Soon my father and I will be purchasing some property strictly for hunting and within a few years I would like to let some of my close friends come hunt so they can have a chance off state land. My only concern is, If one of my buddies has never gotten a buck do I allow him to take a 2 1/2 or even 1 1/2 year old deer? I guess what im saying is I want to have rules for our property, So what are some of the rules you guys imply on your own land?
When I first purchased my land I had some friends help me with work and then they got to hunt it. Big mistake. As soon as I saw one of them not following scent precautions as much as I liked or wanting to hunting a stand too many times in a row over a weekend I got annoyed and cut it off to others. We always hang our clothes outside under the porch and get dressed outside. One of my friends forgot something in the cabin and walked right in with his hunting boots on and walked right back out to go hunting. It is just stuff I don't want to deal with anymore. Just little differences in opinion that I didn't like. Maybe I am too anal for them?
Perhaps. I've done what he's done, and I consider myself quite particular about my scent routine. It's not like he filled up his truck at the gas station, ate a cheesburger in a sauna with his hunting clothes on, and then came to hunt :D The great thing is it's your land, and you get to be anal about it. It was your hard work and effort that got you that place, and if you want to be picky, be picky. To the OP, I don't own my ground, my parents do. My dad doesn't let anyone but two of his closest friends hunt it. They're serious hunters, so I don't mind (and they don't hunt much). My uncle lets anyone and everyone hunt it if they ask (he's a part owner of the ground). It's not a great situation, and I find myself not liking how they hunt (scent wise like Brad mentioned above, as well as not caring about entry/exit, their standards, etc.) However, it's not my ground. IF I had my own ground, I'm not sure I would want to establish too many rules. If it got to that point, it might be best not to really let anyone hunt it (just don't offer the invite in the first place). Either way, congratulations on the new ground!
I think you're a little too anal for them... Good luck trying to fool a deers nose by letting your clothes hang outside, scent spray, and scent lok suits. Just won't happen. Play the wind and you will be fine. I'm sure if you're friends were as serious as you, it would be a different experience! As for the OP... It's really all what you want and are expecting. If you don't want them to shoot a 1 1/2yr old buck, then you need to lay down that rule. If you do tell them that, you need to be prepared to explain to them what a 1 1/2, 2 1/2, or 3 1/2 yr old deer looks like, etc, etc. Number one rule for me: HAVE FUN and enjoy the time in the woods with friends and family.
I'll expand on Matt's post a little more. Be advised that once you open that door it is usually very very very hard to close it again without hurt feelings. I found that out first hand as well.
Besides the normal Rule #1 of "safety first", our farm has a rule, only shoot bucks with 8 points outside the ears. $100 fine/fee for anyone who violates that rule. ($100 goes into buying new stands and bush hogging costs) For first-time hunters, there is a little leeway. We also use GoogleCalendar for everyone to sign up for stands to hunt, so rule #2 is to check the calendar before you go so as not to mess up someone else's hunt. We don't really have any other rules.
A good hunting partner is almost impossible to find,for that reason I have hunted alone for awhile. Guys that can't follow a few simple rules for a free place to hunt drives me bonkers.
Hmmm? Good friendships that may last for a lifetime vs. A dead deer hanging on the wall with no one to share the experience with. Not knocking someone who may want it all to himself but I'd choose the friendship.
What was he thinking? lol! Seriously Brad???? As for me and my brother not very often do we let others hunt on our dads land. If we do let others hunt on it its during the late season and only doe's and doe fawns and big bucks are game.
I own property, I don't have a problem letting my friends fish as much as they want to. I wouldn't have an issue with letting them hunt it either, as long as the ground rules are set from the beginning. That's typically where everything goes wrong in a scenario like this, a "friend" thinking he can just go there whenever he wants and take whatever he wants. If they're avid hunters, they know "why" you're setting the rules, just make sure you actually "set" them. Be very clear about what's expected. If you've got goofball friends that can't follow rules, I'm always available. I'm with MuzzyMan on this one. It's about the friendships.
On our land we try to only shoot mature bucks. So for our area that would be 3 1/2. If its a kid hunting they can shoot what ever they like including bucks. Same goes for the first time hunters. As for friends that have hunted they need to go by the same rules as the family does.
I've let one friend in the past idk how long hunt with me on our farm, it was one day but I'd let him come back. I'm 100% by myself in archery season, and once rifle season opens its mainly only me and my uncle. (Other than DA road hunters) My other uncle (aunts husband) takes his grandson and sits on top of a hill on a porch of his shed which watches an entire bottom plus the creek crossing onto public land. They get mad at me when I walk the bottom to access the land across the creek. It annoys me more, because I put all of the time, cameras, food plots etc by myself. As far as rules, my uncle loves deer meat. Lol
Kicked one of my buddies off of the farm I hunt at because he was not controlling his scent and walking in after first light while I was on stand. As far as the buck rule, I let my little brother have the only free pass. Everyone else falls under the 130+ rule. Since my best friend and I, do most of the work we get the prime spots at the best times. Its only fair.
We usually only let family hunt out land. We try to only shoot mature bucks and does, but we dont have a formal rule with consequences about it. A few years ago one of the grandson's of one of the guy who owns the most land and the farm site where we set up camp started bringing a buddy out for bow season. We dont know if he has shot any buck or not but he was caught hunting over our food plots, so we made a new rule - no hunting over other peoples work. Now he stays on the property that the grandfather owns solely. For me its a 50-50 situation. I know he shoots does which is good for our land, but i also dont think he would pass up a big buck on our land.
When friends get involved it can really muddy the waters. I don't really care so much what they shoot. If they're happy with a tiny little guy then good for them. I'll stick to the big ones. I haven't really had any issues though. Everyone that i know that hunts already has their spots. Only one friend has ever taken a deer off my land and it was 2 days after I shot my big one. I guess I don't really care that much. I love hunting and I take it serious, but I don't get too fired up about little things. Do what makes you happy. If you're crazy anal like Brad is, probably best not to have any of your buddies hunt if they aren't die hards. If you don't really care what they do as long as it's safe and they enjoy themselves, go for it.
On my land I just let my best friend hunt with me. Sometimes a guy I work with goes with me when he can. Then I let a some kids and their Dads come hunt during Juvenile season. As far as rules on deer, shoot whatever makes you happy. Cause if you don't the farm up the road will...lol.
