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Lease problems-over hunting

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
I got our lease 5 years ago. I could only get 3 of my buddies to get on the lease with me. Another guy who had came down with one of my buddys to hunt said he would like to get on the lease with us, So we figured if we had 6 guys it would cost 500 each, so he brought 2 of his buddys in on the lease. 150 acres. My buddys stayed at my house with me and the other 3 parked a camper at my house. My wife cooked enough to feed everyone. they used the shower and crapper. we would all hang out in my garage. Long story short I told them they had to pay $15 bucks a day to stay. They thought that was to much and found a 75 acre piece of property not far away. The 3 of them bought the property and picked up 75 acres next door to hunt also. They have a very nice 150 acres to hunt.

2 years ago I picked up another 100 acres that boarderd our exsisting lease. It is mostly crp but has some nice thickets and a few patches of hardwoods. So now we have 250 acres. We have what I call our core area, witch is 160 acres. then we have a 40 across the street and 50 down the road. All but the 50 have corn or beans standing that the farmer plants for us.

The problem is that these guys will only hunt a few of the stands we have in our core area, The completely burn them out. They just don't hunt smart. wont even go to the 40 or 50 acre spots. We have 28 stands and blinds and they hunt the best spots all the time. One of them has hunted almost every day in the last 40 days. another hunts every weekend and sometimes long weekends.
My first hunt there this year was oct. 31st. I stayed there with my 2 buddys and we hunted till the morning of the 8th. We were seeing all kinds of deer when we left. I went back down on the 19th. Only seen one good doe and she was being chased by a nice buck. never seen another good doe or buck. All of the other 3 guys are bitching that the other got busted in the stand and ruined it. And that were putting to much hunting preasure on the property.

They rarely hunt there 150 until our lease is ruined. then they will hunt there own place more often. leaving us with a preasured deer herd.

So to make things better for us 3 guys i'm thinking that I'm not gonna let the other 3 one the 100 acre lease next year. that way we would have a less preasured place to hunt like they do. There not gonna be happy about it but o well there my leases. And im sick of them hunting it to death. Do you guys think this is wrong of me to do this? Forgot to mention that 2 of them cry and wine about everything. If they cant shoot a deer from a stand or blind in every direction they wanna cut the woods down. they wont sit in a 3 window blind cause they cant see behind them. They insist on moving stands and blinds and then never hunt them. Have shot 3 bucks below our 125" minimum. Take the whole family out hunting in our bigger blinds with them. And always bitch about paying there share for whatever it may be. making it a pain in the azz for me. never have there lease money on time. And all have good jobs.

I'm sorry about the rant and the poorly written story. But I'd be happy to have some imput on what you guys think. Also, I do a whole lot more on the lease then any of them guys. I also help out the farmer and bring him fresh walleye a few times a year. Jerky, sausage. Even supplied him with his seed beans for next spring. Traded for some ear corn. at a much reduced rate.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
Do they allow you to hunt there 150 acres? Kick them out if they don't want to play by the rules. They bitch about everything already so what's one more thing for them to bitch about.
 

Strother23

Member
1,405
0
Columbus, OH
Sorry to hear about your frustrations. If they are not close friends and it is your lease and they cause a headache for you. I would boot them out ASAP. Because the reason for leasing land is to have a good hunting property. Sounds like they are burning it out for you which sucks.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I can understand the frustration and I feel for you. That said and with all due respect, it sounds like you let guys in for their wallet and not for their merit. That creates issues and you are seeing that come to life. If I were you, I'd do what it took to make for good hunting and preserve the relationships that matter to you. If these guys are just buddies of buddies, fugg 'em IMO.
 
If it were me they would be gone. $15 a day for food and lodging and they balk, you got to be kidding. If they have their own place let them stay there.

Like you said it is your leases. You make the rules, if they don't like them and can't obey them send them packing.

Maybe drawing for stands would help with the overhunting off certain stands.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Sorry for your problems. Make the lease rules plain and simple for any idiot to understand. Follow the set rules or your out and friendship should not enter into the rule breaking.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,735
274
North Carolina
Sounds like when it gets time too renew the lease it's time too change your lease partners.... Like Jesse said you let your wallet dictate the circumstances.... Time too rethink the ground rules....
 

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
we have 2 different leases. I was only going to kick them off of one of the leases. The 100 acre lease. Jesse your spot on with the money thing. That had everything to do with adding the others. Me and my 2 buddys can afford the 100 acre lease by ourselves. My 2 buddys cant stand any of the other 3 guys. The bitch and wine way to much.
Thanks a bunch for the replys guys.
I have come to know one of the guys pretty good myself. Hate to piss him off but what do ya do. He is the one that said something has to change. He wants to limit hunting days per season. and he hunts it way more then the rest of us.
 

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
If it were me they would be gone. $15 a day for food and lodging and they balk, you got to be kidding. If they have their own place let them stay there.

Like you said it is your leases. You make the rules, if they don't like them and can't obey them send them packing.

Maybe drawing for stands would help with the overhunting off certain stands.
They do stay at there own property now. They go down there a lot all year. they do a lot at there property but don't do anything at the lease except one weekend a year we all go down and put up and move stands. and blinds. What sucks is that all the stands we agreed to let them put up there way. Are never hunted by them. they suck at putting stands up in the right spot. And always have to cut the woods down around the stands they put up. Just cant convince them that you don't have to be able to shoot in every direction. we have some good stands that have produced the way they are. but these guys arnt happy because thay cant shoot behind them. But to hunt the stand with the right wind, your wind will be going behind you anyway so good luck getting a shot there. They never offer to buy a trail camera but always want me to send them the pictures I get from mine.
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
You set a minimum size for bucks and they don't follow that rule charge them 50 dollars for every inch they are under doubt that will go over well if they whine about 15 bucks a day.Oh hell better yet kick em to the curb.They sound more like a headache than good hunting partners.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,629
234
Licking Co. Ohio
Definitely sounds like "Chuckie" and his buddy need to go. Will set a good example for others.

I walked away from 80 acres once. We made rules and only I followed them~~nice place to hunt....but not worth the frustration.
 

Strother23

Member
1,405
0
Columbus, OH
Yea when hunting with people like that it gets to be frustrating all the time and take away form joys of hunting. It will probably be difficult and awkward to kick them off one lease but in the end it sounds like it's the best for you and you hunting success at the 100acre lease
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Why do you hunt? Why do you lease? I assume to enjoy yourself, put meat in the freezer, and increase odds at nicer bucks WITHOUT being forced to buy land. They seem to be removing the enjoyment and reducing opportunities at good bucks. Seems simple althougb a bit uncomfortable conversation is ahead of you.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Agreed upon rules are rules. Broken rules should be fined heavy and no excuses allowed. Friends who don't follow agreed upon rules are not good friends and should be booted.

When I bought my farm 23 yrs. ago I got several request "oh good you have a farm and can we hunt there". My son and I agreed upon no one beside family hunts here. It's been that way for 23 yrs. and it will stay that way. Hell we have 5 hunters on the farm even though most years I'm the only one who hunts but everyone else obeys my hard rules. May not be like but followed.
 
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motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
Why do you hunt? Why do you lease? I assume to enjoy yourself, put meat in the freezer, and increase odds at nicer bucks WITHOUT being forced to buy land. They seem to be removing the enjoyment and reducing opportunities at good bucks. Seems simple althougb a bit uncomfortable conversation is ahead of you.
I agree with all you said. The hardest part is the hard feelings I'm gonna have to live with. I cant stand to have someone mad at me. Our main lease is due on Dec. 6th. and 2 of them are not sure they can come up with the money by then. Always a pain in the azz. And they both make over 100k a year....wtf
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Lots of great advise offered so far! Phil brings up some great points, easy fix for me, sever ties let them go there own way and burn out their spots and hang then hunt their own sets. Then you and your buddies work out the details on what props you guys hunt.
Goes to show how bringing on the wrong people can really Fugg it up in a hurry!!! They gone...if it were me!
 
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Not much more I can add to this other than what's been said. That many guys hunting one lease that size is way too many IMO. I know our property the size it is if we pressure it too much with just 2 or 3 guys we start noticing it right away in deer sightings. Add in hunting stands with the wrong winds, all the foot traffic in and out if they don't hunt all day long, etc.. Just a recipe for a long and tiresome season. When I head down to hunt I am looking forward to getting away from drama and people that drive me nuts all year long and I surely don't want to arrive to a whole new bunch of drama with people haven't seen in a while and now couldn't stand being around.