Sabbing and the Cops

Hunt Sabbing and Law Enforcement

    We still live in a society that enjoys hiking in the woods, communing with nature, and then killing it.  Since hunting, in some form, is legal in all 50 states, the woods continue to be a battleground for the lives of the creatures there.
    The main tools used by law enforcement to keep activists out of the woods and off the killing fields are trespassing, obstruction of business, and hunter harassment statues.  The following are a few suggestions to keep you one step ahead:

Know What Type of Land You Are On

    Hunts occur on both publicly and privately owned land.  If the land is privately owned, be aware of "No Trespassing" signs.  If the land is not posted with these signs, then law enforcement should warn you and give you an opportunity to leave prior to being arrested.
    Public land is a different story.  Generally, state and federal land that is open to hunting is open to everyone.  On the occasions that public land is opened only for hunting, there must be some notification before your presence there can be considered illegal.

Be Familiar With the Lay of the Land

    Once you know what type of land the hunt will occur on, take a tour of the area and become familiar with the lay of the land.  Knowledge of where you will be sabbing will give you strategic advantage in dealing with both hunters and law enforcement.  For example, you are much more likely to encounter law enforcement on easily traveled roads.  If you know police are in the area, sticking to smaller, more rugged roads can help you avoid unwanted encounters with them.

Be Familiar with Hunters' Practices

    This third suggestion ties directly in with the previous suggestion.  For example, deer hunters sit on the down-wind side of a clearing waiting for deer to feed on the tender grasses that grow there.  Posting several individuals on opposite side of the clearing can be quite effective in deterring deer from even showing up.  Knowing the practices of those whom you are challenging will allow more planning for your encounters and increase your level of success in the woods.
    In recent years many states have enacted hunter harassment laws.  California's hunter harassment is fairly typical of those statutes and forbids "willfully interfering" with hunting.  The trick here is that your mere presence is not enough to be considered a crime.  You must be actively engaged in something else in order to be in violation.

Editor's Note:  Activists should check their state laws as not all hunter harassment laws are the same.  In general it is legal to bear witness to a public hunt (e.g. watching, video taping, etc.) as long as you are not interfering (e.g. blowing air horns, harassing hunters, etc.).  Even if you are arrested for hunter harassment, it is usually little more than a simple misdemeanor.

from No Compromise (Fall 1998)