Trespass

[mic]

I assume he was probably shooting at a mountain lion that was endangering his life.

Now that is funny.

[Mitch f]

Be careful Ness, A guy in Arnold, MO died a couple of weeks ago shooting a homemade cannon that blew up

[FlyFishinFool]

But the fact is that river landowners have "always" understood that people can and will park and camp on "their" gravel bars. A lot of new landowners don't know it or choose to ignore it, but anybody who has owned land along a float stream for a long time should. As a river landowner myself, both in Montana and Missouri, I fully understand that I do not have exclusive use of the gravel bars that I own.

That doesn't mean I have to like it when I come down to the river and there's somebody there already. I may even nicely ask them to go down to the next bar, since I own the land next to this one and right now it's the only one I can access. And I certainly don't like it when the group on "my" bar is a bunch of obnoxious party pinheads. But unfortunately, that's the price of owning riverside land. If they are doing something obviously illegal, I might call the cops, but I can't ethically call the cops if the only thing they are doing is being loud and obnoxious. If only I had a nest full of trained hornets...

I used to own a couple dozen acres on the Meremac, including a 2 acre island in the river. According to most of the comments in this post, because the island got flooded over every few years, it was open to the general use of the public. Now this island had dirt (not gravel) brush and a big stand of trees. Nevertheless, the party animals routinely pitched tents and cut down live trees and started fires on my island. My solution was whenever I found party animals on the island, or on the large gravel bar directly above the island, I just moved upwind of the party group and burned off a bunch of the drift piles of wood and then cut and pitched on plenty of the scrub cottonwood and miscellaneous brush that collects around the wood piles. I got a lot of yelling and complaints, but eventually they all moved down river to find a less smokey location to hold their parties. Of course every week I spent hours cleaning up the trash that the party-trash left behind. Just one of those things you get owning property on the river.

When families stopped on the gravel bar to take a break, eat lunch and let their kids explore the island; they were welcomed. I almost never had to pick up trash behind regular folks & families.

[Al Agnew]

I used to own a couple dozen acres on the Meremac, including a 2 acre island in the river. According to most of the comments in this post, because the island got flooded over every few years, it was open to the general use of the public. Now this island had dirt (not gravel) brush and a big stand of trees. Nevertheless, the party animals routinely pitched tents and cut down live trees and started fires on my island. My solution was whenever I found party animals on the island, or on the large gravel bar directly above the island, I just moved upwind of the party group and burned off a bunch of the drift piles of wood and then cut and pitched on plenty of the scrub cottonwood and miscellaneous brush that collects around the wood piles. I got a lot of yelling and complaints, but eventually they all moved down river to find a less smokey location to hold their parties. Of course every week I spent hours cleaning up the trash that the party-trash left behind. Just one of those things you get owning property on the river.

When families stopped on the gravel bar to take a break, eat lunch and let their kids explore the island; they were welcomed. I almost never had to pick up trash behind regular folks & families.

The wooded island thing is one of those gray areas, I guess. I would think that it would NOT be permissable for the general public to use such a place, because to my way of thinking, if it isn't gravel or sand and if it has a lot of trees on it, that's not the part of the riverbanks that is open to the public.

You're right, though, that such stuff is part of the price you pay for owning riverfront land on popular streams. Believe me, I wish there was some way to control the river dorks. People who appreciate Ozark streams for the special places they are don't do that crap, but the river dorks don't appreciate anything but a keg of beer and their own loud and obnoxious behavior.

[woodman]

We fine and imprison many people every year for not obeying the rules of the public roadways... Does this mean we should close the roadways? Seems like a logical analogy to me.

Good one Cricket....

Here is a thought... if alcohol was banned at all the campgrounds mabe the idiots would stop comming...

[Justin Spencer]

Good one Cricket....

Here is a thought... if alcohol was banned at all the campgrounds mabe the idiots would stop comming...

All my fly fishermen would quit coming also, and I'd be broke.

I'd still have church groups and scout troops, but can't think of a single fisherman that comes down here and doesn't drink beer.

[Jack Jones]

It's not the alcohol. I'm enjoy a drink sometimes in my off time, especially if I'm out and in nature. However, I am generally respectful, don't make a spectable of myself, and never leave behind garbage. The idiots would still come, only they would hide their alcohol until later, drink before, or just generally be disrespectful without it. I've never known a ban or a rule to prevent the activity among those who are truly seeking to do it. Just look at all the folks drinking at college sporting events. There's a reason flasks still sell, LOL.

[ozark trout fisher]

All my fly fishermen would quit coming also, and I'd be broke.

I'd still have church groups and scout troops, but can't think of a single fisherman that comes down here and doesn't drink beer.

Not all of us...After a good, long day of fishing on a beautiful Ozark stream, I already feel better than any human being ever should have the right to. No need for anything to help that along.

Well actually now that I say that, I shouldn't say there isn't a need for anything else. If they banned taking Stag Chili and fritos with you on the river, then I'd be a definitively unhappy person...

[Smalliebigs]

The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance is well aware of this, and the upcoming March/April issue of the Bronzeback News examines this dilemma and offers sound solutions in Matt Wier's regular column. It suggests combating the bad example of slobs with a good and conscientious behavior through participation in the Missouri Stream Team projects, but it also suggests reporting outlandish and illegal behavior to bring some law and order to lawless situations.

In the same issue, Dan Kreher presents one of the best articles I’ve read concerning Missouri trespass laws.

The Bronzeback News goes out to all members of the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance, and I encourage everyone to support this alliance and check out this important issue of the Brozeback News.

Thank you Ron!!!!!!!!!!! good point Ron, kill them with kindness and show them first hand if possible how much you respect the rivers we love.

[Flyflinger]

I agree. If less people had the "Old West" mentality, thinking it's necessary to have a gun with you at all times, these situations wouldn't have the potential to get so bad. I'm referring to both landowners and folks using the rivers here.

Not to get off topic, but guns are for hunting, or for self defense in the most extreme of circumstances. They're not something that you ought to be carrying with you all the time "just in case" , or even to threaten someone off you're property if they are trespassing. In truth, though it's wrong and I wouldn't do it now, who among us hasn't trespassed sometime in the past when we were young, rabbit hunting, fishing, or just hiking around? A landowner with carrying a gun and a trigger-happy attitude is a good way for minor situations to get out of hand quickly and unnecessarily.

Then when should I carry my gun? Do you know the exact time and date when my life will come under threat? If so please tell me...then I can just carry my gun on that specific day...dam thing is kinda uncomfortable anyways.