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We have land in Montgomery County and we see the snob element buying up land out here all the time. It's amazing what they will do to try and influence their neighbors. We had a poor family with a run down looking house and one guy paid to have it cleaned up so when his friends drove by it they wouldn't have to look at a trashed house. Lots call the cops for anything they can think of. Many say the poor black folks are dealing drugs just because they are poor. It makes you lose a little faith in humanity. It also gets me when I meet some of them and they speak about being conservative and that they moved to the country to keep the goverment out of their business and that they were so sick of Houaton. Then they want to turn Dobbin TX into a ranch resort community and buy up to tear down all the poor homes. If you are in the area and a guy buys up property around you just to have make sure you pay your taxes. Many will buy up land around them for cheap if the owner can not keep up with their new higher taxes.

Having said that we have had some legitimate bad neighbors out there. We sold off 200 acres that ajoined a trailer park full of all kinds of weirdos. One lady used to dance around in her front yard with no music playing. Another guy like to see fire trucks go vroom so he sat one of our fields on fire and almost burnt up a tractor. We've had problems with calfs getting shot by poachers at night too. They get all drunk and see a light slinned calf and think it's a deer I guess.

Now they are talking about building a lake and our property would be smack in the middle of it. We'd lose some property but most would become lake front. I say bring it. My Dad said he can buy land in South East OK for a quarter of what our place would sale for now. If the lake thing happened who knows how much it would be worth. He likes it there because they have income tax so property taxes are low. Right now he will have to shell out a lot of money after he retires in property taxes every year. Not so there. The land across the FM road from us is listed at $20k an acre so I guess we could ask $12k per for ours and give everyone a steal.

Country ain't country no more. Do the gate thing. Even if it's a piece of rope tied around some trees. It still serves as an indocation that it is private property and you dont wish anyone to pass that point. If you know the boundries you can paint a vertical purple stripe on trees around your property line. I remeber reading that is the same as a no tresspassing sign when I was in the police academy.

As for fire marshalls and game wardens. They may have a little more lienency but they still need probable cause. It seems that simply stating that you are not a business would eliminate any PC the fire marshall has.

If your neighbor just won't be reasoned with you may have to go play hardball with him. Tell him that you can either persue your firearms hobby every so often, or you can start to delve into your facination with train horns.

Stick two t-posts in the ground and run a chain across the road with a padlock on it. Even if they can walk around it you've made your intention clear to any LEO that you don't want them or any other un-invited people going past that point. I would also hang a sign on it that said "private property".

Honestly it sounds like there is more to this story than what we are getting. I'm not saying that you're holding back but it just seems like something else is going on here. Just my opinion.

If it were me and I didn't want to hire a lawyer I'd try to speak with the sheriff. In a polite way I'd request a meeting and then respectively ask why he keeps wasting county resources responding to these calls. No matter what he says I'd point out that I have put up a gate and that it is locked and that I do not want any deputy crossing on to my property without probable cause or a warrant. Of course I'd do this in the most tactful and polite way I could. If he won't see you send a certified letter with signature confirmation that you have signed and had notarized. Ask him to please add that you do not wosh to have law enforcement on your property without your consent and that they can add your number to the call notes for your address. If there is an issue you can meet them at the gate. Maybe send the same thing to the fire marshal and include a statement that you are in no way a business.

I'm no expert, but I did work in law enforcement long enough to know that if I have no probable cause to enter what I know is private property, and I've been told I do not have consent to do so, I can't enter.

My theory is that your neighbor would probably say he is "ok with you shooting a little but" but he probably thinks you're shooting excessively. I completely understand what you're doing and support it. But I could see how twenty people on a 10 acres, shooting up to a .50 cal, and another group shooting skeet, could seem excessive. But it's still your place and from what you're saying you're not breaking any laws.

If all else fails you may be able to get the local news on your side. Sheriffs are elected.