Devastated...
 

Need to vent, I'm so sick right now. Placed a call to the owner of one of my hunting spots yesterday to touch base with him. Usually see him once or twice a season, but this year didn't see him at all and wanted to make sure everything was okay. He just left me a message telling me that the people who bought the property adjacent and to the rear of him told him that they caught a couple of people hunting their property and they said that he gave them permission to be there. He also said that he didn't think it would be a good idea to hunt there anymore. I'm completely crushed right now. Its one of my go to spots. I've been hunting it since '96. I've also been hunting a real good buck in there for the last 2 years. I just left him another message explaining that it wasnt me who had the run in, and that I've never even seen another hunter where I hunt. I also kind of know the people that own the adjacent piece and I told him this hoping he'd reconsider.
I have at least 4 new spots lined up, none guaranteed, that would take this ones place, but it would be like losing a old friend if I couldn't go there anymore. This is what I get for trying to do the right thing. If I didn't call him, I could've kept hunting at least until he came to me. AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

RE: Devastated...
 

Tough break!

RE: Devastated...
 

That sucks man. Good luck getting it back.

RE: Devastated...
 

If you are on good terms with the other people, I am sure, with their help, explain to the owner that you are not at fault. Try to explain it to him that you can help police he land and keep people that should not be there from being there. Good luck, I hope you are able to work it out.

RE: Devastated...
 

The other owners are hunters, and unfortunately I think they may b e concocting stories to influence my guy into not letting me hunt anymore. I hunt this property a lot, and have never ever seen anyone enter the woods from my side. Thus leading me to believe the story is made up. Hopefully I can work it out with him since the area where I park and hunt is on the other side of where the new owners are. I'm still pissed though.

RE: Devastated...
 

Sorry to here that. Hopefuuly you can get back.

RE: Devastated...
 

that sucks good luck

RE: Devastated...
 

Bummer man, i hope you get things straightened out.

RE: Devastated...
 

Another example of how bad it sucks to be a non-land owning hunter. That is the most frustrating part of hunting to me. If you don't own good land or are in good-graces with those who do.....hunting is tough. Public last, for the most part, sucks. At least in my area where there isn't much public land and what public land we do have is over-hunted.

RE: Devastated...
 

It's amazing how low people can sink to eliminate competion in the woods. 10 years ago, I got permission to hunt a 400 acre farm. Hunted it forfor several years, and shot some decent bucks every year. The only other people that hunted it in bow season was an old man and his son. The old man hadthe place to himself for about 25 years, and from what I heard, was not happy I was given permission. And the fact that I was much more successful that him and hisson didn't helpt matters. The son worked with a good friend of mine, but didn't know that he knew me. He was always whining about me hunting out there. After I had been hunting the farm for 4 years, the son began to tell my friend how him and his dad startedfeeding the farmer these made-up stories about how I was bringing other people on the farm to hunt, that I had stolen one of the son's treestands, that I was trespassing on adjacent properties, and just all kinds of stuff like that. He told my friend that they were going to get me kicked off the property one way or another. Well,it worked.The farmer's sonsaw me at a bar one night andsaid his dad (the farmer) told him to tell me there would be no morehuntingallowed on the farm, but I know for a fact that the old man and his son still hunt it. I never even bothered totell the farmer what I knew was going on. I figuredI'd be better off getting out clean before they pulled something that could get me in legal trouble. It's embarassing that people like that exist in our sport.

RE: Devastated...
 

tough break

RE: Devastated...
 

Yeah, its al about greed. I just hope it works out. Thanks for all the support though, I'm pretty bummed about it. My wife was a big help with, "so, now you're gonna be pissed all the way to next season?" Forget I mentioned it honey.

RE: Devastated...
 

dude that really sucks. Let things blow over and stay in good with him it could change!

RE: Devastated...
 

When someone does me wrong like that ,I get mad but most of the time it turns out to be a blessing in the long run. Let's hope that you kill your best buck next year and that will drive them nuts.Good luck.


[/align]

RE: Devastated...
 

Man that ssucks.

RE: Devastated...
 

Man that sounds like good old Westchester, NY. I hunted there in the 90s and stuff like that was the norm. I lost good spots because the neighbors made trouble for the land owners all the time. Great hunting because it's bow only there, but the people wanna make me puke til this day. Then they cry when their shrubs are getting destroyed as fast as their vehicles.

I hope you find a new spot.

RE: Devastated...
 

i have been through that before.....it sucks

RE: Devastated...
 

Once or twice a year contact witha land owner is NOT nearly enough. If you'd made a conserted effort to stay in touch(face to face) and just shot the breeze a little you would still be in. Now you have to prove you're a good guy and maybe you'll get back in. I suspect they're lining up to hunt the place themselves. If the neighbors are new they probably don't have a track record with the guy either. I wouldn't be leaving messages... I'd go knock on his door no matter how many times I had to do it to catch him at home. Simply ask him, who was it that traspassed? I'm sure they didn't give you my name. Offer to post the place and patrol it to keep out undesireables.If you get in your next stop is with the new neighbors to assure them it's not you. Make friends ... not waves. The last thing a landowner wants is to get in the middle of a squabble. Heck, maybe go see the new neighbors first to see who it was. If they don't have a name or answer.... your answer is they're making it up. Don't cause a stink but go see the landowner and go through the good will bit. If you get in go back and talk to the neighbors and tell them you're in and you'll watch for trepassers for them.

RE: Devastated...
 

MOST landowners yes.....but some (I know a couple)are not like that

RE: Devastated...
 

Never met one that a visit outside of the hunting season 4 or 5 times a year didn't help and was appreciated. You can always gets some cow poop on your shoes saying hello and helping herd a loose cow or something.

RE: Devastated...
 

Your right David a phone call,come on, you liked hunting his land but didn't talk to him ,close friends? yea your outta there.

RE: Devastated...
 

In a regular rural area, this approach would work and I'd agree with you 100%. Where I live and hunt, the people dont even want to know you're there. It's kind of like "dont ask dont tell" mentality. Very PC, the people hate the deer in private, but pressed in public and they'll denounce hunting 'till their dying day. This particular piece of property is a big rental property for the owner. 7 or 8 rental cottages on about 10 acres, but surrounded by 50+ acres of un-developed land. The owner doesn't live there and I'm not great friends with him, just an acqaintance who gave me permission to hunt it 12 years ago. Never had a run in or a problem with anyone there, or other hunters because there arent any. The new people who bought the adjoining 50+ acres are well known developers and hunters in the county. They purchased the property 3 years ago and have not started building yet. My own personal thoughts on the situation are that they are feeding my guy false info so as to limit the competition for themselves. They are not the most ethical of hunters from what I have heard(gun shots in a bow only county during deer season = unethical in my world). I will do my best to smooth things over, take full responsibility for dealing with owners of next door property(of which I know a couple), offering whatever I have to offer as far as bribery, and whatever else might help situation.

RE: Devastated...
 

For more insight on westchester county hunting politics ask LKNchoppers. He'll back me up on policy and sop. Its like nothing you guys have had to deal with. I wish it was as easy as doing some yard work or making a phone call, or dropping off a fruit basket once or twice a year. You guys got it easy as far as I'm concerned. No offense.

RE: Devastated...
 

Sucks to hear, and it an ALL to common occurence. I've lost 3 different properties in the last 4 yrs, while during that time I've picked up 2.

RE: Devastated...
 

OHbow, I'm more pissed about the circumstances surrounding the whole debacle rather than the actual losing of the property. You know the deal. I, like yourself, have 4 properties lined up for next year, but still, doing the right thing is rally the bottom line. If I'm doing it, so should everyone else.

RE: Devastated...
 

Sorry to hear that, I am pretty sure I will be loosing the family farm in the next couple of years so I am right with you.