Allowing deer recovery

Say that your neighbor has a stand, or multiple stands, right on your fence line. Then 1 day you get a call from the GW, asking permission for the fence line hunting neighbor to recover a deer on your property.

Do you allow it?

I'm not. No way in hades. I'd allow the GW to recover, or I'd come recover myself. But if you allow a fence line hunter to shoot deer & come into your place, your only gonna get more of the same in the future. Fence line hunters obviously have no respect for others property, & by allowing them on, you've just given them the green light to hunt your place.

Of course, most fence line hunters will just hop the fence anyway, & trespass without a thought.

Man, you complain more about hunters than the anti-hunters do!

We found our first fence line hunter.

I only complain about "hunters" that break the law or hunt in an obvious unethical fashion.

maximus if you follow these threads closely at all, you'd know DNS is a hog hunter, he doesn't hunt deer, so I don't think painting him as a fenceline hunter is legit. Most hog hunters are fenceline hunters but mainly because they walk fencelines following the hogs. He knows where his boundaries are on multiple properties and would never do something illegal or jeopardize his hog hunting by shooting illegally or at something not a hog. Bark up a different tree....

Here are my two cents. A lot of factors would go into it for me. Whether or not the are overhunting or not, meaning size of place relative to number of harvests and if I know they are following "brown is down" management scheme.

Whether or not they are shooting always during legal hours or not. If this is an "off" situation or all the time thing, recovering of deer and most of all,how they ask and act, politely or it'

It is their right mentality. We have and allowed recovery before in South Texas and each occassion though infrequent, it was polite and each party clearly identified place where shot occurred and resulting blood trail into other's property.

Very simple. If they were good neighbors they would have called the landowner, not the GW. Since they aren't good neighbors, which they have demonstrated through their stand placements, no way in he77 they're setting foot on my property. Allowing the GW to recover and then deliver to the fence hunters serves no purpose. I'd just tag the deer with one of my tags, or do whatever the GW instructed me to do, short of letting the fence hunters have that meat.

How far off the fenceline is hunting permissible?

I can tell most of the folks on THF aren’t from west Texas. This is about the most unneighborly bunch of whiners I’ve ever heard. Why would you care if someone came and got a deer they killed off of your land? No one has ever asked me but I wouldn’t see any reason to deny them.

You can tell most of the folks on THF don't have large acreage like most places in "west Texas". Are you overrun with 10-50 acre ranchettes where folks kill a deer to every .25 acres they own?

It could be what I've run across over the years.
Buy a place with large neighbors in some cases only one or two neighbors surrounding property.
Over the years neighbors sell off pieces or sell the whole place & somebody else splits it in to smaller tracts.
20 years later you have 8 neighbors on one side, 4 on another and so on.
Only 1/2 those newer neighbors hunt but they're all allowed to take whatever the counties bag limit is which decreases herd numbers and increases human pressure further reducing the way hunting used to be on 'my' place.

Folks buy 20 - 60 acre places to hunt all the time, smart ones know the only way to ensure a bullet doesn't leave their small property is to use an elevated blind set up on fence line and shoot back into their own property.
As far as which way the blind is facing, all ya gotta do is ask them why it appears to be overlooking your place.


I don't like it much either, but, it sure beats the people that setup a blind nearer the center of these small tracts and shoot towards the fence lines.

I said it before and I will say it again, the bow hunter on 100 acres is a set up for a deer jumping a fence. how many posts do we read every year in october about a well shot deer that ran 300-800 yards before finally expiring? Heck, I have seen a deer with a blown up heart from a gun shot run over 75 yards. There is no way to guarantee a DRT type death with anything.

By taking the mentality of the OP, we should ban bow hunting on any acreage less than 400, and gun hunting on anything less than 100 acres, as there is too much risk for deer jumping fences and stands overlooking a neighbors property.

It is about a guy who doesn't like city slickers and he is expressing his views in different way s through different posts. It isn't about being neighborly, it is about being unwelcoming to city slickers.

If maximus had his way, no one from Tarrant, dallas, Collin or denton countries woud be allowed to hunt in the state of texas...not to mention bexar, Austin, and all of the Houston metro....but since he doesn't ergularly deal with those city slickers he ignores them and kindly reserves his unwelcoming nature for the DFW-ites who hunt near him and his property, overlooking and watching his every move and stealing his deer as they leap the fence

By law, all the way up to the legal boundary of the property (often denoted by a fence) so long as you are hunting where it is legal to be hunting (e.g., not inside the city limits) and you or your projectiles do not cross that boundary, you are hunting legally. Some people get really bent out of shape if you are hunting 100% legally on your property like that, but all they can do is cuss, whine about it, and cast dispersions.

Sorry I am totally skeptical of a blind on my property line. Especially one within feet. I know it's legal but it's not kosher. I have a great relationship with my neighbor as we trust each other and we call in the event of a shot cross over. It's a courtesy call but one that re-enforces the trust. If you've got a small acreage put your damn stand in middle of your property to minimize the temptation!!!! I'm a retired non wealthy whiner who loves hunting and take tons of heat from my wife at the cost but with a loan payment of 600.0 a month, taxes of 1500.00 a year, corn at about 100.00 a month for 5 months plus about $15,000 in support equipment ( feeders, cameras, Tripods, stands, tractor and equipment, food plots) I would like to feel my my reduced monthly funds, hard work and investment is not being compromised. That's just me you all can be as charitable and understanding as you see fit I guess I'm a little self indulged.

We have a neighbor with a small piece of land that borders a corner of two family properties. Last year he built a huge unsightly blind right on the fence. The blind was built tall enough and in such a way where the two biggest windows overlook a major game trail on our family property. He also has a feeder that is literally 20 feet from one fence and 40 yards from the other. His place is such that he would not have deer on his property at all without them crossing ours. He is hunting our family land while sitting on his is what it boils down to. If he shoots something, his property is less than an acre wide and I can almost guarantee without the perfect anchor shot the animal will leave his property. I can also say he has never asked to come on our property to recover an animal(probably just trespasses) but if he did ask, there would be a serious conversation with he and the game warden about his stand location! It is a free country and I believe wholeheartedly that people should be able to do whatever they want with their property but where did common decency and courtesy go? Why would you ruin a beautiful landscape with a huge ugly blind that you barely use? why would you put that blind directly looking over someone else's property? Some people are just plain rude so if and when we are asked, I just don't know what the response will be...

Much safer to shoot from the fence line into their small tract than shoot towards the fence.

I understand what you are saying, but what you don't understand you are saying is this:

I spend a lot of my money on hunting related stuff so I should be able to tell my neighbor who hunts the way I don't like to hunt the way I like because I spend a lot of my money on hunting and I want to be able to shoot the deer I want but not let you shoot the deer you want.

Is that the premise?

If someone hunts their own fence line and asks to recover an animal they shot on their own property that ran onto yours they absolutely have respect for your property or they would not ask in the first place. If a neighbor asks I would let them... that's the kind of neighbor I want. They also have the right to hunt their own fence line, it is after all their property. You can do the same.

I understand what you are saying about the small property and all, but you do realize there is a way to make that issue go away, just high fence the corner.

Until then, realize the deer on your family property are actually property of the state and not yours, and it will make things a lot easier to swallow when he hunts his property and shoots the states deer...

Maximus Whinus

You don’t own their land.....nothing unethical about them hunting their property.

I would think in the above scenario I would go help them recover and I would hope they would do the same.

If you don’t like their stand locations then pony up and buy them out.

I would rather a neighbor with a small property put his blind on the fence line and shoot toward his own property instead of toward mine.

Exactly, their property goes all the way to the fence line. I don't tell people what to do on THEIR property so I sure as hell don't want people to tell me what to do on mine.

You ain't gonna win this one.

Is it legal to put a blind against a fence line? Yep. Is it being a good neighbor? Nah. The issues caused by fence hunting and neighbors who can't agree on a management system (which almost never works) has raised more high fences than anything.

High fences make great neighbors. I highly recommend them.

Rancher, I agree, if you don't like it, put up a high fence. But isn't the intent here with the high fence to keep what is "yours" on your side of the fence?

Is that the problem here, we all think it is "ours" and not our neighbors? Are we greedy enough to think that something owned by the state, something native and natural and uncontrollable, can actually be "mine" not not yours?

That's some stinky mess if you ask me. Not putting words into your mouth here rancher. I am not trying to imply you think this way, but is this maybe the gist of the thread in the first place?

That's part of it. It's also to keep those nasty inferior state deer that haven't been treated as well as I treat mine from getting inside my fence to contaminate the genetic line I prefer.

Is it "greedy" of me to expect to "control" animals that I've spent 100 grand +/- each year on feed, food plots, waterings etc (btw I've fed that much to low fenced deer before as well), so that I reap most of the benefit of my investment?

On low fenced places it's still the same principle. Invariably, people practicing restraint on 3 year old 140's that they've fed and passed to get them to 5 or older want to be able to have a better chance at those animals than their neighbors do.

You call that greed? Or am I putting words in your mouth?

I would allow them to if they asked permission.

Would allow but meet them there and better be blood trail.

I have two uncles that hunt fencelines that border the neighbors. Their feeders are at least 50 yards away from the fence inside the brush. Both hunters do put corn on the roadway next to the fence but not more than 200 yards from their stands. They each have this rule. If the deer, hog or whatever is 100 yards or closer than its gonna be a neck/head shot to drop it on the spot. If its between 100 - 200 yards away than the animal must be facing into ours, so when shot and hit, it will most likely run into our ranch for tracking. Now, both of these stands have been on this fenceline since the 1960's and the neighbors do not say anything about these stands when they are hunted. BUT...I do agree that we should not have stands on fencelines. It is too tempting to take a shot and a truly BIG buck on the other side. Stands should be away from fencelines at least 100 yards away or further.
I would NOT let that neighbor onto yours even if the game warden asked you. I would let the game warden know that the neighbor needs to move his blind or there will be another blind on yours on the same fenceline.

There's two parts to your statements:
1. you paid for stocker deer and have rights to those which aren't to be equated with native LF deer.
2. LF deer are not yours no matter how much you feed or see them, they are the states and the state has plenty of legal guidance about that concept.

In example 1 above, you HF a place and bring in stocker deer and want to keep your deer in and the states deer out, that perfectly acceptable as a legal and moral practice. I don't call that greedy at all, just protecting your investment. Smart business move for you, for others in that situation (I know there are HF owners that don't sell hunts but just do management) it is a legal move to allow them ability to control herds.

In example 2 above, there is no way to legally or morally have a higher ground than your neighbor over any deer that you have seen, they have seen, you have fed, or managed or watched or whatever for no matter how many years. If that deer you watched jumped over into the neighbors land would it be ok for you to shoot it? Heck no! No more than it isn't ok for the neighbor to shoot on your land. However, if that deer you been managing and feeding and watching grow for 5 years jumps the fence and your neighbor shoots it on their land then doe that give you the moral or legal authority to go claim that deer and say it was "yours" since you raised it? Heck no! That I would call greedy.

So in LF texas, which is what this discussion was about in the first place, we can feed and set up management plans and watch deer grow and all that fully knowing the deer can at any time change plans and go to the neighbors land and live there and get shot there. There is no "right" given to landowners in LF setting to have dominion over wildlife. it is the states animal, they have the final say.

I had a blind on a fence once, no back window, side windows to the front edge, only way to shoot was on our place... showed it to the neighbors and asked if they were ok with it. They said looks great, but why not have a back window to see what's coming???

Meet your neighbors, it helps. Hope they are aren't as skeptical as some of u'all

I'm not saying anyone cant put their blind on my line I am a staunch advocate for individual freedom.I am saying I don't like it and I would never put mine on yours.I know there are no poachers in the world ( SARCASM) with 360 degree vision you don't need to focus your attention my 180 or more. Trust me I only have 160 acres I share my place with as many folks as I can especially young folks to get them hooked as I am blessed to have it even with it making my life less financially comfortable. I guess you don't have shades on your bedroom windows as anyone has a right to look wherever they want Right. I'm just saying you need to lack respect and sensitivity if you put blinds on another mans line.

Yep we understand who's deer they are, everyone's! We also understand you can hunt a fence line and do whatever you want on your side of the fence! We also understand there is no law against sitting on your side of the fence looking over someone else's property nor should there be, we have too many laws as it is. Does not make it the right thing or neighborly thing to do especially when you know any deer you shoot will very likely not die on your property.

Why does it matter where a deer your neighbor shot from his property to eat dies? Does it cause you some type of pain or money to allow him to retrieve said deer?

I agree with the other guy. You just do not want him hunting what you consider your deer.

Now him entering your property without permission that's another issue all together.

You've said a lot alright, & none of it makes any sense.

Lol, it's city slicker talk

There you have the answer. The neighbors are not hunting the way I think they should so I am going to put up a high fence around my 300 acres!
When everything gets high fenced we wont have to worry about wild deer anymore. That will save the state a ton of money.

By the way I do not like the fact that neighbors on two sides of me have blinds right on my fence. I know that they are shooting deer coming from me. I warn them to not shoot on my side and the GW has warned them. So I am going to hope they follow the law, and if they do need to recover an animal I will not only let them but will help them.
But I'm not going to be the arse that high fences my place just to keep thee neighbors from hunting "my" deer. I did quit wasting money on protein a few years ago though.

And you are shooting deer coming from their places.

If they ask for permission, I’d gladly let them over.

If I catch them without permission, never again.

First. You’re wrong in example one. I can pay a million bucks for a deer and he still doesn’t belong to me. That’s how ridiculous the states laws are. I have never bought anything but does but I did kill all the “states” deer off one of my HF ranches. So I do have a known genetic line on that place.

Of course there is no “moral high ground” in either. And I shared why I didn’t like hunters cherry picking my fence lines on the other thread.

If I have met the fence line hunter and he has a legitimate reason for having his blind on the fence line and seems like good people, then yes I would let him retrieve his or her deer

Not a fan of the trespassing and not a fan of the ethics! BTW I do spend a lot of money on all that has been talked about including protein with the understanding that we are low fence and they are everyone's deer. When he throws corn for a month or so and kills deer I have been feeding all year, ya I get a little butt hurt. It is however completely legal, they are his deer too!!! We would likely give him retrieval permission but we would have a talk about his ugly stand!

Lets do a hypothetical that may resonate...

You spend a bunch of money and time building some awesome brush piles to put in your local public lake. You sink them right on the X and you are catching a limit of slab Crappie every time you go out. One day Joe fisherman sees you hammering away and marks your pile with his GPS. The next time you go to the lake and several times after that you are not able to fish your pile because Joe fisherman who did no work or spent no money is sitting on your pile catching fish and reaping the rewards of your effort. Legal??? you bet in every sense of the word but ethical??? I personally do not think so.

This is how I feel about the guy with a blind on the fence line!

Would it be any better if he didn't mark it with a GPS and instead just remembered where the fish are?



public lake, you gotta know people will fish your spot if they find it...

save the work for a lake on your property and then you don't have to worry about people fishing it

Like it or not it's a reality and if I saw said guy out in the lake out of gas I'd lend him a hand. Which would be equal letting the neighbor retrieve a deer.

Totally your decision. IMO, if you allow people on, who have obviously set up in such a way that they will highly likely be crossing your fence to retrieve animals, then you will get more of the same. OTOH, if I wanted a buncha a-holes tracking deer on my place, I'd already have it. So just because somebody wants to get as close as legally possible to shooting on my place, doesn't mean I'm gonna allow them to step foot on it.

Are you a bow hunter? You've never shot a deer, with an arrow, & recovered them within 400 acres? If I couldnt do any better than that, I'd take up another sport. Maybe bowling is your thing.

Suppose I was your neighbor, & wanted to lay out in my Speedos & get a tan. How close to your property would you want me? How about front yard, as close as this deer stand, for example.......

You boys sure get worked up over some stuff. From this thread and the other, looks like I fall into the minority. Stands on the fence don’t bother me. I have no clue what their thought process is but it doesn’t effect what I do. I don’t believe everyone is planning on shooting across a fence simply because they can see across it. I don’t see a stand on a fence and automatically think that must be an inexperienced or unethical hunter. Our neighbors have them on our fences.

Hell, one of our neighbors used to be on the forum (not sure if he is still active or a member of that lease anymore) but they had a stand so close it dang near got knocked over by the excavator when we were replacing the fence.

Don’t corn over the fence, don’t set up facing the fence (feeder near it), and dang sure don’t shoot over it and I don’t have a problem.

We don’t have any stands I can think of on a fence line, but we have a large property.

As far as someone recovering an animal, I would prefer that they called first but can’t imagine telling them no because of their stand location.

My neighbor can do what they want on THEIR property. Who are you to tell others what they can do and where they can do it on their property?

I never said I have shot a deer and watched it run 400 yards or more, but I read about it every year during bow season and many times dogs are involved and half mile tracking jobs use up a lot of 400 acres. totally depends on how the land is situated.

I am a bow hunter, hunt mainly in Oklahoma where bow season is much longer than gun season, so again, barking up the wrong tree.

But you need to stop telling people what they can and can not do...just because everyone isn't robin hood doesn't mean there can't be bow hunters. Just because you don't like the idea of a deer running over a fence doesn't mean the sport isn't for everyone. Its people like you that give our sport a bad name for the anti's and the petas and all the other acronyms that are anti-hunting to use against us. "If you can't nail a running deer from 500 yards with your bow, then you shouldn't be bow hunting, maybe you should try bowling instead"

Seriously, you ever read what you write before you hit send? We want more hunters, more conservationists in the sport of hunting. Why would you actively dissuade someone from the sport because they can't make a perfect DRT shot with a bow? Grow some man balls and realize the more people we have that love the sport the longer we will be able to participate in the sport

Sometimes but the creek and virtually all of the cover is on my place.
Most around me grass lease and the guys that lease it graze it bare and keep way too many cattle on the places. Seldom ever see a deer on the property unless jumping my fence to go to feeder 50 foot away.
Like I said I don’t like it much, the feeders are too close and the blinds are close. A bad shot over my fence could hit my house which is only about a 1/4mile off the fence on one side and 350 yards on the other.
I also feed corn year around because we like to see deer. They start feeding about September and quit as soon as season is over.
But I just ask them not to shoot on my side of fence. I don’t build a high fence to deny them anything because I think it is mine. I also get along with them OK.

No kiddin'. Bla bla bla, ba f'n bla. Good Lord.

I would not only give them access to recover, I would help them. If they were newbies, I might even show them how to clean it. The only time I've ever had issues is when bullets crossed my/our fence. I've had bullets zip by me 5 times in my life on different properties and a few really close, it's not my favorite thing. I would rather my neighbor put his blind on the fence and shoot into his property.

All this "MY MY MY" stuff, worse than a damn spoiled kid.

Funny thing about fence-lines. Once the fence goes up it's as much theirs as yours, no matter who built the fence. I'd never stop anyone from recovering a deer, and I'd help them all I could. I may be naive, but unless I have a really good reason to doubt someone I won't, and just having a stand on a line is no such reason.

If Maximus really treats his neighbors like he claims to on the forum he would either be the toughest man in the county or get his arse whipped every time someone saw him at the feed store where I grew up.

Just to make a correction here... most of us that hunt with big 'ol cuddly Maximus are from Collin, Denton and Dallas counties, but we sure the hell keep those Tarrant county guys away!

. Some people just know it all ( at least in their own mind )

Being from Tennessee I can tell you that a big place is 100 acres in my state. Its also 6-10k and there is plenty of grass. There are no "my deer, his deer" as owning deer isnt kosher. Cant legally breed them. We also think it is generally unethical, and illegal to use a feeder or put out corn. Whole different set of laws.

Some people are slow learners. If I had 5 bullets zip past my head, I'd change something.

"My My My". It's my land. Not the neighbors. That makes me a spoiled kid? I'm not obligated to let anyone into any property, just because they wanna hunt the fence line.

Sometimes I'm not real smart so help me here...

So, IF you have never bought anything but Doe, AND have killed off all the states deer........ How are those doe getting bred????????

A guy just bought a 200 ft role of 1/2 in steel cable from me. Talked about a crossing. Barbed wire wouldnt keep the neighbors out. Guess it could be worse.

Glad I don't have DB neighbors. I could setup on the fence and they'd let me track if it crossed and they could do the same with no problems. Heck we even share trail cam pics to follow some shared deer. Im obviously lucky reading the whining here

I see you're moving to Texas in your ID panel (or whatever that's called). Should we assume you'll continue your feeder-less ways?

Hard to justify tracking a wounded deer over a high fence! And this is one of the reasons why there are high fences, keeps your neighbors honest

According to some clowns....deer jump high fences with regular ease....I am sure a wounded one might also fly over one too.

I am a slow learner when it comes to women, no doubt about that. When it comes to hunting, lighten up. I spend a TON of money on feed year round. I work year round on the place to better OUR herd but I will not be a d*** and refuse a Father and Son the right to recover their deer. If THEY shot it, it's their deer. It's just a deer. Even if it's a deer I know and have passed several times. The way I see it, the memories that those two made together is more important than me calling that deer mine and obsessing about it...as long as they are not breaking the law trespassing or shooting into my ground. When I was growing up none of this was an issue. Have hunted from 250,000 acres to 5 acres. The drive for growing trophies has changed people and some have gone nuts. Don't break the law, hunt, and quit driving yourself crazy when others don't hunt the same way that you do.

PS: A hunter IS SHOWING respect to you if they call you to get permission to cross that fence.

Nothing worse than some weekend DB setting up a pop up 5 ft from the fence 3 days before opening day of rifle season.

He could have bought the does bred already and allowed the offspring to inbreed. Seems that I’ve heard that’s acceptable to a certain degree. I don’t know if that’s what therancher did, but it’s possible.

I can think of a hundred things worse than that.

All that is awesome, but they can make memories on their own place.

I'm basing my decision on if they are hunting my fence line, thereby setting themselves up for having to track a deer on my place. A hunter that had a stand at a respectful distance (i.e. not watching my place), I would consider allowing them on my place.

I was being facetious, guess you didn't get it

This thread is off the rails. Funny, but off the rails.

I would let any neighbor that called ME retrieve a legally taken wounded deer that ran onto my place. I would go with him.

I’ve got news for y’all: if your neighbor is truly an idiot slob he ain’t going to call you anyway. He’s just going to go on your place and get it. Hell, he probably shot it on your place to start with.

And I’m not going to put up a HF and go from hunter to zookeeper just because of a bad neighbor. Bad neighbors can be dealt with - just takes time and patience.

So was I. I guess you didn’t get it.

Bunch of crybaby arseclowns turning THF into a damn cesspool!

I wouldn't have a problem with any neighbor asking for permission. That is how it has always been done in our part of Texas.

When I bought this ranch it had some improved genetic deer in a small pasture. Over 2 years we used mld to kill off the hill country natives and then released the better deer in a larger pasture. I then bought 20 south Texas unbred does from a breeder to put in with those deer.

I’m currently killing all the deer out of the next 500 acre pasture to make room for these better deer and then one more pasture over the next few years.

It’s a long tedious process but it’s rewarding in several ways.

Is the fence jumper a moslem?

I haven't read all the posts but did not see an answer to the question from a legal perspective.

As I understand it, you don't have to let anyone on your property to recover a deer.

In Texas, you do not legally have to let anyone in your property. It is against the law to trespass without consent from the land owner.

And if they’re toting a gun... well, I guess we shouldn’t go there..

FWIW if I have a good relationship with the neighbor I would have no problem with them recovering an animal. In fact, on two of my HF neighbors places we have let each other bring hunters onto each other’s places to hunt unwounded escapees.

Now, if a knucklehead put a blind on our fence line without first discussing the NEED to hunt that fence line... I doubt seriously if I’d let them. Because you see, decent folks out here simply don’t do stuff like that without showing the courtesy of talking to you first.

Old subject but one that pops up every year and it doesn't get any better. Allot of members have hunted on my place and verify what I have to deal with as far as fence line hunters. Right now I have a total of ten blinds and feeders surrounding my place, all withing 100 yards and some withing touching distance from my side of the fence. I feed 12 spots on 3 sections with no feeding area's within 200 yards of the fence and I have no visible blinds on the place. The little 5-10 and 20 acre places on my south side are the biggest headache with 7 blinds on a 1 mile stretch of fence. I've found drag marks and they've even cut holes in the fence. The reason they set up this way is mostly my fault in wanting to keep a healthy population of deer in that area. I've got the only natural pasture left in that area and have 3 different water sources (All wells). I feed 4 to 5 thousand pounds of corn a month in defense just to keep the deer from jumping the fences and needing to feed elsewhere. Last year there was a total of 22 deer shot on the other side of my south fence and all were shot within 100 yards of the fence line. Before anybody says it let me just say that their places have no resident deer, all the bedding area's are on my side. There's absolutely nothing I can do about this with the exception of the dragging deer back and fence cutting. The common courtesy of not crowding others has gone to the wayside, no different than what I hear the duck hunters complain about or fishermen. Respect for your neighbor is lost these days and getting worse. This leads to another subject which we're seeing more and more of and that's landowners hi-fencing their property. Some do it for genetics and control while others do it simply to cut their loses due to the unregulated and out of control hunting of their neighbors. Can't afford 8 miles of hi-fence but 1 mile along the south would sure stop some of the problems. And as far as the state owning the deer I don't see it that way. They don't supply the land, the water or the feed it takes to keep these deer healthy I do! I control the population on this place and I determine what does and doesn't come off of it. If everybody shot what was on their tags like my neighbors do this population would be gone. I've never made a penny off of hunting this place and never will, luckily I don't have to but I sure feel for those who rely on hunting to pay the bill's. Until this is under control all you're going to see is more and more people getting fenced out and less and less affordable hunting, with nobody to blame but hunters themselves. It's a sad thing to watch.

It certainly is sad. No one to blame but themselves for high fencing.

The worst thing that can happen for a landowner AND for deer, is for a place to get split up into mini ranches on your border.

If you do get to the point of fencing I think you’ll be surprised how cheap it can be.

I can see where having to look at the dude next door in a blind would suxx. Id rather watch half naked chicks walk around a pool, all I have is trees though!

How often does this happen. And could you possibly say just this one time if this happens again you need to fix your problem.l have been hunting over 40 years I have always established recovery rights with adjoining hunters. And found this a good opertunity to discus concerns . In 44 years I have killed my share but have only had to cross fence 2 times both bow kills one close to fence and one 300 yards from fence no problem with neighboring property.Sitting in stand on fence right now.

It is sad and a reflection of the world we live in, being too many that care only for what affects them not others. I agree with 2506 in that if I was contacted by the neighbor, I would rather allow them access so I at least know what their killing and maybe builds some kind of rapport. If I were in your shoes, I would respond to the situation the most effective legal means I could..... High fence that side of your ranch.

MF, if they are the neighbor you describe them to be I recommend the same.

Something has changed for sure. As a kid, it was commonplace for hounds to run deer across multiple properties and no one had a problem with it. And to the hunter who was lucky enough to kill a deer in front of them, more power to him.

But back then, the entire focus was on meat. Antlers were secondary. It's the opposite today.

Was that big ranch country or big woods with lots of small properties?

Trophy bucks were not a valued commodity then like they are now.

I think you are dead on here Dan. The thing that has changed is the amount of hunters that think they should be able to control what others do on their own land. As others have stated it is a sad thing to watch for sure. Trophy hunting and HFs will eventually ruin hunting as we know it.

I can speak to that since my dad retired to east Texas in the 70’s.

It’s not true that it was “commonplace for the hounds to run deer across multiple properties and no one cared”. Almost ALL of the hound hunting was done on timber company property back then and people treated those huge tracts like crap. Even the ones with hunting clubs weren’t much better.

When the timber companies would complain or threaten to limit access suddenly a fire would get started. If the game warden would interfere he’d get shot at.

It was if it’s brown it’s down (even though there were no doe tags available). Deer populations were decimated and virtually all deer were nocturnal. Literally the worst hunting on the planet.

My dad owned private property bordering timber co land and all of our private neighbors certainly didn’t want outlaw (virtually all dog hunters were outlaws) dog hunters trespassing.

It wasn’t until dog hunting was outlawed that east Texas had any decent deer numbers or quality.

Anyone fondly reminiscing about those “good ol days” isn’t someone I’d want hunting my fenceline...

Which one is it? In one breath you say a person can do what they want on their own land and in the other you say a person is ruining hunting by doing what he wants on his own land. Just as a person has a right to hunt a fence-line I also have the right to make that fence line a high fence.

And who would those people be? Certainly you’re not implying trophy hunting HF folks are “wanting to control what others do on their land” 😂.

That's not really a which one is it conundrum. You can do what you want on your own land, while also ruining hunting.

I believe that's the basis of this whole discussion.

I have HF and LF. I get along very well with all my neighbors. If one shoots an animal and he needs to try to recover it it in a LF place that is perfectly alright. If they want to recover it in the HF then there may be a problem.

It may be time for Texas to go to a limited draw, instead of buying tags over the counter.

Huh?!

It's a no brainer for me. If the neighbor called and asked, I would let him get his deer and would help him find it. If for nothing else, for the following two reasons:
1. When I run the scenario through my head it just feels like the right thing to do.
2. Kharma virtually guarantees if I say no I'll need to track a deer onto his place next weekend.

What in the wide world of sports does limited draw versus tags on a license have to do with allowing a neighbor to recover a deer they shot that ended up on your property.

Limited draw is gonna somehow stop deer from jumping over or going under a fence...

Me no understand either.
But with about 7 million whitetails in the state, that seems unnecessary.

I may have misunderstood everyone else. I thought the common complaint was neighbors shooting too many deer.

No. It’s about allowing neighbors to track deer that have gone from their property to yours.

If neighbors were shooting too many deer, a limited draw wouldn’t fix that. Not in this state, anyway. There’s too many deer in the state, as a whole, and the neighbor problem occurs in isolated areas.

My family has property. I have one neighbor that I would deny access to recover a deer. This guy has his feeder 20 yards off the fence line. His blind is 75 yards off the fence line. Therefore, if he shoots toward his feeder, he's shooting toward our property. I would much rather him put that blind on the fence line and shoot back into his lease rather that toward me.

I don't know. I have hunted in TX for 10 years now and still think it's kinda strange.

What part is strange?

Allowing / helping a neighbor recover a deer on your property or refusing entry to recover game.

That is a problem also, in many places. & your correct, a draw system will 1 day be necessary.

7 million deer in Texas? Is that just WT? There's 28 million people in Texas. There's more hunters than deer

High fence is the answer.

Not everyone hunts and not every hunter kills something. The deer herd is growing, so....

Only 1.2 million hunting licenses sold. Not all of them will hunt deer.

And even fewer will take a deer. Self included.

I was replying to hunting with a blind over a feeder to my earlier post

Then don't use a blind or feeder, many folks don't, no regulations saying you have to.

What's strange is putting a blind over a feeder, what do you do, shoot through trap doors in the floor.

"You're not from Texas, but Texas wants you anyway." - Lyle Lovett

& not all 7 miliion deer would be legal.

That number is simply speculation and I don't have much faith in it. As far as I know the state has never done a legitimize survey of this county so what those numbers are based on needs to be known.

It’s pretty widely used, but I’m not vouching for it as exact. I am pretty sure TP&W has some methodology behind it - but I don’t know what it is and don’t care to research it. Annual harvest runs around 700,000 and populations have been stable to increasing for awhile now.

My point is I don’t think the WT population is in any imminent danger in TX. I’m sure there are localized areas that vary from the overall trend.

...and even fewer yet will set up a stand on a fence line.

Letting someone retrieve a wounded deer that crosses my line is a NO BRAINER. Call me and I'll help. Been there done that several times!!!! Setting up on my line is like having someone look over my shoulder at the ATM to see my pin I can't stop you but it sure doesn't feel right. Based on some of the comments I reckon some of ya'll have no problem posting your pins!!!!!

TPWD says less than 1.5 million licenses sold, so not more hunters than deer. Even if all bagged their limit in a given year (which doesn't happen), there would still be deer left over for the first year.

BTW, it is about 3.6 million whitetail in Texas, 200K mule deer, and only about 700K whitetail and 22K mule deer taken in 2013.
https://wildlife.tamu.edu/wildlifemanagement/deer/

I would allow it, if they asked permission. The only condition would be, I would like to see where the deer was originally shot, that would answer the question about his hunting ethics. If they were shooting into my property, that is where the problem would be.

What if it was 2 ft inside their fence, & had just came from your place?

At that point, why even have a fence? Why not just allow people to shoot over your fence & save them having to wait 2 minutes?

I would take the guys word for it and let him look. The fence is there to keep cattle on my side of the fence.

They can't shoot a deer that just came from your place?

Awesome. I'm guessing you've never dealt with poachers or trespassers?

Who said that? Some people here are great at strawman arguments.

Half the family left Tennessee and followed in the footsteps of Crocket and came to fight with y'all. I figure I'm just 150 years late arriving.

Not to state the obvious but, 2' on their side of the fence is on their property, no one needs permission to retrieve a deer they shot on their property.
Makes no difference where the deer came from, no matter how big your LF place is deer go over & under fences on & off of your property everyday.
Land owners do not own the free range deer on their property, no matter how much effort or money they choose to spend on them.

Max, I don't know what happened to get you so obviously stirred up, have you talked to the neighboring LO, GW or Sheriff ?
Like Dogcatcher said, my fence is there to contain my livestock onto my property, if I wanted to control deer movement I'd use a fencing material suitable to contain or repel whatever species I was concerned about.

You asked "What if it was two feet inside their fence and just came from your place?"

Yes, we have dealt with poachers. But none of them were any of our neighbors.

I didn't say they couldn't legally shoot that deer, or had no legal right to do so.

Have you read any of the posts from HWY MAN?

Let me help. As long as there is private land in Texas, both high and low fenced, there will be huntable numbers of both whitetail and mule deer.

Now, back to the original subject.

The fenceline hunter ( ASSUMING HE IS FOLLOWING THE LAW & not shooting or trespassing onto my place ) is using the law to its fullest extent. That's all I'm doing by not allowing them to trespass. That's all I can legally do to discourage people from hunting 2 ft away from my place.

Hey hey hey young man, if you’re gonna quote the king of cool at least get it right..

Not true at all. You can set up your shooting range (and any number of equally obnoxious things right across the fence from him. Including fencing him out. You just think too small.

Yes, for years, back to at least 07.

And Yes, I've had to deal with poachers and or trespassers on every piece of property I've owned or leased going back to the late 70's, same with my Dad, aunts & uncles, brother & grand mothers & fathers before them.

Thats one reason we have county sheriffs & game wardens.

I can't deny being small minded. But you may need to re-read the law, as what you described is a clear violation. & I am following your lead on HF. That is truly a landowners only legal recourse.

Since he asked I would let him in but would ask him to reconsider his blind placement to avoid them coming into my property again. Keep the peace with the neighbors.

Nope. Nothing I stated is illegal. You assumed something I didn’t say. One can certainly put their shooting range anywhere on their property. Never said what direction. Just having it there would be enough.

You could also put one of those jobsite boom boxes out there on a timer to run loud during hunting hours. Be creative.
But yes. A high fence is the best option.

I assure you, what you just described is certainly illegal.

Wanna bet?

He can call it harassment all day long. But as long as it’s on my side of the fence I can defend it.

Iwasnt gonna get into this thread but i guess im as guilty of putting my stand on the fencline as anybody. I have 47 acres with 3 stands but all point in toward my land. And unlike maximus i dont think i own the deer that i hunt and if a neighbor shot a deer and asked to retrieve it it would be fine with me. I also plant food plots and feed but if my neighbor shot a nice deer i would be happy for him even if i saw the same deer on my place. I DONT own the deer on my place just like to hunt em!

I would be happy to take that bet.

Nice. 1 Stand per 15.6 acres.

Yep thats about right. just me and wife and thick east tx woods.

Next year they just won't ask ....

Sounds like a bunch of dang lawer's.

I would take the guys word for it and let him look. The fence is there to keep cattle on my side of the fence. [/quote]

Awesome. I'm guessing you've never dealt with poachers or trespassers? [/quote]

Man you must think there is a criminal lurking behind every tree. I don’t know how you sleep at night worrying that someone might be shooting one of YOUR deer.
There is huge difference between someone hunting your fenceline and that person poaching or trespassing.
Anyone that has ever read my opinion knows that I don’t think high fences are cool but I make an exception for you. You need to high fence your place and put razor wire on top of it so you can sleep at night.

AMEN huntwest. To me if its two feet or two inches it doesnt matter as long as its on his place and yes even if it came from my side of the fence. Again not my deer.

I guess I forgot to answer the question about retrieval. If they're hunting the fence line I will not let them come onto the place to retrieve a wounded deer. They can make arrangements through the game warden and I'll let him enter. If they are being respectful and honoring the boundary then I would have no problem and would help them retrieve it.

This whole thread reflects the “my deer” mentality that is ruining hunting.

So sad to see folks defend their own private property rights to the death, but the guy across the fence is a jackass if he exercises his.

How many deer do you reckon your 47 acres raises?

It's easy to be generous when you ain't got much skin in the game.

I will defend private property rights for everyone, even people I don't like. It doesn't matter to me if you have 5 acres or 50,000, your a jerk if you hunt the fenceline & your neighbors place.

At no time have I ever thought any deer are "mine". That's what he only argument y'all have, & its weaksauce. I only ask that people not crowd me by setting up on the fenceline overelooking my place. It used to be called common courtesy.

So hunting the fence line is okay so long as you don't hunt your neighbor's place. Cool. Glad you made that point.

That has no bearing on what he can shoot. Our place has the cover, it where the deer go to bed down. My neighbors feed year around, we start mid September, and only to keep as many deer as possible on our place.

If you like hunting fencelines so much, why not hunt your own interior fenceline?

Of course, a lot of these folks with <50 acres may not have much interior fenceline........

Maximus i dont know how many deer are born on my land but i must be doing something right. I kill a decent deer every year except this one. I have had some medical issues this year so havent hunted. If ur asking how MANY deer i kill i usually just one a year with my gun and if im lucky one with my bow.

High fence it and have security guards every 200 yards

LOL.

I also hesitated to opine on this thread, because I don’t deer hunt and don’t own land, but I’ve enjoyed reading along here, at least until the above two posts, Maximus.

I understand you’re frustrated and I think I even had some sympathy for you early on, despite not entirely agreeing with your complaint. But the two quoted posts above...man.

Until you explain the hatred for this neighbor (because I find it hard to believe his stand being on your fence line and asking the GW to ask you if he can recover his deer on your property are the only reasons) I’m going to assume you’re a) not giving us the whole story, b) perhaps need to consider buying your neighbor out or selling your property, or c) high fencing, trying to grow a relationship with your neighbor, asking the GW to talk to the guy, something, anything, because you’re coming off as extremely high strung here.

Oh, and “the fencline hunter (ASSUMING HE IS FOLLOWING THE LAW & not shooting or trespassing onto my place ) is using the law to its fullest extent. That's all I'm doing by not allowing them to trespass...”

You’re not allowing them to trespass because, under that scenario, especially the all caps part, they are, by definition, not trespassing.

They asked for permission. That’s not trespassing. By allowing them access to your property to get their deer, ASSUMING THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE LAW, you’re not doing anything other than exercising your rights as a land owner, and coming across like a total buffoon and jerk who thinks he owns the neighboring land and deer.

I’m not saying your a buffoon or a jerk, but you are coming off like one, and one that is holding back the real reason for getting this angry about fenceline hunting.

High Fences make for good neighbors, unless you are the one with the 5 acres on the outside of that fence. I had a lease down in Fowlerton for a few years on a large ranch. There was a small track in the middle of the ranch which amounted to about 20 acres. The Ranch Owner attempted several times to buy the small track due to the unethical hunting practices of the 5 people that hunted the 20 acres, which included 5 blinds and 5 feeders all on the property line. They would each fill their tags and more than likely their kids tags. I would estimate 30 plus deer a year were taken by the landowners of 20 acres. I hope you can see the problem here, they were not doing anything illegal that we knew of but surely unethical considering the amount of land they could hunt. The end of the second hunting season after they stopped coming out the Ranch Owner High Fenced the 20 acres and put in a short high fenced easement with a high fenced gate also, which made anyone coming onto the 20 acre property having to open and close 2 high fence gates. A couple of weeks before the hunting season was to start they came down in a carivan to fill up their feeders to prepare for another years slaughter on 20 acres. A few days later the Ranch Owner Received a call from the owners of the 20 acres wanting to sell. This was over 25 years ago and as far as I know the original owners still own the 20 acres. I wonder how many more deer they killed.

Is he hunting your place? You keep alluding to that, but it’s not clear. I don’t think anyone would side with your neighbor if he is shooting deer on your place, across the fence, and then asking to come retrieve the deer.

But that’s not what is happening, is it? He is shooting deer that cross the low fence from your property to his property, right?

If that’s the case, then you do think deer are yours, or at least more yours than his. And it’s not weaksauce as laid out. There may be more details you’re withholding that make it weaksauce, but if he isn’t hunting your place, I don’t have the same opinion on the issue that you do.

It’s legal, people. Move along.

If your talking to me your off on my acreage by a ton.

DH, you are completely wrong about almost everything you posted.

I'll try to survive without your sympathy. Not sure how long I can make it, tho.

I'm not saying your an illl-informed, obnoxious know-it-all, but that's how you come off.

Can you tag and keep their deer if it jumped on to your place wounded and died even though you didn't shoot it?

Turkey hunters are not allowed to comment on a deer hunting thread. Go stand in the corner and say 3 hail Mary's.

I stood in the corner and drank 3 bloody marys, now what?

In Noth Dakota you don't have to call the landowner. You can just go get your deer if it hops the fence.

Thanks God and the good sense of the Texas Legislature that we don't have those laws.

You can recover your deer in NorDak, but you better not go with a firearm or bow lest you are then hunting while trespassing per NorDak law. Of course, that assumes you were hunting legally outside of the private property that the deer escaped to for sanctuary.

A law like ND has seems as though it would encourage property line hunting.

Animals near the property line is what encourages property line hunting. Unlike us, animals are not obsessed with imaginary lines.

Then clarify, please. Is your neighbor hunting your place? Because you said that in one of your posts. If he is, that’s illegal and I would support you 100% in being pissed off. If he is shooting across your fenceline, I suspect we would be having a very different discussion here.

So what am I wrong about? Or just keep bitching and moaning about a situation your not giving all of the details about and then talking down to people that point out you’re wrong based on the information you’ve provided. I don’t really care.

Wow, just read all 7 pages and all I can say is... wow.

I don't think wow even does this thread justice.

Maximus hunt like you like and let them hunt how they choose.

What's interesting about this thread is the lack of any mention/concern about the waste of game meat.

If I had stumbled on this thread without actually experiencing hunting in Texas I would think what a bunch of messed up, anti-neighborly, unethical, selfish people.

If you would read before commenting, you would see that's been addressed numerous times.

I'd be happy to let the GW take the meat, or donate it myself to Hunters for the Hungry, or any other charitable group.

Not too long ago, there was a thread here about a property owner allowing his fence line hunting neighbor recover game, he had a game cam set up with pics of them retrieving game. Then he had pics of
them actually shooting on his property at game. Anyone who doesn't think that is the norm, is naive at best.

So take your concern on down the road.

& unlike animals, I pay a lot in property taxes, feed, & other expenses so I can have nice deer. The fenceline hunter doesn't wanna put in the work necessary, so he just bums off his neighbors.

Have you read any of the posts from other members who have the same problem?

I disagree it is the norm. I may be naive, but that would make you jaded. Not to mention ignore any thought that disagrees with your perception. Your posts, even beyond this thread, drip with disdain for people and hunters in general. Carry on

But is that happening in your case? If so, that completely changes the discussion.

Since when did they start only taxing one side fence?I pay bout 8000.00 year prop. Taxes I only keep fence row clear with my dozer so it is simply the best hunting my neighbors don't seem to have problems.

Did you ask them, or just assume? If they're ok with it, that's on them. Some people don't like it. They are not obligated to let you come onto their property, even to recover game.

You could take that dozer of yours & clear off a spot inside your own place.

One incident doesn't make everyone guilty of doing the same thing. Paranoia is a mental disorder, but I hear it is treatable. 1-888-963-7111

I may be jaded, because I've seen unethical hunters & what they do. My disdain is for people (hunters) who take advantage of their neighbors, & often break the law in pursuit of "their deer".

& being stupid is a life long affliction for some people. You might call (800)OMG-STFU.

Since they are on their side of the fence, they are hunting their fence line not yours. Until you have proof of shooting across property line or trespassing you are only looking for something to bitch and moan about. You seem to be a very unhappy person with a sad outlook on life.

Did your neighbors break the law, or did some other unethical hunters at some point break the law and ruin your opinion of other people? Also, ballsy move for your neighbors to break the law and then call the Game Warden to provide help in recovering their your deer on your property.

How did they take advantage of you?

Did they break the law? Did you mention that to the Game Warden when he reached out to you about them recovering the deer?

I'll bet most of you fenceline hunters are also the the type of guy who, although there may be some available urinals, will sidle right up next to someone else pissing. F'n meat gazers.

I'm out. You meat gazers have fun watching your neighbors place. Just know that your neighbor is not obligated to allow you onto his / her property.

Try hunting your own place.

Oh thank God, I thought you'd never STFU. What a whine azz.

What is THAT all about?

Someone is proud of his handy little gadget.

Oh thank God, I thought you'd never STFU. What a whine azz. [/quot] this guy is a joke just trying to get a argument out of someone just be happy he’s not your neighbor

Glad that's over, beginning to think I owned the deer on my place.

I’m surprised he’s on a computer and not fence watching sounds like that’s his hobby what a life just looking for things to complain about

“Meat gazers.”

I feel sorry for you and the people that are forced to put up with your miserable attitude, Maximus.

Agree and IBTL

So? What's wrong with having three stands on his land? You sure like makings a lot of assumptions. Perhaps he has three so he can choose one based on weather/wind conditions?

You are definitely not someone I'd like to have as a neighbor.

Agree...he seems like a miserable person and wants to make everyone around him miserable.