trytan74

Ok here is the story. About 5yrs ago I got lucky and meet this older farmer through a guyI worked with. Well we got talking and eventually we agreed on a hunting lease for $500 a yr. This place was a hunters nightmare. Only crops he grew was hay. The people down the road made dirtbike/quad race trakes through the woods. Back side of the property was starting to be used as a dump. They also slaughtered the deer on and around the property. This gentlemen actually though $500 was to much money for me to pay but I was happy with it after all it was 217 acreas which I honestly felt with some hard work had great petental.
First I posted up the whole propert literly every tree along the border. I cut down trees to block of the entrances of all the Bike trails from the other properties. The I payed for a LARGE dumpster and spent 3 weeks cleaning up the back part of property. Took some plastic cable boxes cut a hole into the front tapped a baby food jar into the hole and black tapped it all up making it look like a camra and mounted them to trees all along back of property with signs saying this property is under video survalance and all trespassers/dumpers will be prosicuted to the full extent of the law. The the following yr and every yr after I planted 4 food plots about 10 acres each. The property really did incredable in a matter of yrs. the last 3 yrs I been seeing some really nice bruisers and missed a buck I swear went into the 180 class. This whole time I also became very good freinds with the landowner he really is a great older man who has a very hard time running his farm. So I normally spent at least a day or 2 every week over helping him out. Mending fences, feeding cows, bailing hay and anything esle he needed help with down to chopping firewood. Has I have already said I really think alot of him and his wife and invite them to all parties and over for holidays and really consider them to be some of my best freinds. Well last week I went over to pay my yearly lease I normally wait till the end of July when I get my bonus from work but I happen to have the money a couple week early this yr. Well when I arrived he informed me that he was offered $5000 a yr to lease it to a another group of people and he really needed the money since his wife has been sick and the medical bills are adding up. He told me he was sorry at least a dozen times and begging me to still be his freind and he wished he could of done this another way. Well I am a working class stiff and can't afford to compete with $5000 a yr since I got a family to support. I understand the fact and the reason he really needed the money and I really like him but how can I stand to go over there and be reminded of all the hard work and time I spent making the property what it is just to lose it. I didn't say anythign to him I just went and pulled my stands out of the woods and left. Any opionions on how I can handle this situation becuase I really hate losing a great freind but I also feel very hurt by losing my hunting area.

2nd queston: anyone know any good ideas on how to go about finding another lease. The web-sites I found either don't have anythign in my area or they are so expensive I could never afford them. I posted ads around the local feed stores, stores, and resterants that got bullentin boards but haven't got any calls. I welcome any suggestions

Trytan

Buck Magnet

That sucks for you and i'm sure it would be hard to get past all the time and effort you put into that property, BUT.... a friendship is more important than a place to hunt. If you stick on this guys good side and something happens to the new group of guys who want to lease the property, then you have a chance of getting your honey hole back.

buck fevered

It's sad that money talks louder than sweat. I can understand that the guy needs the money. Did he already lease it to the other group or does he just have an offer?

I know the feeling though... didn't have that much invested in a nice piece of property but lost itwhen another guy ticked off the caretaker. Said nobody hunts now. Killed some nice bucks in there.

Matt/TN

that stinks, you put all that work into it and now the new guys are gonna benefit from it, try to get some people to go in with you to make up 5000 or talk to the guy that leased it and see if you can work something out with hime, such as pay 500 to him.Say i know this place like the back of my hand and i think we can kill some quality deer

BobCo19-65

Sorry to hear that. Too bad is was just a year to year thing. You put in a lot of work.

GR8atta2d

If you knew you had a good thing going you should have looked into a long term lease. Especailly with all the work and expense you put in. Can't really blame the old Codger.

All you can do is hope they don't treat him and his land as well as you have and next year he may welcome you back free.

kevin1

I agree .
One of the many reasons why I will never consider leasing is stories like yours , I hear a new one just like it every day . Those dumbasses paid over $23 per acre ? Sounds like they took a harder screwing than you .

tsoc

I have a little bit of a different take on this.If this situation is as you described it that man owed you some courtesy!I understand the circumstances with his needing money for his wifes medical care,but that does not negate having integrity and recognizing someone who has made a significant investment of time and money to make his property the hunting property it has become.He may have had no choice in his mind but to accept the offer made to him to lease his property.BUT what he could have done is this, contacted you first before he committed to them,explained his circumstances to you and told you that he was going to tell the prospective new people that because of the efforts you have made that he felt a responsibility to you and that had to be factored in to his new agreement.Basically having you not lose your ability to hunt the property you enhanced.
People justify lot's of things when money is being waived in their face.I call it integrity of convenience,when it is convenient to have integrity they have it,when it is tested or bought they don't have it.I am not at all insensitive to this older gentlemans plight!It is just my opinion that he could have handled it in a much more honorable way!
If he had explained his circumstances to you I would sincerely doubt that you would have not made it easy for him to save face.Hunting is important but it does not trump the well being of our friends and their families!

Virginia Mike

Your deer hunting will go on, but good friends are harder to find than a lease. I think you should tell him you understand, but are dissappointed, and that your friendship is more important than the lease. This will speak volumes to him. I have found that most of the time these high paying groups will do something to get themselves kicked off of the land. Then you will still have your friendship with this farmer and his respect for the work you did and how you treated him in hard times. Just my opinion. Good luck.

Mike

buttonbuckmaster

Work out a trade. Tell him you will work X number of hours every week doing chores, mowing, etcin the amount of $5K for the year. See if its all about the money, or if he wants to give you a fair chance at the place. For me to pay $5K a year,(and I wouldn't)I wouldhave to beworking nights at Wallyworld or Mc Donalds.