I can totally relate. In 1990 I purchased a hobby farm, at the end of a private road, where by land adjoined the Kiel Marsh State Wildlife Area. The woman who owned the place prior, traveled throughout Europe most of the time so people seemed to think because she was gone...the place was theirs. Within a week I posted a "Private Road" sign & it's amazing...more accurately disgusting that so many people continued a 1/3 of a mile past the sign, until they had to turn around, where one of my outbuildings were. I let my dogs run loose as there was no worry of them being hit by cars. So many of the people, obviously knowing they were tresspassing, wouldn't even slow down for a dog that ran to greet them. The ignorance is truly sickening. My first deer hunt...my uncle helped me construct a tree stand in my woods along the marsh. Didn't see anything in the morning. With about 30 minutes of shooting inn the afternoon(shot more deer within the first & last hour) as everyone knows. So I'm sitting in my new stand, in my new woods, first time ever owning country property...anticipating crunching leaves & a big buck to appear. Instead I hear a car getting closer & closer. Down one of my prairie hills comes a beat up car. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Was there some kinda emergency I thought? Guy gets out...just a blaze orange hat, grabs his gun from back seat and takes a few steps before he spots me, hope in his car and took off. I was in shock so all I did was yell hey, WTF. Number one, the ignoramus drove thru a field that wasn't his. Two...there are trespassing laws in Wisconsin. Number 3 he didn't have 50% of his body clothed in blaze orange. 4...it was 10 minutes b4 closing. 5 HE Ruined what should have been a wonderful memory, me hunting from a stand my Uncle helped me position & build, on land that while I never felt I owned it...more like it was a privlidge...filled with pride that I could call it mine....the backwards ignoramus ruined it. Looking back I wish I would have shot out his back window, but that might not have ended well.
So I can totally relate. As years past I found guys in duck skiffs on my ponds, atvs coming thru my woods while I was hunting and I caught a perv looking thru binoculars at my GF laying on our deck. Practically every person who had ever asked permission I agreed to....but to those who think they can disrespect land rights, trespassing laws, basic human decency...stay off private land. If you want to be there, ask permission. If your denied at least you can feel self respect. Doing otherwise negates any you may have.
Thanks for sharing your story. I hope you don't have years of these headaches as I did. Take Care