Well I thought it may be interesting to start a thread about all the things that happen to mess up our hunts this season. With that I'll begin...
I get off work today and headed to the farm to a smokin' hot spot I found a few days ago that I immediately hung a stand on and got everything trimmed out just right. I have really been eager to get to this spot for the past few days. I get settled in today around 4:30 and long about deer30 I hear someone talking...well not long after I see a man and a women holding hands just walking and talking to each other coming my way up in the field. Then I see their two dogs running around with them. One of the dogs cuts down in the woods and proceeds to run right under me and straight down where I'm expecting my deer to come from. He starts barking and then you could tell chasing something. Well I get unhooked and climb down to ask the lovely couple what in the hell they think they are doing. "Just taking a walk". Really???? I can handle bad winds, coyotes or getting busted by a noisy doe but these kind of things really get to me the older I get. I was trying to be as kind as I could be as I was representing hunters with all my gear on but was almost shaking I was so mad. I explained how much time and effort I expend to hunt and that they have totally ruined my evening. They were very appologetic and I am sure I'll never see them again.
Ok lets post our daily hunt busters here for the season and it will hopefully make you guys feel some better as this has for me.
So, do you have exclusive rights to that place? Did they actually do anything wrong? Trespassing? Just curious. Stuff like that just sometimes happens. Sounds to me that they were just out enjoying themselves as you were.
I had an evening bear hunt ruined in Maine when a couple of guys showed up at an old gravel pit across the road from where my guide had a bait I was on. They blew away a few hundred rounds while I stewed. They left about 45 minutes before dusk. Nothing I could do....they had no idea I was there and were breaking no laws. Just sometimes bad breaks happen. But they had as much right as I to be where they were.
Sounds like a good place to do some whining.. I had to work.always a buster
I was going to go hunting today but I had to go to work , so I'm here in the firehouse for a few days....
,,,Sam,,,
Hey Tom! A swirling wind at the last second on a perfect stalk on a hog.. The wind was perfectly steady for the previous hour and a half! Go figure..there's always tomorrow!
Sorry your hunt got busted up..
well, you could of just shot the dog and said you thought it was a yote!! hahaha.... totally just kidding!! that sux but its part of life and hunting. I was out this weekend and had a strolling couple that sounded like a herd of buffalo walk right through the woods towards me and then said oh hey are you hunting? I just nodded but I felt like saying "heres your sign"
Had a good friend stop at my door just as I was preparing to walk out of it dressed in camo and bow in hand.
I stayed and talked with him about a problem he had. No hunt, but not "messed up".
First things, first!
This is my first year to wear a safty harness, always wore a safty belt. Had a doe come straight in and pass at 10yrds on my right. With good back cover and a short drop line to the safty harness I couldn't get to full draw and keep the bottom limb of my bow from hitting the stand. Did manage to get off a good shot thur the limbs, crouched over with a short draw, unfortunately it was about a foot too high. Other than that I had a great day in the stand. That was yesterday, today I was under constant atack from the skeeters and nats. Man I love this bowhuntin!!!!!
James
Two days in a row I've had the deer become obsessed with a hill side behind me.
Time to repostion.. :readit:
Deer not reading the script and coming the wrong way and getting my wind.
Jack
I made the most basic of mistakes today... Scouting a spot behind my shop was creeping quietly, slowly.... patiently..... then RRRRIIINNNNGGG.....RRRIIIINNNGGG..... from my pocket...yeah my phone was on!
At the same time about 50 yards across the creek I heard crashing, looked over and yep.. big buck ive been trying to get for 3 years running through the brush :knothead:
work got me! it hit me starting monday, and through today. but tomorrow im off. look out deer!
Was this public land?
I was out for a walk the other day with my sweetie. It was great outside, the pups were having fun. We walked across a pretty field and into a woodlot. I was hoping for a smooch, . . . and then, some rambo guy comes climbing out of a tree and gives me grief ! What the heck !
I bet he didn't realize how much time I put into getting ol Betty Sue to come out for that walk, and for getting my boss to let me off work and how much I have been dreaming of that day.
:dunno:
Just saying
ChuckC
This happened to me a couple years ago on a Public SWA.
I have hunted this area in the past with great results when I can draw the tag.
So I know the area and have a stand in one of my favorite spots. It was a very mild fall and most of the corn was still in the fields until right at the start of the rut.
I noticed they had started to pick some of the surrounding corn fields and felt like the following weekend should be prime.
I head into my stand well before first light and as I am walking in something seems out of place but I can't figure it out.
I get in my stand all strapped in and as the sun starts to come up I notice some slash piles along the power line that runs across this property. Well about 7:30 I hear voices across the river. My stand is about 150 yards off the river.
Maybe 15 minutes later I hear a chain saw fire up. Well the local power company decided it was time to trim the trees along this stretch of power line. To say I was upset would be an understatement. 3 years to draw a tag and the power company decides to trim the trees on this specific SWA right during the peak of Deer hunting.
I guess they don't coordinate there trimming with the DOW ?
The neighbors cows got out on our property, which happens a lot. Sitting in the stand and hear all this yelling and cussing and I see our neighbor running across his field chasing cows onto our field, back over to his, back to ours....he was struggling and down right mad. Tough to hunt in those conditions. So, I got down and started yelling and chasing with him...if you can't beat'em, join'em. Happy ending: we got the cows wrangled back up! :)
Well this year has been alright. Nothing out of the ordinary this year. But last year I had been pinned up at week for the first few weeks of bow season and had finally got a few days off to hunt. I had a perfect wind to hunt a stand that I had some pics of a great buck over the summer. I walked down a field edge of the neighboring property and slipped into my stand. Got in early all set up wind in my face. Everything seems perfect and then I here some running thru the brush. I turn and look and here comes some dogs. Then I hear the dull muffle of a four wheeler. Soon I see the neighbor riding down the property line on his four wheeler. He rode not 20 yards from my stand and I hollered and stopped him. He got smart about some Posted signs I had put up on a lease and I got smart about him riding underneath me. Words were exchanged and things were said. After it was over I was embarrased for my behavior and ultimatly apologized but at the time it seemed very intentional on his part. Not the first time he has ruined a hunt in this location. I don't mind the things in nature that booger a hunt wind, deer taking a different trail etc. But when its another person and it seems like its on purpose man that gets my goat. Oh well that why I like to hunt deep and try and avoid other people as much as possible. Cant do it all the time! Thanks for the thread I do feel better!
QuoteOriginally posted by TxAg:
Was this public land?
Nope, private farm that my buddy (the landowner) and I are the only ones supposed to be there. He is going out today to see if they have cut or broken down the 4' barbed wire fence that surrounds the farm.
Work yesterday, taking son to and from school today. I need to get a place to hunt close to the house so I can hunt while my 6 year old is in school.
I have had more than my share of hunts ruined over the years. In addition to me being the cause of having my hunts messed up by me making mistakes I have just as many that have been messed up by other people.
Just this season I've had 2 hunts messed up during the evening "prime time" by having another hunter still hunt through the area I chose to set up in.I was in 2 diffrent spots too. :banghead: I'm pretty sure it's the same guy and he passes within 30 yards of me and never knows I'm even there. If I say something to him he might have a heart attack...LOL
On regular occasions I have ATV riders drive through the area I hunt. Again usually during the "prime time". By the way it is illegal to even ride these machines on public land in my state. Complaints to the CO's has lead to nothing. :banghead: So every year I try to hunt further in the woods away from the trails they ride on.
It is also not uncommon to have groups of hikers walk through. One time a group came through and one no one even seeing me up in the tree when one guy walks away from the group heads straight for my tree and starts releiving himself. He practally pissed all over himself when I asked him to pick another tree....LMAO
I have even had one pop up blind stolen. I thought that I had brushed it in real well where it would not be found by another person. Apparently not.
I think that it's even more frustrating when these things happen on private property. In that case you can have the law come down on tresspassers.
I had the absolutely most infuriating thing happen in September, right before the season started. My family owns some nice river bottom land. One particular piece, about 75 acres, is my baby. Ten years ago, my aunt (who inherited it from my grandfather) informed me that she is willing that piece of land to me and to start treating it as my own. I'm the only one left in the family that hunts, and, while 90% of my hunting is on public land, I take at least one deer a year off my little plot.
This past year, as each year previous, I spent countless hours sowing some plots, building ground blinds, building foot bridges, etc. I've got the land posted, and have cut down on the trespassing practically to nothing. As a result, I had a great little spot, was having a lot of deer activity, and really looking forward to a great season. There is one nice buck I've been after for a couple of years now, and was hoping to have a good chance at him.
I lease out about 50 acres to a local farmer, who takes good care of the land. This year, instead of the usual beans or corn, he planted tomatoes and peppers, not exactly quality deer food. To keep the deer coming, I had 5 separate little food plots of corn and leafy stuff that deer love.
Let me note that the non-pastured areas are mostly mature hardwood, oak, hickory, and beech. These woodlots are absolutely loaded with squirrels and make for some really good travel corridors for the deer.
I made a trip over there the first week of September to check up on things and found everything to be just as I expected it to be. The plots looked great and were torn up with sign. I was really stoked. My plan was to come back a couple of weeks later and make some final touches to the blinds. That way, opening morning, I'd be able to sneak in with minimal disturbance and get right to hunting.
So, a couple of weeks roll around and I decide to go on over and trim up the blinds. When I rounded the bend in the road before the driveway, I could scarcely believe what I was seeing. My land had been raped. All of the hardwoods were gone. My food plots ruined. My ground blinds destroyed. Footbridges, gone. To make matters worse, huge piles of brush were everywhere. My favorite section of the woods, which used to be a major travel corridor, was now an impassable mass of limbs and leftovers. I looked like a tornado had blown through. To say I was livid was an understatement.
I drove straight over to my aunt and uncle's house, who live nearby, to find out what the heck is going on. Long story short, my piece of work, self-centered, jerk of an uncle decided he'd have the timber cut. I let into him, letting him know how much time I'd put in that place and now it was all destroyed. My aunt, who is the only name is on the deed, had no idea about the whole thing. She was as shocked and mad as I am.
The most infuriating thing is that he hadn't, and still hasn't, set foot on that land in 20 years. Out of the blue, some guy called him up and asked if he wanted to sell the timber. He said yes, without finding out any thing at all about he guy. Does he do a good job? What will be the state of the site when he finishes? Can you WAIT TIL HUNTING SEASON IS OVER!?! Nothing.
What kind of response does he give me? "Oh well." What about the money? Whose going to pay to clean up all of the debris they left? Whose going to replant the trees? What happens now? All I got was a shrug.
ARRGH!!
Now THAT sucks!
Cheney, what a heartbreaker!! Think I would have seriously come unglued!
Eric
Yep working late here also , that and dogs running loose are my bummers
I looked to the left, I turned my head back and there is a doe broadside at 12 yards. Don't where she came from but there she was. My Silvertip is in my lap and I can't move. This was this mourning, the first time I used my new to me Rancho-Safari Shaggie long coat. Sitting on my Pac-Seat. She never spooked just fed back the way she came.
put on my extra shirt about 20 minutes after dawn, took off my arm guard and set it on my lap to button my sleeve, out stepped an 8 pt about 130" at 20 yards and turned to walk broad side at 15 yards, could not stand up because by arm guard would fall, had to shoot setting, right under him,,,, swing and miss. so what messed me up??? lack of accuracy.
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
QuoteOriginally posted by TxAg:
Was this public land?
Nope, private farm that my buddy (the landowner) and I are the only ones supposed to be there. He is going out today to see if they have cut or broken down the 4' barbed wire fence that surrounds the farm. [/b]
Then I definitely understand your frustration!
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
QuoteOriginally posted by TxAg:
Was this public land?
Nope, private farm that my buddy (the landowner) and I are the only ones supposed to be there. He is going out today to see if they have cut or broken down the 4' barbed wire fence that surrounds the farm. [/b]
:mad: Very much agree with your frustrations Tom.
Last year I was approaching bow range on a nice muley buck...when dad and his kid(in one of those backpack kid carriers) went tromping through the aspens right towards my unsuspecting feeding buck...off he went!
Weekend before last I was hunting a buddy of mine property. His place is near my home and I go out there occasionaly when I don't have time to go to my regular deer woods. I was just getting set up in my climber when here comes the guy who owns the property behind my buddys house. Every deer season he walks the perimiter of his 28 acres with his barking dogs just to screw up his nieghbors deer hunting. This is the second time he has done this to me. While the guy does deer hunt during gun season he told my buddy that those are his deer. I know that it is his property and he has the right to walk on it when ever he wants but he is just being a prick by doing this. I was able to kill a yearling doe on this property last year. I patterned the guy and went out after he had done his morning walk by. Up Yours, Prick! LOL
Ross
Rain!
I've had too many to list this year.
A 4 wheeler came through at 0930 this am.
The property I am hunting is in the process of fracking for gas exploration so I dealt with about 20 workers removing flagging and seismic readers for 2 straight days.
3 afternoons I had a helicopter flying grids at treetop level as part of the gas exploration.
The neighbor came in at 0530 one evening and decided to cut firewood while his dog ran around in the woods.
No wind for 8 straight days!
An unforseen branch in last light deflected my only shot down between the front legs of a very nice 8pt.
The list goes on but thats enough.
I haven't run into anybody crazy enough to go where I been hunting for the last 6yrs or so. So, I have no other choice but to mess myself up.
This morning it was getting turned around for about 15 minutes on the way in making it after daylight before getting settled in the tree in a spot I knew better than hunting, since I haven't seen a thing there twice this season.
19 black powder guys came and literally took my camp site over. I was camping alone and just had to pack up and move.
Work.
On a more pleasant note my last day of the season I walked to my stand and felt my toe burning. After getting all settled in I took off my boot to see a small blister had formed on my toe. I then stood up to get my face mask out of my pack...
SO... I had one shoe on one shoe off, my hat in my right hand and my face mask in my left hand... I saw movement out of the corn of my eye and there stands a black bear 10 yards away! While I'm putting my face mask down he just turns and walks away!!!
19 black powder guys came and literally took my camp site over. I was camping alone and just had to pack up and move.
Tonight was first night I got to get out this year with my seven year old daughter. We had deer around us pretty much all night just nothing close enough. At about 6 pm (prime time) I had a guy walk down the field edge walking his dog on PRIVATE PROPERTY. This is a guy I escorted off the property last year for the same thing.
I really don't understand what some people think when they trespass, It is getting really old!!!!
I am amazed by some of these trespasser issues that I see on here, or at least the lack of deterrent. Either you guys states have some really lacking land owner rights, or really lacking enforcement... In this little corner of heaven, if we call on a trespasser, the game warden, Sheriff and Constable show up likity pronto! Which ever has the most authority to prosecute the case based on circumstance takes it.
The sun taking too long to come up! Had a deer come right under my stand this morning, but it was too dark to tell if it was a buck or doe, let alone shoot. It walked up before shooting light.
Please exercise some patience on this thread. It is here so people can vent. Whether they are mad at themselves or others for a messed up hunt. If someone doesn't want to read the frustrating things, then ignore this thread and read something else.
Also please ask questions to find out if the land was public or private for instance. In the original post, he was on private land and the trespassers had no business there ruining his hunt. He has every right to be ticked off!
Okay. Thats my rant for now. I apologize if it is offensive, but this thread is for the mistakes and frustrations that we experience as hunters. So ask questions to help others instead of judging them before getting all the facts.
God bless and be patient,
-Charlie
QuoteOriginally posted by Monteria:
I am amazed by some of these trespasser issues that I see on here, or at least the lack of deterrent. Either you guys states have some really lacking land owner rights, or really lacking enforcement... In this little corner of heaven, if we call on a trespasser, the game warden, Sheriff and Constable show up likity pronto! Which ever has the most authority to prosecute the case based on circumstance takes it.
You are lucky. In Arkansas you are wasteing your time calling in a trespasser. The G&F won't write a ticket and the sheriff department won't respond so you're basically on your own. You have to have evidence and then go and try to get a warrent or ticket issued. It's really a pain. The state has tightened up on trespass a little in the past couple of years but it is still very weak.
When I owned my own property here in SE Ohio, there were constantly people coming on my property and poaching when they knew I wasn't home. I would find my "private property" signs full of birdshot and bullet holes on the ground. I just stopped putting them up after awhile since I never could catch the people that were doing it. The scariest part was that they knew whan I wasn't home. I would have easily caught them otherwise. ODNR said there wasn't much they could do unless it was well posted. You can see the problem if they kept removing the signs.
It may not have ruined my hunt today, but it sure messed up plenty in the past.
A guy plinking with a 22 ruined my wife's chances. Little antlers wrecked mine, he scared the does off. I have vowed to shoot only does until something serious comes along and these little 8 pointers that are running in a gang are messing up my plans. oh yes last night, every robin in Iowa was in my valley. They would land on the trees above me. I stopped considering them as a flock and started to hate them as individuals. They sometimes one at a time and sometimes four or five at a time, would look down and say, "Hey look, there is a bowhunter. FOR ME TO POOP ON." First I developed, an inferiority complex, and then just got depressed. Anyone know how to get gobs of robin poop out of a fur hat?
My wife could not find her keys. So I had to go home an give her mine. Yah
The property mentioned is family property that is heavily POSTED. The problem is some of the surrounding farms have been developed and some of the new residents think our property is a Park or something. I believe they think the Posted signs are welcome signs. The pure ignorance of people saying they are not bothering anyone or not hurting anything really boils me. This property is used for tree farming and there are many holes right now due to fall digging and if someone(trespasser) was to fall into one of the holes we become liable. They seem like they are above the law. I try to go about it in a kind but strong manner and obviously it is not working.
I have some new signs being made that will state full prosecution of trespassers will be enforced with no exceptions. We will have to see if it helps or not!!!
Ahh, perfidious man, cursed be the day you left the cave.
QuoteOriginally posted by Monteria:
I am amazed by some of these trespasser issues that I see on here, or at least the lack of deterrent. Either you guys states have some really lacking land owner rights, or really lacking enforcement... In this little corner of heaven, if we call on a trespasser, the game warden, Sheriff and Constable show up likity pronto! Which ever has the most authority to prosecute the case based on circumstance takes it.
Trespassing and poaching is a HUGE problem here in Kentucky. During our gun seasons you can sit and watch YOUR woods and see the orange army come and go. Call the police or game warden. Haha each county has one or two officers or wardens and they would never show up for a trespasser call.
Two nights before my trespassing couple I was walking out of the field at dark and here comes four kids in a gator lights blaring coming right at me (ON PRIVATE LAND). I stopped them and they were just out for a joy ride. HUGE problem around here.
I was 1.3 miles from the truck in the swamp the other evening and my thermacel would not come on.RC
Haven't seen a deer since Sat and forgot to look. Had a little buck walk right through the scrape I was suppose to be watching this morning at 7:15am.
I think he must have come up from the bottom..I was on a shelf and he just appeared at about 12yds and walked on by.
Ed,
Sometimes it just feels good not to be nice... give them a reason to not come back. Tell the fella he looks real cute, all the while checking the edge on your blade with your tongue staring him down !!! lol :scared:
Dang, come to think of it, should have tried that on my ex wife, maybe I could have gotten rid of her sooner :saywhat:
Lanier
QuoteOriginally posted by RC:
I was 1.3 miles from the truck in the swamp the other evening and my thermacel would not come on.RC
LOL, Damn RC that's life or death that isn't an aggravation.
It was just getting to be deer o'clock. The wind had laid down just before dusk. Time for the deer to make there move. I'm ready. Right at dusk,you know..that twilight time where you can still see well,but only for another 20-30 minutes. I hear rustling leaves. Slight at first,then gaining volume. I strain my ears. There! it's moving again. I position myself. Almost here. Then... was that a door opening? The neighbors dog is let out. You've got to be kidding me. Then comes the yelling. "COME ON BOY! COME ON BOY! GOOD DOG! RUFFF! RUFFF!" Slam goes the door. No more rustling leaves. rat'
Setup today with a little rocky ridge directly behind me. As usual a couple doe walked right in behind me at about 5 yards and got my wind. This started the nearest squirrel barking and it barked and barked and barked. 30 min. later I sent an arrow toward that still barking squirrel. I have been closer to more deer this year than ever just can't get them in the right spot at the right time.
As far as trespassing goes, all my buddies that have land or leases around here constantly battle tresspassers or poachers. Every year seemingly non-stop. I hunt public land and some years don't see a single person in bow season. Makes no sense to me.
Rob
Work is the main thing that gets me messed up!!!
Work for me.
I've been sick all week.