Worst neighbor
- Thread starter Howboutthemdawgs
- Start date
Heres the back story we installed tensile wire fence to exclude deer 8ft tall 9 strand hot as could be high buck fencer worked like magic about year 4 bad winter they were hungry ,, does learned they could leap thru and not get a shock they taught the youngsters yearly the tensile fence became useless replaced with 8 ft tall woven the secret is not allowing the does in at all toi teach the general pop . One thing very obvious the does run the herd the bucks follow ,, alot like us in a way
MRBB
5 year old buck +
a small story on 8 ft fence and a buck
it was first week of April, , showed up at farm,, while driving ATV across a field, I seen a nice bucks holding one side of its antler still, way late to be holding an antler!
,So I figured I try and get closer for a better view, the buck started hauling a$$ ran about 300 yards, me following at about 100 yards behind, hoping that one side would fall off and I'd get it HAHA!
that buck went up and over that fence as if NOT there, and kept on running till I couldn't see it any more, and the antler never came off !! even after the big run and big jump and landing!
so, yes bucks jump just as well as doe do!
if they have a reason to get to the other side they will
another thing I noticed is this, there was one section that had a 6 ft wide opening the deer really liked to use to get to a creek for water, there wasn't any good tree's for a stand location, so I figured I would CLOSE that section of fence back up and make a opening where things worked better
the first few sits in that stand, them deer would walk to where the opening was and SMASH into the new section of fence trying to push it back open, and after a while, just JUMP it, even though there was a new wider opening a few feet away, they were determined to go the way they always did?
I would have bet money they would have moved to the new opening, but they never really did minus a odd deer now and then, as I placed a trail cam over new opening for a while to see when they would start using it more often , but they never did!
it was first week of April, , showed up at farm,, while driving ATV across a field, I seen a nice bucks holding one side of its antler still, way late to be holding an antler!
,So I figured I try and get closer for a better view, the buck started hauling a$$ ran about 300 yards, me following at about 100 yards behind, hoping that one side would fall off and I'd get it HAHA!
that buck went up and over that fence as if NOT there, and kept on running till I couldn't see it any more, and the antler never came off !! even after the big run and big jump and landing!
so, yes bucks jump just as well as doe do!
if they have a reason to get to the other side they will
another thing I noticed is this, there was one section that had a 6 ft wide opening the deer really liked to use to get to a creek for water, there wasn't any good tree's for a stand location, so I figured I would CLOSE that section of fence back up and make a opening where things worked better
the first few sits in that stand, them deer would walk to where the opening was and SMASH into the new section of fence trying to push it back open, and after a while, just JUMP it, even though there was a new wider opening a few feet away, they were determined to go the way they always did?
I would have bet money they would have moved to the new opening, but they never really did minus a odd deer now and then, as I placed a trail cam over new opening for a while to see when they would start using it more often , but they never did!
It can always be worse. I have 15 adjacent property owners whose land touches my 300 acres. Yes, fifteen. A number only own five to fifteen acres. Half of them keep a corn feeder out fifty yards from my property line. And no, they arent managing for quality deer. I am. My deer management plan includes not only habitat management, but judicious population management, predator management, and yes, adjacent property owner management.
One of my kids lives two hours south and one two hours north. I am not going to chase the holy grail piece of hunting land. It has taken me twenty years to get my property to what it is now. I am 66 and sure dont want to start over. I live on my property. To be honest, I would rather have a piece of land with moderate quality hunting and live on it or be within an hour of it - than own a high quality hunting land and be over three hours away. But that is me.
I have a buddy in another state who sold a piece of property two years ago he owned and worked for 20 years. He wanted to buy a piece of property closer to his house. He has looked at over fifty pieces of property in the past two years and has only found one that he even considered offering on, but backed out at the last minute because of an easement issue. The point being, when you work and fashion a property to meet your expectations for twenty years - it is going to be difficult to find another piece of property that is anywhere in the same condition as the property you left. My buddy finds it all too easy to find an excuse why not to by a piece of land. Before he owned his land twenty years ago and built it to his dream image, he found it all to easy to find an excuse to buy a piece of land.
Point being, the perfect piece of land is elusive. My land is not the best piece of hunting ground - but I have fashioned it into my image of what a piece of land should be. No, it is not perfect - but I get to live on it and enjoy it everyday. Maybe you can keep chasing the perfect piece of land and eventually find it - or choose to make the best of the situation.
One of my kids lives two hours south and one two hours north. I am not going to chase the holy grail piece of hunting land. It has taken me twenty years to get my property to what it is now. I am 66 and sure dont want to start over. I live on my property. To be honest, I would rather have a piece of land with moderate quality hunting and live on it or be within an hour of it - than own a high quality hunting land and be over three hours away. But that is me.
I have a buddy in another state who sold a piece of property two years ago he owned and worked for 20 years. He wanted to buy a piece of property closer to his house. He has looked at over fifty pieces of property in the past two years and has only found one that he even considered offering on, but backed out at the last minute because of an easement issue. The point being, when you work and fashion a property to meet your expectations for twenty years - it is going to be difficult to find another piece of property that is anywhere in the same condition as the property you left. My buddy finds it all too easy to find an excuse why not to by a piece of land. Before he owned his land twenty years ago and built it to his dream image, he found it all to easy to find an excuse to buy a piece of land.
Point being, the perfect piece of land is elusive. My land is not the best piece of hunting ground - but I have fashioned it into my image of what a piece of land should be. No, it is not perfect - but I get to live on it and enjoy it everyday. Maybe you can keep chasing the perfect piece of land and eventually find it - or choose to make the best of the situation.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Well said. Unfortunately I’m 2 hours away but it does have a nice cabin/house on it and for the first time ever my family is coming with me this weekend to the farm. We are gonna hang out and cook pizza and throw rocks in the pond and go on Ranger and tractor rides. My previous place was off the grid and my wife and little girl wouldn’t have been comfortable at all there.
I guess what I’m worried about is spending more than my house on a hobby/passion property and left without a huntable buck every year cause of my dingleberry neighbors. Hopefully I’m being a worry wart over a minor issue. I know you still manage some really good deer given your challenges.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Hopefully it can work out in your favor somehow. Hey, a guys' gotta get lucky once in a while.
Even if you start with awesome neighbors things can change down the road. Having an outfitter neighbor isn't ideal, but it certainly could be far worse. The outfitter wouldn't be leasing land in your neighborhood if there weren't good deer running around to keep clients happy, so you probably have some good deer on your place.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
You are probably letting your fears get ahead of realty at this point. You can't really do anything about what he or his clients shoot. You also cannot control what the deer do.
We all have experiences with good and bad neighbors. I have basket rack hunters around me and i still manage to take big bucks. Understand he will have a lot of activity on his property and probably over hunt it, that could work to your benefit.
Focus on what you can control....
I would start planting a visual screen ... pines/spruces/poplar ... all along that boundary. You may consider hinge cutting.
If he places a stand on the property line, you do the same. If there are hunters on your line, be disruptive in the area when they are there.
Get cameras out to monitor. On the 1st trespass, prosecute, even his hunters.
Know when he takes hunters out to their stand, and be in your stand before them. Let them bump deer your way.
Meet with and have an agreement on how to handle tracking a buck that is shot and goes on your property.
The bargain you make is, he needs to respect your property so you don't disrupt his business.
I fully understand. I worried about my neighbors for years and finally had to break down and do something to combat their deer hunting effectiveness. I cussed my hogs for years. Finally broke down and spent the cash for a thermal scope and now spend more time hog hunting than deer hunting - and for sure shoot more. I now cuss when I havent got a pic of a hog in two weeks. Never satisfied.
On the other hand - good deal that your family can make use of your new property. In a few years, you may be coaching your daughter while she shoots her first basket rack.
PatinPA
5 year old buck +
I was worried two years ago when a Mennonite family purchase a farm near my property. The Amish/Mennonites have a notoriety around me of being brown is down shoot everything they can people. Immediately rumors started flying that they were bringing in 20-30 people the first day of rifle to hunt their 200 acre farm. I drove by their farm the first morning and there was one truck parked there. Unless it was a clown car, they didn't fit any more than 4 or 5 in it. Never saw any more than three guys there either. Turns out the guy bought that farm because he loves to hunt and also wanted to get away from people. You just never know until you find out for sure.
bwoods11
5 year old buck +
For the most part I would not be a fan of an outfitter as a neighbor. I had one in Iowa for short time, she (yes she) was a great outfitter--limited pressure. I had 2 nice bucks come out of this property and shot them both in a 3 year stretch. Hanging in my man cave as I type.... They were splitting time between my farm and the outfitted farm. In this case, a good outfitter limited the amount of hunters and I was the beneficiary in this case!
She is no longer leasing this farm, so I don't know for sure what to expect this year.
She is no longer leasing this farm, so I don't know for sure what to expect this year.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Here’s the “problem”…the wife just got here for the first time and I’m going to have a hard time getting her away from this view!
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
With good reason!
check out Serious Property Markers and get started posting your property lines
Secure perimeter access for atv/utv and patrol perimeter every trip
i have found it helpful to maintain a presence to let everyone know "I am there"
have fun!!
bill
Buckly
5 year old buck +
I think you’re just going to have to see how it goes for a year. Is this an established outfitter that has had that property for years or just getting into it? You never know, he might be out of business in a few years. I think the hope that this is a really good outfitter and it could be beneficial, is pie in the sky thinking. I don’t know many that would want an outfitter next to them as you know the problems are obvious. As far as a fence, that would have to be determined as a long term project. I would Make it for people, not deer. Hunters won’t shoot a deer across the line on yours if they can’t drag it out of there. If that’s what it takes long term though it could help a lot. Anything that makes people access to your property difficult will help.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Looks like they have been around since 2006 best I can tell. So not a fly by night deal. They actually own the 800 acres behind me and apparently lease/own an additional 3200 acres somewhere else.
I don’t worry at all about them trespassing. I k ow the game warden and this outfitter is established here. I just worry more about losing every 2.5 and 3.5 that I let go.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
I’ve never seen an outfitter tell the truth so I’m going to say they run 1500-2000 tops.
My main concern would be if they have stands on the line.I know one outfitter that did that so the landowner piled a brush pile on his side a few days before opening just in case.Sure enough there was a hunter sitting there 10 yards from the line facing his property so he lit the brush pile up.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
I drove some of the line tonight and didn’t see any. Not that that is gospel but from what I saw it was clean. I will hang windchimes among many other sabotages if they do!
MN Slick
5 year old buck +
They won’t shoot every 2 and 3 year old you pass……just the ones with big frames and great potential. Of course this happens whether it’s an outfitter next door or not.
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