Neighbor Rant

The land adjacent to us is leased for cattle only, and the last 6 years or so no one has been out there to hunt or otherwise, only the rancher to feed his cattle. This year the LO's family decided to take advantage of the land, setting up a camp on the creek in the far back corner of their property. Problem is, this creek has always been a hub of deer and hog activity, and when they were back there camping, we wouldn't see any major activiy for 3-4 days. The spot they picked to camp is roughly 300 yards through the brush behind my feeder (my only feeder) as we don't have much land. If we were to shoot we whould be shooting directly at them. We've had several monsters show up on camera this year and I have been trying to hunt them since early bow season! These guys would chase around cows, honking their horns, shoot skeet, chop wood, and let their kids (4-10 years old) run around screaming through the woods. I hadn't had a chance to check my trail cam, but when I finally did last weekend I had several pictures of them driving their polaris across MY property (close enough to the feeder to trigger the camera) at all hours of the night. We installed a gate there for the rancher because we lease to him for grazing also. Last weekend they were driving up to the gate and looked like they were about to come on our land while we were in the blind so I shined my flashlight at them.

Long story short, our season was pretty much wrecked. I did manage a nice 8pt this year, but my fiance never made it to the ranch when the neighbors WEREN'T there, and we hunted quite a bit this year. She never saw a deer this year. Very frustrating season to say the least.

I know there isn't much I can do legally, but what would you do if this happened to you? Would you shoot in their direction? I did have a spike one afternoon and a doe last weekend that came in for a short time, but we chose not to shoot because I knew their kids were back there running around. I understand this is 'part of owning a small piece of land' and the neighbors are within their rights (except for them trespassing which I believe is an honest mistake). Has anyone dealt with this type of thing before? How did you handle it?

Call the neighbor? If you lease to him, I am sure you can communicate and talk it through.

Regardless if they are there or not it is illegal to shoot if your bullet will cross the property line. So legally it shouldn't matter if they are there or not. You should be really asking yourself if you are set up in a direction and location to where you can make a legal shot.

But if the only concern is them scaring the deer off then I would talk to them and see if they come to a compromise l. Just because they don't hunt doesn't mean they don't like venison. Offer them some meat

Simple answer is for you to lease the Neighbors property. IMHO, no Feeder should be within 400yds of a fence unless you have control of the other side.

If you have pictures of them trespassing there is something you can do legally about that.

As for what they do on their land, you are probably SOL given the folks you are obviously dealing with.

What Js & TT said, + Are you in an elevated blind?
Does your cattle lease terms allow them to operate motorized veh. on your prop? for recreation?

Work it all out with LO / Rancher; offer to teach their kids to hunt - education is the key to respect for others activities.

I would do something right quick about the trespassing, intentional or not. That's all you can do, but no way would I let that slide.

I guess this is kind of a confusing situation. I own 52 acres , about 20 of which is huntable. We lease to a neighbor for grazing, but his cattle are not on my property during the season. He also leases the neighboring 100 acres which makes sort of a horseshoe shape around our land. The landowner's family of that 100 acres are the ones camping on the 100 acres. They had been (hopefully unknowingly) driving through our land. My shot will not cross the property line, but I am shooting in their direction if I shoot, and I was not comfortable doing that so we passed on a few shots this year.

The neighboring rancher (who grazes that property) tried to lease for hunting but they didn't want him hunting there. I agree this would be ideal and I might try to get a lease from him, in which case I'd probably try to work something out with the rancher to where we can both hunt it. He's a great guy and was a good friend to my Grandpa.

When I was growing up we didn't pay lease fees to hunt on farmers land. We want and talked to them and offered half our deer once we got it processed. I would try this approach to see if maybe they will change their camping days. And then ask the owner to talk to them about property lines.

Tough situation. I would move my blind to the fence line and hunt the other direction.

Wish you the best, sounds like a tuff situation.

I would agree with this. If your bow hunting it wouldn't be quite as much a problem other than the noise created.

Talking to them may help. I wouldn't mention that your shooting that direction with a rifle. That would really tick me off if my neighbor did that.

I have a few neighbors where we conduct our hunts. They drive around on the weekends sometimes. Take their AR out and let loose on the weekend. One of them must have got a new firearm for Christmas because right after that we could hear a box of 50 rounds go off every evening just before sunset and after 5pm. It's annoying as heck but legal and not really much I can do about it. It just disturbs the quiet nature out here that I like is what I'm saying. He's not firing towards my property.

How do you know your bullet will not cross the property line? 52 acres would be 500 yards by 500 yards if it was a square. A lot of people seem to think an elevated blind will keep a bullet in the dirt...that is just not true. If it were me, I would reconsider hunting with a high powered rifle.

As far as the neighbors are concerned, you should talk to the landowner first, if you can't get it settled...then talk to the GW, and turn in the photos. That should get it fixed.

Some of yall are funny. So now 52 acres isn't big enough to hunt with a rifle and you have to be 400 yards away from the fence line.

It depends entirely on the setup. He said himself he doesn't feel comfortable shooting that direction. What do you think happens to a bullet after it leaves your gun? After you whiff on a deer? After a glancing blow?

Try and use some common sense.

Don't know what to tell you on handling the neighbor but sure as heck would never fire a gun in even the general direction of where someone might be no matter what the hunting situation is

Let's assume he is hunting a 500 yard x 500 yard piece of land. He stands on the edge of this fenceline, and take 150 yard shot right to the middle of his place. Would you go stand another 350 yards behind him when he's shooting? Heck no.

When we would shoot at a range, up to 200 yards, we would make sure everyone was back at camp, and not wandering around, then we would shoot. I'm glad some of you guys aren't hunting next to me.

Just find a new deer lease dude. Too much drama this year and most likely will continue into next year. Not worth it.

being that I'm a teacher and my fiance is just getting started in real estate a lease is pretty much out of the question.

Maybe you can ask to lease their hunting rights, and maybe ask that they not camp during the season? Might be worth throwing some money at, depending on the LO.

Feel your pain. Our neighbor does about the same. We have asked him if they would give us a 'break' during season. Neighbor must have misunderstood, cause now they escalate their efforts. We just don't hunt the one stand, on that side of the property, when they are around. Very aggravating for sure, but nothing much can be done.

I was by no means saying 52 acres was too small. I hunted 10 acres this last year and am about to close on 15 acres that will be my new hunting spot. I was just saying that if you don't feel comfortable that the bullet will not cross lines then maybe he should look at a different set-up. I am all for supporting guys hunting on what they can afford to hunt on. I hate the big land owners that get on here saying you have to have 1000 acres to hunt. If someone wants to buy me that 1000 acres I will hunt it and I am sure duckcoach would do the same. Unfortunately I have to hunt what I can afford though and what fits my families needs, which last year was 10 acres and this year and years to come will be 15 acres.

So you only have 20 huntable acres and you are relying on resources from the neighbor's property to make your hunting viable and you are upset because they started doing stuff on their property that is affecting your hunting???

Knowing that you have such a small, huntable property, you need to work on making improvements to make it more viable for deer, hogs, or whatever. You can't rely on what isn't yours. You may have to do some work to make your little property independently viable.

Why can't you hunt on the other 30 odd acres of your property?

Try talking to your neighbors and seeing if you can work something out with them. That is always a good idea, but with that said, don't expect them to comply with your wishes. They have ever bit as much right to utilize their property for their desires as you do for yours. If they say NO, then you have to go along with it.

I did notice that nowhere did you indicate that your neighbors are appearing to act in any sort of intentionally rude or disruptive manner. They are not trying to thwart your hunting, just making recreational use of a pretty spot on their property.

Talk to the landowner, (and have a picture ready to show him of them on your property if he shows any doubt they crossed the property line). Tell him you passed on shots for everyone's safety sake, and you'd really like to continue hunting on your land without the disturbances during hunting season. hopefully he will respect you and you taking the time to talk to him man to man, and he will see to it that the shenanigans stop, and camping is moved to another location.

You're right.. i got what I got and can't expect the neighbors to stop doing what they want to do, and I am glad to see they are getting their kids outdoors. I do not think they are trying to mess anything up for us, but I also think they know I hunt and don't care. As far as improving the land, It was a peanut farm for a long time when my grandpa had first purchased it in the early 70s. You can clearly see where the soil changes from straight sand to mud, where it transitions from open coastal pasture to a thick line of south TX mesquite brush. We have been trying to get some cover to grow out into the fields, but even mesquites won't grow in the sand and they always die within a year or so (Grandpa used to say the peanuts sucked up all the nutrients). The sand is also very acidic. We have tried treating with lime but have not been able to make any significant changes.

I like the Idea of offering some meat or teaching their kids to hunt.. Might give that a try for next year.

This was my first thought, but I'm sure the family really enjoys camping during the season because the weather is usually pretty mild.

To the OP, tough situation and I agree that talking to the neighbor would be my first step and probably the best way to try to resolve your frustration.

There is no excuse for the trespassing. They have a right to be doing anything else they want to on THEIR place.
I hunt about 30 acres of my property and I could easily find a safe place to hunt and not be putting any of my neighbors in harms way. If you cannot safely shoot a high power rifle on your land and guarantee that the shot will not leave your property then you should NEVER be using that firearm. Regardless if there are campers on the adjacent property.

Nothing is harmed by talking with them.

Isn't that the world we live in today? Are people not entitled to the fruits of other's labors?

Soon, if not already, there will be those whose hunting area is so small, their stand will be near every property line.

sounds as if the neighbors family are really enjoying their land

a dozen beehives along the back fenceline . . . .

I think talking with them is the answer. Make sure they understand the boundaries and that trespassing will not be tolerated. It sounds like they don't really care much about deer hunting. If that's the case all you can do is manage it as best you can.

I agree with this - but I am still disturbed by the question "should we shoot in their direction?" Why would anyone even ask that question? So you are going to shoot and hope they are not on their property somewhere in the path of your bullet? If they trespass, mess up your hunting, etc. nothing justifies knowingly shooting into someone else's property and hoping they are not around - Wow!

I like the idea you have of teaching the kids to hunt. If they were up for that it might get you access to the other land or atleast by having them involved in hunting see what a good spot they are camping in. Or they will be able to shoot the deer before you! Lol

Almost the same thing happened to me this year. Lowest number of deer I've seen in years! I do get entertainment watching the guy trying to get to his stand in the morning. He gets lost every time!! LMAO! He's shinning his flashlight like fighting off swarming bees!! It's hilarious!! I ended up talking to him for the first time a couple of weeks ago!! I really nice guy who was drunk off his A$$! I'm hoping we can become friends and work together for a better season next year.

have gotten permission ta hunt small tracks of land... Used archery only, scouted, found the trails, put up fewders, then stand just off trail... Just worth...

Just as a point of reference - so many folks are quick to jump on the bandwagon and point out about bullet distances, fence crossings, etc. on small properties. I am lucky in that I have the rights to hunt on several parcels of land, from a least of more than 5000 acres to small parcels less than 50 acres. In fact, if the truth be known - for me personally - I have had better luck on the smaller parcels. My "axis honey hole" is a little known spot tucked away that is only about 35 acres.

Now on the small parcels, if you are hunting an elevated position - either by terrain or stand - you can be sure your bullet ain't going anywhere but in the animal or quickly into the ground - if you have setup things right. I am more concerned about an animal escaping across boundary than a bullet, as even a perfect shot on an axis is no guarantee the deer isn't going to run a couple hundred yards.

Point being - don't be so quick to judge or claim that you cannot hunt a small parcel safely and successfully.

If ya wanna learn about hunten, & deer's habbits... As pappy once said: Put down the gun & pic up a bow... When deer season rolled around would find me down at OSBWMA archery hunts... With over 2,727 acres ta hunt, my parcel of land was a 25yrd radias of my tree stand... That's just a personal choice, at that range could shoot 3 arrows at Target & all be touching... My first bow hunt using a 60# bow... At 15+ ft up in stand, deer would look while drawing, it finaly put head down behind a tree... Drew putting pin higher allowing for hight from being in tree, at 20yrds the deer ducked the arrow... Difference between live & target... Not putting down those who shoot farther, or use rifle, my first deer rifle was a Kentucky .45 & have several more modern rifles...