay field that I find someone is driving around in the field. Its the best land I have produces top quality yield. But there are lots of tracks through the field. Damn teen kids. I kicked some off a few times. It does not help that is down a machinery road with out anybody living there. Just yesterday they drove there and hit a bale that was left over from last year and pushed it out onto the road.

Would a sign like this help keep them off?


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## AndyL (Mar 9, 2013)

If it's kids you have a real bad problem. The Moms Dads, mawmaws pawpaws all say their kids are not hurting anything, they are doing nothing wrong, quit harassing my kids, and on and on.

Know just where you're coming from. The local law, I mean the so called law, does not a damn thing. They run all over your standing hay, cut up the roads, and burn your baled hay. The only thing saving their a$$ from double 00 buck is God said don't kill. It's really that bad.

Is that what you're up against? And you put up a sign of that nature, and they'll spray paint on it, "and roofing tacks" and dump tacks all over the place.

I'm planing on putting up cameras and setting some hay for them to burn. And if I get video, give it to the fire marshall and see if something can be done that way.

Yep, I know just what you're up against. Ok, I'm done. For the moment. Thank you for listening. The law won't.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

So far they have not burned up any bales. tear up the road and field. Have parties and fires.(like I said very lucky no bales burned). Driving up and down the road shooting guns in what ever direction they want. Little scary when the guns pointed at me and they are too drunk or high to know I was there. But I didn't get a plate number. Unless I get one the police wont even look into it. Not this winter but last they shot up a bunch of gas wells causing $80000+ damage.

I can see why the one neighbor shot a guy with his shot gun for stealing his quad. I don't think it was right to shoot someone for stealing and should not be allowed. Partly because I know a old lady who would shot half the neighborhood and claim they were stealing if it was allowed.

The only good thing now is the field is getting to tall and thick to really drive a vehicle through.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Used to have a lot of this problem here. I stopped some and asked them nicely to leave, some I ranted and raved. Two different ones on quads or bikes I overtook with my pickup in the field and cut them off. I think they were shocked someone would abuse a truck like that. I came close to hitting one with the pickup on damp grass and that scared me. I now let it go as long as it isn't happening right in front of me.

Oddly it seems less of it goes at the moment. I think it has more to do with the little delinquents getting older than anything I did.

As a landowner you will be a target for things, there is just no way around it. You have to pick your battles and find some way to vent and let some things go. For me I bought a snowmobile and ride on the offender's yard!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

"But its only a hay field"


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

I blame country music! Ever notice how many songs suggest driving through corn, bean and hayfields "tearing them up"? I caught some 4 wheelers a couple weeks back chased 'em 40 mph down a logging road in the truck. Got a pretty good look at them and went to talk to their parents. I informed them of the cost per acre to plant and suggested a break it buy it policy. They haven't been back. But then seeing that GMC grill right behind their tail light might have been some motivation as well


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

I'm lucky, (so far) I only have 1 field next to a road. The fence is grown over with trees, brush, & mostly grape vines where you can't even see the fence. The wife suggested a couple years ago to clean the fence row up, until I explained it not only helps keep people & their vehicles out, but the trash they throw out on the road as well. No tires, bicycles, bags of garbage, etc in the field, they'll drive on down the road for an easier place.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I haven't had the little shits do that to any hayfields, but almost all my hayfields are on the owners property, the ones that are absentee landlords have neighbors right next door.

The little shits do like to tear a field up or two when it's wet. Have one in town they were tearing the crap out of, drove back to where they were coming thru, drove right on thru and into their parents yard, parked the truck in the yard and beat on the door. Parents got all bent out of shape about their yard, told em big deal, your little shits do the same thing to my field. Told em I have the local sheriff on speed dial as we've shared a beer or two at his place as I rent his ground as well.

A day later there was two quads sitting in the yard for sale.

Just love it when I have to go and work smooth a field that's been no-tilled for over 20 years.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

urednecku said:


> I'm lucky, (so far) I only have 1 field next to a road. The fence is grown over with trees, brush, & mostly grape vines where you can't even see the fence. The wife suggested a couple years ago to clean the fence row up, until I explained it not only helps keep people & their vehicles out, but the trash they throw out on the road as well. No tires, bicycles, bags of garbage, etc in the field, they'll drive on down the road for an easier place.


Yup, I've cleaned the fencerows up a lot along the dirt road that borders the farm, we farm both sides of the road and the last thing I'm gonna do is clean it to the point the little shits can drive in anywhere they want.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

My problems are with motorcycles and 4 wheelers. They don't run thru thr fields but they do tear up my gravel and dirt roads when it's wet. They like to get muddy it seems. I can't tell you how many times I could hear them running around on the farm. I would jump in the truck to go catch them and then they would be gone. Finally caught 6 of them on the power line with 2 of them stuck in the creek. Held them there until the cops came. End of that problem.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I don't have much of this kind of problem hereabouts.

I kinda "solved" the problem of that and trash by being out-spoken at the local bar-and-grills a few times. I said people who tore up property or dumped their trash out the car window were behaving worse than a bunch of dog-a$$ed n*****s and if they wanted to do that, they should go live in a slum neighbor in the city where they'd fit right in.

Didn't accuse anybody (although I was pretty sure who it was), just made sure they heard what I thought of that kind of behavior.

Took a few a while to get the message, but we have very little trash and most of that comes from tourists now.

Ralph


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

After the first time I would find myself a good vantage point and shoot their tires out. Putting up a sign around here is like asking them to tear something up. I used to have a problem with people driving in my fields....haven't had one since last fall when I blocked them at the end of the driveway and told them next time I caught them I was going to shoot their truck up.....he had some smart comments to say and told me he was going to whip my ass.....I popped him square in the eye through the window of his truck and put him on the ground.....he got of of there in a hurry when he saw my helper coming with a baseball bat. Word got around fast and I haven't had a problem since.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

It seems the only field here that I have occasional trouble with involves them driving over a narrow ditch (only about 18"x18") that's pretty much invisible with grass growing in it so I usually figure there's a decent chance they have some damage to their truck and next time they'll find a new place to be morons. 
I can sacrifice a few dollars worth of hay rather than letting my blood boil over it. But, like Marty said, it's when they screw up an otherwise perfectly flat, continuous no-till field that I'd start to care a little (a lot) more.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Had a neighbor's grand children do some damage with their 4 wheelers on a sprouting millet field one time. I went to his house to tell him to be on the look out. That is when we found out it was his little darlings. He had a come apart on the kids and made their parents pay me for the loss.

Had garbage dumped, looked and found the address, carried it back and dumped it in their front yard.

Had them park and romance on Friday and Saturday nights. Always hated picking up their party trash and condominiums.

Had some drunks dove hunting who were throwing up beer bottles and shooting them. One got real confrontational, threatened to shoot my dog. I got 50 yards away and we had a birdshot vs .357 competition. It is harder to shoot a car at 50 yards with a pistol than one would think.

Roofing nails pushed through duct tape and laid in a strip works if they are going slow. Placed where they cross the ditch coming into the field and you can pick up the strips and nails when you want to cross. Usually someone has done that chore for you.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Had trouble here with kids, talked to them about sticking to extreme edge, ie drive on the brush that I bushhog back every year and its been fine.

Now, hunters, can't keep hunters out no matter what I try. When they cut fence and fence row now to get 4wheelers in I take big old dead spruce limbs and press them into the space with the loader. Pack in 3 or 4 loads. They won't come in same place but will cut a new spot. Problem is the adjacent logging road.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I share a 120 acre pasture lease with a friend. We finally had to get the sheriff out to see where the kids had been cutting the fence to ride quads. The sheriff went to their house and the fence cutting has ceased. We almost lost the lease because of people calling the landowner about cows being out.

Another time there was a brush fire and the local fire department cut 40 feet of fence and did not tell us.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Have a creek running through home place. Sherrif said barbwire from tree to tree is not such a good idea...go figure


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I don't clean their trash up, if I find an address I call em and tell em to clean it up themselves. I also tell em if they don't I'll shove it out in the road and make sure the county finds their address. You'd be surprised how stupid people are, or maybe not, go and illegally dump a load of trash that might have an envelope with their address, old car registrations, etc.

If I can't find an address I call the county, they try to hem and haw out of it claiming it's off the right away and I just tell em their road was used to dump it on my property, if desired I can take the backhoe and shove it in the road.

It's never been local people either, usually white trash that's moved to the local section 8 housing from the county seat or city people that have moved here recently.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Oh trash. Yes we get that too. At this field big things. Still have a truck axle at the fields edge that someone dumped in middle of field. Had neighbors growing up at dads that would dump there trash at the end of his place. He lived down a dead end road. Funny thing was that these guys lived closer to the dump than to dad's place. It might of been an old habit because their uncle used to own the land.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

We are lucky we dont have trouble like that. Live far enough from large population plus those city kids wouldnt be able to find thier way out here. Local kids were raised to respect others. Most are too lazy to partake in such activites they are more interested in drugs drinking and making babies.

Another thing i notice is if you keep to yourself and dont cause trouble they leave you alone. Previous owner of our other property down the road used to keep everty thing locked up cause kids from the tralier court were stealing stuff because he tried to keep them from riding quads on the property. As long as they stay on the trails we have no problem with them and they dont cause us trouble. Heck most would stop and give a hand if needed.

Plus my mom works in the cafeteria at the highschool and word gets around quick if someone does something. When i was in school i got along with everyone pretty much and "helped" out the low lifers with thier assignments and kept to myself that goes a long way. Plus any kids we have work for us are paid well and care for well so word gets around.


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## Fireman355 (Aug 15, 2013)

order you some stop strips from a Gall's catalog, place them in the grass out of sight. ( you need to need to remember where are) Be sure to place several signs along the right of way, that clearly say Danger, Keep out, Private Property. This is a clear signal for any one with sense will stay away from. others will venue out and punch their tires, after those parents replace those tires, those people will not be in your hay field.

Key is to clearly mark you land with those signs, take pictures and set back and watch.

1st incident I got a 4 wheeler, 2nd incident I got a nice Ford 4x4, after the word got around now all I need are the signs put out


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## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

We used to ignore the occasional truck. Usually it was someone fishing without permission. Then they started bringing all their friends and family, so we hung a cable and keep out sign across the driveway. They cut it. So we went with a 1" thick steel cable fastened to steel posts anchored in concrete, cut a shallow channel i the road and laid in a 2x8 flush with the road, full of heavy nails.

Only one guy made it thru the cable, blew all four tires. He actually walked to the house and asked us to pull him out. I hooked to the axle and "accidentally' dragged him off the driveway and thru the ditch. Tore the axle off. Last time anyone tried to get to the pond. Really sad, we actually had better security/obstacles to our hayfield than some of the Marine bases I was stationed at.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

I farm a lot of land owned by Peabody Coal and it is remote with old haul roads. Kids muddying in fields is the comical part. Meth labs, Mary Jane farmers and drug runners are the serious part for us. All of our cab tractors are equipped with rifle holders. My 16 year old carries a .270 Winchester. Dad carries a 22-250 and I carry a Ruger .243 and a 1911 .45 on my hip. Usually, if the ones playing in the fields see us with the arsenal, they split and do not come back.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Didn't want to mention this, but I damn near threw hands for the first time in like 5 years with this jackass that decided to take a skid steer loader for a spin from a construction site through one of my fields.
I confronted the tattooed up punk and he gave me some attitude I didn't particularly care for. Grabbed him by the wife beater and pulled him up nice & close. He got to smell my coffee breath and agreed to stay the F out of my fields. 
I swear the biggest thing we lack in this country is respect for each other. 
Tramping on someone's crop is vandalism, plain & simple.
This is one place where SHAME would be a great punishment to bring back.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> Didn't want to mention this, but I damn near threw hands


My Dad said that would one day be the death of me. He and I were wired different once a situation crossed the line. He finally found himself in a situation where common sense and reasoning were not going to work and he was glad I was there.

Not often, but sometimes there has to be someone unafraid to swing through hell on a rotten thread, sing Amazing Grace and spit between the Devil's eyes.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

I can understand the frustration of getting your hayfields damaged, but in today's get-a-lawyer-and-sue environment, I'm not sure putting out nail boards is the wisest course of action. I think in certain circumstances, you're probably setting yourself up for some liability if someone were to step on one.

Plus, I don't care about atv or truck tires, but I would hate for someone to be on horseback and for an animal to be hurt because of something I did.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

> This is one place where SHAME would be a great punishment to bring back.


That would work years ago, but somebody has to have some* pride* for *shame *to have *any* effect. And not many people have *that kind* of pride any more.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

The trouble with people like JD encountered is that they are ignorant....and you cannot deal with or change ignorance. That fella has no idea what it means to beat down hay.....he has no concept of making hay.....and if you took the time to show him exactly what he was doing and how it affected you, he would still think that no harm was done. We have plenty of ignorance all over this country....it is at epidemic levels....and the liberals think it is ok and that we need to make room for these folks....and that we need to meet "their" needs. No wonder this country cannot prosper anymore when we are being consumed by the legions of the ignorant.

Regards, Mike


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Vol said:


> The trouble with people like JD encountered is that they are ignorant....and you cannot deal with or change ignorance. That fella has no idea what it means to beat down hay.....he has no concept of making hay.....and if you took the time to show him exactly what he was doing and how it affected you, he would still think that no harm was done. We have plenty of ignorance all over this country....it is at epidemic levels....and the liberals think it is ok and that we need to make room for these folks....and that we need to meet "their" needs. No wonder this country cannot prosper anymore when we are being consumed by the legions of the ignorant.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Everywhere he drove through the field, the tire tracks bent the stems over and they wouldn't cut. 
Now I have Mohawks everywhere. Still frys my ass when I see it.
Mike you are so correct. Ignorance and the liberal mindset is what's killing us.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

rjmoses said:


> I don't have much of this kind of problem hereabouts.
> 
> I kinda "solved" the problem of that and trash by being out-spoken at the local bar-and-grills a few times. I said people who tore up property or dumped their trash out the car window were behaving worse than a bunch of dog-a$$ed n*****s and if they wanted to do that, they should go live in a slum neighbor in the city where they'd fit right in.
> 
> ...


Ahhh, are those tourists from East St. Louis?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Bonfire said:


> Ahhh, are those tourists from East St. Louis?


Nope! We don't get them here because there's nothing obviously available to steal. These are the white collar touristy types.

Happened just yesterday while I was sitting at the ferry--some family with kids threw their garbage out of the car onto the roadside! Looked like fast food bag.

White collar white trash in a nice car teaching their kids to dump garbage out the window in my area. Makes me want to drop a load of horse manure on their front doorstep! But I have better uses for my manure.

Ralph


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## AndyL (Mar 9, 2013)

Vol said:


> No wonder this country cannot prosper anymore when we are being consumed by the legions of the ignorant.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Not ignorant. STUPID, and you just can't fix stupid.

In 1 spot their going through the roadside ditch. It has lots of quart beer bottles in the bottom. I started busting some. Maybe when they gotta start replacing tires. And they may retaliate. But come hell or high water it's gonna stop. Have had it with trying the proper channels.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

AndyL said:


> Not ignorant. STUPID, and you just can't fix stupid.
> 
> In 1 spot their going through the roadside ditch. It has lots of quart beer bottles in the bottom. I started busting some. Maybe when they gotta start replacing tires. And they may retaliate. But come hell or high water it's gonna stop. Have had it with trying the proper channels.


I understand what you're saying. You've got to stand up for yourself, without fear of retaliation. Be a bigger s.o.b. than the s.o.b. you're dealing with.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

> you just can't fix stupid.


Wellllll............, actually we could, but unfortunately it's illegal.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

JD3430 said:


> Didn't want to mention this, but I damn near threw hands for the first time in like 5 years with this jackass that decided to take a skid steer loader for a spin from a construction site through one of my fields.
> I confronted the tattooed up punk and he gave me some attitude I didn't particularly care for. Grabbed him by the wife beater and pulled him up nice & close. He got to smell my coffee breath and agreed to stay the F out of my fields.
> I swear the biggest thing we lack in this country is respect for each other.
> Tramping on someone's crop is vandalism, plain & simple.
> This is one place where SHAME would be a great punishment to bring back.


Its just a hay field...not like your trying to make a living or something....

My mom told her friend that her kids could play over in the one field. They left two golf clubs behind. I caught the clubs just before they went through the new to me discbine. I took the clubs to mom and told her "You or I am going to tell those kids to stay out of the field. You choice on who its going to be." She decided she would tell them. It went over better than if I would have.


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## AndyL (Mar 9, 2013)

urednecku said:


> Wellllll............, actually we could, but unfortunately it's illegal.


well, actually I have entertained that thought. Just with 00 Buck. Gods law is all that saves them.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

We just bought our place here in Wisconsin last fall. Apparently, a neighboring farmer has a right of way over the creek on a corner of our property. Whether it's a legal right of way or not I have no idea. I have no problem with it either. What I do have a problem with is he has never come to the house to say hello, just drove right through like I'm sure he's always done.

The other day, I get a message from my wife that some guy is driving a four wheeler on our property. I think it was just the guy checking his corn, but he came up our driveway and across the edge of my hay field. Again, I don't have a problem with it, what I have a problem with is that whoever it is did not bother to ask us if it was OK to drive across our property. He didn't cause any damage, but to me it would be common courtesy to introduce yourself and ask if it was OK.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Reading this reminds me of a man who was teaching his 11 yo daughter to drive. He picked our then unfenced Bermuda field to do the teaching. Made a mess of things.

The kicker was it was an uncle on my mother's side. He had heard us talking about learning to drive in a hay field and thought that was what we meant.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

urednecku said:


> Wellllll............, actually we could, but unfortunately it's illegal.


Isnt illegal till you get caught


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Bgriffin856 said:


> Isnt illegal till you get caught


That is what some guys think when they drive across the fields and tear them up.

BUT I have only ever heard of one case where a guy got charged for murder when there was no body to be found.

So just SHOOT, SHOVEL and SHUT UP.


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## weatherman (Dec 5, 2008)

SwingOak said:


> We just bought our place here in Wisconsin last fall. Apparently, a neighboring farmer has a right of way over the creek on a corner of our property. Whether it's a legal right of way or not I have no idea. I have no problem with it either. What I do have a problem with is he has never come to the house to say hello, just drove right through like I'm sure he's always done.
> 
> The other day, I get a message from my wife that some guy is driving a four wheeler on our property. I think it was just the guy checking his corn, but he came up our driveway and across the edge of my hay field. Again, I don't have a problem with it, what I have a problem with is that whoever it is did not bother to ask us if it was OK to drive across our property. He didn't cause any damage, but to me it would be common courtesy to introduce yourself and ask if it was OK.


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## weatherman (Dec 5, 2008)

Sounds as though neighbor wants you to make first move. Be firm but polite may get the respect you deserve.


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## askinner (Nov 15, 2010)

Man I see red when this type of thing happens, and by red, I mean Rage with capitl R!! Bad enough when I load a customer with hay, then because he can't back a trailer decides to turn around on a ripe patch of alfalfa.

Had the power company replace a pole the other day, they did a u turn on my lawn in their semi when leaving, result? Ruts in my lawn. I was so close to accintentally bumping their stupid poles over with the tractor. No respect, I've had neighbours tell me about them driving over their irrigation pipes when there was a way around them.

Had another problem with someone hooning on my place leaving skid marks in the middle of the night, did a couple of stake outs after that, but they didn't return luckily, as I'm not sure if there's wifi in the big house. Need to go take my deep breathing now, cranky thinking 'bout it 

As a possible solution, hay spears are pretty daunting when they're comin' at ya through a window.......


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## weatherman (Dec 5, 2008)

Cousin sitting on front porch enjoying the evening sipping on an adult beverage from the mayonnaise jar watching a car full of kids cruise past his house couple times stopping couple hundred yards down the road. Couple kids piled out sneaking their way up to the house only to be greeted by a 12 gauge and words of fury. After a dressing down, they took off running towards car. He fired three shots in the air, pellets sprinkling down on roof of car. His son went to school following day plunking down 3 empty shells in front of kid who drove. Enough said there.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

weatherman said:


> Sounds as though neighbor wants you to make first move. Be firm but polite may get the respect you deserve.


Maybe except I have no idea who it is.


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## longnightobservatory (10 mo ago)

SVFHAY said:


> Used to have a lot of this problem here. I stopped some and asked them nicely to leave, some I ranted and raved. Two different ones on quads or bikes I overtook with my pickup in the field and cut them off. I think they were shocked someone would abuse a truck like that. I came close to hitting one with the pickup on damp grass and that scared me. I now let it go as long as it isn't happening right in front of me.
> 
> Oddly it seems less of it goes at the moment. I think it has more to do with the little delinquents getting older than anything I did.
> 
> As a landowner you will be a target for things, there is just no way around it. You have to pick your battles and find some way to vent and let some things go. For me I bought a snowmobile and ride on the offender's yard!


* you're defending property that you don't even own stop paying your taxes then let's have this discussion in three years and then tell me if you own your property. That would have been the dumbest mistake of your life if you would have hit someone because you were being stupid driving your truck trying to chase them off if you would have hit them they would have sued you for every last nickel you have. I bet next time you wouldn't try to run somebody down*


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