Sledders threatened with gun

[Skegmeister]

Rule of thumb about bringing a gun or a knife to a fight.
Be prepared to use it one someone or be prepared to have someone take it away and use it on you.

Having grown up on a farm with many acres, driving sleds, trucks, quads on the frozen dirt does nothing to to the feilds. Not sure why some farmers get so cranky about this, but I always do make a point of getting permission before I head across their land if they are home.
I do live in the country and I do not appreciate people ripping through my yard. If you are a sledder or a quadder and you are out of options to get back on the trail and you wind up in someones yard, then the courteous thing to do is to stop in and explain to the home owner why you are driving in their yard. Some times they get po'd, but overall, my experience has been more about being thankful for repecting their yard and pointing out where the safest route is to take to avoid snow covered hazards like machinery or prevent driving over some little trees that took hours to plant.
All most people want is a little courtesy and respect.

 

[barleyfarmer]

The farmer did make a few mistakes with the situation!BUT maybe the last sledders he stopped were not as cooperative as these two and he felt threatened so brought the gun as a deterent!Also why do people always go to the 'It wasn't posted!' defence?Unless you own it and have your name on the land title is it not private property!Why don't all the city lots and acreages have no trespassing signs?Common sense right!!Quite a few people who sled believe that it is their right to drive their sled where ever it will go and can't understand why landowners get pissy about it!I have similar issues with trespassing at hunting season!All it takes is to stop in and ask for permission!And as for going to the cops what did the farmer have?How accurate of a driver description?If he's not a sledder what kind of sleds were they on?What was the plate number?Did it have one?Covered in snow?He would have wasted his time going to the cops!Also where did the sleds come from!Maybe they were right beside his yard or even cut through his yard!Lots of prior details have been left out!Another thing that sets a lot of guys off nowadays is people go sledding and then think they can go quadding in the same area in the summer!I have buddies that have had quadders following the sled club trail and drive through his standing crop!I guess he was a dumbazz for not posting it!I'm thinking it would have been more acceptable if the farmer was a grounds keeper and he just caught the sledders coming off the back 9!There would have been people on here wanting to lynch the sledders or cause serious bodily harm!CBC should have put a little back story with it instead of making the farmer look like a maniac!!Many people on here would probably do the same thing if they caught someone dicking around in their yard!Look at the old boy a while back in the city that confronted the guys pissing around behind his house!How long was he in the hospital?I'm afraid there will be more of these situations in the future not less and with crappier outcomes!!

 

[catalac]

If the farmer was smart he should have unloaded a shell into the cat... That way he could claim he was getting rid of a sick cat and was just coincidence he had the gun in hand with the boys there.

 

[pistoncontracting]

I ride sleds across my lawn all winter it doesn't seem to damage the "crop" at all.

Its the idea of the whole thing. Its someone elses property. Most land owners are more then happy to grant access, all you have to do is ask. Hell, even ask a neighbour... anyone in the area. In this day and age, its a huge liability haveing people on your land.
I work hard to own my land... its for my enjoyment, not yours.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[Transporter]

We caught people stealing on our property in Alberta cops did not even want to lay trespassing charges which would have been 150$. They said only if it was a crop and they were doing damage was there any way of having a bigger charge. If they didnt actually have anything stolen in their hands they could just say they were looking for a lost dog and walk.

 

[Mike270412]

I agree.My comment was just about the crop thing.I don't buy that as an excuse for not sledding on the land.

Its the idea of the whole thing. Its someone elses property. Most land owners are more then happy to grant access, all you have to do is ask. Hell, even ask a neighbour... anyone in the area. In this day and age, its a huge liability haveing people on your land.
I work hard to own my land... its for my enjoyment, not yours.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[pistoncontracting]

I agree.My comment was just about the crop thing.I don't buy that as an excuse for not sledding on the land.

Depending on the snow cover, and whats underneath, it can do some damage.
I can't speak for all, but my complaint is more the lack permission and respect.

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[sumx54]

I agree.My comment was just about the crop thing.I don't buy that as an excuse for not sledding on the land.

You are a trouble maker mister.

 

[tranquillicer]

Saw no shots fired. Nor did I see any kids. What I saw was 2 grown men on private land and a land owner clearly pee'd about it. Waving the gun is not the greatest idea but I bet he got his point across. Possible damage to the sleds??? What about his crop?

Sleds don't damage crops....fall seeded crops are dormant through winter and start growing again when temps are suitable in the in the spring.
Some of the best riding in the prairies is wide open terrain for miles.....stay away from yards and livestock and be respectful of fences and unharvested crops. Trails are not for everyone. I don't live or sled near Saskatoon and I doubt I ever will want to after seeing this BS. Prove trespassing and throw the book at those two.....do the same to the idiot with the shotgun. And to all you keyboard tough guys.....ask yourself if your life would ever be the same again if you killed someone for being on your property....simply being on your property. If you think for one second that it would....ask someone from the military if it changed them.....

 

[lloydguy]

Some of the comments about the sleds trespassing , leaving 2 ft. rut's ,and destroying property
seem pretty OFFSIDE.This thread wasn't about quad's or dirt bikes ripping up someone's lawn
or chewing up a freshly seeded field..........................
It's about SLED'S driving over FROZEN ground with snow pack on top of it.
A shotgun and the kicking and slapping was WAY OFFSIDE...............NO WAY was the farmer within
his right's doing what he did.

 

[mick]

So what is missing from that video.... it seems to get cut off as soon as you see the second vehicle stopped in front of the gate, what did they do before hand to get 2 people chasing them down. They pulled up to this farmer with an attitude so there is a whole lot more to this story.

 

[barleyfarmer]

Sled tracks send the frost down and it does damage hay crops like alfalfa!You have enough sleds on it and it will considerable damage!Most guys don't have the common sense to stick close to the edges to minimize their impact!I know there is not a lot of hay fields anymore but you have no idea of what's below the snow.The days of running free willy across every open field are coming to an end!Before we know it will be like down east and strictly sled club trails!But with everything it will only take a small group to ruin it for everyone!And I don't feel a person needs to die because of trespassing but a severe beating or given a limp would be suffice!

 

[Summiteer]

The report said that he drove to his neighbours land to confront the sledders. He has no leg to stand on if it isn't even his land. Buddy needs to take a pill. Use of a firearm in the commission of a crime is mandatory jail time.

 

[ippielb]

Some of the comments about the sleds trespassing , leaving 2 ft. rut's ,and destroying property
seem pretty OFFSIDE.This thread wasn't about quad's or dirt bikes ripping up someone's lawn
or chewing up a freshly seeded field..........................
It's about SLED'S driving over FROZEN ground with snow pack on top of it.
A shotgun and the kicking and slapping was WAY OFFSIDE...............NO WAY was the farmer within
his right's doing what he did.

It's the combination of the sleds/quads/trucks going onto people's land and damaging property that adversely effects this topic. You obviously live in the city and have never had a problem with anyone dumping/damaging your property. The fact is it's private property, who knows what they were doing, the only thing we know is they weren't suppose to be there. When people steal things they don't just go in there and steal, how do they know there's anything to steal?

I'm sure if you had people coming into your backyard and claiming they were looking for their dog, or giving you attitude and flipping you off. You'd be ticked off too. Better yet if anyone was in your back yard for anything you'd be ticked off and immediately think they're up to no good.

In the end the farmer shouldn't have kicked the sled, and slapped the guys head. Gun in hand was not a threat.

Guy's on sleds shouldn't have been in the private property, it's obviously fenced, one way in one way out or else they wouldn't have gotten caught. They did do the right thing by stopping and trying to explain their situation, and didn't deserve the aggression to that extent from the farmer.

World would be better if the people from the city would stay in the city or stay on public land, but we know that will never happen

End of my Rant again...

 

[Megrizzly]

In Saskatchewan, you are allowed to snowmobile across private property as long as the landowner has made no attempt to restrict access. This can be in the form of fences, gates, or no trespassing signs. The problem with signs is that lots are placed too close to the ground so they get covered with snow and too far away.

Heres a quote by a farmer right next to him from another forum:

Unless you live here don't judge this fellow to harshly.
I farm just a few miles away from him. I have worked the land beside his land. He has good fences that are posted. The problem here is that we are very close to Saskatoon. And have Rich developments here. Some of Saskatoon's elite people live here in Casa-Rio Estates. As well we have snowmobilers from Saskatoon coming out here to ride. Farm land and private property is their play ground. They have no respect for anything. They have cut several of my fences this year. They ride right around the no trespassing signs and rip them off the posts. I have fixed the fence and the next weekend they cut the wire again. They have an attitude of catch me if you can. The Corman Park police and RCMP don't really do a whole lot for us. As we are coming into spring the dirt bikes and ATV's take over where the snowmobilers leave off. As it is the same people with their toys.
I have had them ripping through Wheat and canola crops in may-june-july.
And make a real mess. In fall they tear up swaths.

There are two sides to this story and we would have to see the entire video footage to know. These snowmobilers only started this year and I do think the entire situation could have easily been handled in a peaceful way.

 

[Murminator]

Backs up what megrizzly said

25(1) No person shall operate a snowmobile over any privately owned land, whether enclosed or not, without the consent of the owner or occupant of the land.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of any private land outside of a city, town, village or hamlet unless there are signs at least 30 centimetres in length and 25 centimetres in width prominently placed at each corner of the land and at intervals not exceeding 800 metres along the boundaries of the land bearing the words “SNOWMOBILES PROHIBITED”, “NO TRESPASSING” or words or symbols to a like effect.
(3) No person shall erect or place, or cause to be erected or placed, a sign mentioned in subsection (2) at a corner, or at any place along the boundary of, any land of which he is not the owner or occupant except with the written consent of the owner or occupant.
(4) No person shall tear down, remove, damage, deface or cover a sign within the meaning of subsection (2) erected or placed by, or with the written consent of, the owner or occupant of the land in respect of which the sign was erected or placed.
(5) In a prosecution for a contravention of subsection (1), the onus is upon the person charged to prove:
(a) that he had obtained the consent required in subsection (1); or
(b) where he is being prosecuted for operating a snowmobile over any private land outside of a city, town, village or hamlet, that the land was not posted with signs as set out in subsection (2).
(6) An owner or occupant of land who does not post his land in accordance with subsection (2) shall not, for the purposes of determining civil liability, be considered to have implicitly consented to the entry upon his land by a person who is driving or riding on a snowmobile or being towed by a snowmobile.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

As stated sleds do damage crops even hay fields. The whole point really has nothing to do with crop damage rather this attitude that many people have towards others. I must admit in my generation, early 30's and younger, we seem to have a huge lack of respect for other people and their property. Its rather disappointing, and im not saying that these sledders fall in that group either. What I am saying is that the RCMP could rather care less about what really seems to be a petty crime of trespassing. I fully agree we have the right to protect ourselves and property at all costs. Clearly the farmer felt he was justified by having a gun, because he is older or alone or just wanted to intimidate them. None the less its his land to protect. As stated in the article his cat had been run over by someone on a sled. I still stand behind the farmer protecting his property, gun or no gun.

Until more stuff like this takes place people will continue to do whatever they want. The resect of others needs to make a return.

 

[lloydguy]

"GUN IN HAND IS NOT A THREAT" ........................Are you serious?
I obviously live in the city and know nothing about farming? You can tell that by the comments
I posted? LOL........I have spent half of my 40 years on this planet on a farm and have NEVER
had a problem with anyone.
Is there more to this story? I would assume so,but comparing these two individuals on the sled's
with quaders,dirtbikers, ect is unfair.Some people commenting are bringing other examples of theft
and littering into this thread,those may be true stories about things that have happened but they
don't have anything to do with what was shown on the video.
Confronting someone with a gun in your hand's is STUPID.The farmer only got away with kicking the sled
and slapping that guy on the second sled because he was holding a weapon.
For that IMO the guy should be charged.MAYBE the sledders were on posted land,(DUNO from video footage)
but they were not as far outside the law as the gun toting farmer.

 

[Mike270412]

Cops are way too busy handing out tint and seatbelt tickets to respond to real crime.

 

[Mike270412]

A hundred posts already!