Sounds like you are in the free and clear to me. That is, until someone who doesn't like it catches on and gets the HOA to pass a bylaw prohibiting it. You may only get one season of this. Make it glorious!
I would say go ask the president. I wouldn't get the whole board involved. It can't be the first time anyone has asked to hunt in there, so he could probably answer you really quick. I have a similar situation. A couple kids were hunting it. A game warden came in because he was having problems with one of the kids. He went to the president and told him what he found. The HOA decided to shut down all deer hunting on the property. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Think I am going to walk some of the old dirt roads in there today to look for decent sized tracks. Also going to put out a trail cam with some attractant near thick cover to see what the place may hold. After a few weeks of the cam running I'll check and see if it is worth my time to tick off the hoa board with my inquiry concerning bloody arrows.
Well I put out a cam and some food attractant. Placed it between bedding and a good water hole on a trail with a bunch of tracks. Put it on video mode which I dont have much experience with as a novice trail cam guy. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
I would hunt the crap out of it, until someone tells me different. You're a homeowner there, it's a perk as far as I'm concerned. If they didn't allow hunting, I think it would be in the rules. You should be the one kicking out others encroaching on YOUR spot
I've been doing the same for 3 years. Sheriff and DNR said "hunting is legal, but they wouldn't recommend it"...so I'm doing it.
As long as there are no State, County or Local laws or ordinances prohibiting archery hunting or hanging of stands or trespassing then I'd hunt it I find places like this in NJ all the time because all unposted land is huntable. Tracs around abandoned office buildings, unposted woodlots, public open spaces that I've checked and the rules of the open space prohibit firearms but not hunting. I'd hunt it, the worst that's happened to me is non hunting residents get together throw a fit by calling the local police or warden. LEO arrives and says that I'm legal to archery hunt there but residents dont like it. Then I go to the board or owner and pitch my case if it's that good of a spot or I just move on to the next one.
I second this. I would leave the the HOA board out of it if possible. I guess it will technically come down to who owns the land. If it's public land, the HOA shouldn't be able to say anything. If the land is owned by the HOA and open for resident or public use, there should be terms of use somewhere in the HOA bi-laws or whatever they're called. I'd talk to a warden and try to find some other residents who look like hunters and see what they know.