Two Visions of the Countryside Clash

LA Times ^ | Sun May 8 | Janet Wilson and Seema Mehta Times Staff Writers

[satchmodog9]

Ohio dairy farmer Frank Sutliff was grinding cattle feed when he saw them again: all-terrain vehicles shredding his alfalfa fields.

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When he shouted to the riders over the engine whine that they were trespassing, they smashed him over the head, he said.

"I went down, and they just started in on me … hit me, kicked me, broke my leg," said Sutliff, 46. "I crawled into the truck, drove back to the house and dialed 911."

One man paid a $100 trespassing fine. Another spent five days in jail. All denied wrongdoing.

Across rural America, angry skirmishes are increasingly common between property owners and off-roaders squaring off over dwindling open space.

Long accustomed to battling environmentalists for access to public lands, off-roaders now find themselves at odds with farmers, ranchers and a flood of new residents moving to the country for peace and quiet.

As Bob Buster, a county supervisor in Riverside, Calif., put it, "You have these two clashing visions of the countryside."

Nationally, millions of acres have been developed in recent decades. At the same time, use of off-highway vehicles — a catch-all term for four-wheelers, dirt bikes and dune buggies — has exploded, up 700% to 36 million users since 1976. Off-road motorized sports are now a $4.8-billion industry. According to buyer surveys by manufacturers, 68% of owners of all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, ride on private land.

[satchmodog9]

thanks

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

They probably are apartment dwellers.

[Squantos]

Damn......aside from basic tresspassing and assault on this property owner there is a massive "environazi" movement trying to shut down 4 wheeling and off road activities nationwide. Programs such as tred lightly to counter those that criminal tresspass , damage private or public land are in place. The trash that destroys personal property and breaks laws needs to have their engine blocks shot through if not their sorry backsides in the process.

I like to go 4 wheeling but I make sure I don't destroy property or break laws. These turdburglers getting away with this are just targets for eventual street justice IMO. LEO's need to be all over these "criminals" yesterday.

[ChefKeith]

my property gets a firearm dischrged in his general direction.

I agree with you completely. However take heed on doing this. I know a guy in AR that did just this and he ended up in jail/fines/loss of gun rights/probation/etc.

Don't know what they will do to you there in WI.

I would think you might be better off just making a Citizen Arrest and filing formal charges.

Good luck.

[ChefKeith]

'Morning

[Squantos]

If they are "trailering" their ATV's to the site then salt their parking area with ranger stars....flats suck !

[Squantos]

Backatcha !! How was yer mothers day ?

[ChefKeith]

Heh Heh, or refill the tires with propane. That will eventually slow them down and take them pesky ATV's out as well. When they least expect it.

[ChefKeith]

Worked the Midnight-08:00 shift, had storms come through and fry some electronics about 07:45 and had to stay till 09:00 working on that. Came home went to bed my sister called at 13:30 woke me up, said "oopps, sorry" and then had to be at work at 16:00 again for my regular shift.

Called Mom- She is sick after the trip to Branson last week.

Other than that just another day at the office...

[Squantos]

I knew landowners that would go out and dig a puddle that was fun to run through about 8 feet deeper, they'd even go as far as hauling off the dirt so no tell tale was present.

Break a few necks and the crap will stop ..... A good local 4x4 club will go out of their way to help most landowners stop these criminals as these few abusing the system will get all off road recreational activities banned with their stupidity.

Stay safe !

[Travis McGee]

Oh, that is outstanding! The "puddle" which becomes several feet deep...hehehehe...

[thegreatbeast]

May I suggest a long gun?

[Squantos]

I remember as a pup we used to run our snowmobiles (on our property) down the rows of grapes in the vineyards. The two wires would act like a big old cheese cutter for the unlucky rider who's front ski would catch in a errant grapevine . Seen some nasty accidents for those who ran at speed down those rows ........

I remember one of our old roadblock / ambush techniques in the military was to run a 1/2 inch cable from one side of the road / path to the other at a very long angle that would "steer" the vehicle target into a ditch, a hole, physical barriers, spikes etc to stop it. Hit that puppy doing 30 mph and it'd ruin yer day.....

[Squantos]

LOL.......sounds like ya need to switch that phone "off" for at least 8 friend. Been there did that.....:o)

[ChefKeith]

The last time I did that work called and I missed 8 hours OT.

Decisions, Decisions...

I just really need to train my Family (yeah right!)

[Squantos]

Second line aka a teen line for local calls (zero add ons) only is less than 6 bucks in most cases. Install that, give that line to your boss "only".........:o)

I do that an leave my other line in the den with an answering machine. 2 rings and just a quick "leave a message and I'll call ya back if I like ya" comment. Working weird hours mandates a regime to follow for good sleep or ya just stay tired.....

Just ideas as to how I do it......:o)

[ChefKeith]

Cell phones only here.

We have 2 for less than what 1 landline costs.

I am about 1 1/2 blocks from work they could just drive over and get me.

[nathanbedford]

Disputes over land use are not limited to these vehicles.

The real problem is that the population of America has doubled in my lifetime.

So we see articles popping up on FR frequently describing conflicts arising out of conflicting demands on our limited real estate. Can we have a driving range in Suburban Va? Should we have fire roads in federal lands? Should ranchers be permitted to continue grazing stock on federal lands? Should we permit deer and even mountain lions to encroach into suburbia.

Out west they say, " a developer is someone who wants to build his cabin in the woods and a conservationist is a fella who built his cabin last year."

The clashes often smack of cultural differences. The Sierra Club is elitist and wants you nowhere near their wilderness except on its terms. Its prejudice is to favor backpackers and they fight horses and motorcycles with a righteous indignation. Alas, fox hunting is despised by the whole of the left and their media.

We will continue to see dispute after dispute as we ignore the threat to the land from increasing claims of a growing and increasingly mobile population.

Stop most immigration now.

[SierraWasp]

Video cameras are now man's/woman's best friend! Every court room has a VHS casset player and people think a little more when they see a camera on them!

If they're coming on you property, put up a sign that says: "WE SHOOT EVERY THIRD TRESPASSER! THE SECOND ONE JUST LEFT!!!"

Now that you have some ideas on self help that are actually legal... cwitcherbellyachin!!!