Four years ago i met a 93 year old man who owned 50 acres not far from my house. We agreed that if i helped him with some work during the spring and summer months that i could hunt his property during the fall and winter months. The old man always seemed to have an attitude with me but i took it for what it was and just did the work he asked me to do. For the most part the work always seemed a little extreme for what i was getting back in return but i did it anyways because i some weird way i felt bad for the old man and i knew that he needed my help. At his request this spring and summer i built a stone outdoor fire pit, cleared four acres of honey suckle by hand, built a custom hand crafted sign that i put about 50 hours into (i'm a commercial artist and would have charged around $2,000.00 for it), i clear cut about an acre with my bare hands and a weedeater. Finally i was starting to reap the rewards of my hard work this summer, when all of a sudden i was surprised to see a chemical tanker pull up into the woods about 50 yards from where i was hunting tonight. I yelled at them and they told me that the land owner had contracted them out for the next three weeks to walk and spray every square inch of the property, which is all 90% bedding area. What really pissed me off is that i talked to the old man last night and told him that i was taking the day off today in order to pull an all day sit in my stand. He knew that these guy's were starting their work today but for whatever reason didn't tell me. So i climbed out of my tree and called him up and he starts yelling at me telling me to let them do their damn jobs and not to interfere with them, lol. I tried to calm him down and explain that i was not going to interfere or anything like that, i just wanted an explanation because i busted my butt all summer long in order to hunt and now this entire property is going to be trampled and sprayed.
I'm not sure what to do at this point. Do you think that the rest of the season is shot? At what point would you just walk away and surrender your hunting rights? Should i take the sign back? Urggg... i'm so pissed off.
Want to add a few other things. I asked him on the phone tonight if he new about this all summer long and he said "of course i did" and that "____ happens, deal with it". I really busted my butt for this guy and he waits until the three week period of when the Ohio rutt usually starts.
Well obviously I dont know all the details, but I can say if I were you and this were to happen to me I would hunt it this year, then call it quits. You should be alright even though it has been sprayed, remember rut brings "wild-eyes" to the bucks, although I would use some kind of drag rag to help you along.
The ol' feller was morally wrong in what he has done, but it IS his property so theres not much you can do about it but sit and get chapped azz.
G/L and take this as a lessoned learned because really thats all you can do.
what an *******..sounds like he been plannin it all along, or maybe he is gonna plot it fer ya!!!
after the guys leave the deer will be bak....don swet the small things..at least ur huntin...maybe the $40 smell good to the deer stuff aint such a bad idea now
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If i had other land i would move next season. But it might be worth it. Clearing it may give you some new spots or places for a plot. Sucks more so since your on my team ERRRRRRRRr
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Si vis pacem, para bellum.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure." - Thomas Jefferson
Team 17: Kickers and Stickers
If being an artist is your profession, i'd send him a bill for the sign, quit hunting there, and consider it a breech of contract. You held up your end of the bargain, he didnt.
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Dear, Mr. Trophy Hunter - I just shot the buck you passed up.
Proud member of the Quality Deer Mis-Management Association
What are your options 4 hunting it in the future?At 94 hes no spring chicken does he have childern that will cont. to let you hunt there?Guess you need to ask yourself if your willing to go the extra mile for a hunting spot.Heard a story of a guy that built a shed for hunting rights only to get the boot on a 400 acre from a extended family members of the landowner who didnt want him there.
Finally had enough!
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