Respect Private Property and Other Hunters!!!

I am going to rant about a somewhat private matter today, private property. Nothing ruins a day in the field faster than getting to your hunting spot to find someone else is already there. Especially when that someone does not have permission to hunt on that property. Although perhaps slightly more disheartening is to find out that there are other hunters with that special person, putting a drive on through your property, completely spooking any deer and ruining your set-up for what would have been a perfect afternoon of hunting.

Of course, this happens to be the tale of my trip to the field on the last day of shotgun season here in New York. I found a hunter, who I know and whom we have had issues with in the past in my spot. Not only did he seem surprised to find me coming into the woods to sit in my stand, he actually argued with us that they were in the middle of a drive, and he couldn't leave. Of course when my brother in law headed back to his truck to call the police, he decided to pack it in, but first had to clear the rest of his hunting party out of our property.

Guys (and girls), I hear the argument that more and more of those bright yellow and orange POSTED signs are popping up, and the amount of huntable land is shrinking every year, but that is not necessarily true, at least not in our area yet. We aren't losing hunting and farm lands to subdivisions and industrial sprawl, in fact quite the opposite. There is more posted property out there, but a lot of that is because people are tired of jerks being inconsiderate, trespassing and of the dangers of not knowing WHO is out there on your property.

I am not saying that we don't hunt on family no owned by our family or members of our hunting party, but we care enough and are conscientious enough to make contact with the property owners prior to the season, many we even provide favors for in exchange for use of the property. Any serious hunter is going to be out scouting well ahead of the seasons, so they should have plenty of opportunity to make contact with property owners. Even if there is no POSTED sign visible, it is STILL private property, you should be getting permission well ahead of setting foot on that land. Anyone who does not follow these principles is just making it harder for all hunters, and giving us a bad name. You are not going to hear the story about someone asking permission in the spring to hunt a piece of property, but you will hear the story of some jerk getting hauled away by the Game Warden or State Police for trespassing, or worse yet taking game off that property.

And for those hunters who live in the city and drive out to the country to do your hunting, there is still no excuse. If you don't have time to do some scouting, and find that piece of property and get permission to use it, then stick to state lands, or join a Club, in a rural area that has property to hunt. I belong to a Fish and Game Club that has over 230 acres of land for members to hunt on, and it only costs $40 a year. i realize in some areas it may be more to join a good club, but I almost guarantee it would be cheaper than paying that fine or losing your hunting privilege for trespassing!!!

Let's be classy, well mannered, safe hunters, and everyone have a good rest of their season!!!