Some people say I worry too much, but I just call it being anal. So on my new place south of Rocksprings I have a pretty nice cabin and would like to keep it that way. Even though there is a locked gate at the highway, a second at my front drive, and it's 2 miles at the back of the ranch ontop of a 3 sided mountain - I still worry. What advice does anyone have for preventing illegals from breaking in & trashing the place? I honestly think (hope) that this particular location is fairly safe, only one never knows.
I noticed that the previous owner had, along with a bunch of posted signs, a holy cross screwed next to the front door handle, lots of Holy signatures inside including a Spanish bible, 6 cans of prepared food & water on counter, and the front door was unlocked (???).
I plan on locking the door, and moving the canned food & a few waters onto the front porch. Sorry about the long post - just explaining the situation & get some advice from you all.

Interested in hearing all your break-in stories also!

Does not sound like you have had any break-ins as of yet. Why do you think there will be a problem??

Also, the best way to prevent anyone from breaking in is to not lock anything. If someone wants in, they will find a way in and cause as much damage as necessary to get in. Also, locks imply something of value is behind it.

I really do not think leaving food and water on the porch will do anything

With a cabin that remote a lock on the door is sort of a waste. Someone could completely dismantle and haul off the entire cabin befor you would know about it. Dont leave anything valuable and then don't worry about it. Leave a few provisons out and if some illegals come through they will take what you offered and move on. Or you can weld up burglar bars for all the doors and windows. Thats really your only option.

Our ranch house is visited by illegals every now and then. We have a shed where we keep canned food and water for them to prevent any damage to the house. On our front door we have a letter in Spanish telling them there is food and water there. So far it has worked.

When we hunted SW of San Saba, I always left my trailer there for the season. I put a slip of paper in the door crack to see if someone had come in. Left water beside the door with a few canned goods and put a sign up in Spanish which said:

"There's nothing in here to take but the door's open so you can check. Help yourself to the water."

FWIW - 2 other trailer's in the same camp were broken into with damage to doors & windows. Mine wasn't touched!

Havent hunted far enough south in many years to have to wory about it, but when we did, we did pretty much what everyone else has said. We always left out some water and food that would not spoil for them, and always left the doors unlocked, along with notes in Spanish.

While I do not agree with illegal immigration in the slightest, they're still people and likely starving and without water. We arrived once at camp and it was all gone, but they left a written letter under one of ours. I don't read spanish, so it took a couple days to find some to translate, but it basically said "god bless you, I though we were going to die out here. The food and water saved me and my child". We had a few more instances, but not once was anything damaged in our cabin. Had my bed REEK of body odor a couple times though, making it obvious that I was not the last person to sleep there... just stay armed while you are there. And I would strongly advise against locking that door.

Smart..... and you'll prolly never have problems from mexicans... The home grown trash'll be the ones that wipe you out...

Leave some plastic jugs of water and some cans of baked beans in a box on the porch or somewhere in front. Maybe in a cheap cooler.

That used to work when we went to hunt on a lease near the border. We left a bag of tortillas and water in the back of the truck and nothing valuable in the truck. Even left the door unlocked. We would come back later and the truck is still there and the food was gone. Before that we could expect to come back to a truck with the windows broke and anything valuable inside would probably be taken.

I understand your in a very hard, no-win situation but at the end of the day you are only helping fuel the immigration problems we face as a country. Giving them food/shelter and essentially being part of the illegal immigration route is wrong on so many levels. Make no mistake that every one of you that leave food/water have your information passed back across the border into Mexico for others to come thru, illegally and further damaging our country

I get it - you're in a [censored] situation but try to find another alternative than to reward illegal immigration by essentially paying a ransom.

Do not lock your doors and leave a note as everyone has said.

Leave no food and do not lock the door.

Though far from the border, I leave nothing and don't use locks. Kind of looks like I'm moving in/out every time I come/go! My approach is not just concerns of illegals, it's for "locals" as well.

Good idea.

I gotta say... after reading FB and internet forums and, being in/associated with the military for 30 years, I'd trade Mexicans 10-1 for some of the trash that call themselves Americans.. Mexicans aren't ruining our country and the CIC ain't either... It's all the ones that voted for him and the handouts he promised....

Every illegal immigrant is ruining this country by consuming resources, getting entitlements and not paying their fair share - you and I make up the difference. Has nothing to do if they are good people, productive, etc... They take from those that are legally immigrated or natural born citizens. There is a legal method for them to come to the US and we are way to accommodating to all illegals - to the point where we are supposed to call them "undocumented now" - they are illegal. period.

Go into Rocksprings and get to know everyone at the BP station by first name. Tell them where your place is and invite them out for a steak supper...feed them better than you would yourself. Then start calling them every time you spot illegals on or around your place. Also, give the BP the key or combo to all your locked gates and permission to do their job on your property (this has to be done on locked property as they can not enter a locked prop w/o seeing illegals enter the prop). This does three things. 1) It draws the BP to your place in hopes of catching you there for more conversation and food; their presence is a deterrent for illegals. 2) It helps the BP do their job better and more efficient; and they appreciate the help. 3) It gets the word down the line that your land is not safe to cross so the illegals will start to avoid it.

As others have said, do not lock your doors. A lock only keeps out an honest man.

Extending the hand of Christian charity has nothing to do with a person's status of citizenship.

And I believe we have more to fear from vandalism from local hooligans than with illegal aliens, who must surely be trying to fly under the radar.

I'm four-square with the crowd here who are leaving their camp unlocked, a few cans of tuna fish and Vienna sausage, as well as some bottled water.

Such basic human courtesy has nothing to do with legal-vs.-illegal.

We did the same thing, leave doors unlocked, canned goods, and gallons of water.
They break in to sleep and eat, they are not stealing stuff because they can't carry it on foot.
The only thing that was ever taken was a few forks or spoons.

Had a place South of Ozona about 28 miles from the boarder. Had them and border patrol on the place all the time. There was a cross country gas line that they would walk. We did same thing not lock the door, lock the door , they still would come in a window eat the food make a mess still our clothes and boots. not mine as I have size 14 but any way. We left all our bills posted so every one could see what they were paying for. Once some one had the account changed so they could call home to Mexico ran up about $75 in charges so that ended. What you may be more concerned with is the leaders coming up on you, most have a weapon on them so some kind, so you need to be ready. You don't want to wake up and find some one standing over you.
With this doors can be replaced along with food and at cost coats and boots

I get it but this is more than extending meal or water to someone in need - it's establishing a illegal immigration route. I do allot in terms of helping people down on their luck and charity work. This is much different. Thsoe entering the country illegally, in black and white, take from those here legally immigrated or natually born. I'll save my basic human courtesy to those that are not trying to skirt the law.

Right. However, this really isn't about Christian (or any other religion) charity, is it? It is about buying off people to keep them from doing you harm. That isn't Christian charity. It is about paying off others because you live in fear, resulting in enabling an ongoing relationship of you being abused for your resources out of such fear on a repeated basis. That makes you a victim.

if our govt that we taxpayers support was doing their job an keeping the border secure we would not even have this discussion.