This takes the cake!!

[Keeter]

Long time reader, first time poster.

We own a piece of property that we have turned into a bowhunting only paradise. Food plots, fields, roads, cover, etc. We always leave it be during rifle season and practice QDM the best that we can. This year I passed on a few of the nice little bucks as do most of the property owners near us. Well this opening weekend of rifle season the neighbors to the east of us ends up wounding one of the little 6 pointers that we have been letting walk and it runs into our property. They call and ask to look for it, we were out rifle hunting a different piece of property so we didn't get the message until Sunday. We call them and they say they only went a little ways into our property but didn't find any blood so they backed out. I have no problem with that but I wanted to go make sure so I walk to a black ash swamp that I think it would lay in and these neighbors walked the entire property!! I have a new food plot I cleared and found footprints in it which is the opposite corner of where they shot it. The absolute most frustrating part of this is these neighbors only own 6 acres, it is a long thin strip of land that, unless they put a perfect shot on the deer it is coming into our property. How does a person handle this? Wouldn't a normal person look for blood where they shot it instead of tromping all over someone else's property? It makes you really think about QDM in our area.

[Swill]

Until the rifle season gets moved late in MN, QDM is going to be an uphill battle for landowners.

I would talk to your neighbors before next years deer hunting season and see if you can work out an arrangement; like sharing cell phone numbers or something. And I would try to get them to by into QDM. It is not like they can not take a decent doe or sometime...and I would bet they are not planning on mounting a 6pt deer?

I hear your frustrations on QDM...... I guess until the DNR steps up, we are all going to have cake on our face...

[Stratosman]

Are you sure it was them, or is there adjacent landowners on the other side? Either way it is illegal and that sucks.

[harvey lee]

Keeter

Yes,that is a bad deal no matter who was on your land.

Welcome to Fishing Mn.We look forward to your future posts. You have found a great wealth of knowledge on this forum and as stated above we also look forward to what you have to offer.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Keeter, welcome to fishingminnesota.com

Sorry for what has happened, if I had any advice, post your land better and then do your best to prosicute any tresspassers.

However, if this group has 6 acres of land, they have every right to hunt it, its their land.

[Kodiak]

Keeter-

did they hunt it or where they attemting to recover a wounded animal. Either way they should have asked.

[Scoot]

Keeter- welcome! Yep, frustrating deal for sure. I agree with the above post regarding getting cell numbers and requiring a call. Then, I'd offer to help them in their search when they call to ask to look for an injured deer. That way you can keep an eye on them and monitor what they do.

[David Frank]

Keeter,

Sounds like a crappy deal all around. Tough situation to deal with. I agree with the rest, about talking to the neighbors. Be careful not to throw around any accusations until you are sure it was them on your land. Also, try to point out to them that since you, and most of the other landowners in the area practice QDM, that if they participate as well, they will surely benefit, especially since they only have 6 acres of land directly adjacent to your land. Deer are sure to pass thru their property. As previously stated, this may be easier said than done since they have every right to hunt their land as they please. Do your best to work things out in a way that benefits all.

[Keeter]

Thanks for the welcomes and advise, it is good to be here.

I am 100% sure it was them because of the footprints and where they came from. As for the 6 acres. I do agree that they have every right to hunt it, but the dimensions of their property is such that they are almost guaranteed to have to come onto an adjoining property to retrieve the deer. It is frustrating that they walked the entire property instead of looking for blood where they shot it. I just don't get that....they walked the roads on our property looking for a dead deer or blood? If any of our neighbors shot a deer and had a good blood trail into our property I have no problem with them retrieving the deer without permission. But to randomly wander without a blood trail is a different story.

Thanks again guys. I'll have to find a way to have a civil conversation with them abbout QDM and trailing a wounded animal....

[Studer]

I agree. No bloodtrail, no chase. Why would you walk aimlessly looking for a wounded animal??? I highly believe in looking for an animal that you shot at but they will almost always have blood where you shot it. Tracking without a blood trail....good luck, that thing could have went anywhere. Without a bloodtrail it is pretty much useless.