WTNUT
5 year old buck +
I had the exact same thing happen but it was by accident. That person is now one of the two that helps me a lot
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Important topic : getting guests to help.
- Thread starter WTNUT
- Start date
I had the exact same thing happen but it was by accident. That person is now one of the two that helps me a lot
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WTNUT
5 year old buck +
Have thought a lot about the one day of work and one day to hunt. Trust me I have never been accused of being soft of anyone, but I almost feel like that is too much. My two slackers have several kids and are probably pressed for time. I would feel comfortable saying two days hunting for every day of work.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I tell the camp members at meetings - " There are do-ers and talkers. You'll make the distinction of which you are by showing up & getting dirty ........ or not. " Never had an argument from anyone ............. there's no defense if they're a " bare minimum " sort.
Like any group of people, you have the loudmouths and whiners, and you have the " get it done " types. I saw it years ago when I was the secretary and director of a Trout Unlimited Chapter. We had the workers in the trenches - and then the guys who showed up when the cameras and press were around. Lots of company when it's " FUN TIME ".
Like any group of people, you have the loudmouths and whiners, and you have the " get it done " types. I saw it years ago when I was the secretary and director of a Trout Unlimited Chapter. We had the workers in the trenches - and then the guys who showed up when the cameras and press were around. Lots of company when it's " FUN TIME ".
j-bird
Moderator
I have one of those personalities that if you want it done right you do it yourself. As such it is very difficult for me to turn over those sorts of activities. That's why I'm not in management! I used to get help hanging stands, but now I simply hang one at a time and simply know it's going to take a few trips. I live on my place so that is a luxury I have. The stands tend to go up in the same places every year and I sort of have it figured out how to do it on my own. The main reason I like having two people is that you can get an idea of visibility and the like of the stand.....one of us is the hunter and one is the "deer" - we use the different perspectives to try to make the stands better. That's tough to do going up and down a stand multiple times. Works real well for trimming shooting lanes as well. It really doesn't matter because the other two that hunt my place basically do so during our firearms season and they prefer to hunt from my shooting houses anyway. Maybe I should not mess with them this year and let those that use them most worry about the smell, mice & coon poop and wasps nests!
farmhunter
A good 3 year old buck
Agree 100% - my buddy and I do 90% of the plots and all the stands. My cousin has 90 acres and so do I - My dad and my uncle get a free pass - and everyone else that comes, is because we've invited them to spend time with us - especially our friends. I don't really want others running my equipment or setting up stands, or feeling like they have to work to hunt there with me. Sometimes the generosity is reciprocated. Some old friends only come for a weekend - and sometimes not every year. others come every year. Sometimes my uncle or my dad invites someone to hunt, that I would not - but it was their property, and while my cousin and I now run it -we have a lot of respect for them.
I've been on both sides. In college, I offered to help put up shooting houses and plant green fields whenever necessary. They took me up on the offer several times. I probably hunted every weekend.
Now that we own a farm, I primarily focus on my farm. It's me and dad that do all the work. We enjoy it. We are sleeping space limited, so we don't ask for much help. Invitations are reciprocal now with my friends in college, although they have the best hunting grounds.
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Now that we own a farm, I primarily focus on my farm. It's me and dad that do all the work. We enjoy it. We are sleeping space limited, so we don't ask for much help. Invitations are reciprocal now with my friends in college, although they have the best hunting grounds.
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When I first bought my larger piece of land there were a lot of projects that I needed extra help to get done. I required my hunters to give me two full (6-8 hours) work days. Helpers were able to stay overnight to get in both days on one trip to the land. Jobs included removal of all 5 strand barb wire fence, cutting and treating black locust trees, and pulling out Scotch pines that were coming back in clear cuts. I scheduled these jobs well in advance so that anyone working a full time job could get time off or make it on a weekend. The persons who did not make it to work days no longer hunt on my land.
25 years later I have only a select few friends who hunt my land with me.
25 years later I have only a select few friends who hunt my land with me.
I've pretty much found the only people I can get help from are my other buddies with farms that understand the work involved. I have other friends that hunt the same stands on borrowed ground year in and year out that just don't get it. I work a lot but help friends whenever I can, and often loan my equipment. The guys that repay that favor when the phone rings get full access to my property. I currently only have one person in that spot. He has 13 acres a couple miles from me that is a honey hole during the rut. He is the first one here when I need a hand, and never abuses his privilege. We have both made the investment in ground and equipment now we reap the rewards.
I do have a couple other guys that may get one or two sits a year with me, but they usually earn that by running the camera a little or inviting me to hunt with them.
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I do have a couple other guys that may get one or two sits a year with me, but they usually earn that by running the camera a little or inviting me to hunt with them.
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MN Slick
5 year old buck +
It’s frustrating for sure. I gave up on my partners on one farm and my brother is no better on the other farm. He and I have had some blowouts over his complete lack of effort but nothing changes. After the last one I decided I had to lower my expectations of him to zero to keep my sanity. Guess what, he now meets or exceeds my new expectation time and time again!! He hasn’t hung a stand or cut a shooting lane in 2 years. He hunted 1 day last fall and arrowed a 153” eight point, hahaha. He started getting pissed after my 3rd or 4th comment about how all the hard work, planning and strategizing paid off with another great buck for him. I couldn’t help myself.
I spent last week in Canada fishing and noticed the forecast was calling for rain this week at my farm so I left Canada a day early drove 6 hours home, packed my farm stuff and immediately drove 6 hours to the farm arriving at 12:30 am. I asked him to join me but again he met my expectations. I fully expect he’ll arrow the #1 buck on the farm again this year.
I spent last week in Canada fishing and noticed the forecast was calling for rain this week at my farm so I left Canada a day early drove 6 hours home, packed my farm stuff and immediately drove 6 hours to the farm arriving at 12:30 am. I asked him to join me but again he met my expectations. I fully expect he’ll arrow the #1 buck on the farm again this year.
M
MoBuckChaser
Guest
I hope you kill that buck Slick, he is cool as hell. Bout time the guy putting in the work gets to kill one ain't it?
Plottin'booners
5 year old buck +
I do 90% of the work at the farm between 4 and 7 am before work. No one wants to help me at that time and I don't want any help. I hunt alone or with my family and I enjoy it that way. I did take two people last year and let them shoot does on the final days of bow season but I sat with them and made sure they shot what I wanted. My problem is I like the plottin and habitat work more than hunting so I don't really want any help.
M
MoBuckChaser
Guest
I am with you there brother!
WTNUT
5 year old buck +
This is very true. I have a guy who has not hunted at my place for 10 years, but he has a farm and we help each other at the drop of a hat. I REALLY enjoy going to his place (about an hour away) and helping. He is in the beginning stages of his management plan and I like helping him avoid the mistakes I made.
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wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
I have mentioned a few times in the past that I have helped many guys with habitat work over the years, I do it because I enjoy it, not because I have an expectation of being invited to hunt their properties. Many times I have been invited and have turned down all but one guy and I hunted his place exactly 1 time. I will accept invites to hunt spring turkeys, but I usually turn down deer invites because many of the guys I help have too much pressure on their places already, and if I want to hunt overpresssured ground, I can stick to public land and get that, so I find it better to do just that to keep from increasing pressure on their private ground. I haven't had a place to do any habitat work of my own for the last 3 years since my dad sold his old place and moved to WY, so if someone I know asks for a hand, I give it freely as long as I have nothing else going on with the grandbabies and family at the time. I see no issue with someone having to put in a few "field days" to secure hunting privileges on a piece of ground they are not financial vested in, that's just the right thing to do in my mind and guys who won't offer their "services" should be told to pound sand in my mind and I don't blame anyone for doing so if that is what they feel is best for their situation.
kpj5br
5 year old buck +
Before I bought my place I had two close friends who were really encouraging me to do so (of course they are not in a financial position to do it themselves). I cannot even begin to describe how many times I heard "I'll be up there every weekend" or "I got the mowing covered" or "I'll build stands" or you name it. So last year I made the plunge (mind you not because of that urging because I wanted to). After reality has set in? :) The one friend has been up and helped out twice - mostly giving advice - and both times I picked him up at his house 30 minutes out of my way and dropped him off :) The other has yet to step foot on the property.
I just laugh it off. One of the things I've learned in 20+ years in business is that if you give something away for free, it will be treated just as such, whether it is a physical item, a service, or a privilege/permission - by 75% of people. Yes, there are those 25% out there who are unbelievably grateful and hard workers, thank God for that. Those of us that put our $$ where our mouth is are compelled to take care of it and improve it, I think that's just natural.
My two buddies? Both will be waterfowl hunting with me this year on my other place, and the one who has at least made an attempt is invited to sit in a stand for a few days for deer.
Other than that, I have two 70+ year-olds who are close to me, who honestly can't do much work anymore, the prime spots are reserved for them until they can't physically hunt anymore.
I just laugh it off. One of the things I've learned in 20+ years in business is that if you give something away for free, it will be treated just as such, whether it is a physical item, a service, or a privilege/permission - by 75% of people. Yes, there are those 25% out there who are unbelievably grateful and hard workers, thank God for that. Those of us that put our $$ where our mouth is are compelled to take care of it and improve it, I think that's just natural.
My two buddies? Both will be waterfowl hunting with me this year on my other place, and the one who has at least made an attempt is invited to sit in a stand for a few days for deer.
Other than that, I have two 70+ year-olds who are close to me, who honestly can't do much work anymore, the prime spots are reserved for them until they can't physically hunt anymore.
Weasel
5 year old buck +
Drives you nuts when they are busy all spring & summer but magically when hunting season starts, they are there every weekend for 2 or 3 days then a week or two in November. For years I was always doing most of the work & giving up my best stands so guys could kill deer. Told my wife I'm being selfish this year and I won't feel guilty about it either. I have 2 buddies who have done a ton of work up there and they are welcome to hunt anytime. There's one other guest left whose permission slip may not get filled out this year...
