Hey Y'all. This video got a lot more traction than our other videos, and way more than we expected. I'll address a few of the repeated comments below, because my thumbs are tired😀 1. This occurred in early January. Takes us a while to edit things! We did not report it at the time. A fair bit of time has passed. We are now in Baja, Mexico, and have largely forgotten about the incident. While in the moment it was very scary, we're not emotionally scarred from it. We're not going to press charges or seek damages. I respect the point about protecting the overlanding community, but at this point without wanting to press charges(likely without ENOUGH evidence of a major crime) I don't see anything coming from calling NM state police and telling them I have a 3 month old dashcam video for them to watch. 2. This incident has not spoiled New Mexico for us, and we really hope it doesn't for you either. We're 100% going to go back and explore more. We might even drive the same road, with a few slight changes to our process(there's a ton to explore in that area.) It's a 17 min video, and the final 13 mins are not about our crappy first day. There are crazy people everywhere, we just happened to find one here. 3. The man did point the gun at me briefly once he was on the side of the truck, out of frame from our dash camera. It is not on video. The Garmin dashcam runs 24/7- we weren't personally filming at the time of the incident. I wish the clip had audio to hear the conversation, and hear how we de-escalated it, and finally, how the guy gave us a slight apology before he drove off. We don't remember exactly what he said, but this was part of the reason we didn't report it in the moment- we got a slight sense that he was remorseful for his actions. Not that it makes them OK...
In New Mexico, pointing a gun at someone is an "Assault with a Deadly Weapon". That is a felony. The only thing that would justify that would be if you had threatened him with death or Great Bodily Harm first. In NM you can't use deadly force against someone who is mearly tresspassing. Even holding a gun in his hand as he approached you can be prosecuted as Negligent use of a Deadly Weapon under NM law (considered brandishing in other states), although that is only a petty misdemeanor.
He’s probably had to deal with so many people that aren’t as respectful as you are. We don’t know what he’s had to put up with, I don’t travel full time however when I take trips I’m always appalled at how nasty and disrespectful some campers are therefore ruining it for all of us. Safe travels, beautiful scenery ❤️
What the loose Cannon Rancher did is more than likely a Felony. A Felony is prosecutable for 5 years after the fact in NM. If you decide to let it slide then that's your choice and your's alone. We can only hope that if you choose not to report it that he doesn't do that again to someone else and possibly hurt them or worse as his past behavior and actions are good indicators of his future behavior and actions.
A Felony (Which is what that was) is prosecutable for 5 years after the fact. If not reported we can only hope that the Rancher doesn't do this to someone else in the future and hurt them or possibly worse, as past behavior is a strong indicator of future behavior.
I have heard this argument since the 60's and have grown tired of it, it does not justify the behavior I have witnessed. I too wish I had taken the time to call the authorities, but often their was no Cell reception. 98% of folks take care of the environment. Public land belongs to the public, not the person who are forcing their will on others.@@suec2117
That old man tried pulling the same move on me and a couple of friends, it was a really different outcome, we're local and we all carry fire arms, I think he does that to everyone, can't believe he is still doing that,
lol native New Mexican here. You definitely got the NM welcome that needs to stop happening. A lot of landowners think they own the public easements around here. ONX has definitely changed the game and put a ton of these overbearing landowners in their place. I’m happy you enjoyed this beautiful place as much as I love living here!
Happens a lot. Locked gates and confrontations especially around hunting season. To much public/private land mix along with private hunting permits that can sell for big money. So, alot of ranchers think they can scare you away. But, to be fair, there are also far to many people who go out and damage equipment, fences, range land and just leave trash all over for the ranchers to deal with.
Worked for an electric utility 50+ years ago. We were in a remote area, on what used to be the main road into a very large ranch. The line to this ranch had been built alongside this road. We were in a clearly marked company truck, in uniform doing line maintenance, when a truck with five ranch hands and one lady rancher, drove up on us. Apparently they had been building fence when they saw us. They were all armed, guns pointed. But, that lady rancher was somethimg else. She yelled and cused at us, questioned us like criminals, looked through the truck to make sure we weren't stealing anything, didn't want to listen or understand anything, and had absolutely zero common sense. My partner called it in on the radio and the line foreman said tell her he would send a crew out tomorrow to start removing the line. She didn't like that. It didn't make her any nicer, but she agreed to let us do our work. She said, she had closed this road two years ago when she bought the ranch and was not at all happy we were using it. We both thought if it had been just her or one of the ranch hands who was particularly aggressive that they would have just shot us and dumped us somewhere on the ranch.
I know a lot of people have said this but as a retired Police Officer what he did in the video is 100% a crime. You guys did exactly what you should do at the scene to stay safe but I would recommend anyone who has a similar encounter report it to the county sheriff as soon as possible. The video alone would have convicted that subject in the state I came from.
Very good point. We were unable to 100% read the plate because of how it was bent. Nothing against this great state- just happened to be where it happened.
As a Ruidoso resident, this is common. And New Mexico doesn’t have front plates BUT, many many ranchers have a fake plate that may say stuff like eat nm beef or have any kind of plate sized signage they put up front in place of said license plate so that doesn’t mean it’s a Texan. Tho Texans own lots of land in NM. Either way it needs to stop. Ranchers always try and lock gates when they should be open for public. We close them when we go through them when they aren’t locked.
Yep call the sheriff and get video - our sheriff told us that - we own huge property in Colorado you never know who is around and we have to "carry" as we've had encounters and squatters trying to camp out and mess the place....sorry this happened to you
Yep. It really irked me that they took the easy way out and didn’t report it. I wish I knew where this happened because I live minutes from where they filmed this vid and there’s a damn good chance I’ll possibly run into this idiot myself one day. That moron is playing with fire and one day he’s going to run up like that on the wrong person with tragic consequences for all involved. I really hope these folks reconsider and report this to the state police or at least the county sheriff’s office before somebody gets hurt…
@@NoGoodLyingSnake a private property owner actually does and should have a right to drive squatters off his land. This clown however wasn’t doing that. These people were on a public roadway and on BLM land. Even if they had been on his land, you just don’t roll up on someone unannounced with a gun in your hand. That’s a damn good way to get yourself some extra holes where there weren’t any before. . .
We did consider it. We honestly were in flight mode afterwards, and knew that pressing charges would be a lot for us to deal with living full time on the road.
@@HD.Adventuring glad you have peace of mind again. We all now see your content due to the title used. It gets views but now the peace of others who use these roads will be changed unless we know you report it. When you "See Something, Say Something" refers to reporting it to the Police. You don't have to be personally involved more than you want. We flourish in this lifestyle from the help of many others. Please give back and help us by reporting it today.
Yep what he did is illegal and if he keeps doing it he’s gonna come across someone who will end it. You do need to report it to the local authorities there.
Law enforcement does nothing in southern NM. This guy has probably been sick and tired of I'll eagles going through his property. Things are changing in NM, I live here...
Sorry this was your experience. As a lifelong resident of southern NM and a constant traveller of back country roads, I can confirm that some of these ranchers can be downright tetchy and view *public* land as *their* land. A responsible gun owner (like myself) would NEVER pull a gun out in this situation. Sounds like you guys handled things perfectly, but again - apologies from a New Mexican. Safe travels.
You’re right! It’s unclear from the video but Heather had plenty of water for both of us and the dog. She was just making a friendly dig at Dana for only having his camera gear. We should have made that more clear as we agree, water is obviously super essential on any hike, but even more important in the desert!
We saw you guys in The Baylor Canyon area. We also spend a lot of time in the Dona Ana Mountains that you biked on. You ran into one bad apple at the start of your trip, but trust us, New Mexico is full of very nice people. We have been in Las Cruces for almost 15 years now. Don't let that one bad apple keep you away. There is so much to see in our state. Go to the Gila Wilderness area near the Gila Cliff dwellings. You will fall in love.
It's actually rare to have a rancher pull a gun on you. Now as for Cruces and Albuquerque, it happens every week. Liberal state with a terrible justice system.
Thanks for this reminder! As I hope the video shows, we had a great time in this beautiful state after our one bit of bad luck. We also met a handful of wonderful people in our short stay- we won't let that experience keep us away. Gila Wilderness is now added to our list!
Disappointed you didnt report him. You let someone like that get away with it, what will he do to the next person he pulls up on. Especially since you have video.
Yeah, pretty irresponsible for the people in the video to not report the guy. The next person could be lost in that area and who knows what that old man will do.
We had a scary to us experience one time as well, and much less direct. A quick video never gives the full picture and some of the comments here show how some people do not understand this. When something sketchy happens, you're not thinking to document the whole thing on 4k video haha. Instincts kick in and all you can do is share the story after. Glad you all are ok! There is absolutely no reason to brandish a weapon during this encounter. I try my best to see someone else's view, he could have seen what looked to be a box truck on his land and assumed they were stealing his property. If that's the case he could be worried that such a brazen act could include less than savory people and was anxious about the confrontation. Regardless he had no right to handle it in this way. He had every ability to take some time to analyze the situation from a distance and use that information to conclude the lack of threat. Way too many hot heads out there who go right into a fight scenario.
Senior in nintey three Fuso FG 170 4wd with twenty two foot Rosa Bus body. XR six fifty on back and Australian Cattle Dog in charge. Just found your channel, thankyou for the precious heartbeats and bringing us along on your adventures. As far as the rancher, all battles are not worth fighting. No harm no foul.
Never had anything like that happen to us in our Promaster. We’ve been two years on the PanAmerican Highway through Central America and now in Colombia. Lovely people and friendly cops all the way. Stay safe.
We call those moments just between day and evening “Magic Time”. We named our ten acres in the woods of Oregon “Magic Time”. We have a van and travel….but it is always wonderful to come home to “Magic Time”.
Just watched your video and it rattled my nerves watching your scary experience. I have been recently photographing public art for a nationwide project and have been approached aggressively several times. It happened again today here in Albuquerque. Too many aggressive people are acting out with violent and threatening behavior but the majority of people I have met are kind, generous and welcoming. If you ever visit Albuquerque I will gladly host you both and your sweet dog for some great trails in our Bosque along the Rio Grande River and then lunch at a doggy friendly patio cafe! Happy Trails, Steven
That's very kind of you, Steven! We agree- the VAST majority of people we've been fortunate enough to meet have been SUPER friendly. A real shame that even .0001% of the population acts like this. But thankfully, this type of incident is still rare. We might just take you up on this when we're in NM next!
Cruces sunsets are beauty. The Organs are very picturesque and the hike to the needle is the hardest hike in NM. Don't know how you hadn't run into a land owner like that already. You guys were close to a lava flow that is super cool
It makes me happy that you enjoyed our national monument (Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks) while visiting our beautiful state. As a native Las Crucen I thoroughly enjoy when people come explore our great out of doors areas. Especially our Organ Mountains. NM has such diversity to offer and I’m hopeful you spend a lot more Time visiting.
I’m in the railroad Texas to New Mexico and this is actually very common for ranchers to get territorial with campers and overlanders and even railroaders wondering away from the tracks to get quick exploring.
Don't be put off by this one negative experience. -I'm sure you will have many more positive experiences that will outweigh this one. Your both very brave, and handled yourselves very well. Really enjoying your adventures and glad we found you on uTube.. keep up the good work!
Thanks so much. You're right- we've had SO many positive experiences that far outweigh this negative one. But it really shook us. Thankfully this was an outlier. We really appreciate the love!!
North and south NM are opposite when it comes to the culture,people are nice but polar opposite. The south part has a different history, even sided with confederacy back in the day. It’s a blue state but Lincoln county is 80% red for this very reason. Otero county had the cowboy for trump guy who was a county commissioner( was removed for engaging in jan6 ). So outside of Las Cruces, it is beautiful, ( especially ruidoso, cloudcroft, white sands etc..) but very different from the rest of the west when it comes to nature and culture and politics. This is why I’m looking to move from Ruidoso to Taos. Same outdoors, but different culture.
first time viewer. As a dog person myself it was refreshing to see ya'll let your dog run and explore on it's own; (barring disturbing others). Good video commentary. About the landowner, I fear that scenario as well on my small travels. When I do legally cross private property, (I check Gaia GPS, OnX maps & area mvum maps) I do so nonstop in a respectable manner. No dust trails, no zooming past / scaring livestock and no stopping. Ya'll got a very cool vehicle.
Yes, Bruce loves to explore and see/sniff everything. Those are good tips for traveling through private property. We always try to be respectful as well!
Hello from Las Cruces, Really glad you filmed & enjoyed the Organ Mountains ⛰️ Sorry you had to go through that bs with the old man who pulled a firearm at you, glad you got the license plate on video.
I lived in New Mexico for 11 years. I loved it. So sorry for the incident. Unfortunately New Mexico is still the wild, Wild West. I used to hike the Organ Mountains, White Sands, and the Franklin Mountains many times. It's absolutely beautiful.
Love the video. I’m a mountain biker and in this type of terrain it kills me to see to ride without helmets. I do a lot of biking in AZ and have seen three friends crash hard on their bikes and it isn’t pretty. Please, stay safe!
Thanks. Normally we ride with helmets, as you can see in our first ride, and our other videos. Totally agree that helmets are needed. On the multisport day thought we'd just be pedaling flat fire roads, so didn't bring them, In hindsight, we should have!
I had a slow motion crash that cracked open my helmet. A bike store wanted it. I asked why? He said to point out to customers that the helmet got cracked, not my skull. Edit: speed doesn't matter.
I lived in New Mexico for a long time and I go off-roading all the time anywhere where it's open land and I always carry my weapon but I never come across a Rancher or anybody bracing their weapon on me but I am prepared for it if it comes to it
You have him on video pointing a weapon at you. That's assault with a deadly weapon and you should report him to both the sheriff and state police and press charges.
As someone from New Mexico not surprised you had a gun pulled on you. That shit happens but glad you guys enjoyed your time in the state. When you come back you should try up north near Cuba
That feeling you had after is totally normal after you have a direct, intense exposure to the ugly side of humanity. It will stay with you for a long time. There's alot of people out there who live off grid because they don't mesh well with society. Also, there's just alot of a**holes out there. Be safe.
I live in New Mexico and go off roading all the time… the ranchers are very territorial. Reasoning is not everyone has good intentions, people shoot cows or damage property on a regular basis. It’s their lively hood. We have two brothers who get into all the time because their cattle is grazing on the other one’s land, one day when a brother went to get his cattle, the other one shot at him numerous times.
1. Report illegal actions to the nearest police or law enforcement. This may save a person's life in the future. 2. Bring extra water when hiking in the desert. First time viewer here and sad to say I am extremely disappointed. Great video presentation, incredible camper rig, but cannot believe you both went away to try to forget a life threatening Assault? I don't understand your choices.
As a native New Mexican, I am sorry to say that that this is not an uncommon occurrence, especially in the very rural areas. It is not super common but is known to happen. Land owners are very protective of their property as there have been issues with trespassers trail blazing and damaging property as well as unscrupulous characters trying to illegally procure land through various means. When land owners, especially ranchers, see unfamiliar vehicles on their property they tend to get jumpy. I work for a company that does surveying and we always prepare for this to happen when we go out in the field. I am not excusing the man's behavior, just trying to bring some context to why he acted the way he did. As for the many people saying to report the guy, nothing would come of it. Yes, brandishing a weapon is a crime but given the area, county law enforcement wouldn't do more than give him a warning and state police wouldn't make it a priority to respond in a timely manner and would likely defer it to the county police and all that assuming they could even determine who it was. I am glad that this incident didn't prevent you from enjoying your visit. If you ever find yourself visiting again, some places I would recommend visiting would be Carlsbad Cavers National Park (one of the largest cave system in the country with a large self-guided tour and several VERY good ranger guided tours), the Valley of Fire Recreation Area (large lava flow that can be seen from space! It is that black sideways mustache in the middle of the southern half of the state), Chaco Canyon National Park (one of the largest pueblo ruins known), Tent Rocks National Monument (excellent hiking and biking opportunities, many are also in the shade!) and many more!
Yeah, sounds like it's more common than we would have expected. I also understand how landowners want to protect their land. We felt the same way- his actions were uncalled for, but we get why he came to investigate. We always lead with a smile and wave whenever we meet new people:) Thanks for the recommendations- much appreciated.
I go out to Organ Mts often to spend the night. I really am happy with this area so many places to go to out here and explore and then so many places close by whether it's desert or mtn areas. Am ready to head north to unseen parts of NM to explore.
Awesome video. I just mountain biked in the Doña Ana Trails (part 2 of your video, where you pulled out the mountain bikes). I ride there most weekends or days off.
Sad people gotta try to be a bad ass, but the property owner has probably run into some shady characters out there… but you had a good attitude to defuse the situation… 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 “Not all who Wander are Lost”
So sorry you guys experienced this. We too have had some scary experiences while on BLM land and it definitely shakes you up for a little while. Glad you still enjoyed NM! It's one of our favorite states!
I'm a gun own and advocate for 2a rights but that guy should be turned in. You can NOT brandish a firearm in a threatening manner. He was on public roads during so even if you did cross over to his property the incident took place on public land. I'm sharing this with local law enforcement.
Great video - really enjoyed it. In my mind, I would think the biggest risk is having a significant breakdown of an unusual truck in the middle of no where…
That ain't the city. The guy is probably related to the law enforcement around there. It would only make things worse for them to report anything. Is best to just get out of there quick. I like to avoid public land with private inholdings.
Based upon what can be observed from your video, this individual is a practiced intimidator. He has seen you, assessed you from a distance, and then comes in fast and by surprise to give you little time to prepare. It sure looks like he has an object in his right hand that could be a gun as he quickly passes in front of your vehicle. From what I can see there appears to be a license plate on the front of his vehicle. This needs to be investigated by law enforcement and you should use your platform to do so. This is not the intimidator's first time, but it could be one of his last times - otherwise a terrible tragedy is certainly possible. Great content & actionable information.
Thanks, Neci! It was definitely a scary moment but we’re still having a great time exploring and we won’t let one bad experience dull our excitement! Miss you- hope you’re well!
Man, what a bummer that you experienced that situation. A really neat area in by the Organ Mountain is Kilbourne hole, next time your around reach out. This whole area has a great amount of back country trails and great mountain biking.
Funny how just yesterday I had a similar experience with a rancher that was only leasing the BLM land. I had already got the okay from a Ranger that it was dispersed camping. First the jerk tried to act like it was his land, then he acts like a cattle lease gives him the right to run people off. I told him all the rules about the 14 day in and 14 day out and he was not having it. He knew the rules but said camping is spending 2 or 3 days but 14 days is living there! I told him I suggest not leasing land when you know it was a designated camp area or taking 8t up up with the government. I said either way you are not suppose to be harassing the campers. after 6 years of Nomad life it really did bust my bubble a bit because I realized no matter how remote you go, you'll still run into aholes. I should have reported him but I'd had enough negativity for awhile and bringing in law enforcement usually becomes a regret.
Awesome Video! I love the outdoors out here in New Mexico and have hiked and camped all over most of my life. But I also explain in my videos that you have to be aware of where you are and don't get into arguments with anyone out here.
Been to the exact spot- from the base of the Organ peaks to climb the the top of Dona Aña. Funny, our impulses to wander the same places! When you come back, if you didn’t, this time, got to go to Silver City, and Gila Hotsprings. Then on your way towards Tucson, go to Cochise stronghold, Patagonia is beautiful and starting to become famous for a gravel road riding, but I prefer Araca about an hour south of Tucson. All the land between Araca and the Mexico border along Ruby Road is amazing!
I'm curious. Living in my car but not traveling. What map are you using to see private land? Google doesn't show this. I want to start traveling but I'm so afraid of being alone on the road and something like what just happened to you, will happen to me; a single 66 yr old green nomad. Thank you for your advice in advance.
We use ONX Maps and Gaia maps. They have layers that even show you who owns the property. Super helpful. I think CalTopo, which is a free option might have the private land layer too. We've travelled many thousands of miles on public land, and this was the first experience like this. Don't let our one bad experience deter you from exploring.
Listen, I'm a rancher in nm and az. I don't like people trespassing, but this boy is way out of line. If you ask, I'll most of the time let people on our private. He was way out of line. Sorry, enjoy NM and AZ.
Hi guys. New subscriber here. Spent 35 yrs of my life in NM. Love the place and sorry for the bad experience. He is lucky you didn’t call the cops. He would have gone to jail and lost his gun carrying privileges. We believe we saw you down in Puerto Peñasco México. If it was you, you guys camped I believe 2 nights real close to our house.
Driving through Northeastern New Mexico along the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos in the 1950s one would occasionally see corpses covered in black shrouds hanging in cottonwood trees. New Mexico is still a dangerous place.
i lived in new mexico for 30 yrs never had a gun pulled on me. sorry for that one in a million jack ass, i lived in santa fe you guys should drive up to the north. its great place. peace have fun . 👽
We had a similar experience during COVID. We stopped at Rockhound State Park and a state park ranger kicked us out of the park and we were not welcomed. Could have been the California plates or he did not like foreigners. Luckily I have a family that lives in Deming and reported the ranger. Great vídeo.
@@ScubaSteveCanada yes we completely understand that they were closed. But to be rude and aggressive was not the way to get us out of the park. We were not the first to make a complaint about that ranger.
As a New Mexico resident and local explorer, you should make a report of the incident to local police. That type of hot head needs to learn that brandishing a handgun like that is illegal and illogical. I do carry a firearm with me every time we explore. I have been in the same situation with an older gentleman pulling a six shooter and blaming me for shooting his cow. Minutes after the incident happened I was able to explain I was only exploring the area, he began to apologize and offered me dinner. From that moment on we became friends. Remember this rarely happens, but depending on the situation especially when that person is angry and leaves with warning to you, this situation must be reported. New Mexico has alot of residents who still think it’s the wild north of New Spain and it has to be protected from trespassers. Please don’t be afraid of New Mexico there is so much more to explore and discover here that very few people can even imagine. We have lost civilizations, lost treasure and lost history that people like us need to rediscover and share with the world. Good luck on your travels and stay safe.
... just checking out RU-vid tonight and I came across your video. I'm from Las Cruces, born and raised and could not believe how that old man confronted you... but what was he thinking and who was that old man? What is wrong with him? I regret that you had such a horrible experience in my "homeland". Please don't think that all New Mexico citizens are like that man. Safe travels.
Is it possible that I saw you guys in person randomly at Sunspot Observatory parking lot a couple months ago? I had a very dirty 4Runner with orange traction boards mounted to the side of the roof and a WeBoost antenna. Was there with my baby daughter. Saw a large Earthroamer type vehicle with a young man and woman. This was while there was still plenty of snow on the ground. It was probably someone else, since I seem to remember their vehicle being a darker shade than yours. Still, curious if it's even possible? Safe travels!
Sorry you had that experience in NM. You should check out the Sacramento Mountains if you are still in the area; lots of nice places to camp high in the pines.