Trespassers and Mews

[jondarp]

Here's a question for the group. Have any of you had any problems with people coming onto your property to see what's in your mews?

I live in a heavily populated suburban Connecticut town and my house is on a corner lot. My mews is built as a combination mews/weathering yard. As required by my state regs, one side wall is essentially open with conduit bars running almost from top to bottom and pretty much the whole width of the wall. There is a three-foot knee wall to prevent snow drifiting and to keep predators from reaching through the bars if the bird is on the ground in the mews). That open side faces south, which means anyone walking on the sidewalk on the side of my house (about 60 feet away) can see into the mews.

I don't even have my bird yet as we are still waiting for our regs to be approved by the Feds, but already the mews has prompted some questions and more than a few stares from passersby. I usually tell people that is just a shed and leave it at that, but I knew that, sooner or later, I'd get somebody nosing around it.

Last night, my wife and stepson were home (I was out) and they heard the dog barking like crazy. My stepson saw some kid (high school age) prowling around the mews. He (my stepson) snuck around the back and, at this point, the kid had gone up onto our back deck. My stepson grabbed the kid's shirt, the kid broke free and took off. My stepson chased the kid (who was about the same age and size as he) for a couple of blocks then lost him.

Has anyone ever had any problems of this sort?

I'm going to hook up a motion-sensitive spotlight. I'm also looking into putting up a fence, but the quotes I've gotten for fencing so far are pretty high.

If the mews is attracting this kind of unwanted attention while its empty, I am afraid to think what will happen when I actually have a bird in there.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks.

- Jon D.

[ccrobbins]

I would be really afraid to house a Raptor without a fence. I live in a pretty suburban area as well and my neighbors don't miss anything new.

[Weasel]

Jon, I thought about the same things as folks can see into one of my chambers from the street too. I installed heavy locks on the mew with a storm door to protect it. The bars I use are only 3ft long so they are a bit more sturdy that the long ones you have. What you could do is install rebar into the conduit for strength or change the bars to Rigid conduit which is the thick walled steel conduit. A motion sensor is a great idea and on top of that I checked out a night vision motion sensored video recording system. Online you can get a two camera system with a monitor and cable for less than $200.
This has been a serious issue on my mind since I built the mews and have even thought of installing a full alarm system into it. I would say the first thing to do is try to disguise the barred are of the mew with fence or some sort of screening. This is the most effective means of security as if they can't see it, they can't mess with it.
Weasel

[Minca]

Jon, may I ask what kind of quotes you've been getting for fencing? Have you looked into the premade fencing sections that are available at the hardware store chains? (my plug for Home Depot since I now work there! ) In your situation I would be really nervous about getting a bird without a fence around the yard first. Even if it's just a little three foot picket to remind people that it's NOT open to the public. Have you seen this yet? : www.georgiafalconryassociation.com/danger.html

[jondarp]

Minca,

Most of the quotes have been between $2,500 and $3,000 for an average fence. That's way out of my price range.

We did check prices for the pre-fab sections at Home Depot over this past weekend (before the tresspassing incident). The price is good, but putting them in would require more hours of labor than I can dedicate (we've got a pretty good size yard). Plus, a portion of the fence would have to be installed into rock as some of our back yard sits on ledge rock.

Since we are on a corner lot, on the street side, the town does not allow a stockade type fence and restricts the height to four feet. However the lawn slopes up from the sidewalk, so the top of a 4-foot hight fence would be slightly higher than eye level (for most people) on the sidewalk. I may just have to shop around and take out a loan to pay for the installation.

In addition to Weasel's advice, I've gotten some other good tips from another Yahoo falconry group (e.g., putting lattice work in front of the bars, planting a cedar hedge, etc.). Some have also suggested using snap-on anklets and bells and not leaving them on when the bird is in the mew.

I'm definitely going to have to do something as I'm not willing to leave it up to chance.

I have a solid, locking exterior door and the bars are very sturdy so my main concern is not someone breaking in, but rather someone being tempted to throw something between the bars,

I like the idea of the sign. A friend who lives in Vermont has something similar posted on the side of his mews.

Thanks for the ideas.

- Jon D.

[Weasel]

I copied that exact sign and took it to Kinkos copy center and had them laminate it. I then mounted one to the front of the mews and one to my travel GH.

[Weasel]

Minca, I am going to copy that link to the Raptor Husbandry section. This sign is a good idea for any falconer to use. I made several for spares too.

[Joby]

Hi Jon,
Joe Dorrian here, the guy from Columbus that you so kindly helped get approval from the city to keep a bird. One of my the falconers around here uses shade cloth on the inside of their fencing and then has lattice put up on the outside. This makes it real difficult for someone to see in from a distance, but still allows the bird to see out. Just a thought. You can buy shade cloth from most hardware stores. It is the same type of stuff that they use on tennis courts to keep the wind out. Good luck!!
-Joe

[Calusa]

I can't believe the audacity of some people.

I have two large rotties, and I know that simply the 'invisible fence' sign out front keeps people away.

Maybe buy a 'beware of dog' sign, or perhaps 'no trespassing' sign.

Or perhaps just go ahead and get that scary dog...

[Ooby]

Well my mews is constructed solidly enough to be a jail. In all seriousness, with out any tools, NO ONE is getting into my mews. Thats about as good as i figure it can get, because if someone REALLY wants in, they are gonna get in, and there ain't anything you can do about it.

Then again, you can't see my mews from the street

[Weasel]

Explosives....yea, that'll keep the bastards away.....set small charges on trip lines in strategic locations
Sorry.....I always wanted too.... I would say the shade cloth idea seems to be the best fit so far. Maybe you could build a small structure like a gazzebo or something to obstruct the view.

[Ooby]

Just give your kids a bunch of colored permanent markers and let em go nuts on the mews. Perhaps people with think its a playhouse for kids

[Weasel]

suburban camo.... ;D

[Yarak]

Schutzhund! Mine did very well keeping everyone at bay.
I lived in a no outlet court near a middle school. On the way to and from the kids would cut thru others yards but strangely not mine. What great dog. She is gone now and I have since moved. My mews are easily accessable now with no protection. If you intend to "free" Bane you had better know what you are doing. Especially this time of year. Just walking in front of it draws the crest up and dialates her pupils. What a beast. I guess I just have to rely on my 12 gauge side by side and the benevolence of my fellow humans....
Yarak

[wes]

People should lobby there states for Laws of Trespassing as we have here in Louisiana. we don't have to even post signs anymore as ALL porperty is automaticly posted against tresp. by law and trespassers may be shot by law. I have received written promission to fly on some of the farm lands I hunt, so the workers don't call the sheriff or shot me.
So be fair warned as LA gun laws are pretty laxed as well.
wes