well i got a spot i hunt and brought 2 of my buddys there as they didnt have any spots close to home well these are seasoned guys both shooting over 100 deer in their lifetimes there both right around 40 so plenty left to do and they are hard hunters well i found this spot and dont get to hunt it much but its my honey hole i alwasy see deer just with school and football i dont get much time to hunt it so i showed them for a hutn one day and now theyve shot my big 8pnter a 4pnter and 3 does out of it all in 2 weeks i paterened these deer picked trees hung stands did everything and i havent been able to shoot one yet i dunno should i just shrug it off or tell them to back off also im the only one supposed to hunt it unless i bring people in i dunno what to do they have healped my alot but when they shoot eveyrthing they have a tag for outa my honeyhole it kinda sucks when im still gunning for my first deer



matt

Periods are your friend buddy, but i can understand your frustration. Sounds like they are taking advantage of your offer to the greatest extent and overstaying their welcome. Make your wishes known and they will understand where your coming from. Right now it seems like they are using you.

Thats why I dont even tell my best "friends" where I hunt. Because when it all comes down to crunch time, alot of people will steal the exact spot you showed them. Unless they are extremely close friends or family, your best bet is to not show people where you hunt, because you can count on them taking advantage of your hard work scouting. Anyone can sit in a tree stand, its the true hunters that can find a good spot for a tree stand through hours of leg work and pre season scouting.

You just learned a valuable lesson. This is why i never tell people where i hunt...because they'll go there. Plain and simple the majority of people will either be back there themselves or tell someone else about it.

just wondering you guys opinions should i let it be or ask them to back off alil bit?


matt

You can learn alot about a "buddy" when you tell him/let him hunt your spots.

I've hosted 4 different HNI members in my woods.....and 3 of them have scored deer, here. I couldn't be happier for them.....or for their accomplishment(s).

That being said.....it's YOUR spot (I'm assuming it's private lands). Invites are at YOUR discretion. If you don't want them taking anything else, there....decline future invitations. No harm in that.

If it's public land...I have to question: 1. Your midset and 2. What you thought "could" happen.

If I don't want someone hunting with me (for any reason)....they won't receive an invitation. If I invite someone, though....I FULLY expect them to take a deer. I'd be somewhat disappointed if they didn't.

You should have set the ground rules when you let them hunt there.

Lay down the law now! I have a buddy that has been stationed near my family ranch and he asked if maybe he could meet me there next year to hunt,it's a posibilty but he asked right after that about his father-in-law also.If I decide to take him I will pass on hunting myself and semi-guide him and monitor deer herd to make sure no bad judgement calls by novice.I have only had one friend hunt with me up there and I trust him to hunt alone,but when you have land and season rolls around you have to be very selective about how and who hunts.I do look forward to a return hunt with who went with me this year.