From being deer camp general? Been on my mind for awhile so I decided I'd do some venting here. Here's the deal. I own/operate a golf course here in NY. Around the beginning of bow season/end of golf season it pretty much turns into central command/hunting lodge for me and my buddies (which consists of me and 3 others) The land that I own and the land that I have permission to hunt is 100% because of me. I pretty much do ALL the work for all hunting related activities. I have the utility vehicle. I have the tractor. I have the chainsaws. I have the pole saw and loppers. I have the facility. I have the trail cameras. I have the workshop/butcher shop. I'm the one hanging new stands or moving old ones. I have the shooting range for them us to practice etc... you get the idea. Then when the season starts they use the facility as a hunting lodge. Store their gear and clothes there. Show up there before and after hunts. When they shoot something we hang it there and I'm the one that butchers their deer (nobody else knows how to). I butcher, package it and dispose of the carcass. If that's not enough after the season I apparently become the sausage maker guy. I have the meat grinder, jerky dehydrator and smoker. I've become good at making the stuff. Oh by the way their meat is stored in my freezers for their convenience. The whole thing has gotten out of control. I own/got permission to all the land. I do all the scouting. I have the hunting lodge which provides heat, butcher shop, kitchen. I cut up all the deer. I make all the food. I sit back and think sometimes how nice it must be to just get in your truck, go to a stand that I've hung and scouted, shoot a deer, drop it off to me, let me cut it up, let me make whatever you want from it and go home. I've never mentioned anything before because they are good friends, but enough is enough. As most of you know there's a lot of work involved in the whole process. I just feel like they have it made. Not to mention the money involved. The only thing I can say is certain parts of the hunting land is off limits to anyone but me. I I'm out there doing my own thing as far as actually hunting. But, at the same token, I set these guys up like you wouldn't believe. I just think I'm tired of having to deal with all the extra crap I don't really need to deal with. I really like helping my buddies out that dont' have the luxuries or time that I do, but the line has to be drawn somewhere. Just not sure how to back my way out of it now. Rant over.... thanks for listening.
If you've cut up multiple deer for the same guys, they are just taking advantage of you. Show'em once, guide them the second time and then let'em do it theirself. It would be like your golf student needing to make a 170 yard shot over water and coming and getting you to hit the shot for them.... Teach and let them be. Give a man a fish he eats for a day........
i agree teach them how then show them then if they absolutely need help lend a hand but i would try to explain that it is very time consuming to do all of that for them
Sounds familiar NYB. I put up with the same kinda stuff come bear baiting/hunting season. I'm the one It seems getting everything organized and ready to go and seem to always be spending more money then everyone else. I too am getting very sick of It. What's a guy do as these people too are great friends and family of mine. I think It's time for you to put your foot down and do what you think Is right. Best of luck.
There'a your answer................... Generals dictate. Since these are your buddies, try dictating in a low key approach. Call for a meeting with everyone involved and try to get a group work ethic going. Explain to everyone that you don't have enough time to keep doing everything by yourself and that without help from the others, the deer camp, as they know it, may come to an end. Teach them how to process their deer. Make it mandatory for them to be present when their deer is being processed. Your freezer should be able to accommodate that. Do that with everything. In the beginning you will still have to be there in order to make sure that they are doing things right, but after a while they should be alright on their own. There are many ways to divide up the work. You'll just have to find out what works best for your group. One thing is for certain......... you can't remain the one man band while the others get off Scott free. So start demanding it!! Good luck.
I'd tell them there's gonna be a fee, next year (and every year after) to handle meat storage; stands; equipment; fuel; knives (lol)....and any other incidentals. You're paying it all, now. What's the harm....if they say they won't pay it? I could hang stands in a better frame of mind, if I knew someone else was paying for them.....and all I had to do was put it up and park my butt in 'em. Figure out a price. Add a couple hundred/ea. to it (you're thinking too low!).....and put it before them.
I would let them know how you feel, take a hard stand if you think they wont get the picture. If these guys are worth their salt they'll get the picture, and have probably thought to them selves "we have to help more". They may actually think that, that is the way YOU want it to be. Good huntin buddies will understand.
Being the "general",you should delegate responsibility and duties to the other guys. Lay down the law and tell them that if they can't or don't want to pitch in,find a new place to hunt...the free ride is over
Agreed. They obviously don't have a plethora of cash laying around, or they'd prolly be hunting their own land. The money thing, IMO makes you look bad (not that it's out of line at all). Explain to them that their sweat equity needs to increase or you'll have to rethink their hunting rights - in a kind manor. I'm sure you'll do what's right.
I would think if they were REAL friends they would offer to help and learn to do the necessities with you. It sounds to me like you're being a chump for them. The other side of the coin is if they are real friends and you say something they'll understand.
It certainly sounds like they're taking advantage of you. Just tell the guys you need more participation from them, that it's too much for you. You really shouldn't have to say a thing.
THE reason I stated "take their money".....is simple. If you ask me to help set stands, I'm gonna put my input in. I'm guessing you put stands where YOU think they should go. That was my thinking.
I agree with Gr8atta2d, GregH and UPBowhunter. Tell them when they need to be there to help with the hunting land chores, that they need to start butchering their own deer after you show them how, and, if they want sausage/jerky they can use your stuff (for now) but they have to make it or help make it. If they are the buddies you think they are they will understand and probably be happy to get more involved.
I think that Greg had a great post. I can fully understand your position. I am in your spot, with the exception of cutting up the meat and making sausage. I buy most of the stands, hang them all, and all food plot expenses usually run through me. I started letting them know what it all costs a few years ago. Even still, I was putting forth most of the time and more than my share on the cost. I just simply told them that I was still gonna do what I could, but unless more people pitched, we weren't gonna be able to do as much. They were and are good huntin buddies and they stepped up. Honesty is the best way. Get them together and lay it out for them. Make sure you emphisize that you have been more than willing to do this stuff in the past, it's just that you can't keep doing it.
Thanks for the input guys. I guess what really gets me is the fact that they can come and go at their leisure without a worry in the world. I mean they REALLY have it made. I didn't really think of this until you posted it, but this annoys me even more lol. Not only do I provide EVERYTHING there is to provide for a person hunting, but there isn't even input on where, why or how to put a stand from anyone but me. It's pretty much yeah I put a stand here because..... or You should hunt here in this wind on this day during the rut because...... Hell I do everything but walk them to their stand! As long as I'm venting lol. This year one of my buddies shot a doe. I was home hanging out. Drove to the golf course and hung the deer with him. He had to get home so it was kind of a dump it off and leave deal. Butchered it a couple days later. Cut the straps out, a couple roasts, steaks and the rest for grind to make sausage later. Not a big deal really. So I had a tub of about 30 lbs. of grind sitting in the cooler. Called him the next day to tell him we needed to get some pork to grind and mix it with the venison so we could package it and put it in the freezer. One day... 2 days.... 3 days..... 20/30 texts and calls later I didn't hear from him. So I went and bought the pork, ground everything, packaged it and froze it. He finally called me about a week later and said he has been busy and would stop and grab some pork in the next few days. You dumb *%#$!!!! Already taken care of. Nothing more I hate than wasting meat so I bought it and took care of it. Soooo here's a guy that hunts my land, sits in a treestand that I scouted hung and trimmed, shoots a deer, hangs it at my course, I cut it up, package it, grind it, buy the pork to mix with the venison, and end up making the sausage with my smoker (buying the ingredients I might add). WTF? and come to find out he was hunting about everyday in the meantime.
