Non-res landowners
 

myself and a friend of mine are interested in buying land in Ohio to deer hunt. Mainly bow. We both are farmers in the mid atlantic and would like to buy land within a days drive. It's just too crowded here. A 130 class buck is posssible here. (I've killed two P&Y) 140 class is exceptional.Ohio keeps getting more and more recognition for its big bucks, so its our first choice. He just got back from a trip to ohio to look at land and talk to real estate agents. The agent told him that he could never keep the residents from hunting it while he wasn't there. They would respect him and his property when he was there, but when you leave it's basically public land. How do you solve this problem and is it really that bad? I wouldn't want to plunk down 200,000 - 300,000 and then have people run all over you. I can do that here for nothing. The agent said buy an acre, build a house/ cabin and hunt public land. Anyone out there with this problem?

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Yep, that's our problem in too. Our family spends a lot of time improving land (food plots, etc.) in an effort to produce better quality and more deer. The problem is that others around the area poach and trespass over our land when we're not there.
I couldn't tell you how to correct this problem. One thing I've thought about doing is trying to grow thick brush and briars on the edges of our property where people would be most likely to trespass. I don't expect this would stop illegal activity completely, but it might discourage a few poachers and at least alert deer when people come trampling through.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Hard to keep people out when you aren't there to watch it. Post it heavily with no trespassing signs is all you can do. The locals that know you live out of state will likely tromp through when you aren't looking. I have always had issues and I live here. Not so much the bowhunter but the party hunter shotgun deer crowd that seems to just run what ever they want and by the time the sheriff gets there they are gone. I would buy a farm or land that has a house on it so that you can rent it out and have your tenant keep an eye on it. That way somebody is always there and watching and you get a little return with rent $.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I've talked to alot of people about this and some ideas have popped up.
1) make sure the land has a house, rent the house, now the renter becomes the "groundskeeper".
2) rent the ag fields to a local farmer and make him the groundskeeper.
3) lease the property to an outfitter with the understanding, lets say, only two bucks allowed off the property per year. 130 inch minimum. He can hunt it when I'm not there. Maybe that would be a win- win situation. He's keeping an eye on your land and the deer, while your getting paid for him to lease it.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

Ist two options are the way to go. Scrap that outfitter idea IMO:) That may be turning the fox loose in the chicken coop.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

HIRE SOMEONE TO PATROL IT ARMED DURING HUNTIN SEASON

RE: Non-res landowners
 

HCH, yea I see your point. I was just thinking you both have the same objective, big deer. No matter what you do, the one thing it all hinges on is TRUST.

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I solved the problem. I have 100 acres,cabin, wood heat, gas cooking,bath with a path on a dead-end road.Only a few of my friends used the camp and I had lots of tresspassers. We had an oportunityto lease some paper co. land so we formed a club for funds to pay for the lease. We also invite our adjoing neighbors for our dinners and fun. It has worked out well and we don't even lock the cabin. www.lazyshuntclub.org---www.gottahunt.com

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I would say one of the best things to do is not give no warnings for tresspassers.... The signs should be their first warning....Press charges right off the bat and eventually the word will get out and help some with the problem...Make surprise visits up there occasionally if possible during the deer season and travel the roads around your property to see if any vehicles are parked there and right down their plate no. ...Then if you do encounter someone and they take off you got some kind of info on them...Not all the time but sometimes..But, I think theywilllearn the diffinition of NO Tresspass after laying down a few 100$ bills....

RE: Non-res landowners
 

I have heard stories of out of staters buying hunting land and then posting the land, telling all the locals to stay the hell out, locked gates, chains, the whole nine yards to keep people out. The land owner comes back after a few months and finds his place vandalized. Seems like a very delicate situation. Around here a tresspasser will not be convicted unless he is given a warning the first time he tresspasses. It will not hold up in court. This was told to me by a cop. You must catch the tresspasser twice in order for it to stick. Once is hard enough, twice is next to impossible.