Need some help with a situation I have found myself in. Background: I am huntin 240 acres of family (my wifes) owned property that is an hour and half away . it is broken up into three eighty acre parcels with a sister owning one parcel (my wife's G-ma, and two Aunts). I have been hunting it for three years now with only my brothers and dad, until about november of this year. The Situation: one of the sisters decides she wants someone to start Bushhogging the property on a monthly Bases. We have kept the roads clean and useable, but don't have the equipment to do what she wants. so she work's up a deal with a local guy to do the work, in exchange to hunt her land (just 80 acres). no big deal we don't really hunt that side of the land very much anyways so what ever. I got out yesterday to put out my new trail cam in a new area and he has a stand there, after further scouting he has 4 stands up on all 240 acres not just the 80 he has permission for. And I have left a couple of messages with the guy and haven't got a return call yet! The resolution: this is where is want some advice. The a-hole in me wants to tell the guy to get his stands off my side of the property and don't step foot back on it. But he lives adjacent to the property and couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't mess with my stuff. the other part of me wants to offer the guy to hunt with us (he only gunhunts) but using only community stands (which is how we hunt now) and we can use his bigger and better equipment to do bigger and better food plots. I know which ones is better, just trying to think of a way to do it that I excert my authority (the other two sisters told me to kick him off the land) but still have his help for our mutual benefit. thanks in advance for any help.
I wouldn't do a damn thing, including jumping to conclusions or ranting about it on the interwebs, until I have talked to the guy.
I'd treat this guy as an equal. Your "authority" can be taken nearly as quick as his and he's doing work for his hunting rights. You just married the grand daughter. I say this with some experience, if you want the best results, call the guy up and ask him how his season went. Tell him you noticed a few of his stands on Gma's and Aunt XXX's property and you wouldn't want to screw up his hunt or waste a hunt of your own by not knowing when and where he's hunting. This way you know how serious he is and how much you're really giving up. Personally, I'd kill for a guy with equipment who was looking to gun hunt only. Befriend him, you'll look better in the eyes of the people with actual authority on who hunts there and get more help than problems.
If he only has permission for the 80 acres.. and he's all over the property already then I wouldn't deal with him further. Maybe he misunderstood his priveledges there... but if he's just pushing his luck, I'd pull in those reins right away before he really sees what he can get away with.
I'd agree with Christine if it were YOUR grandma's property, but are you the appointed land manager or what? It just seems like you view these properties as your own.
thanks I want the guy on my side and hunt along side of us but the issue is I have left numerous messages the last three weeks and got no return calls. Each of his stands are 200 yards or less from ours and I don't want to start hunting against this Guy. If I can get him on my side that would be awesome it just doesn't seem like he is wanting to cooperate. I am more frustrated than anything. I also work for my priveledge to hunt the other part of the property. I just don't own a tractor.
If the other two sisters do not want him on their land, then he is trespassing on 160 acres of the 240. The two other sisters should talk to the sister that is allowing him to hunt on her piece of land. He may not know the boundaries. Here's what I would do, if the sisters all agreed. I would contact him, tell him that his stands are not on the proper land. Then I would talk to him, find out what kind of guy he is. If you like him, then offer him a chance to continue hunting, and even help improving the hunting by helping w. land management projects. So what he thinks about that. If he just wants to hunt, then I'd ask him to remove his stands from the other 160 acres, per the owners. You don't have to be nasty about it, but he is trespassing, so the owners have every right to enforce the laws.
I do because I work for the G-Ma (mending fence, feed cows, mow her yard, etc,etc.) and I am very close to her, she treats me like a son.
messages have just said hey how are you doing just wanted to touch base with you to go over hunting schedule and such want to stay safe out there. I have been overly nice with my messages to try to get him to my side, but now i'm starting to get agitated by his lack of response. and the rifle season is not over until the end of january.
Fair enough. I can understand that. I'd go to the Aunt that gave the permission and find out exactly what he was told and ask how you should proceed.
Okay, first talk to the guy. Be honest and up front but fair and courteous at the same time, not worth a feud. Also just to chime in on the food plot thing, bigger is not better when it comes to food plots.
Be as nice as possible to the guy and maybe stop by his house and talk with him. He may not have understood what ground he was suppose to be hunting on. If he refuses to move his stands talk to your gma and make sure he doesnt have permission and tell him he has a few weeks to move them or you will take them down and lay them on the ground or take them to your gmas for him to pick up.
I will talk to the one Aunt and see what she has told him, I do know he asked the G-ma if he could hunt and she told him not no but hell no. I know he lives close to the land but not his addess. I will get it and maybe a face to face meeting would be a better alternative. Thanks for the advice I will keep you guys posted on what transpires.
and if she was clear about only being able to hunt the 80 acres she owns, then I'd pull his stands. Leave him a note to contact you to get them back. With the sisters permission of course.
My only fear of this tactic is I live an hour and half from the land and he lives right next door and truthfully don't know what he would do to my stuff if I messed with his.
Maybe the owner of the property needs to call him, let him know his stands are on the wrong property. Ask him to call or they will be contacting the conservation department about the poaching that is happening on their property. Not the best route, but if it is the owner of the property, it should get a response. Either he will call her, or remove all his stands.
I emailed the aunt that has the agreement with him on her property to get his address, and will go see him next weekend and see if we can work together and if that doesn't work, have granny call the wolves to him. Thanks for the advice. I will let you guys know how it turns out.
I was hunting yesterday at the top of hillside in a tree and I had man go below the hillside and hunt underneath me I was wondering I wasn't seeing any movement till I left. and drove around the lower quarter and seen him exit the area I asked where you up there? He said yes. I told him I was on the opposite side. He said I know. Then I asked why would you do that? That action more than likely ruined my hunt. He said I was only on the bottom an i wanted to kill another deer before I left. I said wait a minute that was you shooting around 9:50 Am? He said yea. When I seen your vehicle i figured I could cut the deer off if they to the top of the hill. My only response was "you sorry mother ****er"!
