Kinda of along the lines of Jeff's thread but different.... My situation. A local farmer has always been nice enough to grant me and another guy permission to hunt his farm. Now the farm is kind of divided by a dirt road. I've mostly (99% of the time) stayed on one side of the road because the "other" guy primarily stays on the opposite side. No doubt "his" side is the better spot. But when I walked the area I saw 2 ladder stands right where I'd have liked to place a stand. This year there are 3 stands in that general area. I know this guy, he and his son, hunt only the occasional evening and the weekends. They drive to the stands on a Big Rhino. So this morning I take my climber in knowing they won't be there and set-up. I see 6 deer. My dilemma....I would like to relocate a ladder stand to an area near thier stands, (they likely would never know it's there). I would only hunt mornings when they are at (work & school) During the week. The farmer has clearly stated that I can hunt where-ever when-ever I want on his property, so it's not a legal issue. But ethically, it is "horning in" a bit...but does their placement of permanant stands give them a "claim" on the best area?
I have a similair situation, but I have open conversation with the other guys .... we both give eachother permission to hunt the others stand if they are not there, or to hang our climbers whereever we like ... a mutual respect thing ...... it is frustrating when I want to hunt "my" area on a day he isn't expecting me, but I just go somewhere else ....
Just how I role, and I have had my uncles move in on me, it sucks. I pretty much stay away from others spots when sharing land. Unless ask by them, I won't ask to hunt it or go near it. It's man law
I have mixed feelings having been on both sides of the equation. On my last lease my BIL would get really upset if I infringed upon "his" side of the lease. He consistantly saw more and larger deer than I did on the other side of the place. We paid the same amount of money for equal access to the land in my eyes. In his eyes it was his spot. I didn't like it. On my new lease I have a couple of spots I have high hopes for. There are 15 members on this lease and most of us share locations. The rule of thumb is to obtain permission first. there are a couple of guys that might have one stand up, don't do any scouting or work weekends and want to hunt any stand they choose. Those are the ones I have a problem with. we also have a couple of new guys. They asked for permission to hunt my stands. I told them to wait a while. That I would like the first chance to hunt them. I gave them permission after I get "A" kill. doesn't matter what, just meat in the freezer.
I wouldn't want some one hunting my stands unless it was an invited guest, by the sounds these guys aren't going out of their way to not disturb the area so I'm pretty sure you could find a more suitable area a safe distance from where they are set up. Use their presents to funnel deer to an area you can hunt without their interference.
Just this year the property owners friend, his friend and his dad got permission to hunt one of my main spots... They put ladder stands up all over the place with no regard to where I have hunted there for years. Just the other night I ran into the father for the first time... "He says... Oh by the way, where do you hunt here anyhow?" I was like, "Does it really matter?" IMO don't be an ass like them.
Even if you don't hunt the same days that they do, you're still polluting their hunting area and disturbing the deers natural movement thru it. If they are slob hunters driving their atv to the stands, they will push the deer to you. That's how hunted the farm I used to hunt on. I took what was left after all of the neighbors had their stands up. By hunting around them and as far away as possible I ended up seeing more deer than they did even tho they picked the "Best Spots". Pretty soon those best spots were overhunted and no longer were on the deers travel plans.
Pretty much what Scott and John said. I've always stayed away from the spots the guy I work with hunted. He lost all his spots and tried moving in on me. The conversation was short and to the point. He stays away. I normally don't say too much but the guy is a walking disaster when it comes to bowhunting and ruins the area. Tim
I would just hunt their stands when your sure they were not going to be hunting that day. No really, I would stick to my side hoping they would over pressure their area and send ole mossy horns to my side.
Well fellas I took the high (or at least the medium road) I did move a stand and it's not even on that piece of property. The fella who owns the property next to the farm gave me permission to put up a stand on his property. Now granted it's quite a bit farther up the trail and on different land, but it's intercepting the same travel pattern I seen yesterday. (plus picking up an entirely new fence line) Again I still won't hunt it when the other guys are hunting the farm, but it's a quick location for morning weekday hunts.
