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Bow hunting in HOA common area

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
I'd hunt it. But I'm a degenerate redneck. lmao Just the thought of being part of an HOA gives me the shakes!

In all honesty though, I'd have all the i's dotted and t's crossed so when your asswipe neighbors (because you have some even if you don't know it yet) call the law, you are in the right. Also, if you shoot a Booner or something truly big in there, you better be legal with it or you'll be out some major coin. A 180" deer will run you north of $10K in fines and restitution. So I'd get with the HOA, have them approve you hunting, then get the President to sign your permission slip.

All the words I wanted to type, especially the first three sentences.
 

rooster85

Junior Member
1,409
78
Lake County
Bowhunter1023 hit it on the head with that first line. Id hunt it as well. Hunt the week if you can and get it to your place as quickly and quietly as possible.
 

Mao

Member
1,695
109
Coshocton, OH
I'd hunt it. I know a guy that hunts an off limits factory woods. He can see the guard house from his hang on. Killed a giant there and trailed it across the company parking lot after dark.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I love the bluntness (might have made up that word) of this group, you guys are awesome. I'm still deciding on who/what/when/where/how to talk to the HOA/pres. My HOA is not a scary outside company, and we have ZERO crazy rules of what you can and cannot do. The point of the HOA in my community is honestly set up for things like; paying a company to cut the common area grass, landscaping the community entrance, etc. There are no rules about having my big ugly truck parked in front of my house or anything like that. A lot of you have great ideas and points on this topic...I'm going to use a little bit from everybody in whatever decision I make.

HA! Yea. Blunt would be a good way to describe this group at times! Being PC is definitely not what we are good at!!! Sounds like you got your head wrapped around this pretty well, so best of luck!
 

teej89

Senior Member
2,288
48
NE PA
I'd hunt it. I know a guy that hunts an off limits factory woods. He can see the guard house from his hang on. Killed a giant there and trailed it across the company parking lot after dark.

hahaha! I could just imagine parking my car the next day and seeing a blood trail across the parking lot
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
The term "common area" does not mean "area where I can go do whatever I want." Me personally, I wouldn't even think about hunting it until I had a freshly signed permission slip in my hands. Here's a fairly likely scenario: You shoot monster buck on said common area... Bitchy neighbor sees you dragging it out of her flower bed and calls the cops... Cops inform State Wildlife Officer and the guy in the green pants pays you a visit... You can't show proof of permission... You get coupon from said man in green pants. Oh, and then you lose the deer and maybe your bow and maybe even get handed a fat restitution bill for your troubles.

Listen, I'm as redneck as the next guy. But use your head a little bit here. Shooting a deer is not worth getting your tit in a ringer. Get your ducks in a row, THEN hunt it. Do that, and you can tell your nosey neighbor to suck one when she gives you the stinkeye as you drag out Mr. Big.
 

Smokey Vanes

Junior Member
13
0
SW OHIO
The term "common area" does not mean "area where I can go do whatever I want." Me personally, I wouldn't even think about hunting it until I had a freshly signed permission slip in my hands. Here's a fairly likely scenario: You shoot monster buck on said common area... Bitchy neighbor sees you dragging it out of her flower bed and calls the cops... Cops inform State Wildlife Officer and the guy in the green pants pays you a visit... You can't show proof of permission... You get coupon from said man in green pants. Oh, and then you lose the deer and maybe your bow and maybe even get handed a fat restitution bill for your troubles.

Listen, I'm as redneck as the next guy. But use your head a little bit here. Shooting a deer is not worth getting your tit in a ringer. Get your ducks in a row, THEN hunt it. Do that, and you can tell your nosey neighbor to suck one when she gives you the stinkeye as you drag out Mr. Big.

Sorry fellas, just been a busy work week for me. I see that a few people have brought up the fact that I need to get a permission slip signed. I understand the concern with that, but I own the land just as much as the "president" of the HOA does. Do you think that I actually will need a permission slip when I technically own the land? I would still use my license and permit, I'm not trying to get away with hunting the property like it's a farm that I own or anything like that. I guess I just don't understand how a Warden can ask me for a permission slip when my name is on the owners list (even my county auditor lists me as an owner of the land). What do you guys think specifically about needing a permission slip?
 

Outdoorsfellar

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Well, since you asked this question to begin with ... " So here's my main question/concern. Do you guys think that I should/need to ask permission of my neighbors/HOA if I can bow hunt back in the woods? "

Our thoughts are that you should be prepared, just in case the Unforseen Unfortunate Occurance Occurs... UUOO. If you believe you have nothing to worry about... oh wait, you must be since you're asking this question. Just cover your ass is all we're saying. You live there, you should know what's best. Tell Suzie we all said hi. Good luck & get at 'em !
 
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jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Sorry fellas, just been a busy work week for me. I see that a few people have brought up the fact that I need to get a permission slip signed. I understand the concern with that, but I own the land just as much as the "president" of the HOA does. Do you think that I actually will need a permission slip when I technically own the land? I would still use my license and permit, I'm not trying to get away with hunting the property like it's a farm that I own or anything like that. I guess I just don't understand how a Warden can ask me for a permission slip when my name is on the owners list (even my county auditor lists me as an owner of the land). What do you guys think specifically about needing a permission slip?

Are you sure you own that common area? Have you looked it up at the auditor's office and seen your name listed as an owner? If your name is directly tied to that "common area" parcel, I don't understand why you'd be posing this question to all of us... seeing as you'd undoubtedly be free and clear to hunt it. Hell, you could even use landowner tags on the deer you shoot.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
At your next HOA meeting just casually bring it up that you've noticed the deer numbers growing behind your house and that you'd like to take a proactive approach in reducing the herd a small percentage before they start encroaching upon your neighborhood in a more negative manner. Bring up bucks rubbing trees, deer eating flower gardens or possibly a deer crashing through a window and see if you can get a signed approval. Then you have no worries! That's what I would do, IMO.
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
At your next HOA meeting just casually bring it up that you've noticed the deer numbers growing behind your house and that you'd like to take a proactive approach in reducing the herd a small percentage before they start encroaching upon your neighborhood in a more negative manner. Bring up bucks rubbing trees, deer eating flower gardens or possibly a deer crashing through a window and see if you can get a signed approval. Then you have no worries! That's what I would do, IMO.

Hell of an idea ric. Make it sound like your plants are being destroyed, and if theres any that your wife planted that you don't like, rip them out and blame it on the deer!