I am not a huge fan of tresspassers, in fact, it is one of the largest banes of my existances. Every year we have a few people knock on the door saying "I shot this doe or this buck and it ran into your land over there and could we go in and get it". Always have said yes.. But I have my doubts now about a few people. It is the classic way for people to ask to drive deer of the property when they know they wouldn't get permission to hunt the ground..The deer aren't mine but the dishonesty really gets to me. Not to mention the liability issues. Guys, are you going to sue the land owner if you slip in to his field to grab that animal and than step in a hole and break an ankle? Believe it or not, it happens. Or the guy who walked through a fence with out permission and cut himself bad with a barb? It happens. The lawsuit may never get very far but it costs the landowner money and time.

This year, the answer will be "Show me where it is and I will get it for you." Not my decision entirely as the the father in law passed the decree down to me just yesterday but after seeing people "tracking" a deer with no blood while walking down ditches towards where others were waiting with loaded guns I really can't blame the decision.

What this really boils down to is that many, many people are truely being honest and honarable about what they are doing. But all it takes are a couple of real bad apples and it can spoil it for everyone. It is a real shame. I don't know why this landowner refuses to give permission.. Maybe it is a hatred of hunting. Maybe he/she has had a bad experience with a injury on their property.. It could be a number of things. Or in some situations it could be a misunderstanding/lie. People used to think they couldn't track animals on to our ground because we said no hunting... That, was about as far from the truth as possible.