Why I don't give permission to hunt....

[Mornard]

Gen'emen... let me speak from the other side of the fence, so to speak.

All the above is why my best buddy, his son, and I value and treasure the hunting permissions we have. On the #1 place, the owner (who lives there but just doesn't care to hunt, says - "shoot all the deer you want, but leave the turkeys and coyotes alone...I like to look at 'em." and that's exactly what we do. We also sent gift snack boxes at X-mas... we go out of our way to keep the owners happy, because once losing permission, you're done, and public land can be so crowded it's scary...

 

[bearmgc]

On public land, I was disappointed to see all the trash left behind by hunters 2 miles into the National forest, pop cans, candy wrappers. And the campsites along the roads were a mess. I can only begin to imagine what landowners have to contend with. It is a black mark on us all. I had a friend years back who used to take a trash bag with him whenever we went fishing and hunting. He would even pick up old tires, as well as cans, fishing line, whatever he found along the way. I still do it, but not as often as I should, as with all the junk out there, I'd be doing trash duty all day long.

 

[Oldnamvet]

When I stop to ask permission, I go days ahead of when I would actually be hunting. I offer to leave a copy of my drivers license or any other identification the landowner would want and a $100 bill. If I don't take proper care of things as promised, they know where to find me and have the $100. So far most people refuse the money and those who do hold it give it back when I finish hunting and report back that I was leaving. It also is only right to offer the landowner some portion of any game you take.

 

[BigV]

Perhaps my hunting partner and me are a dying breed…, but we have both raised our sons in our likeness and they do things the way they were taught. We have hunted the same track on 2200 acres in southwest Ohio now for over 15 years. We are the only 4 hunters in the woods. We hunt Turkey and White tailed deer. During the summer when hunting season is all but closed, we spend occasional weekends helping the landowners’ clear timber, stretch barbed wire and bail hay. They are simple folks and don’t have much except for the land they own. We bring hand me down clothes and out grown bikes for their children when we come down. We bring our chain saws and log splitter and cut and split firewood for them as well. We share our venison (trail baloney, sausage, jerky) and usually fill a landowner tag for them. We help them to process their venison. We live in NE Ohio and fish a lot for walleye and yellow perch in lake Erie. We always bring down 20 to 30 pounds of frozen fish when we visit. We send them Christmas cards every year and they treat us like a part of their family. My son is now 20 and has been taking his girlfriend down to visit and help out for the last couple of years. He has done this without any prodding from me. If more folks would take the time to get to know the landowners and offer an occasional helping hand it would go a long way to restore the trust in hunters.

 

[MD_Willington]

My co-worker has similar problems on his land, seems there are a few guys that think they can just go on his property, via invitation from the previous owner, hunt, and then leave all of their garbage laying around.

 

[eastwood44mag]

I can't find anyone here in central IA who will let me hunt on their property. After hunting public ground for one season, I don't plan on deer hunting in this state ever again.

 

[usmccpl]

My dad lives on 120 acres that his wife had when they got married.The guy she was married to before let ppl go hunting there,now my step mom wants nothing to do with guns since the last act her late husband did right before killing himself is try to shoot her.that was nearly 10 years ago and all his friends know he is gone but still show up yearly,dont even ask,put up deer stands and attempt to hunt.Its always the same guys and the hunt the same spot this year they are gonna get a suprise.Anyway I can see where you are coming from.







one shot one kill

 

[Hoppy590]

we have a similar setup with a friends father. its not hunting. its camping. but same deal. we cut wood. down trees, clear land, build picnic tables and the like. majority of the time its when we didnt need to ( meaning we far out work our use of the land) but hes a nice guy and its something to do

 

[Mannlicher]

If its your property, its your right to grant hunting rights to those you choose. For what ever reason you decide. Why do you need to justify your decisions to this forum?

 

[Hikingman]

A Popular Expression

"The Many Suffer for the Few." Or in other words, many of us suffer for the inconsiderate, unconscionable, selfish behavior of what used to be a few people (they are growing in numbers).

I am buying my own land soon, and will learn first-hand what is being told in this thread.

Hikingman

 

[North Texan]

One of the rules is PICK UP YOUR SHELLS! His dad worried about the cows eating 'em and Larry says they taste sweet to a cow and they will eat 'em. I don't guess it hurts 'em, but it don't do 'em no good.

It can kill them. We've had several cattle die of hardware, and a couple were due to shotgun shells.

Hunting on our place used to be free, also. But I've experienced the same problems as others here have discussed. People leave trash, bring friends, shoot things they are not supposed to, tear up roads and go offroad when it rains, shoot windmills, grain bins, and deer blinds, and a host of other complaints.:banghead:

Then I did away with free hunting, and we started leasing our property. Funny thing is, the people we lease to pick up their trash, don't shoot stuff they aren't supposed to, and generally treat the place like it was their own. All the problems dissappeared. They appreciate what they have, and they want to make sure they have it again next year.

 

[Rembrandt]

For some time I've thought the slobs were outnumbering the ethical hunters...beginning to realize it's more widespread than I ever imagined.

What others have posted ought to be sent to every state DNR asking "why is this allowed to continue and what are they doing about it?" Granted some of these incidents are borderline ethics...but the vast majority are law violations.

 

[EatBugs]

What others have posted ought to be sent to every state DNR asking "why is this allowed to continue and what are they doing about it?" Granted some of these incidents are borderline ethics...but the vast majority are law violations.

The DNR is not "allowing" these violations to continue anymore than the local pd is "allowing" murder and theft to continue. And what are they doing about it? What they can given budget and law and human rights restrictions.
Important to remember in the US you are innocent untill proven guilty.

Sad to say, if you want the job done right you gotta do it yourself. You could depend on the occasional presence of a cop to keep your house from being broken into but we all know how that may end up. You come home to a trashed and burglurized house. Should of invested a bit of time and money into security. Best you can do is to continue to chase em off, put up signs, patrol, and what not, and then call LEO's or DNR for back up.

Here is some of what I've seen happen.
Many people report violations but it usually boils down to he said / she said(hard to prove) type things or speculation on who you think or know did it. But no hard evidence. Sometimes people don't report it at all. Sometimes by the time they get around to telling a DNR officer it has been hours, days, weeks, months. I can't tell you how many times people tell me something that happened or that they saw and I ask them when did this happen "OOOH I'd say about 3 weeks ago" or "Last year" I ask them if they reported it. "no" or "I just did, to you" (I work for DNR but not Division of Law Enforcement) Indiana has a hotline number for reporting any fish or wildlife violations(1-800-TIP-IDNR)

Also, CO's are stretched few and far. So when a call is made they are buisy with another or too far away to respond quickly enough. They spend a bit of time looking for lost hunters and scooping up injured hunters.

And, CO's to do not patrol into private property any more than a LEO will just amble around on your back porch and into the kitchen just to see if any law breaking is going on, During Deer season they usually only go onto public land to patrol if a violation has been reported (think about it- A CO comes tromping through the woods on the only day you have off to hunt, possibly ruining the day for you for the sole purpose of checking your licence and making sure your in compliance. I'd really hate to see the only deer of the season take off out of range when a CO shows up )

Some what is being done: Indiana turn in a poacher hotline # (1-800-TIP-IDNR), variouse sting operations such as deer dummies for spotlighting and roadside poachers, Block exits from popular hunting areas for a check station, Respond as best they can to calls, education programs, and other things I can't think of right now but will probably remember later. Sometimes they hang out by your vehicle and wait for you to come back.

Oh, and some laws and regulations are just stinkin too hard or next to impossible to enforce.

Ok, I think I'm done for now.

ps..... CO = Conservation Officer

 

[langenc]

Leaving trash and other descriptions sounds like shooters around here. They drag all kinds of 'stuff' to the range-shoot it up and leave it. SLOBS

Like one other poster asked "wonder what their living room looks like"??

 

[EatBugs]

Oh yeah
Not only do I really dislike slob hunters who ruin it for us all, but I also really dislike slob fishermen too. They trash the landowners private pond or river access with hooks, line, dirty diapers, and the stinking defleshed carcasses of their successful catch . They all(slobs in general) bring the disgusting disregard of natural resources from public land to private.

If and when I ever own a large enough tract of land to hunt. I will allow other hunters. Not many but a few. I think I will take the hard lessons learned from this thread and go from there as to how I will manage it.
And a long wooden ruler with a backhanded swing - always worked for Grandma . I can still hear the whistle of the ruler cutting through the air.

 

[jeepmor]

I agree

The bad apples make their own bed and ruin it for those of us that can keep it civil, clean, and respectful. We do that simply by communicating intention, offering a share of game meat, some of the wife's home cooked dishes or the like to show the immense appreciation for this type of opportunity.

But, as the landowners are experiencing, there are too many takers in the world and not enough givers.

My advice would be to not give up on people, but filter them better. Require the written note, that would work wonders. But then again, hassles are hassles, and less hassle is everyones goal.

jeepmor

 

[Warren]

It would be real ironic like if trespassing hunters got run over by fence-cutting 4 wheelers.

Is there some way landowners in any given area could form a co-op to lease out hunting lands and pay someone with a staff to oversee the hunters?

A hunter would go to one office, buy the permissions, leave a deposit and be I.D. ed. He would be given a list of rules, a good map and a time limit.

He fails to adhere to any part of the rules and he loses the deposit. He does more major damage he gets arrested and or sued.

People hunting without permissions go directly to being arrested and or sued.

It would be like having private security but for a very specific purpose.

Your own Dept. Of Wildlife.

This way the landowners can concentrate on other things while the co-op people can concentrate on manging hunters.

Could it work?

Is there a downside?

 

[redneck2]

When I lived in Michigan, I had a deer hunter walk between my house and the creek that was 55 feet away. I slid open the door and asked what the hell he was doing. As he stood in my front yard, he explained that he had permission to hunt and it was none of my business.

I think the term "brain dead SOB" quickly came up in the ensuing "conversation"

If anybody had tried to tell me anyone was that stupid, I would have laughed at them.

I think what's changed is that people today don't grow up on or around farms. The world is your trash can.

People from town drive thru the countryside and think it's the wild, wild west since there isn't a Wal-Mart or 7-11 on every corner. Also, there's pretty much a total lack of respect for people or property because "it's all about ME!"

 

[Art Eatman]

Landowner cooperation and information exchange can make a difference.

Years back, some ranchers where a bunch of us leased all got together and hired a retired game warden to control the access road into the area. He was deputized by the sheriff. At the start of the season, he stopped every new-to-him vehicle until he got to know the regulars.

Somebody hit a buck with a pickup. The Warden gutted the buck and stuffed the cavity with hay and baling-wired the cut. He got some re-bar and braced the legs and neck, and put this "real, live buck" about 50 yards off the road.

A regular nightly feature, then, was "Bang, arrest." "Bang, arrest." He'd radio the sheriff's office, and a warden or deputy would come out and grin and take Dudley Doofus off to the County Clink. After a week or so of this, poaching ended.

If a guy shows up in the off-season and offers to be helpful around a farm or ranch, he's much more likely to be an okay guy and more likely to get an okay from the landowner...

Art

 

[Rembrandt]

The DNR is not "allowing" these violations to continue anymore than the local pd is "allowing" murder and theft to continue. And what are they doing about it? What they can given budget and law and human rights restrictions......Sad to say, if you want the job done right you gotta do it yourself.

I disagree.....perhaps "allowing" is the wrong word, it implies giving permission to continue wrong doings. Maybe a better description is the DNR's lack of diligence to enforce laws they've sworn to uphold.

New York City was once a cesspool of crime, it wasn't until a new mayor and police chief put more presence on the street did crime and murders drop. Here in Iowa we get one CO/Warden for about every two counties unlike years ago when there was one or more for each county.

The DNR has increased the slob factor by failing to take action against it. Sure there's budget cuts and all sorts of excuses, but to lay the burden of "self law enforcement" on the populace is stupid.

Art's post is a clear illustration of what happens when you enforce the law.

I've been a Hunter Education Instructor for over 20 years, teaching ethics and proper techniques to youngsters....sadly things are not getting better.

 

[sturmruger]

In IA I have plenty of land to hunt. My father in-law is not a hunter and prefers when I am out there shooting varmints.


Here in WI I do not have as much acccess to land as I do down in IA, but the land I do have access to I am very quick to stop in and visit with the landowner and always make sure my wife sends them a christmas card with $15 gas card or something inclosed. Hunting on someone's land is all about the relationship as long as you can keep that good then you will be fine for years.

 

[MD_Willington]

A regular nightly feature, then, was "Bang, arrest." "Bang, arrest." He'd radio the sheriff's office, and a warden or deputy would come out and grin and take Dudley Doofus off to the County Clink. After a week or so of this, poaching ended.

They use the "robo-deer" back home where I used to live, I think they have a "robo-bear" too, plenty of people poaching black bears for the gall bladder.

One of the Ministry of Environment trucks was in for service and the Conservation officer was telling us about the robo deers...

 

[Cork]

It is the landowner's decison

It is the landowners decision on who is allowed access. I am seeing more and more people losing their peace of mind of owing land for family hunting especially when it is not lived on due to intruders. Apparently there is very litte that can be done but kick people off when you are present. Catching a 4 wheeler hauling butt away is not easy to do. Even with a game cam picture most sheriffs do not want the hassle of arresting trepassers. Even illegally taking game is not treated that harshly in most places. I have several friends who have to defend against others hunting their land 'almost' at gunpoint. After all the intruding hunters are armed.
Currently I own no land to hunt on and either I am invited, hunt public land or I pay to hunt and or join leased hunting clubs. I paid to hunt/shoot a Bull Elk this week in a high fenced ranch and all the landowner had on his mind was people coming in to hunt whitetails and fish his lakes. He had real issues with trash neighbors killing deer for fun and leaving them lay.
Cork

 

[MCgunner]

Poaching and trespass is a pretty serious thing in Texas. They upped it to a felony a few years ago and prison time is likely if you're caught. It ain't the small land owners that are the reason for all this, of course, but the big ranches. Money talks in Austin, but whatever the reason, it's a good thing. Of course, passing the law and catching the trespassers is quite different.