if seen spotlighters from my blind at 530 in the morning and we killed a deer that had been shot in the nose and a doe that had been shot in the leg and were pretty sure it was from poachers

Texas needs to join the several other states, where if your banned in one state your banned in them all. I know colorado is this way and it is on a point system....Get caught with a firearm on private property without permission your 1 point away from being banned from hunting for 10 years.

It would not be very smart to shoot someone just because they are on your property or lease and you happened to catch them, but then if they threatened you with a gun, or worse, fired shots at you, then you would have no other alternative but return fire, so then it may be justified, but still you have to live with that for the rest of your days, trying to clear your name, and with lawyers and judges now days, I don't think it would be worth it.

Claiming it was an accident and you thought you were shooting at a deer, might be less trouble with the law, but the civil trial and outcome may not be very pretty either.

Call the law, and let them handle it! It's just not worth ruining your life on account of some dumb arse poacher!

One of the scariest experiences I've ever had involved some spot-lighters. It was a stand that has always been my favorite and is very isolated. It's near the fence line where several properties meet. Four properties kind of joined up there, all pretty large: 25thousand, 13thousand, 9thousand, and 1thousand. The nearest county road is about 9 miles, which in the hill country is a pretty long way.

I got in the stand early one morning, probably around 5:45 or 6am. I was hunting out of a tripod nestled in a group of trees. There is an old cemetary about 200 yards away with some massive cedars and I always parked under a giant one that I had cut some branches out of to make what I liked to call "my garage".

I was hunting alone that morning as no one else wanted to get out of bed. We had planned to leave after that mornings hunt and since I'd brought my own truck, I likely wouldn't see any of them before I left later that day.

About 6:30am I start seeing lights on the horizon. At first I can't make it out. Then I start seeing the spotlight. I was a bit surprised and mad, but figured it was a neighbor going to a property near by.

There is a gate near the cemetary to goes onto the 1,000 acre place, but it's not used and those folks don't have permission to pass through there.

The light got closer and closer, then a truck rounds the bend and lights up the deer feeder I'm hunting. I kept trying to make myself believe it was one of the ranch-hands kids, but as they got closer I started having doubts. I put the cross hairs on the driver as soon as I could see the truck. It definitely wasn't one of the ranch trucks.

I came REALLY, REALLY close to pulling the trigger. The thoughts that ran through my head were many and none were pleasant. As the deer ran off from the feeder (of course, I couldn't see them before they lit it up) I stayed focused on that truck.

It pulled forward a few more feet. I made up my mind that if that light cames toward me, I was pulling the trigger. I flipped the safety off and got ready. I figured I'd get one shot off before I jumped out of the 12 foot tripod and tried to make a mental note of where the bigger rocks were below me.

The truck started driving forward, then stopped. I heard an "oh ****) as the headlights of the truck reflected off my truck parked in the tree. The spot light turned to my truck, then off quickly.

The truck drove on up to the gate, my cross hair on it the entire time. I could hear most of what the two boys were saying, including "oh man, I knew we shouldn't have cut through here".

By this point I'm out of the stand. I walk up, my pistol in hand, and ask them what in the hell they're doing.

Ends up they were a neighbors grandkids. They were running late and thought it'd be faster to cut through the ranch I was hunting. That I understood (though they didn't have permission) but the spotlight had really hacked me off.

I made them turn around and go out the way they came in. They'd already ruined my hunt (and day) and I decided it was time to ruin theirs. I knew it would take them a good 30-45 minutes to go around.

They got in a pretty good amount of trouble for that little episode and I doubt they've cut through that ranch again since that day.

I'm glad I didn't pull that trigger. I can't imagine the regret I would have if I had.

That would have been very stupid of you.