# Question for woodsmen



## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

We have some acreage that we're developing as a combo BOL/recreational retreat. It's mostly wooded hilly ground in an agricultural area (primarily cattle). The current fencing is barbed wire in various states of repair. We can't afford to re-fence it, but we want to discourage trespass. What would you find more discouraging if you encountered it: A barbed wire fence with 3-4 ft obviously cleared and maintained lane inside it, or a barbed wire fence that was not cleared but overgrown with briars? Or would neither deter you if you were of a mind to go that way (supposing you weren't one to bother about property rights for their own sake)?


----------



## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

As an avid hunter, property heir apparent and poacher deterrent I can say with absolute certainty that sticker bushes suck. An overgrown fence row along a road is wonderful at preventing people from shooting into your property from the road. Sticker bushes/briars make it impossible to move. My father-in-law is 93 and quit having the farm bush hogged years ago. It is the nastiest most difficult and worst hunting I have ever done. Poachers just cut through a barbed wire fence or plow right over it with a pickup and they smash through gates. The idea is to make people seek out an easier target.


----------



## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

If your like my neighbors you just go through whatever is on the fence line. If it blocks their way they just push it down or pull it out of the way. So in a SHTF situation people will go where they want. Unless it's like a prison fence with razor wire on top your not going to keep people out. Put up some signs to keep the "honest" people out and hope for the best. 

You may want to focus on your plan to deal with the trespassing threats. All your doing with a big fortified fence is drawing attention to your property.


----------



## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I have planted raspberry bushes along one of my fences, advice from someone on here in another thread. Be aware they will take over! I planted barberry in my blind corners in the back. Years ago I had a problem with neighbors cutting through the back of my land so I started piling brush there, provided a nice barrier and gave the local wildlife a nice home.


----------



## shootbrownelk (Jul 9, 2014)

Spice said:


> We have some acreage that we're developing as a combo BOL/recreational retreat. It's mostly wooded hilly ground in an agricultural area (primarily cattle). The current fencing is barbed wire in various states of repair. We can't afford to re-fence it, but we want to discourage trespass. What would you find more discouraging if you encountered it: A barbed wire fence with 3-4 ft obviously cleared and maintained lane inside it, or a barbed wire fence that was not cleared but overgrown with briars? Or would neither deter you if you were of a mind to go that way (supposing you weren't one to bother about property rights for their own sake)?


 Spice, plant some muliflora rose. It'll grow into an impenetratable tangle that a snake would have a hard time wiggling through. Farmers in Wisconsin would plant it along rock fences. Nothing short of a determined rabbit can get through (actually rabbits love it in there, predators can't get at them) It's nasty stuff with wicked thorns. Pretty fast growing, I'm told. Look it up.


----------



## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Dense thorns, especially if they are more than 10' wide are really tough to get through, Most ATVs cant do it. If you don't plan to have livestock on the property ieave it as it is. If you do want new fencing leave the old briar filled areas and run new fencing 10' inside the old fence. Then things stay twice as safe.


----------



## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

I have been hanging up full torsos targets along the fence row along my driveway. 

Oh and as for fencing. Constantino wire will deter hardened criminals.


----------



## longrider (Mar 25, 2013)

I like the idea of brambles. You get two uses - you get the berries and you keep people out. If you're in bear country, you might get a bear to add to the larder. Barbed wire has never stopped me from rambling over fields that I just wanted to walk. They don't always keep cows in. I've seen living fences using pine trees. Might deter someone, if you add the berry bushes.


----------



## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

To be honest, for me, it would be to see "posted, no trespassing" signs displayed around the area. I consider myself a law abiding person, if land is posted, I do not trespass on it.


----------



## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

Throw in some "Smile, You're on camera" signs


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Spice said:


> We have some acreage that we're developing as a combo BOL/recreational retreat. It's mostly wooded hilly ground in an agricultural area (primarily cattle). The current fencing is barbed wire in various states of repair. We can't afford to re-fence it, but we want to discourage trespass. What would you find more discouraging if you encountered it: A barbed wire fence with 3-4 ft obviously cleared and maintained lane inside it, or a barbed wire fence that was not cleared but overgrown with briars? Or would neither deter you if you were of a mind to go that way (supposing you weren't one to bother about property rights for their own sake)?


Yall might want to put up some signs like this:


----------



## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

First, to help cover your butt, put of "No Trespassing Signs". That way if someone who is on your land illegally and they "accidentally" get shot while you are target practicing, you will have some legal cover. It will also give you some legal protection if some idiot poacher goes on you property in the middle of the night, trips over a log, blows his foot off, and decides to sue YOU for having such a dangerous place. Sounds farfetched but the way things are now......

Barbed wire has two purposes, it keeps large domestic animals either in or out of an area and it marks property lines. It will not keep out most humans if they want to get on your land. One of the sorry facts of life is that there are allot of people who could give a rat's behind about YOUR property rights. If you want to keep people of your property you will have to make it very difficult to get on your property and growing a natural barrier seems like a goo way to do it. The other thing that you can do is set up trail cameras to take pictures of trespassers or poachers, and turn them in to law enforcement.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Blackberry grow well in most places. Nobody wants to get caught up in that stuff. Plants some of that as part of your trespassing deterrent and as a bonus you can have blackberry jam, pie, wine etc fresh and from your own property.


----------



## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

*BULL NETTLE!*
Cnidoscolus texanus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
How to Take the Sting Out of Texas Bull Nettle | My East Texas


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

No way! That stuff is of the devil! I will never volunteer to mess with that crap.


----------



## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

Just an addition to my post about putting up "No Trespassing" signs and people who ignore property rights, the is a farmer in the area that owns allot of timber land. Some guys on ATV's decided to cut his fence and go tooling around on his land. One of them hit a hole, flipped his ATV, and was seriously injured. Of course his family tried to sue the farmer. They claimed that they didn't know that it was private property, and that there weren't enough "No Trespassing" signs to tell them that they weren't allowed on the property. The main reason that it was thrown out was because one of the other riders admitted that there was sign there, but they tore it down and threw it in the ditch. 

Let me summarize, even though they cut the fence, the claim was that they didn't know that they weren't supposed to be there because they originally claimed that they didn't see a sign telling them that they weren't supposed to be there. How screwed up is that? Even if there weren't ANY signs or ANY fences, if it isn't YOUR property or the property that you KNOW, not think but KNOW that you are allowed on, then STAY OFF OF IT. Maybe things were better years ago when trespassers WERE shot.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Spice said:


> We have some acreage that we're developing as a combo BOL/recreational retreat. It's mostly wooded hilly ground in an agricultural area (primarily cattle). The current fencing is barbed wire in various states of repair. We can't afford to re-fence it, but we want to discourage trespass. What would you find more discouraging if you encountered it: A barbed wire fence with 3-4 ft obviously cleared and maintained lane inside it, or a barbed wire fence that was not cleared but overgrown with briars? Or would neither deter you if you were of a mind to go that way (supposing you weren't one to bother about property rights for their own sake)?


Here at Slippy Lodge, we have built a 10 foot concrete wall with nails and glass shards poking through the top of the wall. Above the nails and glass shards is a 4 foot strand of concertina wire which is electrified. The wall surrounds our entire 30 acre property. Behind the wall is a moat filled with nasty creatures and behind the moat are trained dogs. Surveillance cameras are at every tree and boobie traps are spaced intermittently around the grounds. We have retired bad asses from all branches of the military working round the clock in 3 shifts "reconning" our property and drones in the sky. Pikes with heads of the "last trespasser" are at every entrance. This setup works pretty well for us...(Slippy then wakes up from his re-occurring dream and gets back to the OP)...

Realistically the most you can do is discourage the semi-honest people from straying onto your land. If an evil person intent on doing harm wants to get on your property, they can. As others have mentioned, posting NO TRESPASSING signs is step 1. Reinforcing gates at roads/driveways are important measures to take. Sure, planting thorny bushes are fine but if you have a lot of land you might as well fix the barb wire fencing.

I know my immediate neighbors and patrol my land at various times of the day when I can. I also check on their land from the road since they are not full time residents, just to make sure I don't see anything suspicious. I've got roads and trails that run a portion of my perimeter and seeing me on my 4 wheeler with a shotgun mounted on the 4 wheeler or large frame pistol on my hip or vest might discourage the petty criminal from doing something stupid. Get to know the local Sheriff or Police might help as well.

Good luck.


----------



## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> Blackberry grow well in most places. Nobody wants to get caught up in that stuff. Plants some of that as part of your trespassing deterrent and as a bonus you can have blackberry jam, pie, wine etc fresh and from your own property.


The only problem that I can see with growing any type of berry is that then you will have the scumwads going onto your property to pick the berries.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Out here you can spray paint trees as a no trespassing sign. Quick and easy to go up, not so easy to rip down and throw in the ditch.


----------



## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

I say you take reasonable precautions to keep people out, ie a combination of signs, barbwire, brush, and ditching.

But before you go overboard on costs, you should ask yourseld what is more important, a fortress around your property or an early detecting system that alerts you that something is happening?

A security system might be cheaper than an elaborate fence.


----------



## Danm (Nov 15, 2014)

GTGallop said:


> *BULL NETTLE!*
> Cnidoscolus texanus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> How to Take the Sting Out of Texas Bull Nettle | My East Texas


The winner is the guy above ^^^


----------



## kevincali (Nov 15, 2012)

I guess I'm lucky on my property. I have a clear line of sight all the way around. 

I have a section of fencing that is only 4' tall. I know that people will come over it for my fruit and garden. I own 10' past my existing fence line. So I planted cactus, and aloe Vera. Cactus for the prickly pear fruit and home defense. Aloe for wound care and home defense. I am not trying to STOP someone. Only slow them down. my 30.06 will handle the rest


----------

