Security Problem

It will help if you can describe the nature of these "nocturnal visitors".

Humans, polecats, elephants, rodentia, crickets... ?

Human, and most but not all adolescents.

In that case, the have a heart trap I was going to suggest won't work for you!

Well then I suggest something like this.

Nice, but I am trying to construct something without spending money. I have plenty of materials, just need an idea.

What are you protecting???Monica Almeida/The New York Times

The Pajarito Mesa, a treeless plateau never licensed for housing but home to more than 400 families, is one of the largest communities, other than some on the Mexican border, to exist off the grid. More Photos »

Actually, the photo you show is the top of the mesa, and my property is below the escarpment but is still considered part of the mesa. Also, the part about being treeless is false, many of the homes have trees, even your photo shows that although the photo was taken in winter. As far as the comment "never licensed for housing" in New Mexico you dont need a license to build on your own property. The fact is the Southwest Landfill, a construction landfill that does not accept household trash, is situated on the southeast edge of the mesa. New Mexico law forbids housing within one mile of a landfill. Pajarito Mesa is about 80 square miles and many of the homes are beyond one mile, however, the owners of the landfill (privately owned) are contributors to local politicians and in order for the landfill to remain legal the politicians act as if the homes do not exist. And, the area is one of the last undeveloped places in the county, the county being bordered on three sides by indian reservations and one side by Kirtland AFB. That being the case, there is a struggle for control of the area. As for what I am protecting, I am protecting my private property and everything on it, just like everybody else.

I looked at the photos your link to the New York Times provided. Its funny how they show a few hispanic families as if thats all there was out here. That is not the case. They also fail to mention the cost of living here as compared to the high cost of living in town,(Albuquerque), and the fact that we are taxed for services we dont recieve.

Well, it's NYTimes article and those are NYTimes photos. You weren't expecting honest, unbiased reporting, I hope.

You might look into alarm and security systems for boats, RVs and mountain cabins that run off 12 volts and can be connected to batteries and/or solar cells.

If there is one gathering spot or one particular point of entrance, you might consider a passive system using barbed or thorny bushes planted in that area to discourage them. I've got a line of Pampas Grass planted at the edge of my property that neighbor kids used as a shortcut. These plants grow tall with nice looking plumes in the summer, but also have a nasty saw-blade edge on the leaves.

About the only thing I can suggest are a few of those solar powered security lights with motion sensors and batteries for night time use. Mount them on some high poles around your property. The only problem is that the are also excellent for target practice. Good luck.

A mean dog that has that territory marked.

or

Forget it, move to Colorado, get a license, and grow the stuff legally.

or

Connect your already existing trip wire to a dead fall that opens the door to a cage full of skunks and drops a large rock onto an old rusted 55 gallon drum placed next to the cage with the open end of the drum pointed at the cage.

Other than that you are asking for ideas on how to design dual use technologies for suspicous purpose; probably not going to get a lot of applicable ideas around here.

Not doing anything illegal. As you can see from the NY Times photo there is no place to hide anything. I have a storage shed down there, thats all. Empty right now but would like for it to be secure before I put any tools etc.

I would just go with a car alarm and magnetic connections .....when the trip wire is triggered it breaks the magnetic switch connection setting off audible alarm...maybe use a couple of lead acid batteries in rotation...Get it up high enough and the remote might work, with some tweaking....

Anything up high will be shot to pieces

Electric fence, battery-powered, like the ones that are used to keep livestock enclosed?

Now there is an idea, I have one of those, and a solar panel to keep a battery charged

You can make a spring loaded manually cranked siren that will be tripped by the trip wire. Don't think such a thing is available.

Gajanan Phadte

Interesting, I believe I have the things to make one of those

There are wireless passive infrared (human body heat) detectors which can transmit an RF signal up to 1000'. They run on common alkaline batteries which can last up to 3 years in service. The sensors can be set to "sleep" during daylight hours to conserve energy. They can be tree mounted and at least partially camouflaged to minimize target practice. The in-home receiver usually needs more energy. It typically uses an AC/DC power brick, but can also operate from batteries.

As a low tech passive scare tactic, have you tried to post some signs?

Maybe

"NO Trespassing! This site is monitored by electronic surveillance. Trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

would work to scare the nuisance intruders away?

Link please?

One example:

http://www.drivewayalert.com/systems/driveway-alert%C2%AE-lr

Disclaimer: I'm not endorsing this product and have no direct experience using it. Research thoroughly before purchasing!

In this area signs are routinely ignored

I'm curious about your motivation.

Are these people damaging the environment or your property?

Or, is it just the fact that's its your property and you don't want anybody on it? Not that there's anything wrong with just wanting people to respect your property rights.

100 yards isn't a lot of distance, especially at night, in New Mexico.

Hang a bunch of tin cans on a post and use the trip wire to rattle them.

Geese?

Or, maybe a sign like ↓

Claymore

Oh...no explosives

Ohhhh...you're no fun anymore!

I will take a dozen, ha, just kidding. Chances are if I had them I would be the first victim.

I have heard about devices that use high frequency audio tones. If the frequency is high enough then the teens and the dogs can hear it but not adults. I suppose it could be triggered by passive i.r. detector or some other method. This system has been used ,or so I hear, in some areas to prevent teens gathering. Myself I think teens gathering is normal but I understand its your property and you want people away.

Not gathering, just checking out whats there. And its not unusual for children to be sent to scout for adults. Sad but true. I think I will go with the trail camera, used to see what game is using trails. And I will be checking more often. I think if I catch a few people on the wrong side of the fence a few choice words will discourage them. Thanks for all the ideas.