[DwayneR]

This was a rant in response to a Gents question. The rant was not against the Gent, but just a opinion why hunting grounds are smaller, and why I let no-one hunt my land what is your take? :

I think (just guessing here), the problem lies not in the accuracy of the hunters out there, but the moral responsibility to stay within the laws. No trespassing. No shooting turkeys and deer without permits. No chasing with vehicles. No tearing up land that is not theirs. No asking friends to hunt when its wrong to do so. And to get permissioni EVERY year from land owner.

I no longer have *any* faith in *any* of the hunters out there. and THAT is @#$#@ sad to say. I get fed up, @#[email protected] off, and tired of jackasses that ruin my land by running 4WD, ATV's and shooting up guns all over the place. They hunt without my permission, they go on without my permission, and I have wardens and sheriffs out all the time. I can't catch the suckers. Thus, i turn down every hunter now... for the past 5 years. What is sad?? one of the very hunters I turned down, I caught 2 years later. Yeah... I ticketed him and one of his buddies.

Personally... you really want to solve hunting problems and landowner problems???? TURN IN EVERYONE that can't show permission on the land you are hunting. If it is your best friend... TURN HIM IN!!... No friend of mine breaks laws... If he does wrong to others, he will do wrong to you.

This @#$# stops with the hunters.... it stops with the ethical and law abiding hunters. It will NOT stop with hunters that do not take action to protect the very grounds they hunt.

My rant is over <g>. Maybe others will read this... Maybe they will agree... maybe not...that is fine. But I have to pay taxes on 1000 acres of land... they don't. Shouldn't I be able to walk out to my own land and hunt a deer without seeing tracks all over the place, missing tree stands, gut piles, and ran over crops?

 

[HCAman]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shouldn't I be able to walk out to my own land and hunt a deer without seeing tracks all over the place, missing tree stands, gut piles, and ran over crops?

Yes I totally agree.. I don't own any hunting land. I wish I had the money, But I don't. I have two places to hunt around my area. Both of them are small places, but they are places to hunt. I guarantee the owners that I will leave nothing behind but a gut pile if that is acceptable to them. I ask permission every year. I never rut up the land, If it is too muddy I drag it. I attempt to respect every aspect of the owners wishes. However, I have been turned down by so many landowners because of idiots out there that ruin it for everyone else.

I don't know how many times I have heard "I used to let people hunt but too many people were.........."

 

[irishbowman]

Here, Here!!

I second the motion!! In south central PA and central MD, where deer populations are out of control, and where hunting is needed, landowners are pissed off!! They will not let anyone near there land. I am strictly a bowhunter and have been doing so for 15 years. My father, who is in his late 60's, introduced me to it and would KICK MY ***** if he found out I hunted illegally and unethically. Ethics and tradtion are what hunting is all about! It is why we take our children hunting, to show them not only the outdoors, but respect responsibitly and tradition. I do not own 1000 acres so my hunting is limited to where owners will ALLOW me the privledge to hunt. I would also like to see more people punished more severly for breaking game laws.

I am sorry to hear about your problems with idiots trespassing on your land and I hope you catch them. If it were me I would not allow anyone to hunt there either. And unfortunately I have seperated myself from a few people who I considered friends over the years for just this reason, they were so desperate to kill a P&Y buck that they were willing to break the law.

Good Luck, and fellow hunters, one last point. If we do not police ourselves it just gives ammunition to all the Animal Rights and Community Groups to remove our precious rights in the outdoors.

 

[Stroud Creek]

I totally agree, 100%

 

[Footsteps]

Possible solution

The township next to mine has a great way of dealing with private landowners and getting permission. They require anyone hunting in the township to carry a card (that changes color each year) that must have the signature of the landowner you have permission to hunt on. When the police see a hunter they automatically ask to see the card. If they do not have it with them or have the signature of the landowner on it they get a ticket regardless of the landowner "reporting" them or not. No questions asked. This seems to work real well and believe it or not, getting permission is not hard to get as the landowners have to meet everyone and since they carry the card and know they can be asked for it at any time they hunters tend to behave for the most part.

 

[Jacko]

You bet! I've had this problem on my property too! It gets better! They stopped and ask, I told them no because of hunting and they did it anyhow! One of the young guys dad is a cop! Gets better! A landowner who has ingress and egress rights to my lane to his property keeps telling all his pals he owns the lane and go ahead. But watch out for Jack because he can be a #%$! Lawyers sent him papers stating that I own it! His property doesn't even touch mine. Anyhow, I agree 100%.

 

[KSNimrod]

Sadly enough, what you say is true. It's becoming difficult to find a good spot to hunt that hasn't been closed off because of jerks.

 

[Firsttimer]

Ah yes we have the same problem here in Canada to. it only takes on rotten apple to spoil the whole thing for all those that respect the landowners property.

 

[DwayneR]

Hello folks,

I am not accusing or saying anyone on this forum hunts unethically. But what I am tryin to say, is that policing the land, turning people in with no questions asked, and respecting the land can do a lot of good. If you turn someone in, one of two things happen...

1. They have permission, and they will provide that permission to the proper authorities.

2. They do not have permission... and guess what.


Unfortunately I live 120 miles from my land. My land is out in the boondocks of Kansas, and the BIGGEST town is 6 miles away with a population of about 500 people. When I am not there, they know it... and trash it.
I have found just one person who I have let hunt my land... He is the only one, and I have known him for years. He calls in the warden on everyone that he finds. (to my knowledge, because I have caught a few because of him). He always pulls 150 to 180 class bucks out of the land every year. Unfortunately, until I see my land clean from these jerks, I will not let anyone else hunt the land. This could be the same reasoning with other land owners... I don't know. I can only speak for myself.
I am a bowhunter. Traditional style. during the end of the year I use a compound for longer shots.
I would like to lease out the land, but the main fear is always there...those leasers may bring in more trash than what it is worth. I have caught folks all the way from Texas tresspassing on my land.
I realize this is a rant. But I want you all to know, I think we all can make a difference. but it takes all of us... not just one or two. (I am not saying no one on this forum doesn't help out). I am only saying if everyone in this forum tells someone else who doesn't read this, or are not aware of these kinds of problems, things can change.

Dwayne

 

[DwayneR]

Hello Jacko,

Yes Jacko... I have had this many times....

Difference is, I have caught them just as they pulled up to the land... (because I happen to be hunting the same morning). They ho hum around and leave.

I actually had a out of towner hunting on my land, and he said HE OWNED IT!! (This was before I started turning everyone in, and now I am fed up). This @#$# actually tried to covince me that he owned MY land. If I was not the owner, I probably would have believed him <g>.

This has happened more than once. I once found a stand on my land (brand new wooden one). I put my business card on the stand where he HAD to see it... I never heard a word out of him... I went to the stand the next week and saw that it was removed. It took me a while, but I almost caught the guy once... but he took off towards the back as he saw me coming.

Someone has to know about these guys... And those someones should call them in. Unfortunately the senario... Dogs lie with Dogs is probably the problem. (unethical folks will hang around with unethical folks).

Dwayne

 

[rcher]

The few spoiling it for the many!

 

[Jacko]

I know what you're saying. I like it when they tell me they got permission from the owner. I even have folks tell me I don't own it and blah,blah,blah. Fine, you pay my taxes. I feel your pain! I've been going for walks everyday trying to catch 2 clowns! The cops help but it's hard. I've actually thought about selling my property and moving away! Maybe Kansas . My lawyers told me, and you try to explain this to people, I can get sued by a trespasser if they get hurt! They would hope that a judge would throw it out but he said you know how that goes. I bought this land so I had a place to hunt and it has become a bigger pain! But I smile when I'm hanging in a tree!!

 

[azone5]

I agree with you completely. Landowners can't be there all the time so it is up to the responsible hunters to police the area when we are there.

One of my best friends has let me hunt his farm for over 30 years. About 10 years ago another very close friend of mine was looking for a place to hunt and I asked the farmer if he had space for him and he said sure. I took the new hunter to the farm and showed him around so he could find an area for a stand. However, I told him the farmer really cared for his trees and not to put up a permanent stand until the farmer was with us. Guess what happened? The next day he went down by himself and built a stand. When I found out I called the farmer and told him I would take care of the problem. (He didn't know the stand was up.) I told my other friend to take the stand down immediately and that he could not hunt there. The farmer was grateful to me for taking care of the problem myself without getting him involved.

I am no longer friends with the other guy...

 

[DwayneR]

Hello Jacko,

J>>But I smile when I'm hanging in a tree!!<<

THAT doesn't sound like fun.... Maybe sitting in a tree, Sitting on a stand, or standing on one or the other...

 

[drawforce]

you need to give someone permission to hunt your land with the condition that they take care of tresspassers.the first 3 years i had my friends property to hunt i couldnt hunt because of the steady stream of tresspassers.we prosecuted everyone we caught,and word got around that you stay off this property or it will cost you.when he didnt let anyone hunt is when the tresspassers took over.

 

[TheHairlessone!]

dwayne,
i feel for you. I live in Great Bend and I see the same kind of crap going on all around me. I HATE people like that and I will turn them in in a heartbeat.

I wish I owned some land. Hopefully some day I will but I know that when I do I will have to police it constantly and I am willing to do that.

A few tend to ruin everything for the rest.

rick

 

[upnorth]

i just purchased some land and its about 35 miles from my house. i have the same problem but i think its the locals. i sell paintball supplies and im trying to figure how i can set a paintball calymore out and paint them with permanent red paint so i can tell who they are but it wouldnt be fair to the deer. i would like to see them complain on how they entered posted land and got painted.

 

[Darrel]

I agree totally. A few years ago I was doing some rabbit hunting with a friend and he ask a land owner for permission to hunt and was told NO!
The guy I was hunting with had known this land owner for along time and had hunted there many times. The problem was the last people he let hunt brought wire cutters and cut his fences to let their dogs through the fences.

I sold my land this year, but I totally understand why land owners turn dowm hunters. It's just sad when a few hunters mess things up for everyone. Again, I don't blame the land owners for telling everyone no. You just don't know who you can trust. When you let one or two people hunt other hunters think it must be public hunting grounds.

This trend with land owners not allowiing hunting will be very hard to change. It's easier for a land owner to say no to everyone, that way no one gets mad because you let " Bob" hunt. I know for me it was, it's wasn't worth the risk and the headaches to let hunters in.

Hunters need to police their own, then, maybe, land owners will se that hunters are concerned about their sport (my sport) and reconsider their no hunting policy.

Ok, I feel better now,

Darrel

 

[Darrel]

HEY, that was my 100th post.

 

[Daniel Boone]

One Word

Liability