Losing hunting territory

[Sideshow]

It seems the biggest loss for hunting concerns predation for me . Even areas that i use to have success on the level of coyotes there has skyrocketed . Permission /access for deer is tough in Michigan with small game hunting being the best way ive found to get a foot in the door . Damn yotes are eating up everything !!! This pushes you on down the road for Alot of fruitless door knocking . Bird or bunny access is a great way to scout to see if its even worth to ask one day for deer . We got a BIG YOTE PROBLEM in Southern Michigan !!!

One of my oldest spots has evolved into my private range shooting down a farm lane backed by thick woods tho and thats just about priceless !!! 683 yds is Nice !!! Now i gotta complete a sml for it too . I would usually only use it for effective velocity/energy shooting with my smokers . Sure is nice to shoot cardboard silhoettes to make max range determinations real quick when its For Real !!! My scopes got dope but thats a good way to lose the opportunity during the rut . So is that power ring if your not carefull . Even a rangefinder can take too much time during the rut . Been burnt by all 3 . I like hunting travel routes and Virtually None stand around to pose for long !!! A good reticle combined with practiced practical knowledge is tough to beat in the field !!!. Save the rest for paper !!!

Figured id add an idea for you guys so not all is lost when ya gotta move on due to predators when landowner relations have been wonderfull .

 

[toytruck]

I have lost several great places to hunt over the years, mostly due to landowner deaths an new owner stops all hunting except his own friends/family, which is understandable. One place several years ago the daughter, who I worked with, got married and her new husband took over.

I now hunt on a farm in another county that landowner was looking for someone to kill squirrels on their property that were getting into vehicles an looking into windows. My barber set me up with him an I took care of them tree chickens... I noticed a lot of deer sign an asked permission to take a deer.
The buck to the left came from their soybean field border last year.

I still hunt squirrels there every year and now have exclusive permission to kill deer as they have been a big crop damage problem.

 

[fishhawk2700]

Our "hunt camp" in Michigans thumb, which is actually my sisters and brother in laws dairy farm, was once around 1500 acres. This ground consisted of what they owned and some small leases and a couple neighboring farms. I've hunted this ground since the mid seventies and have seen massive changes. It started around the late nineties when was saw influx of hunters looking for hunting leases. Of course the owners of the ground the farm was leasing saw a way to make more cash off their property and I don't blame them. Two of the leases were only leased so we could hunt them and we had enough of our own that we were not going to get into a bidding war. Goodbye 300 acres. Around the same time milk prices were sh$t and some ground was sold off for business reasons. Goodbye 200 acres. Around 2000 my brother in laws brother wanted out of the farm business. More ground got sold to buy him out. Goodbye 160 acres. Over the last 20 years a few small parcels have been sold off for various reasons. Goodbye 140 acres. Today we have around 350 acres at the home farm and an 80 from a neighboring farm.
Now the really bad part. A lot of the farmers around us got the "Frontage disease". This disease occurs when a farmer figure out that his frontage in five acre parcels is worth way more than the corn or soy beans he can grow for the next 20 years. Of course a house gets built on each parcel and people move into these houses. Moving into these houses give these people rights. They now have the right to hunt as far as the eye can see. They have the right to let their dogs run free. They have the right to drive up and down the gravel roads at 70 mph. They have the right to take nature hikes and ride their horses across your ground while you're trying to hunt. The most important right they get is to tell you as the land owner is to "go f#$k yourself", I'll do as I want...…. Way to many people.
I don't know how to feel about it but my deer hunting "spark" is rapidly fading. I am a bow hunter first, and if bow season started tomorrow I wouldn't be hunting. Guess its time to leave the hunting to the kids....what's left of it.

 

[snapbang]

When I works contruction in Detroit one of the guys pulled me to the side to show me the picture of a huge buck. He smiled and asked where do you think it was killed. 8 mile and Mound Rd. About 8 miles from the downtown Detroit. That deer had to know how to cross through traffic.

 

[Sideshow]

When I works contruction in Detroit one of the guys pulled me to the side to show me the picture of a huge buck. He smiled and asked where do you think it was killed. 8 mile and Mound Rd. About 8 miles from the downtown Detroit. That deer had to know how to cross through traffic.

Lol yep and the grounds for the old Stroh Brewry has more pheasants on it than you can shake a stick at too !!! Theyre so smart the DNR cant even catch them !!!

 

[BadgerRidge]

Great thread.

My son shot his first deer on a 17 acre parcel surrounded by suburbs. (when we lived in Virginia). Then we shot his first geese there too.

I blogged about the buck. It's hanging on my living room wall.

https://www.badgerridgeind.com/the-badgers-den/let-a-dad-brag-a-little

 

[Far Sighted]

I am on a 2nd very fine lease in which the owner(s) decide it is time to make more $.
The first one was a very prized 1200 acre block in prime territory with lots of turkey and deer and a few cows to deal with. I enjoyed that great place for 12 years then the lady decided it was time to dial up the dollar requirements. I went from being the manager and hunting for free including my son. Then I decided she was too difficult so I began a hunter only. The last year I hunted it was $1500 per gun. Most recently it was increased to $2500/gun for 10 hunters and no cows to deal with. Can't blame the lady for doing what is best for her pockets.

The current one had a difference in ownership in lue of a family passing. That lease is prime 850 acres shared by five sportsmen and lots of cows to deal with. Now after a several years of good relationship it could turn negative. The older wiser gentleman has passed his portion to a more aggressive son. Now we are informed that things will likely change dollar wise when the lease comes up for renewal. I ask my primary contact who is an older son what they have in mind. He replied they don't have anything to share at this time. So it leaves us hanging for a few months. We are looking just in case we are "outbid" by someone. It is all about the money. We have been very good sportsmen to them and respect our privilege to use their awesome land. Now who knows what goes on behind the scene.

That is life! Good hunting land has became a very valuable asset. If I don't have another as good as those two I have lots of great memories that will always be with me. That is special.

 

[Sideshow]

Changeing locations isnt always a bad thing . Weve come up with some dandys and some have been flops . Either way you become a better hunter . Im against paying an exorborant price to chase deer tho . I just cant see it . It may be their perogative , thats fine , but ive also bought a boat anchor or two . My camp moves around alot and we do well this way . Couple days here , couple there . Mix it up gives deer a so called safe haven to their suprise !!! Usually better than average results for the trouble .

 

[James Sparhawk]

I am on a 2nd very fine lease in which the owner(s) decide it is time to make more $.
The first one was a very prized 1200 acre block in prime territory with lots of turkey and deer and a few cows to deal with. I enjoyed that great place for 12 years then the lady decided it was time to dial up the dollar requirements. I went from being the manager and hunting for free including my son. Then I decided she was too difficult so I began a hunter only. The last year I hunted it was $1500 per gun. Most recently it was increased to $2500/gun for 10 hunters and no cows to deal with. Can't blame the lady for doing what is best for her pockets.

The current one had a difference in ownership in lue of a family passing. That lease is prime 850 acres shared by five sportsmen and lots of cows to deal with. Now after a several years of good relationship it could turn negative. The older wiser gentleman has passed his portion to a more aggressive son. Now we are informed that things will likely change dollar wise when the lease comes up for renewal. I ask my primary contact who is an older son what they have in mind. He replied they don't have anything to share at this time. So it leaves us hanging for a few months. We are looking just in case we are "outbid" by someone. It is all about the money. We have been very good sportsmen to them and respect our privilege to use their awesome land. Now who knows what goes on behind the scene.

That is life! Good hunting land has became a very valuable asset. If I don't have another as good as those two I have lots of great memories that will always be with me. That is special.

View attachment 8382

I enjoyed reading your post and see you understand where I am coming from. Since I transfer onto my ATV from my wheelchair, it is easy to hunt this land next to and around my land. It would be very difficult for me to load everything up on a trailer and truck and travel to go hunting. At least I still got the hundred acres to hunt.

 

[Sideshow]

I enjoyed reading your post and see you understand where I am coming from. Since I transfer onto my ATV from my wheelchair, it is easy to hunt this land next to and around my land. It would be very difficult for me to load everything up on a trailer and truck and travel to go hunting. At least I still got the hundred acres to hunt.

Tennesee made a law you couldnt let a ATV sit and run because deer got curious and came in for a look !!! It got to be pretty common i guess . I didnt know you were challenged like that . I hope you got deer there . 100 acres isnt all bad !!! Good Luck !!!

I just got informed this law isnt so . I guess i got bad info . I do know it works.......

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Tennesee made a law you couldnt let a ATV sit and run because deer got curious and came in for a look !!! It got to be pretty common i guess . I didnt know you were challenged like that . I hope you got deer there . 100 acres isnt all bad !!! Good Luck !!!

I just got informed this law isnt so . I guess i got bad info . I do know it works.......

Around here the deer and the turkeys arent too wary of trucks or atvs. Step off an atv tho and they get gone quick.

 

[James Sparhawk]

Tennesee made a law you couldnt let a ATV sit and run because deer got curious and came in for a look !!! It got to be pretty common i guess . I didnt know you were challenged like that . I hope you got deer there . 100 acres isnt all bad !!! Good Luck !!!

I just got informed this law isnt so . I guess i got bad info . I do know it works.......

I wish I knew how to spread my good news I got today. I guess I will make an "Update on losing hunting territory" post. I took some of you guys advice and just came home from meeting a man that purchased 40 of the 100 acres I lost rights to. He is very nice, loves to talk, and told me that I could hunt it all I want to. It pays to ask people nicely. Now I have 140 acres to hunt and still have access to the river. I feel like a rich man. I only have to pay a small lease that covers his land taxes.

 

[gman57]

That sure is good news, and good advice to ask people nicely, good luck