Is it possible to have too good of neighbors?

[Steve Bartylla]

Brad....Don't sweat what you can't control. That's 100% wasted energies and, trust me, will do nothing but drive you nuts and suck the fun out of this for you. I've been there way too many times for way too many years. Pour all your energies into what you can control and let the rest roll off your shoulders like rain. Sure, that's easier said than done by people ate up with this stuff like us, but it's the ONLY rational/logical approach.

NoFo is right that you can get bucks to setup small core areas and really pack them in, BUT others are also right that it occurs sooooooooooooooooo much more in high deer density areas than low densities areas. Your area is and will always be a lower deer density area, as compared to NoFo's ground. Be happy he is passing up the youngsters and stacking in the food. That will help you more than hurt. In your habitat type and deer densities, neither of you will ever grow bucks that don't leave your grounds. It's entirely possible that you won't be able to compete with his bedding. I don't know enough about his ground to say either way. It's FAR from the kiss of death if you can't and doesn't impact your plan either way. Your plan, like the majority I do, focuses on does, offering a surplus of food and creating low impact/high odds stand locations. You do those things right and the rest of the pieces almost fall in place on their own.

I'm a bit selfish as it comes to hunting. I wouldn't divulge too much of how I'm creating those high odds/low impact stands, but I'd be working with that neighbor closely as it applies to sharing intel and creating hit lists. You both win that way.

 

[BJE80]

Brad....Don't sweat what you can't control. That's 100% wasted energies and, trust me, will do nothing but drive you nuts and suck the fun out of this for you. I've been there way too many times for way too many years. Pour all your energies into what you can control and let the rest roll off your shoulders like rain. Sure, that's easier said than done by people ate up with this stuff like us, but it's the ONLY rational/logical approach.

NoFo is right that you can get bucks to setup small core areas and really pack them in, BUT others are also right that it occurs sooooooooooooooooo much more in high deer density areas than low densities areas. Your area is and will always be a lower deer density area, as compared to NoFo's ground. Be happy he is passing up the youngsters and stacking in the food. That will help you more than hurt. In your habitat type and deer densities, neither of you will ever grow bucks that don't leave your grounds. It's entirely possible that you won't be able to compete with his bedding. I don't know enough about his ground to say either way. It's FAR from the kiss of death if you can't and doesn't impact your plan either way. Your plan, like the majority I do, focuses on does, offering a surplus of food and creating low impact/high odds stand locations. You do those things right and the rest of the pieces almost fall in place on their own.

I'm a bit selfish as it comes to hunting. I wouldn't divulge too much of how I'm creating those high odds/low impact stands, but I'd be working with that neighbor closely as it applies to sharing intel and creating hit lists. You both win that way.

The only thing he knows about my plan is the perimeter access plan which I told him about for obvious reasons. Otherwise, I'm keeping my mouth and plan to myself. I'm sure those nice bucks will all step foot on my land this fall. The question is, will it be during daylight. And will I be in the right spot when they do. The right spot is hard since I don't have enough funnels and pinch points to put the odds in my favor. That will be fixed here in the coming years.


Hearing your neighbor has 11 bucks and you have none is demoralizing as losing 80-0 in a football game. Thanks for the pep talk.

 

[BJE80]

For most of this spring/summer my neighbor had a good number of buck pics on his 40, and I had none on my 87. Towards the end of August/beginning of September that situation flipped. I started getting a lot more buck pics and his dwindled.

Those bucks will be spending time on both of our places during this hunting season. Whether either of us is good/lucky enough to connect is anybody's guess...but there are at least 2 decent bucks here that either of us has a chance to score on.

Yeah but historically that hasn't happened. He has consistently more buck traffic all through the year. The only time I see bucks is when they are looking for boo tay.

 

[BJE80]

I re-read this thread and I apologize if I came off as a whiny bitch. :(

 

[Satchmo]

I re-read this thread and I apologize if I came off as a whiny bitch. :(

We all get frustrated about this stuff once in a while. It's easy to do when your passionate about something. Patience my friend.......patience!!!

 

[BJE80]

B.S....if we can't work things out that concern us here where ya gonna do it?

I know my wife won't listen. Hahahah

 

[wiscwhip]

I know my wife won't listen. Hahahah

She might take notice if she saw the bank accounts!:eek: ;)

 

[dipper]

I re-read this thread and I apologize if I came off as a whiny bitch. :(

Hanging out with these Minnesota guys and you are starting to sound like them.
In all seriousness, listening to these guys complain makes me appreciate what I have so much more. you are wise to feel the same way.

 

[chummer]

She might take notice if she saw the bank accounts!:eek: ;)

I think that would be a dark day in many of our lives.

 

[Satchmo]

Hanging out with these Minnesota guys and you are starting to sound like them.
In all seriousness, listening to these guys complain makes me appreciate what I have so much more. you are wise to feel the same way.

Just re-read the whole thread myself and couldn't find one Minnesotan that was doing anything but giving thoughtful, encouraging advise. I did however, find one WI resident trying to stir the pot again. As John so eloquently put it "It's getting old".

 

[Greta&Gus]

Having a brown and down neighbor tell You they killed all 11 bucks is like being a viking fan for life.

As a life long viking van I can say you are spot on.

 

[Greta&Gus]

I know my wife won't listen. Hahahah

'Tell me again why you needed another chainsaw.'

 

[J B]

Like others said, count your blessings that you have a great neighbor. Many that practice qdm would love to be in your shoes. Keep sharing info and work together. See if you can create one continuous sanctuary between your two properties if you haven't already. He may have the plus with the river drainage. Like others said, it's probably more of a travel corridor than anything else. Focus on great cover and huntable stands to catch a mature buck on his feet. His property won't hold all of thr mature bucks no matter what season it is. Stay on your course. Things could get real interesting if you partner together. Maybe share the same hit list. Focus on age vs antler score. Raise the bar as you both have some success. It doesn't take a lot of acres to grow fully mature bucks that sometimes have world class antlers on their heads if you can combine a couple properties like it sounds like you two have. No matter what you do, have fun! Good luck!

 

[buckvelvet]

In the end they are everyones deer, right? Public resource? I love the habitat stuff but what really turns me off is the i gotta out do my neighbor stuff. Just do what you can & enjoy the benefits of it. Your doing well man...


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[buckvelvet]

Competitve? This isnt a mines bigger than yours competition guys. The end result is food on the table, in sports the goal isnt to kill your oppenent, please...


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[buckvelvet]

We're just not cut from the cloth, thats all. I dont shoot anywhere close to the first deer that walks in either. Most of the time id rather just watch them eat what i planted then harvest one anyways..


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[tcook8296]

Just offer the deer more entitlements on your side of the border: like free health care, free cell phones, and social security...for starters. I can guarantee you will have more critters coming across to your side of the line. ;)

I shoot every democrat deer that comes across lol. Hunt your property smarter than your neighbor. Deer don't know property lines and if they feel secure on your property, they will be there. I wish I had a neighbor problem like you. I am the neighbor in the hood that tries to manage the land, my neighbors would rather trample through their properties to sit on my fence. Its a lot easier.

 

[Jameson]

In the end they are everyones deer, right?...

Only if no one shoots them. ;) In the end we are all hoping for some of the deer to become our deer.

 

[buckvelvet]

I don't do this to compete with other hunters. I do this to compete with myself and the deer

I assume your talking about beating your last buck size, i mean deer only grow so big in high fence pens too so there is an end game.

I get what your sayin i just think that much like anything we want when we all work together (personal motives aside) there is a better result.

We all want different things out of something, thats what makes us all unique but i'm just more geared to put other folks on deer and enjoy the hell out of them getting what they desire. Maybe its a fault of mine when it comes to hunting but ahh well...


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[broom_JM]

Your neighbor's success need not be your failure. In fact, hunting doesn't have to be a competition at all. You are presented with an opportunity for synergy in your efforts, with a neighbor you can't say a bad word about. That is a gift horse...so stop looking it in the mouth!

We live in a highly competitive world; many folks these days feel driven to "win" at everything. The only struggle that should occur in hunting is not man vs. man, or even man vs. nature. Unless you are a subsistence hunter, the struggle should be between you and yourself. Leave the deer and the food plots and the neighbor out of it. Go hunt...and do it well, for your own sake. The only challenges you should face are those you set for yourself, not those you imagine someone else has created by doing something "better" than you are.

Heck, you haven't even fully implemented your plan and you're already worried someone else is going to thwart your efforts. Keep your chin up...everything will work out just fine, if you're doing any of this for the right reasons.