Losing Access

[Uncle Lou]

One door closes and another opens. The spot I lost last year (13 yr spot) is probably the best thing that happened to me for this year. It was making me lazy and it was way overhunted (just thought I would give a reason after saying it was a good thing).

[exojam]

It just seems worse with this one since it was “family” that lost him the area. If I had family like that we would probably not be on speaking terms (I guess he is better than me though).

[dan]

It just seems worse with this one since it was “family” that lost him the area. If I had family like that we would probably not be on speaking terms (I guess he is better than me though).

Guess I don't understand that logic... If they had a crop farm and one of the recitatives liked liked motorcycles should they give up a couple fields that produce $5000 a year to allow him to have a place to drive his bike? What if another relative rides horses? Should they give up there whole income? Guess I don't understand why you would not be on speaking terms with them using the property to gain money... In most cases thats what farm land is for.

[exojam]

It just seems worse with this one since it was “family” that lost him the area. If I had family like that we would probably not be on speaking terms (I guess he is better than me though).

Guess I don't understand that logic... If they had a crop farm and one of the recitatives liked liked motorcycles should they give up a couple fields that produce $5000 a year to allow him to have a place to drive his bike? What if another relative rides horses? Should they give up there whole income? Guess I don't understand why you would not be on speaking terms with them using the property to gain money... In most cases thats what farm land is for.

This guy’s family let him hunt on the property, regardless of what else they are doing on the property.

Now he cannot hunt on the property because a non-family member paid for the “rights” to hunt there, again regardless of what else they are doing on the property.

So the family will keep doing the same thing on the property as before except now there is a hunter who paid to be there instead of a family member.

I personally would not be too happy if my family did that to me. Hopefully that all makes more sense.

edit: And maybe I should clarify, that I am talking direct family, not second or third cousins. If that was the case I would not say anything.

[dan]

I understand what your saying, but most farms are doing whatever they can with the land to make money... If it were my farm, and the farm was my livelihood, I would farm the crops that made the most money, I would lease the hunting if I did not hunt, and would lease the hunting regardless of me hunting if I could not get by... I would make the most money I could off of the farm to get by... Sorry if that offends anyone, but its just hunting. Its a hobby. Farming is a job, it pays the bills.

If the farmer hunts and could lease the land for $2000. He has to ask himself if his hunting is worth $2000. If not he can go down to the public and hunt and make $2000 for his family.

[GRUD]

Properties come and go and you just have to deal with it. I lost many to development or getting sold. I currently have no viable private ground to hunt anywhere close to home. That being said, I dont have any public very close either but I still have confidence i can get on good deer. Having good private ground close to home is very convienent but I wont pay $5000 for a lease.

As far as family leasing ground, times are tough and guys pay a lot just to hunt. If your family had a rental property you wouldnt live there for free.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Dewey]

Losing access on private is not much different than having an awesome spot on public and come back the next season to a major clear cut. Had that happen to me way too many times in the northwoods and it really hurts after spending years to get the area figured out.

[May-39]

I swear the quickest way to lose access is let ANYONE know a good buck is on or even worse, harvested from a parcel...I feel terrible not being straight with property owners but short of a winning lottery ticket, nothing brings out long lost family or the worst in people like a big deer...

[Bucky]

That is why when a landowner says he "wants nothing" for access you best give them "something". Because when someone new shows up and offers something and you have given nothing but a verbal thank you for 3yrs u are likely gone! Every year... give an xmas card with hand writen note and at least a $30 gift of some sort, if you are paying for access pay up in March/April when most people are not even thinking deer season as opposed to August/Sept when everyone is...

As much as I want to show landowners kills and trailcam pics I try not 2. I like to park in an area if possible that they don't even know I'm there.... no trash, no ruts in access drive, no setting off motions lights around the house, no gates left open,I even try and hang my sets so they are difficult for anyone to spot. These little things all add up... but in order to do it consistently you have to plan and sometimes get up earlier in the morning!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Knute78]

It's a long story but he is still on speaking terms with them. He doesn't have the funding to spend on a lease regardless of cost but realizes that money is hard to pass up. He just wishes it wasn't a month from season. He will be scrambling to set up for local hunting. I already got him a spot because of all he has done for me in the past. The real sad part is that he has hunted there his whole life, it was like home. He doesn't feel too bad though, he also hunts Kansas and North Dakota every year and has shot many large bucks. He is getting married and now has a full time job so he is goring to focus on his trip hunts instead of monitoring this land as he usually had done.

We will just have to shoot a nice one on ND archery opener this year. Cameras are up an waiting for our arrival. The 4000 acres we stumbled upon this off season should hurt our chances.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Crazinamatese]

That is why when a landowner says he "wants nothing" for access you best give them "something". Because when someone new shows up and offers something and you have given nothing but a verbal thank you for 3yrs u are likely gone! Every year... give an xmas card with hand writen note and at least a $30 gift of some sort, if you are paying for access pay up in March/April when most people are not even thinking deer season as opposed to August/Sept when everyone is...

As much as I want to show landowners kills and trailcam pics I try not 2. I like to park in an area if possible that they don't even know I'm there.... no trash, no ruts in access drive, no setting off motions lights around the house, no gates left open,I even try and hang my sets so they are difficult for anyone to spot. These little things all add up... but in order to do it consistently you have to plan and sometimes get up earlier in the morning!

[ Post made via Android ]

If I offer gifts or help and the landowner says "aboslutely not", im not going to jam him and do it anyways. That could be an annoyance that I wouldn't want to inflict and jeopardize a mutual agreement in the future. I usually ask if they could use help or some meat, if they say no, I would leave it at that.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Bucky]

Craz - I'm not saying jam it in their face lol. Just a card and small gift at a non hunting time of year saying thank you again!


You do what u feel is right... I'm just speaking from my experience. The guy that hunts for free is usually the first to go when a new offer is on the table...

[ Post made via Android ]

[Southern Man]

I understand what your saying, but most farms are doing whatever they can with the land to make money... If it were my farm, and the farm was my livelihood, I would farm the crops that made the most money, I would lease the hunting if I did not hunt, and would lease the hunting regardless of me hunting if I could not get by... I would make the most money I could off of the farm to get by... Sorry if that offends anyone, but its just hunting. Its a hobby. Farming is a job, it pays the bills.

If the farmer hunts and could lease the land for $2000. He has to ask himself if his hunting is worth $2000. If not he can go down to the public and hunt and make $2000 for his family.

I agree.

Fact is, if you don't own it, you're at the mercy of the land owner, family or not.

I do not have a problem with leasing in general, not the way it happens here, mostly personal agreements, no leasing agents. But leasing sometimes can make a hunter lazy. Losing a property to hunt sometimes makes you work harder and will in time make you a better hunter. I lost a farm last year (to the girl scouts ) and it has forced me to do things I probably wouldn't have done if I hadn't lost it. Meaning more time spent on public land. I hated to lose it, it was a good farm but I have learned more this past winter than I have in a long time. As some said, hunting land comes and goes, adapt and overcome, don't dwell on the negative.

[tim]

i own land and i hunt land open to public(public). i hunt land that i work for (help hay in the summer and trim logging roads when asked) i do what i have to for permission and sometimes its just respecting the land because they dont want anything. i send christmas cards to some and some i havent seen for years cause they are more private so i park out on the road and slip in and out unseen. each case is different. i have lost spots and i move on(its not personal) its life i guess