cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

I understand that folks in my parents' generation would be appalled at the lack of respect for other people and their "things" among so many 21st century Americans, and rightly so. When I was growing up, we "kids" ranged all over town, in anyone's "yard", and nobody minded because there was literally no vandalism or property damage going on.
I have found so many public structures (covered wooden bridges, 19th century stone-arch bridges, etc) where the folks who own the properties next to them put up more "No Trespassing/Keep Out" signs than there are Billboards on I-95 around Philly.
I do admit that some of my favorite photos were taken while I was standing next to a "Trespassers Will Be Shot" sign.
I was just wondering; If we tread lightly taking only photos and leaving only footprints, how do other Hogs feel we should handle such situations? If you were to enter into "The Forbidden Zone" for a shot, how far off the highway would you venture?

wet3843

I have often ignored the No Trespassing sign, I simply take my photos and move on.

Richard1947 Loc: Knoxville, TN

Good topic for discussion. Personally I try to stay away from the No Trespassing areas now that I am 72. I just can’t run as fast as I used to and I am not real fond of getting shot at. Now when I was in my 20’s and was invulnerable (as I thought), I took some risks that make wonder today what in the hell was I thinking.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

I was raised in a rural area and I spend everyday that I could outdoors walking the railroad tracks, in the creeks, woods and countless fields. I truly believe that my roaming forged the respect for the land and nature that I have today.

With that said, I respect fences and I respect posted lands even more so. I've seen countless hunters that would pay no mind as they pursue upland game and even deer on other peoples property. Worse, I've seen the results of those who go in and leave gates open and what the farmers go through to get them back.

Today we have people with ATV's that have no access to property so they feel entitled to drive them wherever they wish. It's quite pathetic to see how much damage they do. Frankly, I'd side with the property owner if they were to shoot them.

If there are no fences to cross and there is an old barn or a majestic tree in a field I believe that I would walk in off the road, take my picture and leave no trace of my being there. It's all about respect of others and of the beauty of nature.

williejoha

NO TRESPASSING Means exactly that. Stay out. As a property owner I had to clean up after people just too many times. I know, that a few punks ruin it for a lot of people but how am I to know who is who. Hunters as a whole are pretty good people but too many times fences and other stuff on my land had to be fixed and removing bags of household garbage was common. I don’t like it either when I have to put up gates or chains across the driveway to keep people out because I am an absent owner.
WJH

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

I respect other people's privacy and their wishes and expect them to the same.

saxman71 Loc: Wenatchee

Interesting question. For me, it depends entirely on the situation and who posted the no trespassing signs. If it was someones yard, no way do I trespass. But a few years back there was a snowy owl irruption around here and a half dozen owls took up residence along a dike that was posted "no trespassing". Myself and a number of other intrepid photographers regularly ignored those signs, which were probably there for liability purposes. I would do it again. It's the closest I've ever been to a snowy owl. It might even have been worth a night in jail.

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

Well said and I agree. People no longer seem to respect or understand why no trespassing signs are posted. Often times it is purely a legal liability issue. But other times it means the area is private and could be unsafe for others to enter. I am thinking about hunting lease land. A photographer could be accidentally shot or injured if they wandered in there looking for wildlife to 'shoot' with their cameras. We once lived in a rural area and our house was surrounded by thin strand of woods. People often came to that area to practice
target shooting or actually hunt for deer. We were at risk of being shot just being out in our yard. And there was nothing the sheriff's dept. could do unless they happened to be there while shooting was active.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

You could always ask for permission.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

How do you do that?

Suppose you see a "no trespassing" sign on an open field? Whom do you ask about getting permission? Is there a requirement for contact information to be posted with the sign?

Suppose you see a "no trespassing" sign on a yard with a house in the background? Do you knock on the door? You're trespassing just to get to the house.

pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA

Oddly, we’ve had a situation that one could call the opposite to this. We live, much of the year, except the height of mosquito season, in a quite remote area north of Crater Lake NP. A guy from the big city, Portland, bought property on the other side of the river. The river runs through our place and is not the property line. We own well over 100 yards of river frontage. I have never posted our property.

This guy, for reasons unknown, posted signs up and don the road indicating the area was a federal fish and game reserve and all hunting and fishing were prohibited by the Forest Service. He also moved a survey stake trying to give himself some river frontage at our expense. Twice I had to return the stake to its proper spot. He started building a fence on our place by setting posts in concrete. I used my winch to pull them out and dumped them at his place. He tried build a low bridge across the river, which by law is a designated navigable stream. The county cops ordered him to remove it but the springtime snowmelt sent the structure on its way.

I did not seek to have him prosecuted for moving the survey posts. I did however tell all the neighbors on our road they could hike and fish on our property as we have the best fishing hole in the area. So now we have 12 year old boys riding their bikes onto our land to fish much of the season. Our only hard and fast rule is if the kids leave any garbage or wrappers on our land they will be banned. All have been tidy and acting like Boy Scouts who are taught to leave their campsite cleaner than they found it. And we tore down all the signs he put up that he made look like actual Forest Service signage.

So, we didn’t cry when he got divorced and lost the house to the bank. Life can sure be weird sometimes.

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

"But, on the other side it didn't say nothin'.
That side was meant for you and me!"

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Are you saying that your wants (a picture) is more important than the property owner's rights?

jwreed50 Loc: Manassas, VA

I'm of the view that it's all part of the respect that we do (or do not) show toward one another. If you do these sorts of things just because you can, well that's an attitude that carries over into other corners of your life, I suspect.

Life is better is a civil society when citizens show respect for the rights of others, whether it's convenient to do so or not.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Kinda thought this one might spark a good discussion. For myself, I have a high respect for other folks property, land or whatever. But I have seen where the tourist bureau of a county or state, in an effort to promote visitation and bring more money into the area, will print/distribute brochures and the like telling visitors about Points of Interest (and how to find them) in the area. Often this printed material will show a photo of the subject (that is on public land) that has obviously been photographed from on the "Private Property."

I know this is a touchy subject, but in my original question, I asked "If we tread lightly taking only photos and leaving only footprints", and make it a "quick shot", where exactly is the harm?