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Frustrated with the haters

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I hesitate to type what I am about to. It can be controversial.

Several years ago I was hunting some ground down the road from me. I made efforts to locate the land owner next door. He lives out of town. I was granted permission to recover deer on his property. That is all I wanted. Later I asked permission to shed hunt. He granted it. Over the course of 6-8yrs we became friends. Later I asked permission to coyote hunt. He said "Yes, but you also have to shoot any raccoons around my barns/garden/house, and groundhogs." This turned into him asking small favors. I would pull in and out of his driveway in the winter to make it look like someone was there. One night his wife was in town and he was out of town. She heard some noises around 10pm. He asked me to go check it out. I did without hesitation. At this point we have become friends. I was granted permission to hunt deer there last year and this year. NOBODY had hunted the property for decades prior to this. Great, right? Sure. For me it has been great. I gained new ground to hunt. More importantly, I have made new friends. They plan on retiring here and I look forward to keeping them as friends and neighbors in the future. They are genuinely good people.

Many times this is how permission to a property is gained. Years of gaining trust. Permission is maintained by keeping trespassers out, helping move some downed trees, maybe plowing their driveway. The downside to this? People who used to trespass or were never granted permission to hunt suddenly put a target on your back.

Next property: I grew up in the same neighborhood as these property owners. They watched me grow up. They buy a large parcel with old house and fix it up. Fast forward a couple decades and I was granted permission. Run some cameras. Alert them to some of the goings on at the property and verify what they suspected of trespassers. . . .Permission continues. Good or bad? It is good to have access to a couple prime properties. It is bad because the disrespectful people who were trespassing and hunting are outed. Suddenly, the very thing which helps land the property also gets a bad name for you. You work hard. You are honest. You have the trust of the land owners. You have the appreciation of the land owners for keeping an eye on the place while they are out of town. People get jealous. I was accused this year of calling the game warden for someone running deer. The person called me and asked me about it. I explained to him I do not have authority to call the game warden for trespassers as I do not own the property. I gave him the game wardens name and number and told him to call. I also contacted our local WO and gave him the name and number of the person who contacted me. Not sure if they ever spoke. It just disappoints me that someone would accuse me of such a thing. What also bothers me is I just contacted the land owner this week to let them know about a new tree stand on their property. I didn't hang it. He plans on removing it. Guess what will happen next? I will get accused of stealing it. The land owners were extremely appreciative. Keeping an eye on the place is exactly what they ask in return for hunting. Granted, their driveway generally gets plowed for free as well. lol

Every time a large buck is killed. . . Rumors fly. There are always naysayers. There cannot be a simple "That's great. Congrats!" There are always those who cannot be happy. To be honest, it is taking a lot of the fun out of it for me. The quest for big antlers is killing us. We continue to fight for access. We have rumors. People make up lies about someone who has had some success. It is simply disheartening. I don't care if I shoot a buck this year. If my son tags his first buck, nothing could top that in my eyes. I don't care if it is a spike or forkhorn. Watching him have success would be as good as it could get for me.

All I am getting at here is simple: Let's get along. Let's think before we accuse. Let's be appreciative for any time we have in the field and any deer we harvest to fill our freezers. Life is way too short. Big antlers are not worth it. They have created more anger, hatred, and hostility than they are supposed to. We need to remember why we are out there. Is it for big antlers or just to enjoy God's creation? I realize this is different for everyone. I enjoy both. But being out there is clearly a bigger bonus for me than anything. I realize many of the guys on this site, a very high percent in my opinion, are extremely ethical. Unfortunately, it only takes a couple to give us all a bad name. Hopefully a few lurking will read this and think twice. Be happy for others who have success. Maybe having a good heart will bring you some good fortune.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
I guess my question is why care about low life trespassers? I wouldn't give it a second thought and your true friends wouldn't believe their naysaying anyways....


 

Flatlander

Junior Member
506
46
Darby Creek
Phil, there are always going to be some haters. We just have to do what makes us happy. I personally get as much satisfaction helping other people succeed as I do with my own success.

I can tell you the day my son killed his first buck was the day I will remember the most out of all my hunting memories. He was 13 years old and shot the buck with his bow. Many people told me to get him a crossbow but I made him wait until he could pull back the required 40 pounds to take it with his bow. He shot a small buck the first year he hunted with a bow and was so excited he stuttered to get the words out to tell me what he had done.

Good memories are ahead for you too! The feeling is amazing.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I guess my question is why care about low life trespassers? I wouldn't give it a second thought and your true friends wouldn't believe their naysaying anyways....

If they are trespassing they are in the wrong. In general, it just sucks some of the fun out of hunting to witness this and similar incidents over and over. The threads about just about any huge buck tends to attract new members just to stir controversy. Maybe some of these deer were not legitimately killed? What about the ones which were? I believe SteveOH has posted before about crap he had to deal with when he shot a monster. Several of our members have had issues. Why not be happy for the guy? One of my buddies shot a dandy this year. Three of us were hunting this deer. I would have been plenty happy shooting the deer. I was just as happy to see my buddy tag him. If I eat a tag this year I will still be happy for him.

Flatlander- Garrett shot his first doe last year and it was unbelievable. Had a shot at a deer I call the Old Man. He was out of bow range and we were patiently waiting. This deer was 7-8yrs old last year. He ran off a small buck and Garrett had that deer coming our way. I asked if he wanted to wait to see if the bigger one would come this way. He said "No. I just want to shoot a buck. I want to shoot the one coming our way." Alrighty! I don't care what he shoots as long as he is happy and I want to foster the love of the sport in him. I don't want to foster "have to kill a monster" in him. He can shoot whatever makes him happy. Unfortunately, we had a 10yd shooting window. Little buck stopped behind a tree before the shooting lane. Started walking. I grunted two different times to stop him. He stopped at the end of the shooting window with vitals behind a tree. My son was so bummed but that is part of hunting. What I saw in him was pure and innocent excitement! That is what it is all about. Why teach him it is all about the biggest antlers? Let him decide on his own if he wants to hunt for antlers. Let it happen over time at a later age if that is what he wants. Once he chooses that route, it "can be" ugly.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I agree with almost everything you said. Difference being, those people getting under your skin are the ones giving us a bad name. I know that and don't think of myself as the same people. I follow the laws and do things honestly, no one can take that away from me. Never feel bad for doing the right thing! I have a feeling, you'd do the same with those property owners with the hunting or not. That's the stand up thing to do. Don't loose sleep over it man, your good in my book. Haters gonna hate.
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
Phil, if I was in your shoes I would not give two shits what anyone says. You did the work to gain permission, gained friendship, while the trespassers took the easy route and disregarded the law. I'm also tired of the shit talking that goes on when someone kills a nice buck, I had to deal with it this year and mine isn't even of "monster caliber". People getting their toes stepped on, and lied to all over big deer and turkey is bullshit. That's why I mostly keep to myself with the turkey, deer, and hunt by myself, just all around less bullshit.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Phil, if I was in your shoes I would not give two shits what anyone says. You did the work to gain permission, gained friendship, while the trespassers took the easy route and disregarded the law. I'm also tired of the shit talking that goes on when someone kills a nice buck, I had to deal with it this year and mine isn't even of "monster caliber". People getting their toes stepped on, and lied to all over big deer and turkey is bullshit. That's why I mostly keep to myself with the turkey, deer, and hunt by myself, just all around less bullshit.

Yup! Keep on keeping on, Phil. Those honest people need a chance in today's world.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Guys I didn't post this to whine about my specific situations. Those were simply examples. Just disheartening how antlers make people act stupid. Taking some of the fun out of it. Maybe I am just in a funk. It just gets old. I am very thankful for the guys on this site. Stand up group of people unlike that which you will find often. Gives me good peace of mind knowing there are still plenty out there who do it the right way.
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
I guess my question is why care about low life trespassers? I wouldn't give it a second thought and your true friends wouldn't believe their naysaying anyways....

My thoughts exactly. The opinions of people willing to trespass and then get upset for being outed wouldn't cause me to lose any sleep what so ever. I say you're doing the right thing, Phil. It's too hard to get permission to decent land to have it ruined by lazy unethical people. Good luck on your season.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,629
234
Licking Co. Ohio
I AM in your shoes. I work a lot for free (some of it costs me money). But many in the neighborhood don't like me. As with many people, it's all about them and what THEY want. They are just assuring me that I am doing my job well! I keep focused on what goes on with the Landowners and my family. (Refer to zero fucks thread)...rotflmao
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
You're doing the work and making the investments of time, effort, and $$
You're doing things right.
That's all you need to know.
Fuck 'em.
 

CritterGitterToo

Junior Member
375
58
Central Ohio
I AM in your shoes. I work a lot for free (some of it costs me money). But many in the neighborhood don't like me. As with many people, it's all about them and what THEY want. They are just assuring me that I am doing my job well! I keep focused on what goes on with the Landowners and my family. (Refer to zero fucks thread)...rotflmao

Nobody hates on me.

I'm working two jobs and raising two kids.

I don't have access to private land. I don't have expansive public land just down the road.

I share tiny tracts of public land in one of the heaviest populated areas of the state.

I've been fortunate to get out 7 times this year and have yet to see a deer from stand.

Chasing antlers was once the goal. Today a harvest would be amazing!

Just a little different perspective for you.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
Guys I didn't post this to whine about my specific situations. Those were simply examples. Just disheartening how antlers make people act stupid. Taking some of the fun out of it. Maybe I am just in a funk. It just gets old. I am very thankful for the guys on this site. Stand up group of people unlike that which you will find often. Gives me good peace of mind knowing there are still plenty out there who do it the right way.

This is why people won't hate on me (at least for this reason) I don't shoot big antlered buck deerz......


 

Carpn

*Supporting Member*
2,234
87
Wooster
It's become almost routine for some one on a atv to decide to rode their property line whenever I try to hunt . I have had people start shooting near me on purpose . Like 50-100 rounds . It gets frustrating but not a lot I can do. Hopefully find some new property for next yr cause the places I have no just aren't panning out for quality deer .
 

OO2

Well-Known Member
2,566
111
In the Uplands
I have seen two sides of it as well. I have been accused for things that other hunters did that used to hunt on the property that I hunt on. Because of that I have been turned down by some people. On the other hand I have met some guys that are more than happy to help someone out. It's a shame that that is how it goes but all you can do is keep doing what you are doing and prove them wrong.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
If I ever get to the point where I'm killing enough big deer that people want to talk shit about me, I'll be happy to continue supporting their cause...
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
This seems to summarize my thoughts...






 

Mike R

*Supporting Member*
336
55
Phil don't worry about them guys. Just keep doing what your doing. Have fun and don't let it bother you. Some of the best times I've had hunting the last few years.I wasn't even hunting I was helping you.