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**SGT.Digger** · 03-21-2021, 09:23 PM

Did you have permission to give permission to let other people hunt that weren’t with you? I would have said you will have to talk to and get land owners permission. That guy may think he can go any time and could mess things up for you. Points aside it could come back to bite you. If the guy was cool or whatever I would say give me your # and I’ll call you and will invite along NEXT time . From the way you wrote it sounded like he just invited himself to hunt or did you tell him to hunt?

**sailorjoe** · 03-21-2021, 09:32 PM

Some states require that one has written permission before hunting animals or artifacts on private property not your own. Some states may not require such proof. I probably would have handled it a bit differently but I think you handled it OK. If I had handled it in your manner then I would contact the landowner and inquire if he had given others permission to hunt and report what you experienced. If he had then whenever you return and see fresh footprints then you may (or may not) know who made them. In the old days when I had sites that were hunted by several people then after a rain or fresh plowing, etc. there would be a mad race to get to some of my better sites. Some of my competition was by friends who hunted a field very thoroughly, every bit as thorough as did I. You wouldn't want to walk behind that bunch. The only question of ethics that I see here is whether the other man had been granted permission. If not, he is unethical and in some areas illegal where fines can be imposed . Nice person, maybe-maybe not. First impressions frequently are not reliable.

**Mailman** · 03-22-2021, 02:07 AM

It's have to remind myself, this isnt a competitive sport. When I forget that, it takes the fun out of it. That being said..... sure wouldve been disappointed.

Also, the old timer that started me in this hobby told me you never go in a field where someone else is actively looking. You can come back later, but, not while they're on the hunt. Unwritten Headhunters Code. I've always honored that, but lately, others dont seem to reciprocate. I guess they had different teachers, lol.

**Mattern** · 03-22-2021, 07:05 PM

Boy Flint there are a lot of opinions here. If we allow someone to hunt on other peoples property we are doing an injustice to that landowner. I wear Camo. when I hunt permissioned property so others won't see me and come by to hunt for themselves. Suppose that person stomps all over the new planted corn or damages other crops. Now I have pi## of the land owner because others saw me hunting. The site is closed and many of those artifact eventually get broken by the tractor and equipment. All ruined cause of some wise guy steals a little hunting time without permission. I'm sorry but I would have chased that guy and his son right up to the property owner. It is his land and not ours. And we have to respect his rights. That said you did what needed to be done for you, your son and the others. Kim

**utilized flake** · 03-23-2021, 09:48 AM

I dunno man, I've heard about a guy getting shot over a banded clovis...but seeing how his kid was there?

**paohrocks** · 03-23-2021, 01:44 PM

As a property owner this is one of the many reasons you see "posted" and "no trespassing" signs, people just "show up" which creates a liability issue for the property owner. I would advise you to inform the owner and you did the right thing with your son there.

**Tam** · 03-23-2021, 04:47 PM

Everyone is being way to nice .
First off the gentleman was super nice and had his son so I feel you handled it with your inner most ethics that came out at the moment . But really I would have told him the truth after a bit .
You have gained a friend as Hal stated but you have to stand your ground literally .
I would have explained it took you decades to get permission to hunt on this property in your way . Let him know the owners name and seriously does that man want him there ?
I would have told him about trespassing laws , what ever is going on in your area and really the law period !!!Look for the farmers trespassing signs because I know he has them .
share your knowledge in the legal sense and offer to find out about the owner . I would have gone as far as to look up arrests in the area and be the nice guy to share that with him . Kind of like passive aggressive but getting your point across .
I know this has left a bad taste in your mouth. You gather your thoughts because that guy will be there again . Or if your buddies with the owner be honest and asks how he feels .
He may be so happy that someone is watching his property for him with respect . I have a man that does that for me and it’s a valuable service another human can do for another .

**Flint Eastwood** · 03-24-2021, 11:40 AM

UPDATE
I spoke with the landowner and told him the exact events that transpired.
He was curious enough want to see the photo and ask a couple of questions about the man.
However, he was not noticeably upset. He did not advise what to say to trespassers in the future.
He did say stop someone/let him know if anyone strays close to his buildings.

I wanted to thank everyone for their interest in this matter.

In the end, the following are my takeaways:
-no artifact is worth harm
-always have permission
-never hunt a field at the same time as a fellow hunter
-cherish every second I have with my son, regardless of finds
-be a guest any landowner would be delighted to welcome

Flint Eastwood

**MacAttack662** · 03-29-2021, 04:21 AM

I can tell you how I would have handled it but trust me, DO NOT follow my lead on this one 🤐

**Turn Rocks** · 04-21-2021, 04:19 AM

You did the right thing in my eyes. Lead by example and that you did for his boy and yours. It’s sad that the guy is leading his kid down the wrong path. But with all that being said it would only happen to me once.

**Coy** · 04-29-2021, 03:29 PM

Oh man if that'd've been me I'd have felt like they plunged that point straight into my heart. I can see why you'd be conflicted.

In your situation I think the right thing to do would have been to told them this is private land and it isn't yours and you got special permission, and point them to the land owner where they can ask for permission themselves. The thing is even well-meaning people might not respect the land... I know good, genuine people who still think nothing of littering etc. Especially if they're going off their own way and you don't have an eye on them, you're pretty much liable for anything they do and the land owner might revoke your permission.

Honestly if it were my land that's 100% what I'd want someone to do if they saw someone just start trespassing right in front of them! And I DEFINITELY wouldn't want that stranger getting any ideas that they and their friends could come back later onto my property, because after finding that point you KNOW it's gonna happen. Now as the land owner I got a problem of people trespassing on my property and maybe even digging or tearing it up or littering, and from my view it's cause this stranger saw you and you didn't set them straight. You might have felt shy to make the man leave but it's what you should have done, and you especially should have made it clear this is private land he needs permission to be on. After finding that point that land owner is gonna have some trespassing problems for sure, at least from the guy. And if the land owner catches that guy out there he's gonna say he met you and you didn't set him straight. Or worse if the land owner catches that guy's buddies they're gonna say their friend found an arrowhead out there and told them about it, and he's gonna assume it was you sending strangers onto his land and spreading word around.

I'm maybe not as nice as you but I'd have instantly said the land owner said we could look for fun and exercise but that our deal was he keeps whatever we find after we take some photos, and I'd have made him hand it over or told him it's theft - which it is, trespassing and theft. That'd also discourage him coming back. It's a little underhanded and would take some stones to pull it off (and I might chicken out) but he did basically steal that point right out of your hands, cause you'd have found that if he hadn't trespassed.

Also remember that some people know how to work people, and part of that is seemingly absolutely genuine - or else nobody will get worked. He gets out of the car and is calling you a kindred spirit? That's a bit much imho, he could have been trying to "nice guy" pressure you. Once there was an empty field I really wanted to hunt, but the house in front of it was all boarded up and I figured it was an abandoned property (that's common around here). So after driving past it for months I decided hell, I'm not doing any harm to just take a peak. First and last time I trespassed to hunt, cause wouldn't you know it a pick up truck with an excavator pulls in while I'm out there after nothing being done there for months, the day I'm out there the owner shows up to start developing the land!

One of the workers is walking out to me and I'm walking over to him to apologize and he tells he I'm trespassing and I apologize and say I tried to ask but saw that house was boarded up and figured it was abandoned, I'd leave immediately and sorry I knew I was pushing good taste to be out there. He was a bit bristly, and for good reason and apparently that house and the lot - even though the house was right in the lot, was technically a separate property. He gruffly asked what was I even doing out there, maybe figured I was setting a hog trap or something. I told him looking for arrowheads and lamented that I was new and just learning and didn't know where to look (you know, that I didn't really know any better I guess) and that warmed him right up and he was showing me pictures of arrowheads he found and giving me tips where to look and how to look and books to read, we talked like almost an hour and I played dumb and I think he really enjoyed telling me about how to think about Indian camps and how they lived and different types of points and stuff. I don't know why I played dumb but it seemed like the best way to be on his good side. He couldn't give me permission to hunt cause he was just a worker, but I did manage to make a friend and not get in trouble and learned a valuable lesson not to make assumptions and just stick to my own land or where I have explicit permission.

**LongStride** · 05-02-2021, 09:42 AM

Picked up points that others stepped on, had my boat tied to a bush that had a 6" Paleo point sitting right where I was tying off to,, I didn't see it even though I camped there for a week, my cousin picked it up after I left, my point is when someone finds a point it is ment to go to them, they are invisible untill the right person walks up.

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