Duramax05

Some of you may remember last bow season when another guy got permission to hunt the 60 acres that I've had sole permission to bowhunt the past 3 years. There have been guys that gun hunt it and now they don't hunt there anymore so I was asked if I wanted to gun hunt also. So over the past three years I've had this place to my self. Now last year this guy gets permission and sets a stand up 10 yards from one of mine and then tells me that he didnt see it but we will have to work out who hunts when. I didnt stand for that and asked him to move it. Now 60 acres isnt a small plot of land but its not huge. I have two stand sites that are about 150 yards apart and I dont hunt any other place on the property. This guy now has four stands up, and in a round about kind of way is cutting me off. This is besides the point at the moment. I called him up yesturday to see if he would be out turkey hunting on thursday, May 1st and to let him know where I would be set up. He copped an attiutde with me and told me that he would have to call the land owner about this. The only way I can see this going is bad. I have a terrible feeling that the land owner is going to get fed up with this and not let anyone hunt. Not sure how you guys go about this but when I am the "new" guy to the area I have always hunted the spots that were left unhunted. Its just a little respect thing. How do you guys take this and what would you do?

James Vee

You got to try to work it out between the two of you. Hopefully your relationship with the landowner is strong enough to keep you on the property. Otherwise, if you go to the landowner and start bitching it's very likely that you'll both be gone.

JoeRE

Unfortunately, good things never last forever. Its not your land so there is not much you can do about it, you are right. I have quit places for similar reasons. Sounds like the guy is a jerk, but unfortunately you may have to shop for more land. Better having fun hunting in a spot by yourself than not enjoying it where you are at right now.


I agree, I have never hung a stand within 250 yards of anyone else's. Even if it was conidered OK, I would not simply because I do not like hunting near anyone else. Last year, several people of questionable reputation (I know first hand one got busted for poaching a couple years ago) got permission to hunt one of the places I hunt. I had three stands on the place, and thier stands apeared within 70 yards of two of mine. This year, if they are still on the land, I wont be.

racewayking

I have been through this too many times. We lost a spot behind my house back in 2003 because too many people were bitching about sharing 200 acres, I think the major issue was that a 196" typical was taken in the area and a few of us saw one that was bigger in 2002 and everyone wanted to shoot it at any cost. The price was we all got kicked off and nobody hunts it anymore.
I have another spot that has neighbors poaching, I also have a few hunters that are cops hunting it and I told the land owner I was cool with them using my stands (8 on 50 acres). That area I rarely hunt and only go on weekday mornings.
My honey hole is a 5 acre parcel with another 15 next to it that we can hunt. That area has a guy and his son that have hunted it for eight years, me for five years, another father and son for 3 years and another guy for the last two years. I hunt this property hard and take bucks every year, we have had a few ups and downs and the propery is small but a little property is better than none.
My best advice is to see if the guy will go out to lunch and request the landowner to go or see if the three of you can get a 12 pack and shoot the bull. Advise him of your concerns and try to develop an understanding of communication so you can both hunt and not be on top of each other. Offer to share stands and work together, convince him that two people working together will be more productive than two fighting. Not only have I saved my current honey hole but I have also gotten a patio for the house done much cheaper through a fellow hunter, get my driveway sealed for free and have gained permission at to hunt with them on other pieces they hunt! Good luck and try to work with them

Duramax05

Yeh its tough. I got permission to hunt when I was working for my father at this guys place. Things have been great for the last 3 years and now this. It gets frustrating. I just want to go hunt and not be bothered. Part of me is to the point of pulling up stakes and looking for new ground, but thats not right. I hate playing the " I was here first" card but it feels like this guy is trying to kick me out of my hunting spot. I have no problem with him hunting other sections of the property but right now he has 3 tree stands within 60 yards of mine. Is it a good spot? yes. It gets very frustrating.

SouthDakotaHunter

Your probably best off to try and work it out with the other guy and keep the landowner out of it, otherwise he may just get fed up with the ‘drama’ and not let anyone hunt.

One thing that would worry me is that when I read your story, it sounds like the other guy doesn’t ‘get it’, when it comes to how to share property and such…

I’ve shared private property over the years with numerous other hunters and almost all of them were really easy to work with. In fact how to ‘do things’ was just unspoken. We knew how to be courteous and stay out of each others hair. It sounds like this hunter doesn’t either doesn’t know how to act or just doesn’t care.

With any luck maybe he won’t hunt much? Maybe you can sit down with this guy and help him with picking out some other stand locations elsewhere on the property (cause just getting defensive/aggressive will probably cause him to do the same)… Try and explain to him why you want to be spread out…

magicman54494

I don't have all the details. Is it possible to work out some kind of exclusive deal with the landowner? Maybe trade some labor or pay a lease fee? I wouldn't get the landowner involved in your fights. You may have to push back against the other guy. It might ruin a few of your hunts but you might win in the end. A few suggestions: start coughing on stand. Come in to your stand at prime time when you know the other guy has been sitting there for a few hours. These things might seem dirty but lets face it, the other guy doesn't seem to care about your hunt or the fact that you were there first. Your in a war of attrition.
Just make sure you don't do anything to the other guy or his gear. He will tire of it and go away.

whitetailbowhunter

Send him off to some other location on the property and tell him you saw some nice bucks in there.

davidmil

Go to the owner and ask if you can lease it. Give him $200-300 and throw everyone out. 2 guys can't hunt turkeys separately on 60 acres. Deer maybe, but it's still confining. If you guys can't work this out by yourselves the owner will quickly tire of problems and throw you both out.

NEW61375

Good posts Raceway &SouthDakota. Meet with him, say "Hey I think we may have started out on the wrong foot". Introduce yourselves, maybe(?) theres a way to work something out or maybe even work together, you know, try to be good sportsmen about it. The landowner gave you permission and unfortunately another person got permission as welland that kind of makes it "close quarters". BUt instead of bickeringor arguingaround the landowner and making it problem he has to deal with maybe you guys could agree and talk to the landowner togetherabout limiting access to othersin the future because of the size.

I know that may not work and the other guy seems like he might be a little trigger happy as far asbeing defensivebut it couldbe worth trying. If the other guy is too much of a prick and you guys or the landowner don't work it out you might want to line up more land to avoid the hassle which will probaly lead to less than ideal hunting conditions in that area anyway.


Or you could just challenge him to a cage match, winner take all.