As hunters, we all know how important it is to get a landowner's permission before hunting on private land. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources, like onX Hunt, to help us figure out who owns a tract of land and how to contact them.
Unfortunately, not every hunter plays by the rules—and some landowners are fed up. Fending off trespassing hunters can be a difficult task, especially when you have a lot of land to monitor. One such fed-up landowner came up with a clever method to warn trespassers off his land. With a tripwire and some paintballs, he manages to catch one unlucky hunter in the act. And, thanks to a nearby game camera, it was all caught on video.
WARNING: This video contains graphic language.
In the video, a hunter triggers a trip wire that the landowner set in the woods, instantly unleashing a gauntlet of flying paint which sprays the hunters and his rifle. The hunter stops to wipe himself and his rifle down and, by his body language, seems to feel rightfully foolish and embarrassed.
A comment from the uploader indicates that her mother's boyfriend captured the footage, and you can tell pretty quickly that the hunter on camera wasn't supposed to be there, as any permitted hunter would have known about the booby trap.
The trespassing hunter spoke out in an interview with Deer and Deer Hunting (D&DH) after the YouTube video was shared. The hunter, Leroy Ogin, 73, told Deer and Deer Hunting that he had traveled that same trail, an old logging road, to get to his favored hunting spot for 60+ years. He did not intend to hunt on the property. He also claimed to have never had an issue with the landowner and had never been asked to refrain from traveling through what he acknowledged was private property.
Ogin also explained that he was only eight feet onto the property.
The device that blasted him with paint was connected to an airbag mechanism, which triggered a switch tied to a suspended wire.
"I thought I was shot with a gun," Ogin told Deer and Deer Hunting. The red paint ruined his hunting apparel, his hat, and his gun.
The Deer and Deer Hunting interview kicked over a hornet's nest, with the landowner, 53-year-old Michael Condoluci, hopping into the D&DH forums to defend himself. He also emailed DD&H, contradicting Ogin's claim and taking a shot at D&DH itself. "He never had [expletive] permission, doesn't own the land, doesn't pay the land owners takes, never based for permission to hunt," he told D&DH. "[It] sounds like you['re] one of the guys that hunt on public lands. Good place for you. Why don't you go back there and keep your [expletive] mouth shut."
Ogin's son, Leroy Ogin Jr. also contacted D&DH via Facebook, messaging "I deal with people on my in-law's land where I hunt and all I do is let them know they are on private property and tell them to leave. We don't put out traps like this guy did. That's going too far!"
According to D&DH, trespassing charges were brought against Ogin but were dismissed after a six-month holding period with no further incidents.
Condoluci was also ticketed for criminal mischief and criminal harassment, according to the district court office in Luzerne County. His charges were also dropped after six months.
We only wish the video wasn't in black and white, so we could see the full paint spray all over this guy. What do you think? Is this a reliable way of thwarting folks from coming onto private property to hunt, or is it out of line compared to other methods?
READ MORE: Key Things To Consider When Posting Your Hunting Land Against Trespassers
