I have some land about 50 miles up the road from you and as asked above is the land posted?

If not it should be. If it is he should produce written documentation that he has permission.

Your loyalty lies with the elderly couple and I would act accordingly.

You already stated that the owners want no hunting and made that clear to you.
The farmer volunteered, without you questioning according to your OP, that he was hunting on the property.
Ask the owners if they have made an exception for the hunter or how they would like to proceed going forward.
If it's ok with them, done deal. If not, do they want to talk to him or do they want you to?
Getting them to put any rules in writing would be best.
Pretty simple, it seems to me.

Somethings are just not worth getting in the middle of. If it was your property take action if you did not approve. Otherwise leave it be. It is not a huge deal.

quote:

Originally posted by hvactech:
Is the land posted "No Hunting" ? Review the hunting laws. I believe if the land is posted no hunting then anyone that is on the property hunting is required to have written permission by the land owner on their possession. Let the game warden deal with this.
https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/...ons/privateproperty/

While that is an approach, it is not one I would suggest. It is my opinion that one of the big problems that we as a society have is far too many of us want to run to the government to solve every tiny little problem we have.

I have to agree with others. As lastmanstanding said it would have been better to confront the issue directly with the farmer when he told you. Not necessarily in a confrontational way, “Oh really? Did they give you hunting permission as part of the lease? They had told me no hunting.”

However, you do need to tell the couple and ask them how they would like to proceed.

Go find the farmer who leases the property. Ask him if so and so allow him to hunt, if he says yes, ask for written permission from the couple. If he can’t provide it then tell the old couple. If he does then you don’t have to go any further

Perhaps there's a middle ground?

Without revealing why, I'd casually ask the older couple for clarification on their "no hunting" wishes. (I'll leave it to you to figure out how to accomplish that. You're there, you know them, I'm not and do not.) If they pressed me as to why I'm asking, I'd reply that I suspect somebody may be hunting on the property, and, if so, I'd handle it.

If they make it clear "no hunting, w/o exception," I'd approach my neighbour and explain he's putting me in an awkward position: The older couple expects me to act as a caretaker, they've clearly expressed a desire there be absolutely no hunting on their property, without exception, yet he's hunting on it. He has to stop or I'll be obliged to inform them, and I'd really prefer not to be put in that position.

That's the way I'd handle it.

I wind up in situation like this more often than not. We work in dysfunction and state funded work.

I always ask the person who is benefiting from the situation," did you speak to "so and so about what your doing?". Like enigmatic mentioned.

Keeping, always in the back my mind, forgiveness is easier to get then permission.

A hunch, from what I got from your synopsis is he, readily admitted he was doing a thing he wasn't certain he was allowed and he fessed up to you as a proxy "mea culpa"


Its on him IMO, but i think you would be right by sharing...He needs a permit and permission ya?

quote:

Originally posted by Sunset_Va:
The farmer is aware the people do not want hunting on their property, as I have stated that to him previously.

He came up and admitted it because he got caught. I’d ask the farmer if he wants to talk to the owner and fess up or have you do it.
In my mind it’s on him to make it right, you already told him the owner’s wishes.
This would depend on what rights the farmer has to the property as noted above

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by hvactech:
Is the land posted "No Hunting" ? Review the hunting laws. I believe if the land is posted no hunting then anyone that is on the property hunting is required to have written permission by the land owner on their possession. Let the game warden deal with this.
https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/...ons/privateproperty/

While that is an approach, it is not one I would suggest. It is my opinion that one of the big problems that we as a society have is far too many of us want to run to the government to solve every tiny little problem we have.

I have to agree with others. As lastmanstanding said it would have been better to confront the issue directly with the farmer when he told you. Not necessarily in a confrontational way, “Oh really? Did they give you hunting permission as part of the lease? They had told me no hunting.”

However, you do need to tell the couple and ask them how they would like to proceed.

That sums today's discussion very well. I was surprised a lot today.

This morning around 9 am I went to check on my dogs. It happened that the man (property owner-elderly couple) was at the farm for some reason.

I got to talking with him, and then told him about what happened last evening. He told me they had given permission to the farmer to coon hunt/no kill? On their property.

In the 40 years I've known them, they have never allowed anyone to hunt on that land, and always told me they wouldn't.

But they had neglected or forgotten to tell me. This is totally unlike them, and goes against what they had told me previously. To me it's irevalant the type of hunting.

But it's their business between the farmer and them. I told the elderly friend, it would be hard for me to confront some one trespassing unless I knew who had permission to be there. I still think the farmer is taking advantage of the couple, but biting my toungue on that issue. I think the farmer was deer hunting, as yesterday was opening day for deer season here, as he told me he was hunting, and didn't see any deer except for does.

So, now I've reexamined my caretaker role, the only time I would confront some one is if they were harming my dogs. Otherwise, it's just a matter of me telling the older couple what I saw going on at their property.

Thanks to all in the forum who gave your opinion.