Do any of you share hunting land with a friend or family member that you just don't see eye to eye on land and game management? My brother and I have been converting our family farm into better habitat for deer, turkey and upland game birds. Our farm is only 100 acres and of those 100 acres we've converted fescue into NWSG and planted 15,000 trees. I personally have seen a huge influx of deer over the past couple of years. The problem is he is a rifle hunter and I'm a bowhunter. I hold off for mature bucks and he will shoot 2.5 year olds year after year to my displeasure. He has the mentality that if we don't shoot it the neighbors will. You can't live by that philosophy in my opinion. We have different ideas of what food plots we would like to plant, how many does we need to harvest and all in all we are just two different people. He is my older brother, I'm 30 and he's 38, we aren't kids anymore. I hate getting frustrated over deer but when you work hard every year I like seeing the results. Does anybody else experience family turmoil like this? Have you compromised?
I'm the dictator of my land so I can't help that much about the planting but for the him shooting 2.5 year olds make a rule you shoot it you mount it works good for me. I makes everyone think twice about shooting a marginal buck. It does sound like you guy's need to sit down anf figure out what each others goals are and work from there. just my .02.
The land I hunt on Is kind of complicated. There's 117 acre's there. 70 acres or so of this land Is agricultural and owned by my brother. He rents the farm land out to a farmer. The other 47 acres Is owned by my dad and that's all woods and swamp. I've been saying for a while now that we need help In taking doe's out of this area being there's no way the 2 of us can manage this doe herd being none of the neighbors shoot many doe's. My brother on the other hand wants nothing to do with bringing others In to help thin the doe population but my dad Is all for It being he knows It will Improve the buck hunting that much more. It really bothers me but what's a person do, not worth getting In an argument over either. I know If I owned this land things would be managed much differently but I don't so not much can be said from me I guess unless my opinion Is asked.
I live by this method as well. I won't shoot a buck I won't mount. I am doing a European mount this year on my buck instead of a shoulder mount but that is more to do with not having a European mount. We just had a long talk over the phone over some things that happened this weekend that blew my gasket. I found out that he doesn't care about waiting for a big buck and just wants to shoot what makes him happy. I don't argue with this at all but I responded that the look on his face every time I show him a mature buck I shot on our farm is a look of disappointment. It really is disappointing for our relationship to be driven apart by something that we obviously both are passionate about but it looks like this is what's happening.
Some people will never get trophy hunting. They get jealous that they don't shoot mature bucks but don't want to doing anything to change it either.That is something only that person can change no matter how much you preach. It's 2 guy's on a hundred acres if he shoots a 2.5 every year it isn't going to change the herd.or are there more people than that?
No, it's just two guys but when I've not taken a buck for 3 years holding out for a mature buck and he continually shoots the little guys, it gets a little frustrating. It is just different philosophies. His family doesn't care for deer meat so he really doesn't have a need to shoot a buck. I've told him to just shoot a doe if all you want to do is kill something. He hasn't taken anything this year but ML season is the 19th-29th. I hope he connects on a true brute and maybe that is what it's going to take for him to set his standards higher.
i live here in mo, and gun season is a one buck deal, let him have what ever is a trophy to him and then he is out of the woods.. it's only one deer. it's only a hundred acres you cant control the deer heard when your neighbors shoot the younger bucks also i have killed some big bucks but it's how the hunt unfolds as to weather i shoot or not and there all a trophy deer at that time. best days of my life are of hunting with family, and i have lost a brother of mine over his standards vs mine over a piece of ground we havn't hunted togather in five years and i miss him. this is are 2 nd year of antler restriction here in north east mo, and it has helped already there are a lot less shooting around are farm and we are seeing bigger bucks.
The antler restriction is definitely helping. We've had it here in NW Mo for 4 years I believe and the increase in buck sightings has gone way up over the past couple of years. I should reiterate that it isn't just about shooting smaller bucks, there is other management decisions that we don't see eye to eye on as well.
I wish i could have changed the way my brother hunts and i tried to the point of a fist fight erupted on the hunting ground while about five of his friends got to watch. last day we ever hunted together and we were close, he doesn't call or have anything to do with my family, i was around 43 at the time he is my older by three years. all i am saying is be careful and think things thru, there are more important things then a deer.
Only that family (cousins, cousins spouses etc) think they can hunt my ground. I make the payments, I make the rules. I doubt I'll get as many christmas cards this year lol.
I've been pretty fortunate. I put in most of the time, money, and effort and the guys that hunt the family land usually take my lead.
I wouldn't trade hunting side by side with my brothers and dad for anything in the world................anything. If your brother is enjoying himself then I can't phathom how you could see that as "wrong". He's only shooting 1 buck right?? One buck is not going to make a difference either way in your grand management scheme...........certainly not anywhere close to something that should come between brothers. That would be the day I would let some mangy tick ridden wild animal cause ill feelings between myself and one of my brothers........no chance.
Going through it a little bit. I don't have a leg to stand on, though. I'm greatful for the the opportunity to spend time with my family via hunting and will remember the memories with my forever- but I'd be lying if I said I was thrilled with the way they approach deer hunting and quality deer principles. When it's all said and done. I'm a lucky SOB and could have MUCH MUCH MUCH worse.
It isn't just shooting one buck or an immature buck. There are many other factors that are involved but I agree with your sentiments. Life is too short to be mad over hunting. It is just real difficult when it is something you spend alot of time and money on.
