New Neighbors- Is there anything I Can Do?

We just got new neighbors. We own 20 acres and they set up a campsite right at the property line (on their property) but facing our property/home so that the only place they can shoot is on our property which they do not have permission to do so. They even took our no trespassing sign to make their own “campsite” sign. You can see our home from their blind. I am totally uneasy about this. My blind is 20 yards in front of them in plain sight. Is there anything I can do? They are way to close for comfort. I’m in western PA

Contact the dnr

try talking to them first. Politely explain your safety concerns and depending on how that interaction goes you’ll know where you stand. while you see their blind/camp to close to your property line they may see yours as encrouching on thiers. i would suggest that you would both move away from the property line away from each other. just my thoughts.

If they set up right on the property line, and they are 20 yards from your blind, doesn’t that mean you are right on the property line?
DT

Not sure about the state where you are, but in Wis, it’s against the law to shoot into someone else’s land. Had a neighbor to my last house, that had relatives come up from Chicago to hunt. They set two blinds up about 20′ from the edge of my land and had their windows facing directly into my woods. The neighbor’s house was right behind their blinds with a highway, so the only place for them to shoot was in my woods. I called the DNR and had them cited. My neighbor was really pissed at me for a while.

deertracker wrote:

If they set up right on the property line, and they are 20 yards from your blind, doesn’t that mean you are right on the property line?
DT

sort of, this guy is right on our property line facing our home and our blind is about 20 yards in from the property line facing our home. the difference is our home is close to the property line and their home is on the opposite side of his 100 acres. it’s just really weird to me.

Greg G. wrote:

try talking to them first. Politely explain your safety concerns and depending on how that interaction goes you’ll know where you stand. while you see their blind/camp to close to your property line they may see yours as encrouching on thiers. i would suggest that you would both move away from the property line away from each other. just my thoughts.

i’m absolutely going to talk to them. and I definitely get your point of moving ours, the difference is our house is the only house in the area. he just bought 100 acres and his house is no where near where he set up. so our home is the only one in sight. just weird to me i guess. that is a good point about them thinking we are to close to theirs

You know what they say, good fences make great neighbors.

You might want to consider recording your conversation with them. It will make for solid evidence if it comes back to a he said/she said thing. Be polite, respectful, but also make it clear how you feel and options that will work for both of you.

Greg G. wrote:

try talking to them first. Politely explain your safety concerns and depending on how that interaction goes you’ll know where you stand. while you see their blind/camp to close to your property line they may see yours as encroaching on thiers. i would suggest that you would both move away from the property line away from each other. just my thoughts.

I have similar thoughts.

I would certainly have a conversation and share your safety concerns and to prepare for this conversation, I would research:

1. Does PA have any laws regarding the distance a hunter must be from a dwelling/building to legally discharge a firearm? Many states do. If the blind is closer than the law allows, I would politely point this out.

2. Does PA have any laws that say a hunter cannot shoot such that a projectile will cross a property line? Rare, but I believe some states back east do have laws like this for deer hunting.

However…Now I do have another point here. You mention several times about the location of his house:

Dominique Camera wrote:

the difference is our house is the only house in the area. he just bought 100 acres and his house is no where near where he set up. so our home is the only one in sight. just weird to me i guess. that is a good point about them thinking we are to close to theirs

Just understand that the location of his dwelling doesn’t matter. The other owner is entitled to the full use of his property so long as he is doing so within the law. It’s his property, so you can certainly talk to him about safety concerns, but as long as his activities are legal, how he uses his property is his business. It was nice for you that the previous owner did not have a blind near the property line, but that doesn’t mean that just because his house is elsewhere, there’s some obligation on his part not to hunt near you and doing so doesn’t, IMO, make him a bad neighbor. He’s simply using his property differently than the old owner.

Dominique Camera wrote:

They even took our no trespassing sign to make their own “campsite” sign.

Not getting off to a good start IMO

-J.

1. Does PA have any laws regarding the distance a hunter must be from a dwelling/building to legally discharge a firearm? Many states do. If the blind is closer than the law allows, I would politely point this out.

IF PA has this law, Most likely roads, fence lines, etc…. Do not impact the distance. I’ve been down this road many times obtaining permission to shoot within the 300’ required here.

If the no trespassing sign was on your property, they are guilty of vandalism. Be polite, but let them know the facts.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Not getting off to a good start IMO

Assuming there isn’t another side to this as far as the location or other details about the sign that was taken down.

Every state has a different rule.

MN Law:
Unless otherwise provided by law, a person may not discharge a firearm within 500 feet of a building occupied by a human or livestock without the written permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee: (1) on another person’s private land, if the land is not a licensed shooting preserve; or (2) on a public road right-of-way.

So if you own the land (or apparently on a hunting preserve)… distance to neighbor’s home or livestock is not relevant … unless county or township ordinances are more restrictive.

It is a good law … it prevents someone from building a home next to a public land hunting area, gun range, or preserve and then gaining some type of control on shooting on property next door.

Start by talking.

Then a fence, followed by a row or two of evergreens. The largest size you can afford to plant.

Brittman wrote:

Start by talking.

Then a fence, followed by a row or two of evergreens. The largest size you can afford to plant.

My first step would be a conversation. 2nd step would be a certified letter. 3rd step would be speakers with a huge sub woofer playing rap anytime they were present. Also see if EPG from this site can recommend a certain brand of strobe lights.

3Rivers wrote:

You might want to consider recording your conversation with them. It will make for solid evidence if it comes back to a he said/she said thing. Be polite, respectful, but also make it clear how you feel and options that will work for both of you.

Not the first way I would have a conversation with them. Not sure a recording is necessary and may be a little intrusive to say hi to a neighbor.

I would like others stated play nice at first after all they may be your neighbors the rest of your life.

And like Dalton I mean Randy said be nice until it’s time to not be nice.