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This is a pic of our favorite, most productive stand ever in 25 years of hunting this property. We will no longer be able to hunt it anymore, there is a sad story that I will be writing aboutvery soon and hope to have published in some mags by next year. Lots of memories of the hunts, farming, sleigh riding, four wheeling, and just of a way of life.

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sorry to her that goodluck finding a new and site

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Is this the farm ya'll have been killing all those big boys at?

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We have had the same thing happen this year. It is sad to see them go, just seem irreplacable.

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pretty much. We have not farmed it in over 5 yrs. really, we just watched it grow up with weeds and trees.

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Sorry to hear that. Good Luck finding a new spot.

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That's always tough losing a spot, no matter how you lose it. It's happened to every spot I've ever had and will continue to happen as access to good land is harder and harder to come by and I also can't afford my own.:(

All you guys with your ownwoods or a family farm or deep pockets, consider yourselves lucky and count your blessings.

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I'll never forget what it was like to walk away from the land I hunted in OK. You spend a lot of time out there, know it like the back of your hand, take your meat from there, you developa strong connection.

I can't imagine what it would be like for a farmer who grew up on a farm, worked it most of his life, and has to walk away. It must be just heartbreaking. He can't blame his kids for not wanting to farm, but still, that connection must run very deep for some.

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Whats in the picture that im not seeing?

I hope i dont sount too dumb for asking that.

Ryan.

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LOL Ryan, dead center of the picture is a loc on stand.

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You know. I think its my Monitor.... very simply because when people post pictures of deer on trail cameras i cant see almost any of them its too dark... I do see a lock on now Just couldnt make out for sure what it was. Hehe. And i couldnt even spell sound right so i guess i did sount dumb

Ryan.

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haha I love when everyone posts it up like wow look at that monster!! im like i see a set of eyes!!! YES! hahahaha

Ryan.

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Guys Iappriciate the sympathy. It was more than just a spot to hunt, it was our life. I can't begin to tell you how many bails of straw we bailed, how many rows of beans we planted, or how many bushels of wheat we took from this land. How many deer were killed? I don't know. A lot. There are now paved roads and 800,000$ homes dotting the landscape where we hunted and harvested deer and crops alike. Just yesterday we drove through the new development and saw two huge rubsin someone's back yard, man, they just don't know. I have memories but it is painful to jog them. Our last day to hunt the last 300 ac. parcell will be Dec. 31. It's a sawmp along the river bottom, it was donated to a bird watching society.

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I can sympathsize with you. Probably my favorite area in the river bottom has been taken over by a paper company and heavily posted. Though I have their address and phone number they will not reply to letters or return my phone calls.

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It is so hard to leave a place that you have been on for 32 years. This is just all really hitting me now that it is Dec. SUCKS!!!!!!!!

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sorry to hear, but I am confused too. Do you own this land? If you don't, are they clearcutting it to jam some more $800k houses in or did they take away your permission to hunt?

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No we never owned it, we only farmed it. It's just now in its final phases of development. We had to watch it slowly develop and lose it by the acre. We have not farmed it as a whole since 1995. The farm was sold to the county in 2004. They bought it for 13 mil$$$ all but about 600 acers. 300 swamp, the other 300dry land. The dry land is being developed for houses along the river.

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That is sad. I've lost a lot of my best spots to developement.

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I used to hunt a place that was spectacular untilthey built Condos and then later a Grocery store on it! I know it must be painful to lose a spot like that!!!

Good luck finding a new honey hole!

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I have joined a club with 5,000 acrs and plenty of deer and many big bucks but it is not the same. Im forutnate to have the new stuff,but it ain't home.

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Breaks my heart to hear these stories....happens too often these days.

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I feel ya. I have lost alot of good properties due to developments.

Other day I was surfing the aerial on net. About every statewide cross the country the woods are getting smaller and smaller and whats left is national forest. Real scary.

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The stand is over exposed and too open anyway.[8D] We've all lost hunting spots... well most of us have. It comes with the territory. Don't get all in a pity party about it. Go out and find a new better spot.

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I feel your pain. My family "lost" a good hunting spot as well. Not to developement or anything, but to over-hunting and that someone "spilled the beans". Used to be able to go back in there and hunt, and rarely see another sole. Now there are camps all around it, and 4-wheeler trails cut right thru the middle of it (in an area that 4-wheelers aren't supposed to go). Hunting public land is like that though, it is hard to keep a good spot quiet.

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I've lost a few places over the years myself, and one really good one. But it is what it is. That is why I bought my own a while back. It aint a ton,but at least I don't have to worry about not being able to hunt it next year (God willing).

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Used to have 200 acres to hunt, lost half of it to an outfitter that came in and took over. Dad's best stand was on that side of the property line.

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when my father died, my mom sold his property in the pocono mnts of pennsylvania all 850 acres of it, and if not bad enough she sold a bait and tackle shop that was to be mine and my brothers along with my dad pride and joy........his offshore charter business along with a 1995 55' viking charter boat. so i know your pain, my brother and i havent seen or talked to her in 8yrs two days after my dads funural she sold the property....good luck you will find new ground

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davidmil, that stand is a bow stand and usually has lots of cover in the early fall.Trust me, that stand was the best. I don't think you read into my post well enough. This is not a spot that I lost. It was our farm. No we did not own it, we farmed it, leased it,we made a life here. We raised a family here. I can't just say, "oh well, it's just a spot" and move on. I watched my father put his head in his hands and shed tears for the first timein my life because he had to sell the house and walk away from his dream because he lost everything including his wife. Hunting is only a part of this tragedy, the true tragedy is the lifestyle that is now gone.

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Unfortunately, Vabowman, being on the eastern seaboard we are more prone to this kind of thing as the whole coast becomes one large 'burb. I've lost several hunting spots to development in the Tidewater area and just lost 400+ acres in Isle of Wight county because the owner was getting on in age and his daughter didn't want anything to do with it. Seems like I always loose the spot right after I get a good pattern figured out. [:@] Your case has extra implications to it and I empathise with you.

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Feel for you man!! I hope everything works out for all those involved.

Dan

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Thanks mean...

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The property I hunt has been owned by the family for about 25 years. I know every holler, tree, rock, den, thicket, everything and where it is. This land has realy became apart of me and thinking about losing it is unbearable. I hope that it stays in the family for many generations. We are slowly turning it into prime wildlife habitat by letting the fields grow up in trees and making food plots. I love this farm. I can Imagine how you feel.

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VAbowman.

I feel your pain. My 9 year old son asked me the other day"why do they have to keep building so many houses?There must be a lot of old empty ones."

I killed a 184" and a 159" in back to back years from a tree that now sits 15 yards from someones deck. It was not my land and I still hunt the area but every year since then I see less and less mature deer. The writing is on the wall - it's just a matter of time before it is gone.

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Thanks talondale. yeh, we live in the most populated area it seems. More ands more houses going up and businesses everywhere.

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Mazur1, I understand. There is a Food Lion and abank, and an eatery sitting in one of our former bean feilds as I write this... There is a Sheetz and a Walgreens across from it on what used to be nice little cattle farm. Behind the Food lion, a huge golf course community took a pretty 1000 acr. Dairy farm and then Our farm went.. sad thing is, it has all just about been done by one guy, this guy used to hunt with me and is from this town...

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How much is this land going for?

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River lots are going for 200,000$ for .35 acers, other lots are 100,000$ for about .25 acers. the county bought what the developer didn't, which is about 900 acers for 13 million$

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Not to hard to hard to understand. The county made out like bandits. I know someone that turned down 30 mil for 220 acres.

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Time to go west young man.