mobow

I have been hunting ground behind my parents house for a score now and until this year have had the place to myself. This year the owner has let a young man onto this ground, and obviously this is his right. So, though I don't like it, I suck it up and move on.

Well, this morning I am in the woods, and after my morning hunt I decide to go for a little walk. Much to my surprise, I learned I was hunting less than 100 yards from a bait pile! Now, I was none to happy about this. I don't want to get in trouble for someone else's bait that I didn't even know was there.

So, here's the question. I thought about posting a note to his stand politely expressing my concern but all that would do is warrant a visit from him and his father to my dad's house, and I don't want to put any burdon on him. I also thought of knocking on his door and speaking with him face to face, which I consider the best idea. But then the greedy side of me kicked in, and the 2 red little horns stuck out of my head. Hmmmm....if I informed the local conservation officer of this infraction, I may have my land to myself again. Yeah, I know......not very nice at all, but hey...it's a dog eat dog world out there.

Anyway, how would you handle this situation. I don't want the blame to fall on me. I mean, I hunt there too, and it doesn't matter if it's mine or not. I feel I have a genuine concern here. What would you do?

Angus74

Hey, that sucks,, If it weree me Id talk first with the landowner, and inform him that the guy he is letting hunt, is doing it illegally, and could also get you into trouble by doing what he is doing. If the guy cares about his land, he should stop it and revoke the other guys hunting priveledges. If thats not enough to get him kicked off, I dont know, but Id be watching out for more of his bait piles around your stands. If it continues, It may be the best to talk to the local warden, or to the guy, whichever you think is best. Good luck with it,

akaSharkey

Iwould try to keep the law out of it. If you turn the guy in and hes a friend of the lanowner or friend of the family you may be out of a hunting spot too. I think the face to face is the thing to try. If he wont listen or is rude then use your other options

vc1111

Tough situation. I have a similar problem......after 8 years of hunting behind my home, another guy comes in and puts up a ladder stand....65 yards or so from mine. Mine is hidden well so I can see how he did it, but I also don't quite know how to handle it without causing a riff.

In your case mobowhuntr, I'd probably contact the guy and ask him if you could get a cup of coffee and talk it over......that's what I'm considering doing, but I can't find out who owns the ladderstand that just appeared near mine.

Let me know what you do and how it turns out.

Good luck.

Wolfpack

I am going to assume baiting is illegal where you hunt. Maybe this person is unaware he is breaking the law. If you approach him and he does nothing then you probably can't go to the game warden unless you want him to know it was you(assumption #2...that he is not dumb).I don't think that even if he is caught by the game warden he will leave the area unless hunting privileges are revoked by law for baiting. Is his stand very close or over the bait? If so, I would stay a few hundred yrds. uptrail from him. Maybe that way you will not be accused of hunting over it.Tough call but I would probably approach him.

Fieldmouse

You decide what you need to do. If baiting is illegal yes, you can turn him in. On the other hand, you can use this to your advantage and hunt the trails to and from the property.

I don't want to launch into the discussion of baiting vs. not baiting but hunting itself is very much about hunt around the other hunters, food, and local laws.

Good luck!

stoneman

Is it illegal just to dump corn or whatever "bait"? I mean, he isn't breaking the law unless he HUNTS over it, right? I dunno how the laws work there...here you can bait legally. I just thought perhaps the guy wasn't hunting over the bait, and was just dumping feed to keep the deer in the area during winter?

smokyghost

well is this land adjacent to yours?? if it were me id first let the land owner know, if that didnt help id talk to the guy myself, and lastif all else didnt work,Iwould take a advantage of the situation, move my stand to intercept these deer. HMMMMMM..

NJ_Bowhntr

I would suggest going to the landowner and telling him the guy set up a bait pile near your stand making it illegal for you to hunt there, and asking him to ask the guy to stop baiting so you can hunt. It is after all, the landowners decision to let the guy hunt legally or illegally, so he should know what's going on, and you come across only as concerned that someone made your stand illegal to use...not as a greedy hunter wanting the woods to yourself. If he is an upstanding landowner, the guy will be kicked off the gorund and you get it to yourself, or maybe the baiting stops at least.

I would think puting it in the landowners hands is the best way, and if you don't like what he does, either live with it or move to another spot. If baiting is legal, you really have nothing to complain to the landowner about and just have to deal with the increasing hunting pressure.

ranchand99

I would call the Game warden.What's right is right. If you let it continue you are just as guilty.