23 deer taken

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Well this subject has come up for grabs a few times on HC so figured be nice to post some information on here. We have talked about managing deer herds etc etc, not 'cleaning out' the herd. We locals have been blasted by a Hunt Club with their money power to buy up lots of land in our area. Expensive club to join. The main guy involved is from central Pa. and is in his name. One small portion of property they purchased is only about 200 yards from my line. The guy that owns property between him and me had this guy come up to his yard and ask where he got the tree he was cutting for firewood. I gave the man the log. Said he wanted to make sure he didn't get it from his woods. He patrols the borders better than they do with Mexico with signs every 20 feet or so. During their conversation, he mentioned the fact they had taken 15 doe and 8 buck out of that small patch of pines. So much for leaving any seed for next year. He also is excited about the fact they might alow Sunday hunting. Said they could get bunch more with more time to hunt. Hummm...no wonder we have seen a decline in the yard feeders. I know there are still 2 doe left since close of rifle season but we still have black powder and archery after Christmas season yet...maybe he can clean out the rest of what was left over. So much for leaving seed and keeping watch over the herd. Wish he would go back to where he came from. Some of the neighbors have already been in court with this guy because he has claimed some of their land with signs...Neighbors won that much. He also posted illegal sign on about 20 acres of the old ladys farm that cuts their property off from the gamelands property. Old lady does not walk that part of the property so only knows what us locals have told her he has done. Guess he has the right to do it and nothing we can do about it but the 2 shots I heard about 1/2 hr after dark on opening day of deer season? Nobody can enter the property but we suspect game feeders are a good reason they hang around there and keep such a tight line on borders. I have told my daughter she better start to save $ so when my grandson is old enough to hunt, he will have to pay some fenced in deer farm for a chance to even see a deer. All second hand information to game wardens so they not interested at all.

[skeet]

We had that problem back in Md with a bunch of guys who rented the farm across from me. After the first week or so of archery I found the deer were hanging around my place all the time. The farm amnager finally told 'em it was his way or the highway..If they wanted to conmtinur=e to rent the place..any buck they shot HAD to be mounted..if it didn't happen they lost their lease..just like that. All of a sudden they stopped killing all the little bucks. Took a couple or 3 years but the larger bucks started showing more often...but they still came over to my farm during hunting season....BTW..that hunting club was a bunch of guys from Pennsylvania. I asked 'em one time why they shot ALL the bucks and that it was ruining the herd. They actually told me they were renting the place..it was their money and they could do what they wanted.. I just told 'em..well I live here 24/7/365. If they wanted to rent the place next year(at 18,000 bucks per)... They wouldn't even see a buck cause I would kill 'em all..Then the area would be rid of them..the club. Then the farm manager (a long time friend)..changed their rules for 'em. and raised the rental too..

[Rapier]

Could be worse, the guy next to my farm lost his property to a flim flam by his in-laws. I met the new owner (the stepbrother) a few weeks ago, unfortunately. This guy announced that it would be OK if I hunted on his land and I asked if he was going to lease the property to hunt on, he said nope, anyone was free to hunt on his land or come and go as they please, it was open to any and all. Sounds an awful lot like real bad trouble to me. Allowing folks to hunt is one thing but free run of a place is a whole different matter, especially with the deer dog hunters, which are legal here. Most folks will not allow dog hunters on or near their place.

So I put up another 1/4 mile of fence including a run across a connecting logging road and another set of big concrete gate posts with a locked gate across his dirt road onto my place. He will not be back, and a small group of us neighbors are putting together a plan to buy the guy out. The old decent hunters moved all of their tree stands off his place two weeks ago for fear of being shot by a free run idiot.

Yep, they guy is from town and lives 30 miles away. Instead of doing hunters a favor he has just stopped any management, feeding or crop growth for food on his place. Forethought is the same length as his foreskin.
Ed

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Well the saying goes nothing stays the same forever but...but...oh and I have seen at least 4 deer here but that guy has been in his woods for 2 days now since black powder season came in after Christmas...we had a german shephard dog run loose here now and then..last April, he run a few deer down through the yard and he was on them..the day after we seen him hanging around again last week, there was a young deer laying on the powerline half eaten...wonder if the yotes took it down or he did..just can't win..

[Adam Helmer]

skeeter,

Here in northcentral PA we local farmers posted: "NO DOE HUNTING."
As for that free roaming shepherd; he/she would not run deer another day in northcentral-trust me on that.

Tomorrow will be my first day of Flintlock deer hunting here in PA. I am not a meat hunter and was pleased to see 5 does bed in the West Wood on the day after Rifle deer closed. I have a doe tag ONLY to shoot a wounded doe. Otherwise, I am glad five does call my farm their home.

Adam

[Rapier]

Around here a favorite trick of the dog hunters is to put the dogs out on a road on one side of your place and drive around on the other side and blow the horn. We used to have problems with that on our lease years back. Warned the guys twice about it. Did not warn them the third time.

But a dog running wild without a collar and chasing deer or tracking deer is just no good. Sorry but, keep Rover home and tied up or he will stay gone.
Pat, Pat.
Ed