Finally had enough!
 

Four years ago i met a 93 year old man who owned 50 acres not far from my house. We agreed that if i helped him with some work during the spring and summer months that i could hunt his property during the fall and winter months. The old man always seemed to have an attitude with me but i took it for what it was and just did the work he asked me to do. For the most part the work always seemed a little extreme for what i was getting back in return but i did it anyways because i some weird way i felt bad for the old man and i knew that he needed my help. At his request this spring and summer i built a stone outdoor fire pit, cleared four acres of honey suckle by hand, built a custom hand crafted sign that i put about 50 hours into (i'm a commercial artist and would have charged around $2,000.00 for it), i clear cut about an acre with my bare hands and a weedeater. Finally i was starting to reap the rewards of my hard work this summer, when all of a sudden i was surprised to see a chemical tanker pull up into the woods about 50 yards from where i was hunting tonight. I yelled at them and they told me that the land owner had contracted them out for the next three weeks to walk and spray every square inch of the property, which is all 90% bedding area. What really pissed me off is that i talked to the old man last night and told him that i was taking the day off today in order to pull an all day sit in my stand. He knew that these guy's were starting their work today but for whatever reason didn't tell me. So i climbed out of my tree and called him up and he starts yelling at me telling me to let them do their damn jobs and not to interfere with them, lol. I tried to calm him down and explain that i was not going to interfere or anything like that, i just wanted an explanation because i busted my butt all summer long in order to hunt and now this entire property is going to be trampled and sprayed.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. Do you think that the rest of the season is shot? At what point would you just walk away and surrender your hunting rights? Should i take the sign back? Urggg... i'm so pissed off.

Want to add a few other things. I asked him on the phone tonight if he new about this all summer long and he said "of course i did" and that "____ happens, deal with it". I really busted my butt for this guy and he waits until the three week period of when the Ohio rutt usually starts.

Well obviously I dont know all the details, but I can say if I were you and this were to happen to me I would hunt it this year, then call it quits. You should be alright even though it has been sprayed, remember rut brings "wild-eyes" to the bucks, although I would use some kind of drag rag to help you along.

The ol' feller was morally wrong in what he has done, but it IS his property so theres not much you can do about it but sit and get chapped azz.

G/L and take this as a lessoned learned because really thats all you can do.

what an *******..sounds like he been plannin it all along, or maybe he is gonna plot it fer ya!!!

after the guys leave the deer will be bak....don swet the small things..at least ur huntin...maybe the $40 smell good to the deer stuff aint such a bad idea now

If you have other choices, I'd move on. Sounds like a pain in the ass.

If i had other land i would move next season. But it might be worth it. Clearing it may give you some new spots or places for a plot. Sucks more so since your on my team ERRRRRRRRr

If being an artist is your profession, i'd send him a bill for the sign, quit hunting there, and consider it a breech of contract. You held up your end of the bargain, he didnt.

pricks like that will get whats coming to them.. and in his case.. sounds like it'll be soon.. sorry buddy.. it sucks..

What are your options 4 hunting it in the future?At 94 hes no spring chicken does he have childern that will cont. to let you hunt there?Guess you need to ask yourself if your willing to go the extra mile for a hunting spot.Heard a story of a guy that built a shed for hunting rights only to get the boot on a 400 acre from a extended family members of the landowner who didnt want him there.

Sounds like me that there are reasons the old man has no one to help him do stuff around the farm. Did that ever dawn on you?

An old man like that, set in his ways... If he's not a hunter, there is a good chance he didn't even think about the impact this could have - I've had relatives do stuff like that and later tell me they felt bad and didn't even think about it.... Personally, I wouldn't worry about it - let them finish up and then hunt it. I have several places that get a lot of disturbance like that and I still hunt them and see some deer. Yeah, I wonder what some of those places would be without all the bullcrap but what you gonna do...

While it's tempting to send him an itemized bill for everything you did and tell him **happens when he asks what's the deal... Your probably better off taking the high road on this and not making a bigger deal about it...

In this instance I would make a big deal about it. It doesn't sound to me that once the chemicals are sprayed and all the underbrush dies it would be worth hunting at all.

Figure out what the going rate for every little bit of your hard work is worth and then file a law suit that includes all of your work, court costs and attorney fees. I am not one for filing suits for every little thing but a verbal contract is a legal binding contract. You followed through on your part and he obviously did not follow through on his end.

Sounds like you could easily file for a few thousand dollars at least and if what you say is a true account of events a deserved amount.

People like this old man have never had any one stand up to them and put them in their place. Sounds to me that he needs to be brought down a few notches.

The best thing you can do is go get all your stands, leave his property and never talk to the old man again.

Unethical folks
 

Similar happened to me last year, First year paid my money was a ethical hunter killed a deer went home left stands up for next year. Next summer made deal over the phone sent check[3 hour drive away and it was well scouted from year befor]. Went to hunt and she had ran other hunters in on me . I had an exclusive deal. Had daughter with me. Small place too many hunters around, safety was an issue. Complained, took deer stands down, and went home to my other spot and we had a great hunt. She called next year wanted to know if I wanted it again this time exclusive for sure this time. Told her I don't think so. She was unable to lease it this time. She Called again and dropped price. Again told her, No thanks she was not a person that could be trusted. It Upset her that I thought she was dishonest and said she really needed the money was why she ran the other hunters in. [ admitted she did it but was not dishonest???] Told her I already had a place to hunt and would not be back. Moral is what go's around comes around. Your old guy is a crook , Tell him what you think and walk away or he will just continue S---w you. Sounds a lot like an Obamination guy to me.
Wayles

The old man is actually a retired attorney who is constantly threatening to sue the neighbors and he also calls the police every time he hears a neighbor having a bonfire party or if someone stacks something along the fence line and it is crossing the line by a couple of inches. I have had many conversations with the neighbors and they all are waiting for him to kill over soon, lol. The good thing is that he lives downtown Cincinnati, which is about 40 minutes from the property, so getting my stands shouldn't be an issue. Up until this year he was able to drive, but since the dementia, his wife took his car keys from him. I actually was nice enough to drive to his house and take him out to the property 5-6 times this year, that's about a 3 hour commute each time. I told him over the phone that i was gonna take that sign down and he said "you can't do that, you gave it to me". I would feel much better if i burnt the thing than allowing him to use it. haha

I was able to make some phone calls this evening and i lined up two other property's to hunt. Maybe this was for the better.

I would tell him I gave you the sign, not my labor... The bill is in the mail...

I'd probably hunt it this season and then take my $2000 sign back and say screw ya man. However he is old and wont be around much longer so who knows maybe your in his will, haha. The guy is an idiot for pullin that and just to put him in his place I'd take that sign back. WCL

Take it back!! Then tell him to sue me and prove that I gave it to you then send him the bill if he wants it back, lol. Tell him two can play this game. Good you found some more land to hunt. Now go get that sign, haha. Boy will be hot then!! WCL

You gave him the sign just like he gave you the rights to hunt. He knew all along that he was sending people into the woods during the hunting season in effect ending your hunting. Take the sign and don't look back.

Im not sure but maybe there is a reason he had everything sprayed. Its kind of one of the situations I think you might be overreacting to. Everything has its price. Sounds to me you worked real hard to please the old man and maybe hes returning the favor in some strange way. Maybe hes going to leave you the land and would just like to see it looking real nice before he passes away. Maybe he knows he doesnt have much time left, maybe hes leaving the property to you in his will...There has to be a reason for it.. have actually asked him what the reason was behind having the property sprayed? I dotn think id cut all ties quite yet with the oldman. Maybe sit down with him face to face and have a talk about the entire situation. Tell him how you feel but be gentle about it. He is old and may keal over from a heartattack if you **** him off too much...but seriously have a good talk face to face with him. I feel something good is to come out of all of it.

Dang man that sucks I would be pissed if I could help you I would, fellow Cincinnatian.

I think your dreaming, but it's a good one. Love to here it turned out that way. :)

First, for those that have mentioned sending this guy a bill or filing a lawsuite, it will not fly. You and the old man made a verbal contract, your labor for hunting rights. He is not telling you that you cannot hunt, he is just doing some stuff on HIS property that may have a negative impact on the hunting. It will never fly in court.

Second, as for the sign, IMHO, it really does not matter much. If you think it will make you feel better to take it back or burn, go for it. Myself, I don't think I would even mess with it.

Third, should you hunt there this year? If it is your only option, you bet your ass you should hunt there. However, I would not lift a finger to help this old man out again. Hunt your stands, take your deer and find some new ground for next year. You mentioned that you already have some new ground lined up, so I would think it would be best just to move on and chalk this one up as a loss. I do not believe you can win this battle, so why spend the time.

I know how bad this must suck, sorry to hear about it.

Sorry to hear about your situation and hope it works out.
I'm fortunate in that I have a land owner that does not take advantage of my free labor. He has two farms that I have nearly exclusive rights to and in return I help out cutting trees, clearing brush and recently picking grapes in his wine vineyard because they were a few hands down on a heavy picking day. I actually went to the farm to hunt that day and stopped in to say hello when I saw them in the fields. They told me they were in a pinch so I skipped hunting and picked grapes for a couple of hours. No doubt in my mind that that gesture when a very long way...and we had a good time and some laughs to boot.
My wife sometimes thinks he asks a lot of me, but when I explain to her how much it would cost me to lease this land, she understands.

Wow, tough situation. From a legal perspective, nothing you can do. From a moral, make-yourself-feel-better perspective, burn the sign on the post it sits.

Perhaps that's a bit extreme...

I would take my sign back and tell him to **** off.

Sometimes it's best to wait and see what happens. You hunt it this year, next year, you'll have some good areas probably to plant small "No-plow" food plots, just enough to keep em in the area, and there's reasons for everything. If you've always tried to do the right thing, I wouldn't try to end it on a sour note. He may have done it to benefit you and him.

He did not do it to benefit me in any way. He is obsessed with stopping the invasive honeysuckle species. He could have had it sprayed this spring or summer, but chose to wait til now for whatever reason. As far as him leaving the property to me lol, not gonna happen. I actually asked him what his plans were for the property when he passes. He said that he is leaving it to his son, and that his son has mentioned selling it right away. His son is a city boy attorney who is not into the outdoors at all.

i fell asleep thinkin about your situation last nite...and i thought of having you hunt this year and when the season was over to have some guys go get the sign and tell the ol' man not to interfere with what they are doin!!!!!!!!!!!gl

All that I can say is that this better be a seriously prime piece of hunting ground for $2000+ of work.... Forget that property tell that old guy where he can shove that sign and move on just forget him and forget that property.

Ryan.

It DOES suck....but this guy is obviously just angry at life. You are obviously a compassionate person to take him out to his property 5-6 times. You mentioned he has dementia and is obsessed with getting rid of the honeysuckle. Just keep that in mind. He is one-track focused and it has nothing to do with you. You are doing a good thing...it sucks that he is not...but by retaliating you will not gain anything other than being like him. I say hunt it anyway.

There's a reason he had all the property cleared off, probably for his son so he can sell it to developers. Sorry to say it, but I think you just helped his son increase his profits.

Really sucks but shoot a big buck on there for the team first then take your sign back and bolt!

Just what kind of a sign was this and what did it say? Do you have a picture of it?

No Rick i didn't take any photos. The sign involved quite a bit of carving/chisel work, and a lot of detail painting. The sign sits about 8 feet tall and is 3.5 feet wide.

I have to admit I got a chuckle out of that. Old fart farmers live forever man.

Without reading farther, I agree as you were used however, depends on what kind of contract you had but you can always try. :eek2:

I would try to negotiate with the guy to put off the spraying until after deer season. If he doesn't want to work with you on that you may just want to hunt it a few times to see whats going on later in the season. Pull your sign on your last hunt and move on.

I COMPLETELY agree!!!!!!!!!