Receiving incoming enemy fire

Couple years ago, another surveyor friend of mine found himself flat on his stomach as .223 rounds shattered limbs and tree trunks all around him. He was working in the same area as we were but on different projects. He was a hundred yards off a large trailhead in the trees staking clearing limits for a proposed RR extension when a group of bozos pulled up, thinking they were far enough away from 'civilization' to open up with their arsenal for a little 'target practice'. Apparently their were 3 individuals and judging from the spent shell casings on the ground, over 300 rounds were fired in his direction in the space of a few minutes. He told me later that he wasn't a particularly religious person, but during the fusillade, he found God. God apparently was underground at that moment and he did his level best to get down their with Him. The next day they put up large signs all over the place announcing 'Surveyors working in Area'. Please refrain from shooting here.'
I would have soiled myself.

i've never been shot at (that i know of), but i have worked on a number of eminent domain projects, which tend to reliably serve up similar behavior. worst part is i tend to be sympathetic with the people...

anyways, one guy was none too pleased at the prospect of donating 3 or 4 acres out in the country so that he could get a 300' right of way for a new neighbor. i wrote all the rights of entry letters, mailed them, even had met him when i hand delivered his after receiving no response. in short, i knew what i was dealing with going in. i called him that morning, told him we'd be out. he met us at the gate with his .410 and very nicely and politely stated that the first one of us to take a step over a fence would not enjoy the landing. i politely responded that i had to follow protocol and, thereby, call the sheriff, he said he understood. sheriff shows up a half hour later and we got to work. it was really interesting, because i had established a decent, uh, relationship with the guy and i think he knew i was just doing my job, but i didn't doubt for a second that his threats weren't idle.

now, if you want to talk about other weapons... i have a few scars from encounters with four legged weapons that have been turned loose on us out in the field. and housewives with brooms/rakes/tennis rackets are the scariest bunch of them all, as far as i'm concerned.

i have been shot at once, by accident. someone wanted to drive the deer from their garden and didnt see me beyond.

having said that, what scares me the most is drivers that are not paying attention (for whatever reason)and drift out of their lane. this is probably what will bring me an early demise, if i must meet it early

yeah. last tuesday i was taking the very last shot i needed along 1000' of interstate access road frontage for a design/topo (flow line of a cmp). i heard the sound of gravel and skidding and turned around to a car going by me at 50+, no more than two feet away. he'd hooked his front tire on the EOP, overcorrected, and came fish-tailing by me. watched him bounce off one guardrail, go sliding backwards across a busy exit ramp, and plow into another guardrail, somehow avoiding any other cars. went to check on him, he was fine, and finally owned up to being distracted by... me standing there in the ditch.

i'm glad i had my back to traffic. i wouldn't have wanted to see that coming.

1977, I was a 17 yo kid, working on a survey crew in Kodiak. We were laying a utility easement across a grazing lease. Rancher who had the lease took unkindly to the fact that the state was running power lines across "his" property. (he was getting a free connection to power, that he had never had before!) Popped off a 30-06 round at the suburban, round went thru the drivers door and out the passenger door. Just missed the PC and IM at the knees! The hook was set and I've been surveying ever since!!

-JD-

Guess I've been lucky. Verbal volleys have been the rule.

We've been working and suddenly heard target shooting going on too close for comfort. We start making a lot of noise to let them know they aren't alone. So far that has worked out.

Had a fellow come roaring up on a motorcysle one day along a largely unused stretch of county road with a BIG GUN on his hip. We could tell from a distance he wasn't happy. He screeched to a stop about three feet from me and demanded to know just what the h e double toothpicks I thought I was doing on his land. I calmly explained that I was locating the road right-of-way for the county and wouldn't actually be on his land until I walked about 30 feet further east, which I didn't need to do anyway. Mr. Toughguy melted immediately. Apologized. Said he had been having trouble with some deer poachers. I assured him I had no interest in any deer. Then explained what the county was thinking of doing. That made him happy.

Am I the only one...

... who calls people before crossing their land? I actually call it my "Please Don't Shoot Me Phone Call". No shots fired in 22yrs of surveying. Maybe folks are just nicer 'round here.

Steve

Back when I was in the Oil and Gas Industry up in the hills of North Central PA there have been a few times that were downright scary. Had one guy drive his truck off the road and fish tail in towards me in a field to see if I was the one driving through his clover patch up the road a bit. (It wasn't me). There was a shotgun sitting across the passenger side seat and I'm sure one more drink in him he would of reached for it. Kind of contradictory that he drove through someone else s clover field to find out if I drove through his..?? who knows.... One guy busted out the windows of our heavy equipment with a hi powered rifle. You didn't know what you would come across up there, whether a meth head or some drunk upset that he's not getting royalty rights to some natural gas well. Or some guy with exotic animals just a few hundred feet away as you're staking out LOD. He had several wolves, a brown bear, a tiger, two mountain lions, and some pigs (I'm sure they were the food supply). All in a chain link fence that looked like it needed an upgrade.

On 3 occasions I have had guns pulled on me, and none were fired, fortunately. This is when I was surveying in NW Indiana (Gary). The first was a older lady who had fenced into the right-of-way. I knocked on the door, but did not get an answer so I sent the rod man over the 4' chain link fence. No sooner than when he scale that fence, did she come out of the door with a rifle pointed in our direction. I informed her of the right-to trespass laws and she informed me she had a rifle. When finishing up the project, she came out with a video camera, which I thought was kind of comical.

The second time, I was digging for a lot corner for a vacant tract, and the adjoiner had built a really nice home. The forms were off the concrete and the appeared to be cured, so I thought nothing of it. He comes storming out and screaming in my face and pulls a pistol out of his waist band. I quickly apologize and say the company I work for would cover any damages. Later, the man comes to me and apologizes for his behavior, which I gladly accepted because I knew he still had a pistol in his waist.

The last time, I was set up on a street corner and traversing the block to stake a new house location. A bigger man in an SUV with big rims and all the trimming shows me his pistol and says "don't point that camera down my street". I tried to explain that it wasn't a camera, but he wasn't listening. We ended up tying in that point from the other end of the traverse that day.

So I moved far far away.

Brad Luken, LS

the "don't shoot" call

We always try and give advance warning to all private property owners that we expect to cross. If we can't make contact, we always "door knock" and leave a business card and note on the screen door. 99% of the time folks are real accomodating.

Trouble is every time I have been shot at, it's been by someone other than the owner, like an adjoiner or lease holder. Some folks are just flat crazy.

I had a 100 year old woman stand at the door of her 1950's style trailer house (with the round porthole window in the front door) with a single shot 22 try to yell at me. Poor thing didn't have any wind and one of the crew had to tug on my shirt to get my attention. I couldn't hear her and had to walk closer to make out what she was saying.

Walking toward a angry hoomin be-un with a firearm is NOT a natural act. It had me tensed-up, for sure. You couldn't have got a greased needle up my backside with a 10lb. sledge I was so twisted. But she was just scared, as I assumed (she never pointed it a me). We had our words and quickly left. The Lincoln County Deputy came out and made everything nicey-nice with granny.

Am I the only one...

> ... who calls people before crossing their land? I actually call it my "Please Don't Shoot Me Phone Call". No shots fired in 22yrs of surveying. Maybe folks are just nicer 'round here.
>
> Steve

:good:

Great advice! I worked for a guy who acted like the Right of Entry card was bullet-proof. Just because we could be there by law, he never asked permission.
I do not call ahead, but walk up to the door and introduce myself. It has saved me from all visits in the back yard with gun toting owners. Plus I often get information that is helpful, invitations to drive where I as going to walk and even JOBS!

I've had bullets "whizzing" over my head on least 6 different occasions. It was never intentional.

Realistically they sound a lot closer than they actually are, but it never feels good to be on that end of the stick.

A polite discussion with the shooters resolved the problems. Every time the shooter denied the possibility that what I was saying was true, but quickly left the area.

On a recent job the "ranch manager" would ask us every day if we wanted flak jackets as he had some in his truck. He also volunteered to follow us around with all of his weapons in case the "crazy" neighbors started firing at us.

He was the only crazy one anywhere near this site.

the "don't shoot" call

I suppose if a guy gets around enough something might happen to even the most careful. My biggest competitor use to use our state right of entry code like it was bullet proof as Scott said. Little did he know how much biz that drove my way.

Drug activity has always scared me. I used to sneak around hoping to get a peek at big buck or other game, but now I walk through timber like a drunken cow and park the vehicle places it can be seen hoping they move out 'til I'm finished with my work.

Steve

Only once has that happened in 35+ years. Was doing a pipeline survey near Templin Hwy about 25 years ago. We had permission to cross the property or so we thought. Had setup and begun traversing through when this fellow drove up acting all nice and asked a few questions. Which not knowing who he was, I mentioned we were working as a sub for the pipeline company doing the mapping. Next thing he gets all fired up and demands we get off his land. I had backsites up and said fine, I'm going to recover my equipment and leave. He said no that wasn't going to happen. I said - watch me. Recovered my equipment and left, but felt he was going to pepper me at any minute. My chainman later said the guy was just about to snap the whole time.

Should have called the sheriff. Would have solve the whole thing.

> Only once has that happened in 35+ years. Was doing a pipeline survey near Templin Hwy about 25 years ago. We had permission to cross the property or so we thought. Had setup and begun traversing through when this fellow drove up acting all nice and asked a few questions. Which not knowing who he was, I mentioned we were working as a sub for the pipeline company doing the mapping. Next thing he gets all fired up and demands we get off his land. I had backsites up and said fine, I'm going to recover my equipment and leave. He said no that wasn't going to happen. I said - watch me. Recovered my equipment and left, but felt he was going to pepper me at any minute. My chainman later said the guy was just about to snap the whole time.
>
> Should have called the sheriff. Would have solve the whole thing.

In Riverside County about 1989 I had a neighbor threaten to call the sheriff on me while we were standing in the middle of an avocado grove. I told him "Please Do". He shut up, unlike a few others who have threatened me with a firearm. So far threats only, not shots fired. Though I did tell a West Texas Rancher that I do shoot back.

B-)

" In Riverside County about 1989 I had a neighbor threaten to call the sheriff on me while we were standing in the middle of an avocado grove."

That's when I tell them that when they get the police office/Sheriffs Department on the phone to ask for (whoever the Chief of Police or Sheriff is) and tell them that it's me out there surveying. And then I whip out my phone and say, "never mind, I've got them on speed dial and will call them for you". They never seem to want to pursue the matter any further after they think that I am going to call in on them.

Paden, Around here I take the gun thing pretty seriously. The surveyor I replaced when he retired was shot twice with a .44 by a schizophrenic neighbor off his medication about 25 years ago. He nearly died. He killed the guy when the neighbor turned the gun on his wife after shooting him. He would have been charged with murder had not the neighbor confessed to the troopers he pulled the gun and fired first before he died on the way to the hospital.

I call them 'end of the roaders'. Folks that can't deal with society and move to Alaska with fantasies of living off the land or something. They can be unstable and are almost always armed. They frequently end up unstable, hungry and desperate.

I just pray to get out of this business without getting myself or crew shot by the crazy neighbor.