Private Land Predicament

[Rich M]

We used to hunt a farm and the neighbor started hunting there. Couple years later, we were denied permission. Seems neighbor "leased it". Hard to compete with someone who lives next door and talks with him almost daily.

If you can't lease it, don't cause a stir. Stop advertising where to hunt and leaving cams where they can be seen.

Oh, kill that buck before neighbor does.

 

[Gearqueer]

I agree with the advice so far. I’ve been in a similar circumstance and I had to check my sense of entitlement.

If you don’t compensate the landowner then you are a guest. Guests who complain generally don’t stay guests very long.

If you do compensate the landowner then it must not have been agreed upon that you would have exclusive rights.

Your only option is to get along with your new hunting partner. If he is a cock then I suggest you walk away from hunting that spot. Life’s too short to have drama like that when you are recreating.

God works in mysterious ways. This may be meant to be.


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[longspeak74]

I don't feel a sense of entitlement and I don't even mind that another is hunting the property. I have other stands on the farm to hunt and there's enough space.
My problem is how the neighbor is approaching the situation and placing his set up. Just need to out-hunt him, simple as that.

 

[*zap*]

Whitetail deer drama, that's why I just hunt on public land. I have no interest in drama at all.

 

[Boarmaster]

Your a guest. I would look for some other property where I could get an exclusive agreement to hunt it. I wouldnt rock the boat and lose my permission. The neighbor might be thinking the same thing about you. The other guy might be a guy who hunts a few times at the start of the season and then packs it In. Then you got the place to yourself. If I owned the land I wouldn't want any headaches from folks I gave free permission to hunt. The first headache I would cut you lose. Dissapointing as it is thats where you are.

 

[SC MCG]

I agree with the advice so far. I’ve been in a similar circumstance and I had to check my sense of entitlement.

If you don’t compensate the landowner then you are a guest. Guests who complain generally don’t stay guests very long.

If you do compensate the landowner then it must not have been agreed upon that you would have exclusive rights.

Your only option is to get along with your new hunting partner. If he is a cock then I suggest you walk away from hunting that spot. Life’s too short to have drama like that when you are recreating.

God works in mysterious ways. This may be meant to be.


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This is really the only answer - you can ask the Landowner if you can pay for sole access, but that may come off as insulting and then puts him in a tough spot with his neighbor as well - best to save that tactic for the off season conversations with the LO

 

[tntrker]

This sucks. I had a land owner give me all hunting rights to his 30 acers. I planted clover, winter wheat, and had mineral licks and feeders at different spots. He had about half and half field and wooded. He loved deer meat but not the killing part. He wouldn't ever take any "lease money" so my 1st kill always got processed and given to him. We became close friends, I'd show him pictures, my sightings, their routes, and only killed mature deer. His land started out just being a "cross over" piece of land for the deer traveling to another 200 acres of un-hunted oaks, but never stayed on his property. With all upgrading I did, they started coming to his property and sticking around. He always told me I could hunt it as long as I wanted too with noone else allowed to, even though his nephew, who "shot anything that walked" wanted to, and permission to run off trespassers, which I did a few times and posted signs everywhere.
After a few years I had multiple 8points and does with a big 10pt. It got hit by a car 1 week before season one year. So I took an 8pt and 5 pt and a doe that year. Still leaving multiple bucks and does.
The last year I was after one of those I'd let walk to get big, NICE 12pt, but never pulled it off with him so took a nice 6pt for owner and a doe for myself.
So that next fall owner tells me he's letting his nephew hunt now, so he can have a chance at a "big deer". I was heart broke but what can I do? I go in opening morning for Bow and there is a tripod stand 20yrds by my blind stand. Sitting right on a trail they use. Later I checked a hang on and there is a climber on a tree again 20yrds away on the trail used for a feeder.
I mentioned it to the owner and he said "not to worry about it hunt your places like you want too, I had 1st choice". What good was that? Guy still hunted right beside me AND the owner had shared all the pictures, routes and information with him....

So opening day of rifle I'm sitting in the blind and shots start ringing out all around me, like public land. I couldn't quit thinking how fk'ed up it was and thinking they "got the big one" the whole day...end of the day I stop by the owners place and asked him what was up. He said his nephew had 2 sons hunting with him and the nephew had invited a friend with his 3 sons that morning. I told him that wasn't right and he knew it wasn't right. He told me again "he wanted them to have a chance at a big deer". I finally just said "It's your land so whatever you want to do with your land and your word is up to you." He didn't like that and I told him I'd be back later to get my stuff off his property. Got it all off the next Saturday while they were all hunting, took a doe never been back. Still heart breaking......

 

[Newtosavage]

If you're not paying the landowner, you don't have a "lease," you have "permission." Very, Very different things.

If you are paying the landowner (money or work) then you should have a lease contract that spells out what you get out of the deal. If you don't have a contract, again, you don't have a lease, you have permission.

I have had to talk to the landowner on my lease a few times about their grandson and friends and girlfriends riding around the property and even getting in one of my blinds to "hog hunt." She took care of the problem straight away, because I have a lease that I pay for.

However, if all you have is permission, then I would just move on and not even mention anything to the landowner. As someone said above, when elderly folks like that own land, the last thing they want are more problems to deal with.

It sounds to me like someone is trying to push you out of that spot. It is infuriating that people can be such low class jerks, but out of respect for the landowner, I'd either not say anything (and just move my setup) or tell the landowner you won't be hunting there anymore, and why, and let them decide what to do.

Either way, make things as easy for the landowner as you can out of respect for the generosity they have shown you to this point.

 

[Billy Goat]

I'm fortunate but I'll only hunt places that I own or lease for whitetail. I don't mess with permission with multiple people.


I do go hunt public, I know what is happening there and I'm ok with it. Seems around here anyways the guys that used to piss you off on public have moved to private, on public it's not bad as long as you get away from the road.

 

[Newtosavage]

I'm fortunate but I'll only hunt places that I own or lease for whitetail. I don't mess with permission with multiple people.


I do go hunt public, I know what is happening there and I'm ok with it. Seems around here anyways the guys that used to piss you off on public have moved to private, on public it's not bad as long as you get away from the road.

I agree. I'll take public land over private where the landowner has given multiple people permission, every day and twice on Sundays.

I'm moving back to just hunting public, even though it's heavily pressured and an hour away. I am able to relax and enjoy myself on public land. Can't say the same for the private lease properties, because I'm always looking over my shoulder wondering if the cattle guy is going to come cruising through, or if the cows are going to surround me, or bust me going into my stand, or if the grandkids are going to go for a joy ride, or if the neighbor is going to fire up the chainsaw or target practice 10 min. before sunset or their kids are going to ride the fencelines in their ranger... It's always something.

Even on heavily pressured public land, I can usually get away from folks and when I leave at the end of the day, I don't have to think about it until the next time I go hunt. That's worth quite a bit to me.

 

[LostArra]

The most important fine print on a hunting lease is the conditions of family, neighbors or friends also hunting the property.

 

[longspeak74]

It essentially comes down to I have other stands to hunt on the property, so I'll be using those and working around the "neighbor". It's a large property and this guy is only hunting a very small section because he has easy access from his land. After the seasons (bow and rifle) have wrapped up, I'll drop off my yearly Xmas gift and bridge the lease conversation at that time. Lose the battle to win the war...

 

[FLS]

It essentially comes down to I have other stands to hunt on the property, so I'll be using those and working around the "neighbor". It's a large property and this guy is only hunting a very small section because he has easy access from his land. After the seasons (bow and rifle) have wrapped up, I'll drop off my yearly Xmas gift and bridge the lease conversation at that time. Lose the battle to win the war...

Smart move.