Sad but I knew it would come. The area I have been hunting(public) for the last 15 years has been found by a group of police officers from a nearby town. Totally took over the whole area, all my stand areas have a shiny new ladder or climber within 15 yards.
Not knocking them, don't get me wrong. I wish them many years of luck to come.
I had quite a thing going for a while there! Took a lot of deer, great memories.
Happens all the time here in Eastern Massachusetts, no area lasts long.
Sad that it has come and gone, like many others.
But excited to what changes the future will bring.
I was comfortable there, and knew it well. Now I will be once again searching for a new spot, with new adventures and learning experiences to come.
Life moves on!
Good luck finding a new spot.
sorry man.
I've been "pushed" outta a number of places too..it sucks..
Heck, I have a 3,000 sq ft house where my best stand once stood!! But I hear ya man. Good luck with another spot
QuoteOriginally posted by Sean B:
Heck, I have a 3,000 sq ft house where my best stand once stood!! But I hear ya man. Good luck with another spot
:biglaugh: :biglaugh:
You'll find another spot! You have a great attitude, good luck on your new adventure.
Jake
Life goes on, and in the overall scheme of things not a huge deal.
A new challenge and a new chapter, with your attitude you will do fine.
Don't think your the first one to lose a good spot to hunt. All the spots I had growing up are now full of houses, or posted as gentleman horse farms. Even public land here is not what it was even 15 years ago. Hope you can find a new "good" spot!
It's so unfortunate... And I know exactly how you feel. I lost two great spots this year. Stands all over, brush and trees cut. I am beyond disappointed. Even the private land I hunt has stands within 10 feet of the property lines in places, the frustration just goes on.
Hope you continue to make memories in new spots!!
That's unfortunate, for sure. Remember the old saying about when one door closes another one opens. You'll find another good huntin' area!
even out here with millions of acres of public land we still get run over by those that think it must me a good spot or you wouldn't be there...if i only had your attitude i'd be better off...wish you the best in the future.
I'm in the same boat, but due to different circumstances. I lost my lease of the last 15yrs a couple months ago. To say I was comfortable there would be an understatement! I too am looking forward to new opportunities!
Good luck to you for finding some new ground to hunt!
Bisch
I know the feeling. Just remember, one door closes, another opens.
Sorry to hear it. You have a great attitude about it. One of the reasons that I never considered hunting without camo. Just as important for me to not advertise my hunting spots to other hunters after I did the work scouting.
You guys are great, Thanks! :campfire: :campfire:
If you know the area well figure out how they will alter the deer movement patterns.
The area is not that big. The alternate pattern pushes them across into posted land.
I just don't want to hunt around this many guys anyway. Not my thing.
20,000 humans per square mile as it is, hunting should get me away from that. Im not willing to allow it into my down time.
Im moving out.
:( best wishes on locating a new area
I feel your pain... Yep, new doors can open, but it sure seems more close than open..... good luck.... You sound much more positive than myself about it....
Been there done that. Don't totally give up. Just take them into account. Other hunters can actually help.
They can make the deer move to a new secluded area you can capitalize on.
I understand. I avoid areas others hunt s well, though I can not say others have always had the same respect. Maybe this will help you find even better areas. With the increase in Lyme and other tick borne illnesses I think lots of "posted" land will start to open up to courteous and conscientious hunters. Maybe the areas the deer get pushed out too will open up to the right person, you.
I feel your pain. Lost my elk woods to pine Beatles and BLM loggers.
Our town has a number of undeveloped wooded areas where the local police officers have agreed to keep everyone run off in return for bow hunting rights. Seems like a good deal as I didn't hunt there anyway.
James
It's been many years since I've had a decent place to hunt locally.
I used to get a little bit of deer traffic through my two acres but they've cut down everything around me so there's not much action here anymore.
The closest place I have that's worth hunting is the National Forest 3 1/2 hours away.
I couldn't get down there so far this year...maybe next year.
oh yes the police gang take over,,, its true! over in Hanover, Mass in Z11 a bunch of young rookie Hanover cops completly took over the old fireworks factory area that locals have been hunting since the place went abadnoned in the 70's and from what I was told threatened all the other hunters with notes on their stands.
they hung signs where the hunters park that are offical signs used during events to keep people from parking on the main roads, these signs state no parking by offical police dept order
but cars still park there all off duty cops and very close friends.
not against the police but I do know here they push people around sometimes especially the younger guys.
Yornoc a couple years ago I told you about the spot in uxbridge where i hunted turks I hear nobodys hunting it anymore and its still tracked up pretty good down in the back at the edge of the Blackstone river.
Our public areas are either loaded with people or we have problems with tree stand thieves. I lost all my good spots down in southern IA this year and haven't even bought a tag yet, don't know if I am going to. It may be my first missed season since I started 30 years ago. Good land is hard to come by anymore.
I have felt your pain many times , now you are on new and great adventure ....
,,,,Sam,,,,
Most of my hunting is done in small pockets now that most don't look at twice. Pressure is much less and I get some good daytime activity I don't see in the "big" woods. I killed two last year within minutes of each other at noon on the first Wednesday last year. There are places to hunt if you look outside the box. You just need to adapt as the deer do.
I know the feeling all to well. The Detroit Newspaper wrote an article about the hunting opportunities on the public land I hunt (right around 800 acres). Before the article, if I saw a 1/2 dozen hunters in a whole season, that would be a lot, and deer were everywhere. Today alone, I saw 5 hunters, all with crossbows. I haven't seen a deer in the past 2 seasons on this property, then to TOP THE WHOLE THING OFF, the township, the property is in, courted the film industry and they spent the last 2 weeks in September and all of October building movie sets on the property so they could film last weekend (yes, you read that right, they spent nearly 6 weeks building movie sets on the property, I hunt, just for 2 days of filming). Crossbow hunters have ruined deer hunting I Michigan (at least in my area).
So, remember, when you go to see the movie "Batman vs. Superman", I lost my hunting property for them to make it. I sure hope Ben Affleck appreciates it.
Rant over, now to get back at it and figure out a new strategy for the property.
Yeah it's tuff! We all have been through it or will go through it! Really sad though! Hope it works out for you! Like a lot of folks have said most of my "favorite" places I use to hunt are taken over with Doctor mansions now all dressed out with cedar siding backed up to trees I use to hunt out of! I drive by and think yea but I used cedar there first! Actually I probably wasn't! lol Sad but a way of life now.
Yornoc if its not to far away try Central Turnpike in Sutton by purgatory chasms. I have seen alot of deer there when traveling early in the morning. All that stretch from 146 down past the old bluejay restuarant. Not far from there some years back the state record buck was taken over by whittier farm.
I feel your pain Yornoc. Good luck, you'll find them again.
Jake
Thanks for all the support! Luck would have it, I was given written permission to solely hunt a piece of private land in RI!!!!
I didn't even go looking yet, it fell in my lap.
Big guy upstairs...thank you sir!
My buddy says all things happen for a reason! I bet you will find a place!
30 years ago, I could hunt every farm here locally but one or two, that has reversed now, can only hunt a couple places now.
Where I live the population density is about four or less people per square mile. I'm not sure about county wide, and do not care because I live where I live and what goes on in town doesn't affect my hunting. Once upon a time, I too had to hunt public property. It motivated me to find a better way because I did not want to have to worry about getting run over by other hunters. I wanted to concentrate on hunting.
Hunting leases are an option. It is cheaper than owning and there can be some control over who hunts where. My guess is that 95% of hunting in my area takes place on private land. It is not cheap but it is really the only option for most hunters in our area. Owning is the other option. Only you know if that is a viable solution.
We are involved in a sport that is quickly becoming available only to the high income people. It has a lot to do with when and where we were born. Too many people anymore and all of them need a place to live. As the population grows we will continue to lose land available for hunting.
Often times, a treasured loss becomes a seedbed of hope and inspires a vision surpassing the reality of the previous gone by.
Let hope spurn your endeavor to secure hunting grounds which far exceed the valued enjoyment and privileges of the past.
I feel ya, bro. I went to hang a stand Sunday afternoon in the "little" woods near my house that I hunt (with landowner permission) when I can't get to the big woods. Came across two stands and a feeder before I got where I was going. Went home without hanging a stand. As you said, life goes on. Can't control everything, frustrating when you try.
Sometimes it take adversity to get out of our own comfort zone. I have been through your experience before, and because of that, I had to research and travel to find alternate hunting spots. This has lead to experiences I would not have had otherwise. Sorry for your loss, but hope it lead to positive experiences.
I had kind of the opposite happen to me...i lost the best hunting land i had to this day because im a police officer. i arrested the landowners daughter for drugs...apparently he didnt like my integrity and believed i should have cut his daughter a break becasue i know them...sorry but my integrity isnt worth my hunting spot