Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: arrow30 on March 05, 2022, 11:42:45 AM
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just listen to this guy.
https://youtu.be/eEiYhlrt4fg
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Watched it from beginning to end. It's kind of refreshing to listen to someone that is not self-promoting and I think a lot of his thoughts are familiar to most of us. There is a reason for persevering that is deep within us.
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If things unexpected come up and prevent me from getting to the woods...that's a bad season. As long as I can spend some time in the woods that's a good season. If I see animals (any) that's better and if I bring home some meat...that's a blessing.
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That all sounds very noble...or something but I can be in the woods anytime. In fact my wife and I hung out in the state forest yesterday. When I go hunting it sure is nice to hunt someplace where there's game and I at least feel like there's a fair chance of success. I'm sick of hunting where the hunting is lousy. I'm sure sick of having to purchase a license to do it.
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I tried to listen to it.
The reality is though we all have rough season now and then.
It's worse if you just don't have a gamey environment to hunt. The reality is there are too many people for the amount of land and game available. Everyone talks about recruiting new hunters but that's just not reasonable.
I spend quite a bit of my disposable income on hunting. I own land in Texas and Missouri. I lease land in Texas and pay for weekend hunts as well. Some high fence, some no fence. I like to hunt and I spent many years hunting places with low game densities. But three years of public land hunting were good enough. Traveling three hours to see few deer and only getting one per year with a rifle was fun, but as soon as I could afford a lease I got one. Several years of mediocre (deer-less) leases and decent leases lead to having more to spend on a couple of great leases. Fortunately I and two friends pooled our resources and bought a good spot. I feel bad that folks are being priced out. But that's not gonna change.
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Loved the video, he elicited a lot of echoes in my soul. I felt sorry that Tex seemed to miss a lot of the experience due to the pressure (self-imposed) of producing a video. The honest feelings of the hunt, and its disappointments, though, resonated loud and clear.
As for buying a license, that is a burden that I shoulder gladly, not joyfully, but gladly, even though I have not killed much in years. The funds go to biologists who study the wildlife and its habitats, determining the health of the animals and their environs. It also funds the game wardens, who help deter those who would harm the waters and wildlife, and steal the game resources from those who hunt legally. The wildlife management areas in my state are purchased with these funds, as well.
Killdeer
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How can anyone have a bad hunting season? Sure, stuff happens. Things can sometimes frustrate and annoy you.
But, OMG!!!!
1) being able to hunt at all is an incredible gift. 2) Having any land at all that we can access to hunt is an incredible gift. 3) hunting is a past time people. It is recreation. Yes, hunting for many of us is more than what is apparent on the surface- and I champion and applaud any of you who find a deeper meaning to the activity. However, none of us "have" to hunt to survive or move forward.
I will never understand (or want to hear) anyone in this country complain about the weather, cost of tags, scarce game or anything regarding the choice they made to participate in hunting.
Good grief. It could be worse. A LOT worse.
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[quote author=Killdeer link=topic=178386.msg2993943#msg2993943 date=1646607796...
As for buying a license, that is a burden that I shoulder gladly, not joyfully, but gladly, ...
Killdeer
[/quote]
X to the tenth power Kathryn!
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And don't get me started on how people being able to "buy" access to good hunting is a huge reason why hunting sucks for a lot of people. But keep on keeping on. As long as you have the means, keep on heaping your plates.
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This guy is a YouTube wannabe. Check out his fast draw gun video where he shoots himself in the leg. Pretty sure he was living in his patents’s basement at the time. Unbelievable…….
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I posted and copied the video on You Tube where he shot himself but deleted it quickly as it contained some bad words. You can find it easily. I have no words about this guy.
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How can anyone have a bad hunting season? Sure, stuff happens. Things can sometimes frustrate and annoy you.
But, OMG!!!!
1) being able to hunt at all is an incredible gift. 2) Having any land at all that we can access to hunt is an incredible gift. 3) hunting is a past time people. It is recreation. Yes, hunting for many of us is more than what is apparent on the surface- and I champion and applaud any of you who find a deeper meaning to the activity. However, none of us "have" to hunt to survive or move forward.
I will never understand (or want to hear) anyone in this country complain about the weather, cost of tags, scarce game or anything regarding the choice they made to participate in hunting.
Good grief. It could be worse. A LOT worse.
I grew up hunting. I guess it's a choice but it can get ingrained and be a hard thing to walk away from. My complaining posts are me trying to quit hunting. My hunting is mostly hunting for a place to hunt.
I haven't purchased a deer tag in several years. I own 4 acres that I live on and deer come through once in a while up until the leaves fall. I sit out there some to feed the hunting bug.
I've still been purchasing a small game license because my son has been coming up for opening weekend of squirrel season. My company owns a small patch of woods that's good for a weekend or so. Other guys hunt it for deer especially the gun season so I stay out.
We have a WMA close by but dodging other hunters and not seeing game just isn't any fun. It's not even much good for small game. I've never seen a rabbit there (there must be some) and I covered so many miles when I used to squirrel hunt there.
The state just keeps doing whatever they can to cram more hunters onto the place. For example they cited the need to get more hunters in the woods during bow season when they legalized crossbows. They don't need more hunters on the WMA.
For various reasons I'm not in a position to do much traveling to hunt. I used to hunt the national forest in the southern part of the state when I was self employed but now I just can't spend much time down there.
How do you have a bad season? I see countless deer and turkey while I'm driving back and forth to work. The deer keep trying to bounce off my vehicles but I can't hunt them. The last deer actually broadsided my truck at a dead run while I was parked...honest. I saw deer up ahead messing around. I slowed. They still hung around on both sides of the road so I stopped. While I was stopped and sipping on my coffee a doe slammed into the truck just in front of the drivers door and bounced up on the windshield. It was dark and I didn't see her coming from that side...she wasn't in my headlight beam. I just about peed myself. Edit: If I lived in a city and wasn't taunted by seeing 100 deer a week (sometimes more) it might not be so hard to just put it out of my mind.
For the last few years I've concentrated on the fishing and that makes for a happy season rather than a depressing season. I have some pretty good fishing available into October and sometimes later depending on weather. For some reason I got the hunting bug again this year and it isn't any fun at all.
At this point it's only that single weekend chasing squirrels with my son that keeps my buying a combo (hunting/fishing) rather than just fishing. Over the last 25 years I've had a handful of land owners let me hunt squirrels. NOBODY here lets you deer hunt.
And I ordered broadheads yesterday...I wish I could explain that.
I think this is how hunting dies. I realize that some areas are much better but that's not where most people live. I don't have a fix and all I can do is vote with my dollars.
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I don’t have any acres. I travel 4 hours to the National Forest and camp. I stay for three weeks. I haven’t killed a deer since… well I am an old lady and I don’t do numbers well. I bought a lifetime license to hunt and fish, and a lifetime license for trout. I still have to buy the varied licenses for deer and turkey, and bear, and archery, National Forest stamp, and muzzleloader. In all, it costs me what it did thirty years ago when I had to buy ALL of them.
For about a week, I have friends in camp, so I enjoy providing a cookshack and campfire. Maybe even some food…
As has been said before, just being there is enough!
Count blessings, make a way to do it, unless it becomes a chore. You are blessed with a son to mentor. Enjoy!
Killdeer :campfire:
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I don’t have any acres. I travel 4 hours to the National Forest and camp. I stay for three weeks. I haven’t killed a deer since… well I am an old lady and I don’t do numbers well. I bought a lifetime license to hunt and fish, and a lifetime license for trout. I still have to buy the varied licenses for deer and turkey, and bear, and archery, National Forest stamp, and muzzleloader. In all, it costs me what it did thirty years ago when I had to buy ALL of them.
For about a week, I have friends in camp, so I enjoy providing a cookshack and campfire. Maybe even some food…
As has been said before, just being there is enough!
Count blessings, make a way to do it, unless it becomes a chore. You are blessed with a son to mentor. Enjoy!
Killdeer :campfire:
The national forest is 31/2 hours for me but I can't stay for three weeks. If I recall, it's only legal to stay for 14 consecutive days and something like 30 days annually?
This section of national forest isn't far from good sized towns and it is NOT a nice place to be on the weekend when the weather is decent. No joke. I don't like leaving my wife in camp (on the weekend) while I hunt and I'm sure not comfortable leaving camp unattended. We've had some real adventures there.
I haven't explored the entire National forest in the state so there might be areas in the forest that aren't as popular. I don't know.
Don't get me wrong. There aren't many hunters during bow season so once you get into the woods you have the place to yourself. It's the areas near the road where you can park that sees the crowds.
When I was self employed I just went during the week. This past fall my wife talked me into a weekend camping trip down there. We got there early Friday morning so we had our pick of spots but I almost headed home then. Everyplace you could pull off the road was covered in broken glass and, worse, people have been hacking up trees...apparently just for fun. Been seeing more and more of this in recent years. Anyway the result is there are large, dead (killed by axe) trees just about everyplace you might be tempted to set up camp waiting to fall on your head.
It took most of the day Friday to find a spot clear of widow makers, clear the trash and get camp most of the way set up. All the spots we used to like to use were just trashed.
Edit: "Just being there" is not enough. I'm going to attempt to require more from state government.
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21 days.
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21 days.
General Camping Rules
Campers may stay up to 14 consecutive days within a 30-day period. Campers may not stay on the Forest in excess of 30 days total in a calendar year.
From https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/cs/detail/!ut/p/z0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8zijQwgwNHCwN_DI8zPyBcqYKBfkO2oCABZcx5g/?position=Notices.Html&pname=Hoosier%20National%20Forest-%20Recreation&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ss=110912&pnavid=null&navid=110000000000000&ttype=detail&cid=stelprdb5288194
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I don't know if it's different in other states but here it's 14 days. When I lived and hunted in Illinois it was 14 there also.
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GEORGE WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON NATIONAL FORESTS Order Number 12-08-17
Occupancy and Use
Pursuant to the provisions of Title 36, code of Federal Regulations, Section 261.50(a), for the health and safety of the public, and for the protection of resources, the following acts are prohibited on all National Forest lands within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
1. Camping for more than 21 days within a 31 day time period. 36 CFR 261.58(a)
Pursuant to 36 CFR, Section 261.50 (e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1.
2.
3.
Any Federal, State, or Local Officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force engaged in performance of an official duty.
Anyone with a permit from the Forest Supervisor authorizing the prohibited activity.
Persons using developed campgrounds operated W1der concession may occupy campsites for a period of 28 consecutive days between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
Just lifted from http://www.fs.usda.gov/gwj
Been camping there since 1986.
I am done on this thread.
Killdeer
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I am not bitching at all I am truly bless but last 2021 fire season keep me from hunting was under some forum of evacuation warning or was evacuated from July through October.
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I e hunted nothing but public land my whole life in Louisiana, Mississippi. A lot of those areas have really low deer numbers and almost unbelievable hunting pressure. I hunted Illinois for the first time this year on public land. I’d say if your having trouble finding deer in Illinois you got bigger issues than camera angles lol. Looks to me like he was hunting the same spot the whole season and maybe 8 foot off the ground? Looked like to me he was just making up excuses.
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I e hunted nothing but public land my whole life in Louisiana, Mississippi. A lot of those areas have really low deer numbers and almost unbelievable hunting pressure. I hunted Illinois for the first time this year on public land. I’d say if your having trouble finding deer in Illinois you got bigger issues than camera angles lol. Looks to me like he was hunting the same spot the whole season and maybe 8 foot off the ground? Looked like to me he was just making up excuses.
Where did you hunt in Il? I lived a good portion of my life due west of Chicago. I used to hunt Lowden Miller state forest and another place in that area called Castle Rock. I don't remember if the later was part of the state park or a WMA using the name of the rock.
During those years my kids were young and I was a single custodial parent so I didn't actually hunt very much. The kids and I would spend several weekends out there "scouting" before the season opened. We'd pick a spot for my stand and on the last trip I'd put it up in a tree.
I took my son out there with me a few times. We'd go out there walking around pretending like we were going to sneak up on something. I actually got him close to a few deer and have some neat stories but I never took a shot.
I used to squirrel hunt the national forest southwest of Carbondale but I only deer hunted down there once. I had a family by the time I started deer hunting. The National forest where I hunted was 7 or 8 hours away so that wasn't something that was going to happen.
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I had a bad season once (due to outside influences), but decided to take control of my situation, changed some folks in my life, and made some other changes. All good before and since!
As to making opportunity, it's out there. One focus is managing expectations, sometimes it is thinking outside the box for hunting opportunity, and most is just plain hard work. Finding a place to hunt is the start, but maintaining the relationships that make that possible is what gives the opportunity in the long haul.
I've worked really, really hard and made lots of what some folks would call "sacrifices" over the years to have the opportunities for hunting that I do now. I'll never feel guilty about that. The main difference around here where I live between having a place to hunt or not having it generally boils down to how bad a guy wants it, and how hard he will work for it.
I don't think the guy on the video is trying very hard. At least by the way he portrays himself, he seems to feel he's the victim and has no other choice....maybe that's just for his "online persona" though....
R
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I'm referring to big game hunting with archery equipment since 1970 as I respond to the OP's question.
I've had only one bad hunting season and it was a season in 1992 when I chose not to hunt because I was disgusted with the low populations in the area I lived. Frankly, I boycotted the season. Didn't hurt or impact anyone but me. I was being a not so big baby. I knocked on doors of 14 landowners that summer, using plat book maps. Every single one was leased, some only to quail hunters, who didn't want deer hunters on the property. Met some nice people though. I didn't blame any of them their landowner decisions.
Other seasons, opportunity or not I've enjoyed the time in the woods, the stand, and to and from.
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Sometimes we have to get out of our bubble and try something else if what we’re doing isn’t working. If we really want it bad enough, most of the time, we can find a way to make it happen. My “bad” seasons were poor choices of company by me. I’ve remedied that…
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I got to hand it to the guy for keeping it real, very funny. I would hope he's being more sarcastic than anything. If you have hunted very much you can relate and laugh with him and not at him. I hunt and fish because for some reason my primal instincts draw me to it, I love it regardless of the outcome, I feel blessed to do so, it's a spiritual experience for me. I hunt and fish public land and offer my time and money when possible to do so. If you take the time and energy to get involved and try and help to make things better instead of complaining and being negative things will get better, but it has to be an effort from all involved, half ass talk and inaction don't cut it.
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A few posts have made mention of making opportunities, work or sacrifice. I'm no stranger to work but I've definitely struck out at securing permission to hunt private land near where I live.
I'm glad the WMA is there but, for many reasons, I haven't really enjoyed hunting there. I'm not sure what it would mean to "offer my time and money to do so".
I love wandering the national forest for deer or squirrels but it's far away so I just don't get to spend much time there.
I considered buying some property but the places I found locally were just too much to spend for a little hunting. Similar situation with leases. Someone wealthier or younger might look at this differently.
I could plan a hunting trip of some kind someplace. I probably will at some point. I actually have family out of state that owns land they purchased and developed specifically for killing deer and they kill a lot of them. They have invited me down there to kill something. I've almost gone once or twice but at the last minute I realize it isn't the sort of hunting I'm really looking for.
I don't really like to take trips and I have other pressing uses for my limited vacation time. I don't even travel to fish. 95% of my fishing is smallmouth bass on a local river.
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Rough year. Didn't get to hunt due to back surgery. Hopes are high for next year, though.
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Earlier I mentioned a patch of woods my company owns where I take my son squirrel hunting. I don't remember exactly but it's maybe 15 acres. I haven't deer hunted there very much for a couple of reasons. It's not all that big and surrounded by crop field and we absolutely do NOT have permission to venture on the neighbors land for any reason. I don't know the history there but the warning came with permission to hunt. There's another guy who's been hunting it during gun season. Nobody told me I couldn't hunt when he was but I just stayed away during gun season.
So I got thinking about some of the things said in this thread and thought maybe I should try again and harder to make use of opportunities like this. So I'm with the boss yesterday and mentioned that I might hunt it a little more this year. Well go figure, it looks like the company might close it up.
Apparently the other guy who was hunting is also an employee (at another facility so I don't know him). He heats his house with wood so the company was letting him cut wood out there. The guy also has some sort of store, junk shop or something and it came to the attention of the company that he was selling wood. Wood that he was given to heat his house. Then the question came up as to whether or not he was cutting live trees. Well they were alive until he cut them down. So the boss cut off the wood thing. I guess the guy's wife decided that this was something owed to them and she called everybody and their uncle all the way up.
Somebody in that chain asked about the liability risk of letting people play with chain saws on the property. That grew into the question of liability risk of letting anybody out there for anything. I mentioned the state legal protections for property owners allowing recreational use of their land. I offered to sign a waiver or even enter into a lease of some kind. My division of the corp produces pork (I'm the maintenance Manager for a pretty large bread to wean). I'm not sure they're going to want to mess with this. The cheapest, safest most cost effective answer is to just POST it. We're not all that large but we have a well staffed and well paid "risk management" department. Their job is to minimize financial risk...things like feed mills exploding, chemical spills, Osha fines and workman comp claims. Because of my position I deal with these guys quite a bit. If the question is put to these guys I'm pretty sure I know the answer.
LOL, I should have hunted there last year.
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I would see this guy at the Archery Trade Show for several years going back 5+ years ago running around with that cowboy hat, army patterned camo pants, and a cutoff sleeve t-shirt. My first and lasting impression is "goofball". I still feel that is accurate. He is what I call a poser or decoy. As a You Tuber, I hope he appreciates me "Keeping it Real".
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Earlier I mentioned a patch of woods my company owns where I take my son squirrel hunting. I don't remember exactly but it's maybe 15 acres. I haven't deer hunted there very much for a couple of reasons. It's not all that big and surrounded by crop field and we absolutely do NOT have permission to venture on the neighbors land for any reason. I don't know the history there but the warning came with permission to hunt. There's another guy who's been hunting it during gun season. Nobody told me I couldn't hunt when he was but I just stayed away during gun season.
So I got thinking about some of the things said in this thread and thought maybe I should try again and harder to make use of opportunities like this. So I'm with the boss yesterday and mentioned that I might hunt it a little more this year. Well go figure, it looks like the company might close it up.
Apparently the other guy who was hunting is also an employee (at another facility so I don't know him). He heats his house with wood so the company was letting him cut wood out there. The guy also has some sort of store, junk shop or something and it came to the attention of the company that he was selling wood. Wood that he was given to heat his house. Then the question came up as to whether or not he was cutting live trees. Well they were alive until he cut them down. So the boss cut off the wood thing. I guess the guy's wife decided that this was something owed to them and she called everybody and their uncle all the way up.
Somebody in that chain asked about the liability risk of letting people play with chain saws on the property. That grew into the question of liability risk of letting anybody out there for anything. I mentioned the state legal protections for property owners allowing recreational use of their land. I offered to sign a waiver or even enter into a lease of some kind. My division of the corp produces pork (I'm the maintenance Manager for a pretty large bread to wean). I'm not sure they're going to want to mess with this. The cheapest, safest most cost effective answer is to just POST it. We're not all that large but we have a well staffed and well paid "risk management" department. Their job is to minimize financial risk...things like feed mills exploding, chemical spills, Osha fines and workman comp claims. Because of my position I deal with these guys quite a bit. If the question is put to these guys I'm pretty sure I know the answer.
LOL, I should have hunted there last year.
I don’t know what to tell you. You either want to hunt or you don’t. I drove 12 hours one way to Illinois. Had to pay to stay in a RV campground because no tent camping was allowed in the area. Stayed in that tent thru rain, freezing temps etc. That’s part of it. I killed one of the biggest 8 points I’ve ever seen and two does for the trouble. Not a single hunt did I not see deer. After the first week and I made some adjustments there wasn’t a day I didn’t have at least a couple deer in bow range all on public land. If I lived within 5 hours of that place and only had to pay the resident Lisence fee I could have stacked deer up like firewood. You either want it or you don’t.
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Earlier I mentioned a patch of woods my company owns where I take my son squirrel hunting. I don't remember exactly but it's maybe 15 acres. I haven't deer hunted there very much for a couple of reasons. It's not all that big and surrounded by crop field and we absolutely do NOT have permission to venture on the neighbors land for any reason. I don't know the history there but the warning came with permission to hunt. There's another guy who's been hunting it during gun season. Nobody told me I couldn't hunt when he was but I just stayed away during gun season.
So I got thinking about some of the things said in this thread and thought maybe I should try again and harder to make use of opportunities like this. So I'm with the boss yesterday and mentioned that I might hunt it a little more this year. Well go figure, it looks like the company might close it up.
Apparently the other guy who was hunting is also an employee (at another facility so I don't know him). He heats his house with wood so the company was letting him cut wood out there. The guy also has some sort of store, junk shop or something and it came to the attention of the company that he was selling wood. Wood that he was given to heat his house. Then the question came up as to whether or not he was cutting live trees. Well they were alive until he cut them down. So the boss cut off the wood thing. I guess the guy's wife decided that this was something owed to them and she called everybody and their uncle all the way up.
Somebody in that chain asked about the liability risk of letting people play with chain saws on the property. That grew into the question of liability risk of letting anybody out there for anything. I mentioned the state legal protections for property owners allowing recreational use of their land. I offered to sign a waiver or even enter into a lease of some kind. My division of the corp produces pork (I'm the maintenance Manager for a pretty large bread to wean). I'm not sure they're going to want to mess with this. The cheapest, safest most cost effective answer is to just POST it. We're not all that large but we have a well staffed and well paid "risk management" department. Their job is to minimize financial risk...things like feed mills exploding, chemical spills, Osha fines and workman comp claims. Because of my position I deal with these guys quite a bit. If the question is put to these guys I'm pretty sure I know the answer.
LOL, I should have hunted there last year.
I don’t know what to tell you. You either want to hunt or you don’t. I drove 12 hours one way to Illinois. Had to pay to stay in a RV campground because no tent camping was allowed in the area. Stayed in that tent thru rain, freezing temps etc. That’s part of it. I killed one of the biggest 8 points I’ve ever seen and two does for the trouble. Not a single hunt did I not see deer. After the first week and I made some adjustments there wasn’t a day I didn’t have at least a couple deer in bow range all on public land. If I lived within 5 hours of that place and only had to pay the resident Lisence fee I could have stacked deer up like firewood. You either want it or you don’t.
Where did you hunt in Illinois? I've hunted some pretty good places in Illinois but I never had that many deer in bow range in such a short time. Were you able to make a bunch of scouting trips or something?
In ay case, I understand that deer can be killed and more so if time and money aren't an issue. I'm not able to make many multi-day trips like that and I'm not sure I want to make any. As I explained I could travel 10 or 12 hours and get to family owned property where they have it set up to "stack deer like firewood"...even with their feeders and permanent stands I'm not sure they can actually stack them like firewood. Just not the kind of thing I'm looking for I guess.
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To me, that video is just one excuse after another. The attitude is of defeat. I've hunted many different states; mostly public land and have killed deer on most of them. The southern Illinois ground I've hunted in the past has PLENTY of deer. Same for MO, KS, Iowa, GA, AL. Lots of deer. Now, you may have to do some walking to find the good spots. May have to get up early, hunt till dark. Work for it. And if you're not hunting fresh sign, you're not hunting deer. You're just enjoying nature. It amazes me how many people don't understand that.
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I couldn't listen to whatever he was talking about and I don't know where he's located. I can relate to hunting the same area even when you don't expect to see deer. I do it at home all the time. I know that once the leaves are down almost all the deer traffic is at night. Sometimes I feel like sitting for a while anyway so I go out back and get in one of my stands. Usually there's no deer just as I expect but once in a while one wanders by.
Why would somebody do that? Because I enjoy it more than some available alternatives. I don't know what he has available.
The question I'd ask is why one would make a video of it? My hunting isn't very good but I don't put it on TV. LOL
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Earlier I mentioned a patch of woods my company owns where I take my son squirrel hunting. I don't remember exactly but it's maybe 15 acres. I haven't deer hunted there very much for a couple of reasons. It's not all that big and surrounded by crop field and we absolutely do NOT have permission to venture on the neighbors land for any reason. I don't know the history there but the warning came with permission to hunt. There's another guy who's been hunting it during gun season. Nobody told me I couldn't hunt when he was but I just stayed away during gun season.
So I got thinking about some of the things said in this thread and thought maybe I should try again and harder to make use of opportunities like this. So I'm with the boss yesterday and mentioned that I might hunt it a little more this year. Well go figure, it looks like the company might close it up.
Apparently the other guy who was hunting is also an employee (at another facility so I don't know him). He heats his house with wood so the company was letting him cut wood out there. The guy also has some sort of store, junk shop or something and it came to the attention of the company that he was selling wood. Wood that he was given to heat his house. Then the question came up as to whether or not he was cutting live trees. Well they were alive until he cut them down. So the boss cut off the wood thing. I guess the guy's wife decided that this was something owed to them and she called everybody and their uncle all the way up.
Somebody in that chain asked about the liability risk of letting people play with chain saws on the property. That grew into the question of liability risk of letting anybody out there for anything. I mentioned the state legal protections for property owners allowing recreational use of their land. I offered to sign a waiver or even enter into a lease of some kind. My division of the corp produces pork (I'm the maintenance Manager for a pretty large bread to wean). I'm not sure they're going to want to mess with this. The cheapest, safest most cost effective answer is to just POST it. We're not all that large but we have a well staffed and well paid "risk management" department. Their job is to minimize financial risk...things like feed mills exploding, chemical spills, Osha fines and workman comp claims. Because of my position I deal with these guys quite a bit. If the question is put to these guys I'm pretty sure I know the answer.
LOL, I should have hunted there last year.
I don’t know what to tell you. You either want to hunt or you don’t. I drove 12 hours one way to Illinois. Had to pay to stay in a RV campground because no tent camping was allowed in the area. Stayed in that tent thru rain, freezing temps etc. That’s part of it. I killed one of the biggest 8 points I’ve ever seen and two does for the trouble. Not a single hunt did I not see deer. After the first week and I made some adjustments there wasn’t a day I didn’t have at least a couple deer in bow range all on public land. If I lived within 5 hours of that place and only had to pay the resident Lisence fee I could have stacked deer up like firewood. You either want it or you don’t.
Where did you hunt in Illinois? I've hunted some pretty good places in Illinois but I never had that many deer in bow range in such a short time. Were you able to make a bunch of scouting trips or something?
In ay case, I understand that deer can be killed and more so if time and money aren't an issue. I'm not able to make many multi-day trips like that and I'm not sure I want to make any. As I explained I could travel 10 or 12 hours and get to family owned property where they have it set up to "stack deer like firewood"...even with their feeders and permanent stands I'm not sure they can actually stack them like firewood. Just not the kind of thing I'm looking for I guess.
Second time you asked and the second time I ain’t telling the internet where I’m hunting lol. Not trying to be rude but what exactly do you want? You don’t want to hunt multiple days. You don’t want to drive to family land. Everyone would like to walk out their back door and be 100 yards from the house and kill big bucks. That ain’t reality. What I’m telling you is. You and The dufuss in the cowboy hat live in one of the best deer hunting states there is. I saw deer standing IN the dollar store parking lot. I’m not talking about in the woods next to the parking lot I mean in the parking lot. Deer all over. Illinois has plenty of public land. What I saw and what I continue to see in the Midwest. Deer that barley ever look up, bucks big bucks moving in daylight a lot and before the rut. High populations of deer in tiny little wood lots Ray Charles could find them. And then there’s the hunting pressure. Never fails the locals WILL NOT go in the woods. They spend all their time on the edge of the fields in pop up blinds or hanging in a tree right on the edge. The only human being I saw IN the actual woods were some guys from Georgia. We had a laugh about it when I said I knew they weren’t from Illinois when I seen them in the woods. The deer like all prey species only have to be a little smarter than the predators they usually encounter. When someone that has hunted public land in the Deep South shows up it’s almost unfair. You really need to come to Louisiana and hunt some National Forest. You will get an education on pressured deer and too many hunters. Until then stay outa them woods lol it’s scary in there. Besides I’ll be back in October and I like it like it is all too myself
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Baylee,
I only ask where you hunted because I hunted Illinois for many years and I'm familiar with some areas. I think I already posted those areas though...what do you think the internet will do with that information? It was state and national forest. I didn't give gps numbers to my secret persimmon tree.
I'm well aware how many deer are here. On an average week I probably see 100 or so while driving to work and back but there are times I've seen that many in a single afternoon. Although, I've never had the chance to hunt someplace with deer density like that. The deer density in the national forest of the southern part of the state is nothing like what it here where I live. You don't see deer like that on the local WMA during hunting season either.
I'm no stranger to winter camping or making long treks into the woods...although I'm not sure how I'd get a deer out now days. There's some pretty rough country in the southern part of Indiana and I'm not as young as I was then.
You asked what I want. I didn't ask for anything. Someone earlier in the thread asked how you could have a "bad hunting season" I attempted to answer that question. I guess I could have been more to the point about it. Driving past deer everyday that I can't hunt while acquaintances show up at my door to show off dead deer or text me pictures all the while being unable to participate...makes for a "bad season" for me.
When I weight the cost of travel, vacation time, out of state tags etc. against other demands on the time and money I generally decide not to do it. There are many things in the world that I can't afford or choose not to buy anyway. I'm mostly used to that.
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You really need to come to Louisiana and hunt some National Forest. You will get an education on pressured deer and too many hunters. Until then stay outa them woods lol it’s scary in there. Besides I’ll be back in October and I like it like it is all too myself
I grew up just west of Chicago. Do you think I don't know about pressured hunting? Check out the Des Plains hunting area some time. Do you really think I'm afraid to go into the woods? It seems to me that you're assuming an awful lot about somebody you've never met.
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To me, that video is just one excuse after another. The attitude is of defeat. I've hunted many different states; mostly public land and have killed deer on most of them. The southern Illinois ground I've hunted in the past has PLENTY of deer. Same for MO, KS, Iowa, GA, AL. Lots of deer. Now, you may have to do some walking to find the good spots. May have to get up early, hunt till dark. Work for it. And if you're not hunting fresh sign, you're not hunting deer. You're just enjoying nature. It amazes me how many people don't understand that.
If my set up allowed me to like a post I'd like this one.
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Hmmm...hunt fresh sign and it's ok to go into the woods a ways. Got it.
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Hunting in Indiana sucks! Everyone should just go to another state and save yourself some grief.
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Hunting in Indiana is great for those have access to some of that good hunting. I've been spending my time and money on other things.
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I just looked at the license fee increases for this year. I only have two things to say. "Wow!" and "No!"
I get a lot of use out of the fishing license so I'll buy one more. Next year I qualify for a senior fishing license...3$/year or 23$ for a lifetime license...they'll probably jack up that price before I get there too.
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I intend for this to be my last post to this thread...although I could change my mind. LOL
Given my dim prospects in Indiana (nothing close to home) and the increase in license fees and the scarcity of vacation time I thought I might like to hunt my old stomping grounds in the Illinois national forest again. It's just a little further to drive. I used to see more deer down there in a single week of driving back and forth from the main road to camp than I have in all the years that I've been hunting the Hoosier National forest...just comparing these two specific areas.
Sticker shock! Over $400 for an archery tag? I have $400 but when you add in enough time (vacation time) to make for a fair chance of success it's beyond my budget.
So this has been a good thread for me. For many years I've been dancing around trying to ignore one basic fact which is that hunting is something that I can't really afford. Well, not the kind of hunting where you have much of a chance of actually killing something.
Thanks for your patience.
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Lol again. You guys need a little perspective in your life. The Hoosier National Forest has plenty of deer. There were a lot of hunters in some areas but a short walk would put you far enough away to see deer. I killed a decent size buck but saw some really nice ones that I didn’t get a shot at. Save your vacation this year. End of November come down to Louisiana you can stay at my house. You can walk out my back door and hunt National Forest. If you can get a daytime picture of a buck in that National Forest I’ll pay your gas money both ways to get here, lol. You have no idea what pressured low density deer areas are like. I’m not exaggerating you can drive these roads thru the NF for days and not see ANY deer in the daytime. So many people in the woods the deer are absolutely nocturnal by Sept 1 that’s fawns does and especially bucks. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I have to drive thru at least 5 miles of NF to get to town and I may see 2 deer a year from the truck. In Indiana or Illinois I’d see 20 a day within site of Wallmart. Your dealing with a whole different world up there. The thing is you don’t realize just how much better it is there.
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Baylee ain't kiddin. I had a guy call from LA about the lease I manage, asked how many deer sightings per day roughly. When I told him if I didn't see 6 or 8 per hunt I felt like I'd screwed up.
He said he saw 2 last year. Of course he may not spend as much time at it as I do either...
Baylee, I'd move! LOL I like seein deer too much ... :biglaugh:
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Lol again. You guys need a little perspective in your life. The Hoosier National Forest has plenty of deer. There were a lot of hunters in some areas but a short walk would put you far enough away to see deer. I killed a decent size buck but saw some really nice ones that I didn’t get a shot at. Save your vacation this year. End of November come down to Louisiana you can stay at my house. You can walk out my back door and hunt National Forest. If you can get a daytime picture of a buck in that National Forest I’ll pay your gas money both ways to get here, lol. You have no idea what pressured low density deer areas are like. I’m not exaggerating you can drive these roads thru the NF for days and not see ANY deer in the daytime. So many people in the woods the deer are absolutely nocturnal by Sept 1 that’s fawns does and especially bucks. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I have to drive thru at least 5 miles of NF to get to town and I may see 2 deer a year from the truck. In Indiana or Illinois I’d see 20 a day within site of Wallmart. Your dealing with a whole different world up there. The thing is you don’t realize just how much better it is there.
I love hunting the Hoosier National Forest. Though the area I've hunted doesn't have near the deer density that we have near home out in farm country...but I like to hunt it anyway. The problem is the distance. I just don't get to hunt there very often. Maybe when I retire that'll be a more viable option.
The problem with the local WMA is the hunting pressure vs the number of deer...yes nocturnal deer and tripping over people and deer stands.
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I hunted in Indiana from 1970-1989 when I lived there. I've hunted there a few years since then. Without any doubt whatsoever, the biggest deer I've seen in my life were in Indiana. I killed a 9-point with a bow that field dressed 265 in the early 80's. That was in NW Indiana (Elkhart County). When I killed that big'n I fancied myself a "trophy hunter". I passed up great deer the next three years looking for giant deer. Learned a lot, one of the things I learned that passing great deer hoping for the greatest deer is as much fun as hunting with a camera...for me... not fun.
My best friend hunts in Tippecanoe county, Indiana. He has bow-killed several deer over 150 and passed many more.
I didn't do quite as well in Orange County when I was manager of Patoka Lake (1985-1989) before moving to Kansas.
Here's one for you, the worst deer hunting period in my life was the 3.5 years I lived in Kansas.
The one buck rule is already producing great results in Indiana, just like here in Kentucky.
All my hunting has been and continues to be on private land. Not because deer are lacking, but because I don't want to interact with people I don't know.
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There's nothing wrong with the number or the size of deer here in northern Indiana. Deer are easy to find. I know a drunk who kills a big buck just about every year from the very same tree. It takes great effort to NOT hit them with my vehicle...or to not let them hit me. They're everywhere. LOL
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Fortunate to be able to hunt Government land, when I get drawn. Last two years sat home. General, non-whitetail hunting allowed with permit; weekends only.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2:
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Drawings for public land here too. I'm sitting out turkey season because all the public land in this part of the state is hunting by drawing only and they require you to buy the turkey tag and "game bird habitat stamp" BEFORE you enter the drawing...most people don't get drawn so you're just donating your money.
Too many hunters and not enough land to hunt.
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It wasn't the best but not the worst either.
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Luckily here in GA our season never ends.... I just didn't get our much this year at all in the fall. Too much going on with my girls. Thanks a good thing though.
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I travel a lot to hunt and pretty much all on public land, never have a problem finding game to hunt and never had a bad season... some are just better than others.
It's good that you 1, are able to travel and 2, that you like to travel. I never thought of game as being hard to find. Travel time and money now that's difficult.
Most of my available travel time is used to visit the kids and grandkids but, truth be told, I hate to travel. As much as I want to go hunting I can't get myself to pull the trigger on a trip...if I even knew where to go.
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Luckily here in GA our season never ends.... I just didn't get our much this year at all in the fall. Too much going on with my girls. Thanks a good thing though.
As far as hunting, I wish I lived someplace like that. I have family in Arkansas and they have tons of good hunting available.
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Plenty of hunting opportunity here in Texas if you want to pay to day hunt. Public Land is scattered around but much of it is limited as to what you can hunt. 3 hour drive one way to go hunt hogs on a heavily pressured hog population. Deer is drawing only with very low drawing success.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2:
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I travel a lot to hunt and pretty much all on public land, never have a problem finding game to hunt and never had a bad season... some are just better than others.
It's good that you 1, are able to travel and 2, that you like to travel. I never thought of game as being hard to find. Travel time and money now that's difficult.
Most of my available travel time is used to visit the kids and grandkids but, truth be told, I hate to travel. As much as I want to go hunting I can't get myself to pull the trigger on a trip...if I even knew where to go.
Not sure why you think my post was directed at you? Just replying to the topic.
I didn't think your post was directed at me. I was just commenting on what you said.
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Ah, I would say something along the lines of what I heard Asbell say in camp once, 'it was a little dry'. :campfire:
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Right before the rut started on Long Island I messed up my rotator cuff tendon and couldn't lift my arm without extreme pain, couldn't sleep either. Iced it down off and on for three days and then followed some youtube videos doing pt and it started feeling better but couldn't pull back my bow. Went to check my cameras and found that two stands were stolen. Found a nice rub line though and figured I'd give it a shot when I could shoot. Second time sitting the stand was able to shot a nice 8 pointer. felt blessed to have been given lemons and made lemonade.