Family that would shun other family over not getting to hunt is not worth the trouble IMO. Same with friends.

I do get your point though, there is something about having land that makes a lot of family/friends think they should be able to hunt on it. Just the way it is.

I look at it as their problem. It's my land. I paid for it. I bought it for hunting, so I'm not going to let it get shot out. If they don't like it, see first sentence again.....

Fortunately, I have had few issues in this regard.

I guess I must be fortunate when it comes to family. My ranch is hunted only by my daughters, grandkids, son-in-laws, a very few "select" guests and me. We take mostly does, longhorn spikes and cull bucks off the place and I decide who can take a cull or mature buck (based on a texted picture of the buck sent to me). Other than grandkids being given a lot of latitude for their first buck, part of the deal for taking a mature buck (cull bucks excluded) is you must be willing to pay for a shoulder mount. These rules have been in place for the 11+ years I've owned the ranch and I've never had a problem with family or the select friends. Over the eleven years I have seen vast improvements in the buck/doe ratio, a significant reduction in the number of spikes and a great improvement in the quality of mature bucks we're seeing. Of course having all of my neighbors manage their deer harvest similarly and feeding year-round, including protein for the better part of the year, hasn't hurt either.

I will be in the same boat shortly. Just my mom and I will take trophy bucks next couple years, but my daughter is almost 8 now and won't be long before we're hunting for her. I have some nice bucks, but not enough to bring every friend out. I also need to come up with a cull plan, I don't believe in shooting every 8. I need to learn what will hurt the herd and what needs to be left alone. A few young 1.5 year olds that are just little forks, not sure if they will ever become anything. I have seen 1.5 year olds that were already 90 inches.

If you don't nip it in the bud now you will be amazed by how many "close" family members you have and "best buddies" every fall.
Let them all get mad at once and get over it.

Agree with this and many others in this thread, been there done that and no way feelings wont get hurt. I would set the ground rules before even signing for the land, never too early to deal with this.

Kind of like winning the lotto, how many folks have won and have friends and family that where never there, or "just showed up"? Now, allot of those lotto winners are broke and OWE money. Manage it like you do your bank account, you are the fella that has something to loose. Do you want a "pay ranch" no holds bared, or a place that can be really something to be looked forward to if you do invite a guest.

Good luck with it.

I would have no problem saying no. I own land near Corsicana and my folks own quite a bit more, with cattle on all of it except for crops grown on some of my folks land near Hubbard and Malone. Over the years we've had a few folks get pissed when we've said no to permission to hunt, but that's their problem not ours.

A much bigger problem is the number of poachers we've caught hunting on our land illegally or been caught by the GW hunting deer. Hunting and killing a deer without permission is a felony, yet some people just don't seem to get it.

You'll have people try you from time to time if you allow guests to hunt your property. It's human nature. I only allow guests simply because I have a large number of does that need to be taken each year. My solution was to make a set of hard and fast rules, void of interpretation and speculation. Rule #1. I am the landowner. Only my name appears on the deed. I will make the decisions concerning what happens within the boundaries of my survey markers. From here, I list the additional rules. The last rule states, "If you have an issue with any of the rules listed above, please refer to Rule #1 or don't hunt."

I was in your same situation
1. I'm on a wildlife management plan. We have a set number of bucks. A place your size shouldn't be shooting more than about three bucks a year at most maybe only two bucks.
2. I'll invite friends and extended family out during doe only season if we haven't shot our predetermined number by then.
3 I'll invite them out to shoot hogs when not deer season.

The priority of shooting bucks comes down to
1. Me the land owner. 2 my kids. 3. My blood family 4. My in laws then 5. My friends.
No friends of friends or friends of my extended family are allowed.

You would be well off to just not invite. If they ask , tell them you are on a strict wildlife plan and if you have extra deer that need to be taken then you will bring them out.

As soon as you start bring people out then they will get pissed if you stop. Best to not start in the first place.

If you didn't invite them, they don't hunt. Pretty simple!!!

If they are really friends and relatives with any sense after you explain what you are doing they would not ask to hunt for free.

Best to not start in the first place.




[/quote]

I think a lot of my friends lease their land out just so they have a legit reason to tell friends and family No.

I have a lease here in east Texas that I hunt alone. I do not invite friends and family anymore. Too many bad experiences. I offer to apply and hunt with them on public hunts or other guided hunts. This way they can do what ever they want and it's on them. I do take kids out once and a while and will sit with them in the stand and let them shoot a doe or management buck. I treat the land that I lease as if it were my own.

Work to kill. That's the way my buddy does it and they get a lot done around the ranch and a lot of management bucks taken in the process.

we have 630 acres. Guests don't hunt. we've had 2 extended family members and one friend hunt over the years. All were allowed to kill either a trashy cull spike or a big, mature doe. Two nubbins and a yearling doe were killed. These people were experienced hunters. I have plenty of friends mention about wanting to hunt, but you start down a slippery slope. Don't start it and you won't end up in a bad situation. 200 acres is barely enough for you and your son.

I don't own land but have a buddy that does....
If you don't work then you don't hunt. If you ask he usually says no!! If he invites you then you get to hunt. If you hunt then there are "rules" to what can be shot: big, mature buck or you will be invited to NOT COME BACK!!! Possibly a doe but limited. You can shot hogs are all you want along with predators. Young kids get to shot a good deer but are then told that only big deer can be harvested after that or they are done.

You realize pretty fast that he is up-front and honest and there is no grey area of "what if". His land, his rules, and his way or don't come around!!!