Things that PO landowners

Rafter-S

Another thread speaks of loss of hunting privileges on a farm due to someone's selfish act. In that thread, a reply spoke of the need for landowners to have a higher regard for hunters. Unfortunately, most farmers and ranchers have had horrible experiences with hunters...to the point where they now view hunters as self-centered, mindless "city people" who don't have a clue as to how to conduct themselves when on someone else's land. Some of the things that irritate landowners causing them to not allow hunting and fishing are:-Leaving gates open (where live stock can get out)-Climbing fences (stretching and breaking the wire/pulling out staples from the posts)-Hunting close to livestock water ponds (keeping the livestock away)-Driving across cultivated fields (knocking down grass and crops where they can't be harvested)-Leaving empty shell cases on the ground (where cattle will find them, eat them, then die)-Leaving their trash in the pasture (where the landowner has to clean it up)-Shooting towards the house, barn, livestock (hopefully, no explanation is needed here)-An individual receiving permission to hunt one weekend, then he "shows up" the next weekend with 5 buddies expecting for everyone to get to hunt.-Get permission to hunt one weekend then act as if he has a long-term lease on the property (doesn't ask again the next time-just shows up, goes on in and makes himself at home)These are but a few of the things that make landowners feel they have been taken advantage of...things that cause them to "post" their land. What are some of the things you can think of to add to the list? Things that make landowners not want to allow folks on their property. I am hoping this list and thread will help someone learn better how to conduct themselves when they do get the opportunity to hunt on private land.Signed: Owner of the Rafter-S Ranch and someone who has been "screwed around" by people doing the above.

soop

My gradfather used to let all kinds of hunters on his farm. He signed up with the DNR for a hunter access program.I got shot at and stopped hunting there until we could talk him out of signing up for it again. We also had new fences stomped to the ground. Hunters would use hay bales for target practice and also to crap on.It also makes me mad when they would shoot something and leave it or don`t bother to track it when it was wounded.We were finally able to convince him that it wasn`t worth the bother,but not until he had the neighboring farmers pi$$ed of because of the trespassing problems they were having.

soop

Just another thought.We have even had a hunter who after hunting a few times would bring all his friends with him.After being told the gang wasn`t welcome the guy argued about it like it was his own place and didn`t want to take no for an answer.Don`t argue with the land owner,you won`t win.

will270win

I recieved permission to hunt one hunt in Montgomery AL on a friends land. After I caught a feller shooting one of his calves, he gave me a life-long pass. This is unusual cause he don't normally let white folk on his land because of the above mentioned problems. So now I know if there is a "whitey" on his place, I gotta call the Fish and game. He's one good ole fella and I sure hated he lost that calf. Glad I caught that idiot that shot the little booger. The lesson I learned is kinda like that golden rule thing. If'n ya think about it, things are simple, ask how you would want people to act on your land, around your family, then act just that civilized. Nuff said!

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There is no apology for self defense. will270win@aol.com ~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~

songdog

Tell me about it. Had a feller that was hunting my land a couple of years ago. Did notlike him all that much, but the hunting lease was worth quite a bit. On one occasion he left a gate down and all of my newly purchased bull calves were all over the road. ALL 500 of them. The * had the balls to come tell me they were out, I asked him to kelp me put them up sinc HE left the gate down and he had to run, could not help. And about that public hunting bs. We have this thing in Kansas caled walk in hunting. Where farmerts lease their ;and to the state for hunting rights to the general public. My property lies next to the biggest tract in all of kansas. Every deer season i spend the week and ahalf running a-holes off of the property. WHat really pisses me off is that there are signs saying boundry area every 100 yards along the property line. My property line that borders the PH is three miles from the nearest access. SO you know the average joe is not going to haul a deer out that far anyway. They cape em out and run with the heads.mmmmm pissedsongdog

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Be bold in what you stand for, careful in what you fall for.

timberbeast

Tell you what, fellas, if I can hunt on your farms, you can hunt in my wilderness. My rules for myself, if I receive permission to hunt:If the guy is busy, ask him if you can help out, in the course of asking permission and in the future. If he's hooking a wagon, don't stand and watch, grab the tongue and lift, baby! If he's shovelin' sh%$, grab the nearest shovel and pitch in.Offer to share your game with him, if he's not a mind to eat it, drop him a box of doughnuts, or a sixer of beer if you know he pops a few, or some Mountain Dew (farmers around here seem to live on that stuff!). Send him a fruit basket and a card for Christmas. If you can't find him when you go to hunt, don't hunt. Leave a note: "Timberbeast stopped by. Could not find you, hope all is well. Did not go out, will stop by next week, " etc.Listen to his stories about the farm, if he likes to talk about them. It's his pride and joy. You'll learn a lot, too.NEVER bring any guests without asking first, and never bring anyone (even with permission) who might conduct himself poorly. Ask him every time, even if he gives you "carte blanche"Treat his land BETTER than you treat your own. Never forget...you are a guest!Pick up your shells, sandwich bags, soft drink containers, even cigarette butts. The onlt thing you should leave is tracks, and only where he wants them to be. Ask where you shouldn't go if you have any doubt.Know where you are in relation to the house and outbuildings, and know where he may be. If there is even a slight doubt, don't shoot in that direction.My rules for guys who ask to hunt on my land:Don't shoot my does. They're for me, I only get one tag a year, and that fat doe that's hanging around is for MY freezer.Don't touch my sawmill. Stay away from it, it's my living.If it's getting dark and I'm splitting firewood, offer to take the axe. I probably have been in the woods all day working. It may get you a steak dinner and a few beers around the campfire.If you want to shoot target, ask me. I have a range set up where no slug can go near where I am working. You can shoot all day there if you want.If you see a porcupine, shoot it. Then burn the quills off. I have a dog.Don't shoot the Snowshoe Hare with the limp and the white fur (year-round) under his chin. Yes, he's an easy target. But he's my pal. He lives under the shack and comes out to say hello every morning.My trees are the same as your corn, wheat, soybeans, or whatever it is you're growing. Only I am allowed to cut them down or put nails into them. Carry a compass and know how to use it. I don't have time to come and lead you back to a trail. You WILL get lost without one. If you can't show me how to find your way out, you aren't going in.Hell, I don't care if you're 17 years old with pierced everything, or 86 and have lessons to teach ME. You're welcome only if you do one thing. Just be a nice guy.

badboybob

Well said Mr. Beast

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PC=BS

reb8600

20 years ago you could get on most any land. Then people started coming in from the city and had no respect for other people or their land. I have seen it a thousand times and it still happens. They build ladders for people to cross and they still cross through the fence and damage it still leave their garbage and have no respect. Luckily I can still get on a lot of land because I have and do respect it and the owner.When I find others garbage I pick it up even though it isnt mine. A little respect and courtesy can go a long ways. To bad more people dont show it.

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Guncontrol-The ability to hit what your aiming at.

Iconoclast

Yay, Beast! You sound like me. Another thing that pisses off landowners, or at least this one: snowmobiles, trail bikes & four-wheelers at 0 dark hundred!I always carry a trash bag w/ me when I'm in the woods / fields. Sometimes that sucker gets pretty heavy on the way out. On two occasions, I've had landowners ask about it & when I tell them that I figure it's the least I can do for the privilege of using the land (whether privately owned or not), it's resulted in access to some mighty choice territory. Not the reason I do it, BTW. 95% of the time no one sees that pile of trash except my family and the dump, but I take pride in knowing that I left the land in better shape than I found it.

hunter280man

Our group of hunters has permision to hunt on 3 different farmers land totaling over 1000 acres, most of which is tilled but full of woodlots and double fence rows. We turkey hunt in the spring, fish the lake during the summer, and bow hunt all october, leave it alone during november because the farmers all rifle hunt, then we get to late season muzzle load and doe hunt, next we get to varmit hunt or trap! My uncle takes care of one farmer with a bottle and whatever. I take care of the other farmer with baskets and breakfasts at the local diner whenever I find him out and about, plus help with his restoration of old cockshutt tracktors or drive a tracktor to a field if he needs help. The last farmer is the one we camp on his property nearly year round and has let us make a beutifull camp in the middle of one of the woodlots. We will get together around 15-20 men women and children and cut his year supply of firewood, split, haul, stack, in his basement. Usually only takes about 6-7 hours to finish about 20 cord or so and we keep getting asked back every year! Just like it should be.

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Though I was born to royalty, I was snatched at birth, so treat me as the noble I am!!![This message has been edited by hunter280man (edited 03-17-2002).]

gunpaq

If you want to hunt on someone else's land follow the rules of the TIMBERBEAST. The farmer would rather have you as a trusted friend and seasonal neighbor rather than a seasonal guest who shows up to enjoy the fruits of the farmer's toil of maintaining the land. When you hunt on anothers land stay on it and don't trespass on the neighbors property! Stop by in the summer to help bale hay, fix fence, or do other work to help out and show the farmer you have a vested interest. Also it wouldn't hurt to carry your own insurance for hunting as many farm insurance policies now exclude hunting guests unless a family member or employee. When you walk across a farmer's field it has the same emotional impact as someone walking through your living room - so show respect.

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Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

Rafter-S

Another big item that I accidentally omitted: ROADS. Most folks from the city don't understand how much a gravel road on a piece of private property costs--in money and work. The ranch road between my house and the county road has over $5,000 worth of gravel on it, and I have spent hundreds of hours with tractor and blade keeping it up. Then some dude comes in and spins his wheels digging holes through the gravel...and drives around curves going 30mph slinging gravel stones out in the ditches. Man! He's having a great time...but he has no clue (or doesn't give a damn) as to what he's doing. Most folks never stop to think how big a deal there is in something as simple as a gravel road.

Rob3448

My father let someone hunt on his land about 10 years ago and they shot a goat. Then they try to tell my dad that they thought is was an albino deer. nice try. Another time two guys from Pittsuburg were hunting on my dad's land and the one guy shot his buddy in the gut. I guess he thought he was a deer. My dad still talks about that, the guy's guts were blown away. the guy was using a M1 grand and i am told he was pretty close. They are over 2 hours from a hospital and i am told that the guy lived untill he made it to the hospital but he was one of the hunters killed in PA in 1992. Hi buddy got charged with a bunch of things. Just to add another comment, when dad and i put a new roof on his place last year we found 2 bullets on the roof. I was supprised that they were base down but i guess we were supprised to find them at all.

Iconoclast

Rob3448, most (all?) bullets have more mass in the base than the nose; when they come down, the only forces acting on them are gravity and air resistance.

concealedG36

Timberbeast, you're post is exactly right.We let a guy use our property to hunt coyotes last year. Then, we heard from a nearby property owner that this guy was shooting on our property all the time. We did a little looking around and discovered that he was trying to chop down a tree with a .22. He shot one of our largest pine trees about 300 times with his .22 while sitting on the bed of his pickup truck drinking beer. He didn't even pick up his shell casings, there were hundreds of them scattered all over.Needless to say, the next time we saw him we told him that he was no longer welcome and we escorted him roughly off the property.

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Gun Control Disarms Victims, NOT Criminals