River Bottom Buck

Fellow Hunters We feel like we have been kick in the balls. We (my best friend and myself since elementary school and I am 34 now) have been hunting a small piece of land (80 acres) close to town for three years now. Last year I shot the biggest deer in Liberty and Chambers County Texas (according to a buck contest) off of this piece of property he was a 9 point that BC 146 which is big for our part of the country. The land belongs to the local land baron, which has always been a close friend of the family. He gave us permission to hunt the land as long as we took care of it. The deal was that we mow property and keep trespassers off. We offer to pay him for the use of the land but he would not accept our money. As he knew that we did not have a tractor and had to pay to have the property mowed we did this three times a year@ $200.00 each mowing. He said that they had plenty of land to hunt as they had a tract of land 4500 acres with a big hunting lodged on it .We had a gentleman’s agreement. We bought a new gate and new fence for across the front of the property and put it up($750). We also bought purple paint and painted the trees purple on the entire property lines. We tried to take care of the property like we would want our property taken care of if it was ours.
We also practiced game management on the land. We supplied mineral supplements for the wild game on the property. We planted oats and rye grass for the deer. We also feed corn year round in feeders that we put out. Last year there were only two deer taken off of the property. My hunting buddy shot a cull buck and my BC 146 deer that was it. There are not ample amounts of deer in the area. We only seen 3 does all year. So we did not kill every thing in sight like some hunter do. This year showed good promise we were seeing a lot more deer and hogs. The bucks had bigger horns than we had ever seen on the property. Our deer management was paying off.
Every thing was fine until last year when I shot the BC 146. The land baron son saw the deer as we were cleaning it at my buddy’s house. He happed to drop by that day (he had not been by for 6 months prior just our luck). We showed him the deer. He said that the deer was bigger than any thing that they were seeing on their hunting property (4500 acres). He left nothing else was said until opening weekend this year. On Sunday afternoon the land baron’s son came over to the property were we were hunting and said we could not hunt the property any more that he was going to start hunting there and that we had 3 days to get our stuff of off the property. He asked how much he owed us for the work we put into the property (mowing, feeding, fencing and other improvements we had done). He left with no explanation of why. So on Monday morning we tried to call the land baron himself that we had the gentleman’s agreement with. That is when we find out that he is at the hospital with his mother dieing she is in her 90’s. So we didn’t push the issue having been through a similar situations our self’s. I understand that this is a very trying time in his live. The last thing I wanted to hear about at that time was deer hunting.

It’s not the thought of losing the lease but under the circumstances that we lost the lease. I did not expect to hunt the property forever. People with money (lots of it)and power can be very hard to deal with. They can be very greedy at times. I feel like if they wanted to hunt the property. Just out of respect tell us at the end of deer season (last year). Don’t wait until opening weekend of season and kick us in the balls. That way we have time to find some were else to hunt.

Thank you for letting me vent,

Discussed
River Bottom Buck

model722

Thats quite a story. I think you did the right thing by not bothering the land baron. Sometimes life deals a sh$#% hand and we just have to live with it. Hope you can find another hunting spot.

Hunker Hunter

Well River Bottom Buck that really sucks. It doesn't sound like the son is as nearly as gentlemanlike as his father. Did you ask the son when he told you to get out, why, & what was his response? Have you tried to get in touch with the son since then, & ask him if you could at least hunt there this season, since you did all the work? It sounds like there would be enough room there for 2 or 3 of you, or is he really that selfish?

At the very least try to get as much money back as you can from him & don't forget to add in your time in that amount.

Let us know how it goes.

Get your kids in the woods & off the streets !!

Phlogiston

Boy, that sux. I would come up with a detailed bill, including every single thing done, including hourly labor for you and your buddy. Two reasons, you might as well get your money back for all your trouble, and it might make them think twice about taking away your access. Good Luck.

Hunting is a right, treat it like a priviledge - respect nature

1950KID

I would definitely go see the land baron in person, and ask about the deal. Be polite. He may not know what junior is up to.

River Bottom Buck

HunkerHunter you are correct about his son. He is a 38-year-old man that has never had to work a day in his life. Fortunately for him his daddy has made enough money so he doesn’t have to worry about that kind of thing. His response as to why is “I want to hunt here with my buddies and Daddy will give me anything I want”. (Sad). As far as the money it would be nice to get some of it back but, We have to be careful as we don’t want to upset his father as he is the only reasonable chance of finding some where to hunt close to home. We also figure that if we had to pay for the lease it cost us $ 750 a gun per year. It’s more about the way handled than the money.

Edited by - River Bottom Buck on 11/25/2002 13:33:31

River Bottom Buck

It’s more to me about ethics. I was raise hunting (rabbits with beagle’s, Ducks, dove, quail, turkey, hog, and deer) with my father and grandfather since I was 6 years old. I was taught the respect others and if I didn’t either one them would take to the wood shed. Hunter’s have always been different bread of people. You take six guys who don’t know each other put them in the wood hunting and they will have a great time and get along. I think society is changing people for the worst.

timbercruiser

Send the land barron's mother a nice flower arrangement and wait until he would be comfortable with discussing the hunting situation. Good chance he isn't aware of the son's idea.

kodiakhuntmaster

That was cold man. But maybe you'll get an even better area to hunt.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

coffee4

I have been thru similar things with filthy rich ------. Get what you can for your time and labor and cut your loses for the rest. you're an outsider and he's still daddys little boy, if the guy is 38, his dad must be around 60 and would probably do anything that Jr. wants. Maybe he'll step on one of those texas rattlers.