Im leaving a hunting spot.

[bladegrinder]

You should have asked the owner to set a meeting where everyone can discuss any issues. just placing a stand to close to yours wouldn't have made me pack my bags, it could have been a young kid that didn't see yours or an old guy with bad sight who knows. but finding free private property to hunt on is rare as hens teeth.
I had a friend who's family owned 40 acres, gave me the key and said go anytime, killed lots of deer, then it sold....at the same time another friend bought 20 acres, again...gave me a key and said anytime, killed a few deer and countless wild hogs....then he sold.
after that I told my wife I'm never hunting public property again and started looking to buy, ended up buying 30 acres 300 miles away in the Florida panhandle. that was 19 years ago. first it was sleeping in the back of the truck, then a camper, then a deep well, then electric run in.
three years ago I put a house and knife shop on it, retired and now I live here.

I'm surrounded by farms that lease but haven't had any real problems. but around me you either pay to lease or your a relative of the owner.
Like I said, it's impossible to find private property to hunt on for free, there's NO WAY I would of given up that place without trying to work something out.

 

[sheriff john]

Used to have neighboring landowner whose deerstands were within a few feet of our property line. His hunters were dirtbags thieves, & dope fiends. Mine were an FBI agent, Warden, Narc, Conservation Agent, and other Deputies. Those stands disappeared after he came visiting and I introduced my friends.

Simple fact. Landowners decide who's allowed. That's how it works.

 

[rusticbob]

Good luck buddy! I live in South Eastern Vermont, tight to the NY border. Almost every woodlot and cropfield here is POSTED, it has forced me to hunt public land and marginal, steep, rocky,properties.
Don’t give up, I shot a nice buck and a doe this year. I am not a stand hunter, after one hour on stand I get the itch to keep moving, but at age 70, I hunt a lot slower.
I recently found a huge marsh, surrounded by a cedar swamp, I plan to take my Jon boat out there this spring and check it out for deer hunting.
If you keep looking, you should find a better place, don’t quit!

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

It's getting harder and harder to find quality habitat to hunt. I'm fortunate in that I belong to a club in the Adirondacks, and very few members hunt the muzzleloader season.

Virginia is a different story. State Wildlife Management Areas are the only option for me. As many know, you have to put in the work to be successful hunting deer on these properties. It can be frustrating with the number of idiots who show up. Being retired, I can hunt the weekdays where there is less pressure and avoid the weekend warrior crowds.

The weekdays are not without the clueless, however. The most annoying are those who wait until sunrise to march through the woods with LED lights still blazing. Or the idiot who thought that dousing himself with Pine Sol would be an effective cover scent. You can probably still smell it on one of the trails.

 

[Rawhide67]

hi rawhide, n.y.s. has tons of deer. the dacks are the exception as far as numbers per square mile. i hunted the no.zone [ tupper lake area] for many years took one doe. a actually have seen more bear taken than deer there. i live in suffolk co. long island our estimated deer population is 25,000 - 35,000 deer.more than a lot of states have. nys population est. 1.2 million!!! the few adk. deer i have seen taken were monsters. head south if you can, stay away from the n.y.c. hunter HOT SPOTS and there are plenty of deer and plenty of safe places to hunt.

I’ve hunted the Adirondacks for years and took a few bruisers, also hunt the Adirondack foothills near my house, about the same deer density. Used to hunt Delaware county, lots of deer, but lots of NYC/NJ hunters too. Lots access to that property years ago.

It's hard to get permission in the southern zone near me, where others don't already have permission. I know what a shotgun slug sounds like ticking through the branches over my head, so I don't care to have many people around when I'm hunting.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Are there no "crop damage" allowances and exceptions available there that would make it possible for more deer to be taken byvthe smaller group of original people?

Here, with crop damage permits, season dates and bag limits pretty much go out the window for the property the crop damage permit covers.

Yes, there are depredation permits the land owner could apply for then give out to certain hunters. However I don't think he's aware of or would take the time to investigate, and at this point I don't care.

To those who say his land, his rules. You're absolutely right. And just like in a restaurant or store that had its own rules, you'd choose to either abide by them, or if you disagreed with them, you'd not patronize the place. I don't see why my leaving this guy's place is any different. I have other places to hunt. His was but one area.

To those who say, why not ask the owner to have a meeting with all parties. I tried that. His answer was that " he doesn't have time, work it out amongst yourselves". Where do you go with that?

I made my choice. Yours may have been different. I'm not going to get all worked up. Nothing lasts forever. I've had some good times there, however it's time to move on and make memories someplace else.

 

[stikshooter]

The only way to have control is to buy your own. You can lease and still have issues with idiot owners.

Maybe but part of that equation is (owner) and they were smart/lucky to own the land ,kinda gives them the edge over hunters who lease/rent or whatevet !/Ed

 

[Togo]

We have a 6 person group that has leased the same 460 acre section from a farmer for 24 years. Originally it was based on how much the taxes are for the acres but we have been paying the same $3500 since the beginning. Like most farmers they want all of the deer killed, we try and average 18-19 deer a season. This land consists of an asparagus section, an apple orchard and a 60 acre section of cherry trees. The farmer subleases the rest to another farmer that plants corn. We also have a couple swamps and woods. He also leaves us a porta jon to use. We have full control of posting no trespassing signs. It's been a great chunk of land for us. We also rent a house for the 2 weeks of rifle season that is literally 2 minutes from the edge of the property.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Lifetime permission on 75 acers of prime mountain land, used to have the whole farm until the owner died and her children decided to sell the farm. The one sibling wanted the mountain, and it was given to him, He then signed over the deed to his nephew with the understanding the hunting rites would not change, and the mountain would not be sold or logged, I am the only one to hunt it since my dad passed away, gives up a nice buck or two every year. a bit rough to get into but a whitetail haven. The adjoining farm to the left allows no hunting as well as the farm bordering its rear. It is a rare thing to hear more than two or three shots during the deer seasons and they are way off.

 

[oldwood]

Up at camp, here in Pa. , we hunt State forest land. Huge acreage , and even with that , there are a few jerks in the woods. This one was remarkable. We named him "BlueJean Man". It was a cold day in the last quarter of November , and not a day for wearing thin blue jeans. First day I noticed him , was on the first day of deer season , 15 yrs. ago. I randomly picked a good deer run , and climbed up in a tall oak tree , about 35' up from the ground. Back in those days , I could still use a stand called a ,Tree Lounge. Extremely safe stand,with one , sort of , flaw. It was so safe and comfortable , it was easy to fall asleep. Just as light began to show , here comes BlueJean Man, (guy dressed in a Light jacket , and blue jean pants). He stomped up to the base of the tree I was in ,and just sat down in the leaves. It was still early , and I figured , maybe he just didn't see me perched way above him. The wind was about 25 mph , gusting to maybe 30 mph. , so I spent a half an hour studying the wind flex dynamics of the white oak i was in. Daylight came, and BJMan , was still below me. He was fidgeting around down there , so thought I'd take a nap while he was on watch , didn't want to spoil his hunt. Bout' the time I got comfy , here comes two pickup trucks full of drivers , and let off a bunch of watchers , that spread out along the access road behind BJMan. I could see the whole situation from the height where I sat. BJMan was in a low spot , and couldn't see , but could hear , what was going. He seemed to go into a sort of "high gear fidget" , jumping up to try to see the deer drive's watchers behind him. I could hear the drive start , hootin' , and hollerin' , for ten minutes , then the watcher near us , shot. The bang was loud. BJMan was up and running toward the shot. The deer drive watcher , that shot , had a small buck down , that I could see from up where I was. 'Bout 15 min.s later , BJMan came back to his stand below me. Short time later ,my Son shot , about 250 yds. down the top of the ridge. BJMan again, took off running toward the shot. My son had killed a fat doe from his high stand , and it had taken a jump , or so , into some thick laurel , and was out of sight , when BJMan arrived on the scene, he ask my son , Did ya Shoot? Son said " NO ", Thinking it wasn't any of BJMan's business. While BJMan was off interrogating my Son , I vacated the oak tree, and dropped my stand back at the truck , then went to my Son , and we prepped his kill for transport. Asked my Son if he had seen the BJMan , and he said he headed back the way he had come at a fast lope. We had one deer , and had a truly strange day in the woods. Will never know , what was up w/"BJMan.".................oldwood

 

[Brokennock]

We have a 6 person group that has leased the same 460 acre section from a farmer for 24 years. Originally it was based on how much the taxes are for the acres but we have been paying the same $3500 since the beginning. Like most farmers they want all of the deer killed, we try and average 18-19 deer a season. This land consists of an asparagus section, an apple orchard and a 60 acre section of cherry trees. The farmer subleases the rest to another farmer that plants corn. We also have a couple swamps and woods. He also leaves us a porta jon to use. We have full control of posting no trespassing signs. It's been a great chunk of land for us. We also rent a house for the 2 weeks of rifle season that is literally 2 minutes from the edge of the property.

Sounds excellent,,,, especially the deal including the porta-jon, lol.
I have a chronic bowel issue that picks inconvenient times to flair up so such things are especially appreciated

 

[Brokennock]

Lifetime permission on 75 acers of prime mountain land, used to have the whole farm until the owner died and her children decided to sell the farm. The one sibling wanted the mountain, and it was given to him, He then signed over the deed to his nephew with the understanding the hunting rites would not change, and the mountain would not be sold or logged, I am the only one to hunt it since my dad passed away, gives up a nice buck or two every year. a bit rough to get into but a whitetail haven. The adjoining farm to the left allows no hunting as well as the farm bordering its rear. It is a rare thing to hear more than two or three shots during the deer seasons and they are way off.

Idyllic. If there are a few streams I'd be tempted to never leave.