Broke a guys heart permission to track denied

[Tap]

Im dealing with a similar situation. A non hunting neighbor (good guy) has no hunting experience at all, allows guys to hunt a small 4 acre, bordering hayfield that all the surrounding cover is my property. ALL DEER that they may (gun) shoot comes from my cover that I try very hard to not disturb. The majority of what they shoot will run back (25 yards or less) onto my land. It kills me that they assume the deer they shoot will drop without making it back into my cover, and also that they assume I will be fine with them tracking it when it inevitably runs back onto my property. We are not talking about 2 properties WITHIN COVER, we are talking about a tiny field bordering many acres of prime cover...where the heck is a shot deer gonna run?? Back into the cover of course. I've had 2 of their wounded deer lost on my place in the last 2 years. I recovered one for them this year and the game comm gave me a hard time for "possessing" their deer that I was trying to save for them. Sore subject for me.

 

[Bill]

Im dealing with a similar situation. A non hunting neighbor (good guy) has no hunting experience at all, allows guys to hunt a small 4 acre, bordering hayfield that all the surrounding cover is my property. ALL DEER that they may (gun) shoot comes from my cover that I try very hard to not disturb. The majority of what they shoot will run back (25 yards or less) onto my land. It kills me that they assume the deer they shoot will drop without making it back into my cover, and also that they assume I will be fine with them tracking it when it inevitably runs back onto my property. We are not talking about 2 properties WITHIN COVER, we are talking about a tiny field bordering many acres of prime cover...where the heck is a shot deer gonna run?? Back into the cover of course. I've had 2 of their wounded deer lost on my place in the last 2 years. I recovered one for them this year and the game comm gave me a hard time for "possessing" their deer that I was trying to save for them. Sore subject for me.

I’d talk to the nice neighbor. If that didn’t work I’d invest in a high fence for that portion of the property.

 

[ProcraftMike]

Well, given all the detail that Bill shared, (17 hours since it was hit, 250 plus yard trail, his son trying to get a nice buck in the same area), I think Bill made the right decision in this specific case. If the deer had been recovered, the meat would have been spoiled. My experience with tracking deer, if they make it past 200 yards, recovery seems to drop to less than 50%. They are tough animals!!

But, as others have echoed, once we put an arrow or bullet into an animal, it is our responsibility to recover it. I normally would never deny another hunter the opportunity to recover his deer on my property. I have gone to great means to establish friendships with my adjoining landowners. It is worth it's weight in gold. I am still good friends with a former landowner to the south of me. We even made a trip out west together a few years back.

While it is certainly in our right to put "rules" (how many can track, where they are allowed to track, what time they are allowed to track) on what they can and can't do, it would take a special circumstance for me to deny letting someone track their deer into my property. The last thing you want to do is create tension between you and your neighbors, especially if you don't live close to your land. I respect my neighbors property and he respects mine and in turn, we all keep an eye on each others property.

Maybe I am just fortunate, but I have had 4 different landowners next to me in the last 13 years and my relationship with all of them has been very good. We often compare notes, share camera pics, and report on how the hunts go. We are all relatively small landowners, so I figure we can all gain by working together to benefit the local deer herd.

 

[Bill]

I think part of the story that fell through the cracks is this guy isn’t a neighbor. He’s a friend, of the uncle, of the neighbor and lives at least 500 miles away. Actual neighbor doesn’t deer hunt.

all other neighbors that border me are friends. We won’t screw up each other’s hunts but we won’t deny access if needed. Heck anyone of them would help me yank one out of the woods and vice verses. And, if it was one of them that shot the deer we would have tracked it right after the hit. But that’s different then burning a sanctuary for a guy you don’t know, after the meat is bad.

I’m expanding my property so I’m getting a new neighbor on one side. I’m sure we will work things out. They’ve actually trailed deer on the backend of what I do own once, years ago, with prior permission.

 

[Bill]

Well I’m going to close this. I found what I believe to be this guys buck today. I believe it because the deer was a resident that got his picture taken often. After the neighbors, uncles, friend shot a buck....no more pictures. Found 7/10ths of a mile from the shot in a switchgrass field. No tracking with out a dog would have found a spoiled deer.

I just emailed the guy pictures, if it’s his deer, he gets his rack.

 

[Bill]

And we didn’t blow out the 10 acre sanctuary that my son was hunting the edge of.
Who happened to get his target deer 2 weeks later.

So in the end I think my jerk move worked out

 

[DiSc0Rd]

And we didn’t blow out the 10 acre sanctuary that my son was hunting the edge of.
Who happened to get his target deer 2 weeks later.

So in the end I think my jerk move worked out

I think after all the facts came out the general consensus was it wasn't a jerk move. Also sounds like you upheld your agreement to look for it.

 

[Bill]

And .....

I just got confirmation back from a happy hunter.
not sure I impressed hunting 6 acres is a good thing. But I’m quite sure this hunter is happy. Maybe later we can talk about deer management.

his email back......
I’m not near enough of an an ass

Bill,

That’s him. Hallelujah! I sure appreciate your getting him for me.

I am good with your taking him to Matts. I will let Matt know your going to.

Best Regards,

 

[roymunson]

there's a time to burn bridges with a neighbor, but I've learned you don't always need to get your pound of flesh. He was hunting what he could, you had the right of refusal, but you did the right thing returning the rack to him. He's happy, you didn't blow out your spot, everyone wins, just took some time.

Right Call

 

[bwoods11]

That is a nice buck!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Just curious if you put a tape on it?

 

[Bill]

Just curious if you put a tape on it?

141 6/8 gross.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Thats a dandy 8 pt.

 

[Tree Spud]

And .....

I just got confirmation back from a happy hunter.
not sure I impressed hunting 6 acres is a good thing. But I’m quite sure this hunter is happy. Maybe later we can talk about deer management.

his email back......
I’m not near enough of an an ass

Bill,

That’s him. Hallelujah! I sure appreciate your getting him for me.

I am good with your taking him to Matts. I will let Matt know your going to.

Best Regards,

Nice buck!

Not a jerk move. A jerk is some someone who takes advantage of someone else's misfortune for their gain.

You have clear rules based on your experience's and you honored your commitment to the hunter ... that's a stand-up guy move

 

[ProcraftMike]

That's a nice buck! Too bad it ended the way it did, but that is why they call it hunting. I agree, once all the facts were understood, you did the right thing and all parties benefited from it.

 

[crowskee]

At least the guy had enough character to ask for permission. Even though he is only hunting on 6 acres the fact that he ask permission and then respected your decision says a lot.
I can tell you from experience its nothing more miserable than disrespectful neighbors.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Not a jerk move at all. It didn't end like the guy was hoping it would when he lost that deer. But now that he has his skull at least it's a decent ending.

 

[Telemark]

Bummer. Looks like a young deer.

 

[swat1018]

It's an Ok buck, not a "nice" buck for that area. Bucks like that are a dime a dozen in Bill's area. It would have been a nice buck...

 

[Mortenson]

Any pics of him the year before? Always fun to track progress.