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Farmer removing bedding thicket

hickslawns

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Ohio
Not that I can do anything about this, but I am going to have to do some adapting on one of my properties next season. There was a great little bedding area that the deer just loved. We don't have big woods around here. The woods we have are not always very thick. I suspect the majority of the deer are going to skip out of this section of woods now and find more cover.

My thoughts are:
1)Keep a close eye on the other two smaller areas which deer have used for bedding in the past.
2) Keep an eye on the trespassers. I already had 6-8 guys with permission to hunt next to this thicket. I have permission on two sides of it. Well, 4 of those guys just trespassed and hung stands on properties they didn't have permission on. For this reason, I did not hunt there at all last season. The removal of the thicket "might" benefit me if the deer begin to congregate in the other bedding areas. Unfortunately, those areas are plagued with human traffic and I am afraid the hunters are going to just trespass farther. The other problem is they very well could just move 1/2 mile to a mile down the road to other parcels.

For what it is worth, I called the buck in that hangs on my wall on November 21, 2010 from this thicket. I can't honestly say he came charging to my calls, but I got his attention enough that curiosity got the better of him and so did my muzzy! This will not happen again with the thicket removed.

Here are the before, midway progress and final product pictures. They are about half way done removing this thicket. I should add, this was previously two fence rows with the first picture being indicative of what the entire area DID look like. Scrub trees and sections of briars sometimes taller than me. I never had permission to hunt it, but had permission to pursue if I had to. I have had to use that permission one time. They also removed 2 other fence rows further to the south on this property. This might help me as well. The deer have to go somewhere and this might limit their travel routes. Might hurt me too. Time will tell.
 

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hickslawns

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dang dude, that sucks. I hope those other bedding areas work out for you. Try maybe posting it?

I have posted for each and every surrounding land owner. They ARE my neighbors. First year it didn't stop them. Second year more hunters moved in and tore down the signs. I picked up one of the signs and hung it behind the strap of their ladder stand (which they skylighted like a mofo and cut down every sapling around it for 30 yards without permission). They discarded the sign. I thought they might have made an honest mistake and not realized they were on the wrong property (despite the No Trespassing signs every 50 yards.) I guess they knew exactly what they were doing and just don't care. I have been advised by peers to simply remove their stands. I just can't do it though. I am not a thief.
 

RedCloud

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The way the prices have gone up on corn and such like last year I would expect more fence rows will be opened up to make room for more crops to be planted. Sucks for sure to see prime bedding areas and habitat being ripped up.
 

hickslawns

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well I wouldnt take them...but I sure would take them down and pile them nicely where I know they come in or park hahahahaha

I have thought about this. However, if they haven't taken them down by now, I expect them to be up until next season. Take them down and put them on the property line and they are in the farmer's way. I sure as heck am not going to hand deliver it to their houses.
 
1,746
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ohio
I have thought about this. However, if they haven't taken them down by now, I expect them to be up until next season. Take them down and put them on the property line and they are in the farmer's way. I sure as heck am not going to hand deliver it to their houses.

I'll come take them down for ya, anyone need an extra stand? Lol
 

xbowguy

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I'd contact the local GW and see the options. Maybe he will give you some business cards to put where the stands used to be. Take pics of stands and locations.......Hang the (laminated) card and a message that if you want your stand back, please call the number on the card. That just may take care of it all.
 

Mike

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I like the GW card idea, or take the stands down and hack-saw through them to make them unusable and then leave YOUR card so they can buy new stands from you. This could be a great business builder!
 

hickslawns

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I like the GW card idea, or take the stands down and hack-saw through them to make them unusable and then leave YOUR card so they can buy new stands from you. This could be a great business builder!

This dolt isn't going to buy any stands off me. The one is a Big Dog stand. I know for a fact he could have bought it off me cheaper. He just didn't because he has asked me in the past to get him permission to hunt on a couple different farms. I told him I couldn't. Lucky to have gained access myself on a couple of them. Besides, this is the same guy that has bragged in the past about "lobbing slugs at Bullwinkle" and shooting a button buck and leaving it lay because "I'm not going to use my tag on that!" I have no respect for the guy. Stay at home Dad with an arrogance like no other. Just because his ethics standards are less than impressive to me does not mean I am going to stoop to his levels of slob hunting.
 

JOHNROHIO

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Always take the stands. It's a chance they know there taking when they do that. I have not had to buy a stand for years people seem to like to leave them for me..... Lol. I have had one guy get hold of me two years ago to get his stand back,he had made a mistake and thought that part was his to hunt.
 

hickslawns

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Always take the stands. It's a chance they know there taking when they do that. I have not had to buy a stand for years people seem to like to leave them for me..... Lol. I have had one guy get hold of me two years ago to get his stand back,he had made a mistake and thought that part was his to hunt.

My problem is more with the stands I already have hanging. I have found guys to use them along with theirs. I have been removing them one at a time. I will just hunt mobile in this woods in the future. Why should I scout, hang the stand, pay for the stand, just so they can trespass and use them. Owners will not prosecute. That is okay. I will own this property eventually. Behind on his taxes again. 5acres down the road from me with no house on it. When I own it, I WILL prosecute.
 

JOHNROHIO

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A few years ago i had the same problem. I did as you plan but along with pulling my stands there's came down also and i only used a climber for a year. When we pull a stand we leave a note that says contact the farmer for your stand.......only once did they contact us. most of the time you will not hear from them.
 

Jackalope

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My problem is more with the stands I already have hanging. I have found guys to use them along with theirs. I have been removing them one at a time. I will just hunt mobile in this woods in the future. Why should I scout, hang the stand, pay for the stand, just so they can trespass and use them. Owners will not prosecute. That is okay. I will own this property eventually. Behind on his taxes again. 5acres down the road from me with no house on it. When I own it, I WILL prosecute.


16 or 20 foot stackable sticks and 1 LW stick.. Puts a 7 foot gap between the top of the sticks and the bottom of the stand I have had guys ask me how in the hell I got in my stand... Which means they went there to hunt it and figured out they couldn't
 

jagermeister

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16 or 20 foot stackable sticks and 1 LW stick.. Puts a 7 foot gap between the top of the sticks and the bottom of the stand I have had guys ask me how in the hell I got in my stand... Which means they went there to hunt it and figured out they couldn't

That's a great idea. I think I'm going to try that on the new property I got permission to hunt.
 

hickslawns

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Just be thankfull they aren't stealing them...

Might as well. They have run all the deer out. There is no good entry into this woods from the properties they have permission to hunt. In regards to stealing them, these aren't my "good stands". I have pulled down all the nice ones and left just a few older and uncomfortable stands which are also a bear to get in. I am a long legged feller and have no problem placing screw in steps 24-30" apart. I don't think they want to hunt the ones left in there although two years ago someone did. I know because they killed a doe and left her lay. I followed her blood trail back to my stand. Sickens me.