crowded land

[mudman]

I bowhunt in the south metro, the area I hunt is a development with 10 homes on 10 acres a piece. When I first started asking, I got 9 no's a 1 yes.
now 3 yrs later when I ask again, I am getting "my son friend, daughter boyfriend, you name it there hunting here.)
I am hoping this is just a ploy to get me to stop asking but now I am SCARED!!!
what if opening morning I have 9 other hunters around me?
I was thinking to confront everybody and say "hey lets try to put together some sort of system or schedule so we don't screw each other over by mistake.
any ideas on how to approch this fiaskal(sp)

thanks

[jlm]

Find a new area! There are many opportunities out there and it seems you are motivated enough to knock on a few doors. You should have no problem finding something less crowded!

[mudman]

Its tough to move out of an area the you tagged 3 over 140 class

[jlm]

Ok, I can buy that, its hard to let go of a good area. However, is this land capable of producing large deer and good hunting opportunities with the amount of pressure you are talking about? Maybe you don't know the answer to that but it is something to consider I guess. Additionally, is hanging onto this spot preventing you from finding what could potentially be a better area? Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck!

[PerchJerker]

I would keep hunting that spot until you see too many other hunters in that area.

To be safe you could try to line up another spot or two, but I wouldn't abandon the first spot just because of the hearsay.

Good luck (and I wish I had a spot like that).

[jblabsnduck]

I say line something else up as a back up. Go to your spot opening day and see what happens. Chances are if they are not out there the first day they are not serious bow hunters and will only go every now and then and when it gets cold you most likely will never see them.

[This message has been edited by jblabsnduck (edited 08-30-2004).]

[mudman]

That's what I'm hoping for but it was confirmed this weekend that 2 people will be hunting right next door. They will even be cutting me off. (deer usually pass through there before they get to my piece) I caught a booker on camera this weekend too. 150+ Class MAN WILL I BE
P!ssed Off if on of them shoot him.
Lots of work even more money and now this?

OH well time to test out how good I really am?

[bigbucks]

This is just a thought from a different angle. It sounds like you've been persistent and asked all these houses every year about hunting. Now we all know at least some neighbors talk fairly regularly. If they all noticed that this certain bowhunter, who they probably know has access to hunt at the one place, keeps asking, it's for a reason. If they have friends or relatives that bowhunt, they've probably been asked if there's any deer around there & they may have said, "Well there must be, there's this guy who hunts near by who keeps asking to hunt here every year..."

It stinks that you're getting crowded, but it is their land so they have a right to control it's access. You may not be doing yourself any favors by continuing to ask people who've turned you down more than once. I'd say just stick with the one who lets you hunt & keep a low profile, maybe ask them to keep you posted if someone moves during the year & just ask again at place with new owners. That & hope the few times the other people hunt they just don't happen to see anything & quit coming there...

[jblabsnduck]

They might be hunting right next door but for your sake hopefully they have little of a clue about bow hunting and they wont set stands in the right area to shoot that 150 class.
I know how you feel, I was pushed out of a private place that I hunted for 6 years and then relatives of the family caught wind that there was deer there, so much for hunting that anymore. I was accused of stealing there stands and I know for a fact that it was the neighboring hunters(punk kids) But my word was nothing because I wasn't family.
Thank god for the lan owner where I hunt now, I keep him supplied with jerky and sausage. I have 80 acres to myself. People have asked to hunt and he has turned them down, What a great guy.

[bigbucks]

I hear you man on keeping the landowner happy. I talk to the ones I hunt on often & whatever they say regarding stands, parking, where & where not to hunt, what I should or shouldn't shoot is the way it is. I've got one friend that has 300 acres & a few other guys hunt some of the poorer parts of it, but the better spots of it are mine only. He used to let other people hunt, but the reason I get to hunt over them is that I'll shoot does & other small deer. He wanted deer that were eating his crops killed. A guy hunting trophies only doesn't accomplish that. I tell him I'll shoot any doe from a yearling & on up & only shoot a buck if it's at least a nice 8 pointer. He's great with that. He'd love it if I'd shoot the little bucks too, but understands a guy only gets one buck tag.

[mudman]

I think bigbucks might be right. I probably pushed too hard to often, my hope right now is that they get so excited about all the deer that they shoot the first decent buck they see and get out. There are plenty nice deer running around but I have only seen a few real trophys.

I'm also finding new spots everynight to ask.

Thanks for talking me through this guys!
PS
I alway treat the landower like a King. split wood for him, keep his trails clear, mowed, and a piece of the bounty at the end!