Lock Cut, Gate Torn Down While I Was Gone

I think for all of us who travel one of the biggest worries when we are gone is what we left behind. I'm talking about our homes, our shops, our ranches, and businesses: Will it all be safe and the way it was when we left?

While we were sitting at the outdoor bar on Sunday, my phone rang with a call from a neighbor. He informed me that someone had cut the lock off my east gate, tore it down, and proceeded to -- I assume -- hunt something, coyotes or whatever.

If you're so tough and courageous why don't you do it while I'm there? Nope, they knew I was going to be gone so they decided to help themselves to my place.

This is a problem that creates a bad relationship between hunters and landowners. It only takes one time to put an end to privileges for others.

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Over the course of a year, I probably let 20 different people hunt one thing or another on my land. So now I'm going to have to take my surveillance to a different level and we'll just leave it at that.

The sad part is ranchers have to carry liability insurance in case a jerk like this drives his pickup in a coulee and gets hurt, for which he could sue. This dirtbag will get his someday and I will file charges on everything I can, if or when I catch them.

For all of you out there that do it right, thank you for respecting something that we have all worked so hard to enjoy together. I would never just show up in your backyard and start digging for night crawlers so don't just show up in mine.

See ya tomorrow at 5 a.m.