Hunting Pressure Rant

[H20fwler]

I was driving into town early just before light to run a couple errands and around the corner down the road from me about a half mile a brand-new white SUV was pulled up in a turn in. There are only three small woodlots on my block the rest is rotated crop fields, I own one, my neighbors own one and a mega farmer owns the third that is high fenced in to train yote dogs.

I've been seeing a pretty good buck and instantly thought my neighbor let someone hunt in his woods (I thought only his son in law hunted it during gun).
There is also a creek just to the south that hardly has any cover maybe ten feet either side and around 400 yards of it is on my block.

So ran my errands, got breakfast, texted my youngest son that someone must have seen the nice buck and was hunting behind us.
As I was driving home, I saw someone at the white SUV and pulled right over to ask where they were hunting. As I was rolling to a stop the guy says hello and calls me by name, it ended up being a guy I knew and had duck hunted a few times with twenty years ago. We chatted a little, he told me he had just missed a small buck and I got around to asking him where he was hunting. He said the on the one side of the creek and that his "group" had permission from the farmer...that peace of ground is sixty acres open farmed land that buts up to the creek. Then he says two other groups from town are hunting it too! So at least 7-8 guys hunting a little 400 yard strip along a creek...biggest tree maybe coffee can size, from creek edge to field is like ten feet. Like hunting a skinny fence row. None of the townies in the three groups are landowners besides the homes they have in town.
Then this guy asks me about seeing a big buck...I acted half dumb about it and he whips his phone out and shows me pics of the buck I've been watching. It has been cruising through my place daily or nightly, huge scrape line down one edge of my place and nice sized trees all rubbed up...I have seen him in my yard once early in morning and he ran in front of my car as I was about to pull in my drive after work two weeks ago. We also have a few does and a couple fawns we see regularly in the yard and while sitting in the stands.
The guy said he and all these other guys have some running bet on who will kill the big buck, although I can’t imagine any of them with so many guys tramping around that little strip of cover. Hopefully it will be one of my sons or I.
He then asks me if he hits a deer, and it runs into our woods can he go after it? I say no, call me, show me the blood trail and I'll go with with him and get it.

As I drove off I'm thinking those guys will shoot at every single deer they see regardless of size or age. They can each legally shoot three deer in our county. And that I did not like, I have planted all kinds of hard&soft mast trees and shrubs, food plots, cover, along with running a feeder year-round to keep them fat and sassy for the past ten years and I have spent a big chunk of $$ to be able to own a nice spot for my family to hunt.
I know I shouldn't feel any ownership to any animals that leave my property...but I still do a little.

And it just amazes me that so many guys are hunting that little strip that I wouldn't even bunny hunt, they are literally on top of each other. It does explain why rough ground prices in my area are stupid high...and I live in one of the lowest deer harvest counties in the state! The competition for hunting ground is just crazy.

End of rant.

 

[sandbur]

Things change that we can do nothing about. I have been through some similar things.

Try to not let this ruin the fun during the hunt for you and your family. Can you use this increase in hunting pressure to your advantage in some way? Different bedding for deer or a different pattern of movement?

Will you need to redefine goals to enjoy the hunt?

 

[Telemark]

Hmmmm. That's a bummer. Pretty much nothing you can do about it that’s legal.

Maybe simmer garlic in some vegetable oil and then squirt the oil along the side of the road where they park? Then they track faint garlic smell all over the woods when they hunt, and deer associate garlic smell with pressure and danger. Then make sure you don't eat garlic before you go hunting. Would that be technically legal since the government owns the road?

 

[gjs4]

I bet every guy like him that sees that buck or a pic of him will try to hunt there too.....

Adjacent to my parents farm, is a 110 foot wide by 1.5mile long old rail road bed owned by a city hunt club. Know there have been over 20 on there at once. The things I have learned about folks that live in the city and come to the country for a big hunt are mind boggling and akin to someone finding wallet that isn't theirs. Cheaters, trespassers, immoral and unethical. They've been cited by the law and engaged by the neighbors......they dont care and will continue to rape as much as they can.

More along the greater thread premise.... I agree with the sentiment current hunters (especially with regard to access) need more attention than new or 3R bs. Most of the states suck with landowner incentives or offering decent public land. Have noted the TX and IA no public posts on here lately....I live in NY which has public (most of which is the ADKs that suck for hunting) where more is done for the nonpaying hiker than the hunters. PA and OH have vast forests....with no improvements. I have hunted the back corners of IL, IN, KS and it seems while there is no cell service or gas station for miles you will run into hunting pressure.

If there is a reason to own land this is it.....albeit problems and costs.....our hunting game is getting harder by the day and a end-of-use date is almost foreseeable

 

[Doublewide]

Would there be an opportunity to talk to the farmer about leasing or possibly sectioning off this "huntable" section and selling the parcel to you?

 

[356]

. . . more is done for the nonpaying hiker than the hunters. PA and OH have vast forests....with no improvements. I have hunted the back corners of IL, IN, KS and it seems while there is no cell service or gas station for miles you will run into hunting pressure . . .

The up-side of this story is that city folks are hunting. Numbers count, and if we do not have hunters voting and advocating for hunting rights, privileges, access and quality habitats projects, pretty soon hunting will be banned and the funds redirected to trails for hikers and bikers. If we don’t promote R3, the North American Model of wildlife management will be replaced by the preservationist movement.

I appreciate the need to vent (and rant). At times my “big picture” values seem to collide with my short-term plans and desires. As H2OFowler noted, “I can’t imagine any of them (harvesting the big buck) with so many guys tramping around that little strip of cover.” In fact, it might just move the deer over to his property. I was also appreciative of his response to the request to “track deer” on his property. “Call me, show me the blood trail and I'll go with with him and get it“ is an approach we as landowners should embrace for all but our closest friends and neighbors.

 

[H20fwler]

Would there be an opportunity to talk to the farmer about leasing or possibly sectioning off this "huntable" section and selling the parcel to you?

I wouldn’t even want it, I can’t believe so many are along it. The farmer on other side of creek hunts so I know he will watch for them to trespass.
I’m hoping all that activity just pushes deer into my woods and that they burn their little strip out. I only hunt here a couple times a week and really play the wind. My youngest son and I both shot bucks out of this woods last year.
We have the bigger place five miles down the road that I hunt more often.

With us having our own ground the last ten years I hadn’t realized how bad it has gotten with overcrowding. Our county is over 80% ag fields.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I had a similar thought about some neighbors earlier this week when I found out they had killed 3 doe and a button buck within 200 yds of my place..they aren’t the landowners just have permission and I was thinking about all the time, money and effort I have put in to my place with food plots, habitat/cover improvements and fruit trees and these dudes go out and smoke deer with little forethought other than checking the straps on their stands..I know I should be happy that they got some but I was kinda miffed..explains why I haven’t been seeing much on my cams anyway…

 

[Tree Spud]

This is a frustrating situation. They are hunting legally, but over whelming the small area with hunters.

With the amount of pressure it would be hard to expect deer, especially a mature buck, to stay active on that parcel.

The best solution might be to use their pressure to your advantage. Head out to your stand near that area well before they do. With 2-4 guys pushing into that parcel they will most likely bump anything on there off.

Frustrating, just can't let it get to you too much.

 

[356]

One of our properties is on 13 acres of a 18 acre “wooded island” in the Ozarks. It is surrounded by pasture land and national forest. Originally (dating back to the 70s when Stockton Lake was built), the island was two 5 acre plots and one 8 acre plot with a log cabin. We purchased the cabin on 8 acres, and a year later were able to buy one of the 5 acre plots, This was the first land we every purchased. We discovered that the family that owns the other 5 acres brings five or six travel trailers each deer season for a prolonged “deer camp” with seven to nine hunters….on just 5 acres. They have ruined some hunts, and in 2016 one of their group shot a deer my daughter had in her sights from a ground blind that was on our side of the property line. That said, I have enjoyed good hunts on the property, but not during opening weekend or any pre-December “cold front” days.

I now hunt the property during times I know they will not hunt, such as early season bow (when it is warm) and late season after Christmas. We have talked about with our neighbors about our boundaries (which were vague in their minds). Since 2016 I believe their hunting is has been legal., if not highly successful. They usually harvest two or three deer over 10 days and maybe one during the rest of the season. Only one in the past decade could be described as a “good” deer, and even it was only 3 1/2 years old. The hidey-hole plot I plant each year likely helps them harvest some deer.

While these are far from the ideal neighbors, I enjoy hearing of their hunts, seeing the pictures of the button buck or spike they harvested and am mindful that I could have just as easily had neighbors who poached or anti-hunting neighbors that would let their dogs run during the season or ride four-wheelers around the place when I am hunting.

My approach on the 13 acres has been to adjust to the realities of small plot ownership. At our farm, I face a similar challenge as many of our neighbors are on 10-20 acre plots. The fact I have a larger piece of land works in my favor as deer seek refuge on our place until such time as I pull a trigger. In both cases, adjusting the the realities of the decisions made by my neighbors is required.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

One of our properties is on 13 acres of a 18 acre “wooded island” in the Ozarks. It is surrounded by pasture land and national forest. Originally (dating back to the 70s when Stockton Lake was built), the island was two 5 acre plots and one 8 acre plot with a log cabin. We purchased the cabin on 8 acres, and a year later were able to buy one of the 5 acre plots, This was the first land we every purchased. We discovered that the family that owns the other 5 acres brings five or six travel trailers each deer season for a prolonged “deer camp” with seven to nine hunters….on just 5 acres. They have ruined some hunts, and in 2016 one of their group shot a deer my daughter had in her sights from a ground blind that was on our side of the property line. That said, I have enjoyed good hunts on the property, but not during opening weekend or any pre-December “cold front” days.

I now hunt the property during times I know they will not hunt, such as early season bow (when it is warm) and late season after Christmas. We have talked about with our neighbors about our boundaries (which were vague in their minds). Since 2016 I believe their hunting is has been legal., if not highly successful. They usually harvest two or three deer over 10 days and maybe one during the rest of the season. Only one in the past decade could be described as a “good” deer, and even it was only 3 1/2 years old. The hidey-hole plot I plant each year likely helps them harvest some deer.

While these are far from the ideal neighbors, I enjoy hearing of their hunts, seeing the pictures of the button buck or spike they harvested and am mindful that I could have just as easily had neighbors who poached or anti-hunting neighbors that would let their dogs run during the season or ride four-wheelers around the place when I am hunting.

My approach on the 13 acres has been to adjust to the realities of small plot ownership. At our farm, I face a similar challenge as many of our neighbors are on 10-20 acre plots. The fact I have a larger piece of land works in my favor as deer seek refuge on our place until such time as I pull a trigger. In both cases, adjusting the the realities of the decisions made by my neighbors is required.

Good point about small properties…I only own 9 acres and the neighbors have permission on the adjacent 100+..just hard when I mention a 5 point (barely legal in PA with the 3 pts to a side Antler restrictions) and they start salivating..I would not shoot that 2 yr old if I was starving…but I have adjusted..hunting midweek before work and hunting late season has led to more sightings for sure..

 

[bwoods11]

The amount of hunting pressure in my area in Minnesota is intense ! That’s one reason I leave for Iowa, Missouri or possibly the Dakotas in early November to avoid the mess!

I saw 6 trucks at one 80 acre public area a few years ago, and a friend of mine did the math in gun hunters in his wooded area.

He was at 40+ gun hunters in a 400 acre block of cover . Roughly one hunter per 10 acres!!….Ridiculous, dangerous, and it’s surprising a buck can survive.

 

[sandbur]

The amount of hunting pressure in my area in Minnesota is intense ! That’s one reason I leave for Iowa, Missouri or possible the Dakotas in early November to avoid the mess!

I saw 6 trucks at one 80 acre public area a few years ago, and a friend of mine did the math in gun hunters in his wooded area.

He was at 40+ gun hunters in a 400 acre block of cover . Roughly one hunter per 10 acres!!….Ridiculous, dangerous, and it’s surprising a buck can survive.

I would quit hunting if that is what I faced.

 

[Bill Loser]

I would quit hunting if that is what I faced.

Come to Wisconsin.. I am surrounded for the most part by state forest land, the fibs all believe this is the north woods and we are inundated with orange clad dufus's every opening weekend of gun. If you flew a drone over the woods opening day it would look like a pumpkin patch. This is why I worked so hard to be able to buy my own little slice .

 

[Bill Loser]

Come to Wisconsin.. I am surrounded for the most part by state forest land, the fibs all believe this is the north woods and we are inundated with orange clad dufus's every opening weekend of gun. If you flew a drone over the woods opening day it would look like a pumpkin patch. This is why I worked so hard to be able to buy my own little slice .

Hell right now just down the road from me there are no less than 12 vehicles in 1 parking area , how is that even a bit relaxing or fun

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

But we need more hunters…NO. We need more land and until we start filling in the oceans that ain’t happening.

 

[Bill Loser]

But we need more hunters…NO. We need more land and until we start filling in the oceans that ain’t happening.

We do need more hunter's, but it would be nice to have more with some brains....

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

We do need more hunter's, but it would be nice to have more with some brains....

How would educated hunters solve the problem of overcrowding due to lack of land? If they just turned around every time there was a vehicle at an access point then they wouldn’t really be participating in hunting.

 

[Mortenson]

Some areas probably need more hunters. Some areas don't.

If we're going to be in trouble because X number of hunters isn't enough. Then X plus a few million more isn't going to matter.

 

[Bill Loser]

How would educated hunters solve the problem of overcrowding due to lack of land? If they just turned around every time there was a vehicle at an access point then they wouldn’t really be participating in hunting.

I don't know about your area, but 8n Wisconsin it's not lack of land it's lack of brains and ability to find your own spot. Literally 1000s ,10s of thousands of acres of land to hunt and these idiots will just go to where someone else is parked. You know that's where the deer are.
Add to that the utter mismanagement of federal lands (no timber cutting, wolves etc). So know no lack of land here just lack of brains.