anyone else notice that there are always LOTS of people lining up asking why you never invite them to go hunt, but in the rest of the year when you invite these same people to go and help do the work associated with hunting (brush control, feeder filling, stand building / repairing, etc, etc), these people always have something else going on?

funny how that works, I had the opposite situation, helped a friend get his camp built, came up with a bunch of material, labor, lots of sweat, never would have gotten an invite if I didn't ask.

I guess it's time for the weekly thread on this subject.

But all you gotta do is say no.

yeah i have a buddy who's friend owns a ranch, he recruits all his carpenters ( he owns a construction company) and hauls them down there, fixed his blinds, fills feeders and give him alot of free swag.....but come hunting time none of the carpenters get the go ahead to hunt

I don't have that problem I work with a bunch of sissy city slickers that don't hunt (or even camp) and think anything that didn't come from the grocery store taste gammey...

Everyone else that I call my friends are either on my lease or have their own leases.

I'd mule plow 100 acres for a couple free hunts.

Sorry, I've never seen a thread on this subject. Apologies for the offense...

I do just tell them no. No explanation given either, just tell them we're not having guests hunt this year.

I did invite a young man stationed out at Fort hood to come out over the weekend. Hi parents are friends and they said he might like to get off base after the events of last week. Seemed like a nice enough guy when he called me Friday night. Then he asked to bring a buddy. Fine, bring him. You can shoot hogs, turkey, or varmints, fish in the stocked ponds, and maybe help with some chores (no real work, just puttering around between hunts). He mentioned something about would love to shoot a deer. I told him no deer this year for guests, but hogs, turkey, and yotes were fair game. Never heard from him all weekend.

I was really just being humorous with you.

As for the soldier it wasn't obviously that big a deal to him you were trying to be nice.

lots of folks want something for nothing. I told a guy I was setting up a bow stand for hogs once, his response was " Once you get the hogs coming in, you'll have to let me come shoot a couple." yeah, sure, I'll keep ya on speed dial.

On the other hand, I sometimes take new folks with me when I go hunt hogs with my dogs. As long as everybody understands my rules, I'm going anyway so having somebody tag along really doesn't hurt. Their conduct on the hunt determines whether or not they get invited back.

You left out how they also want you to put them in spot, such as near a food plot or feeder they haven't lifted a finger to setup or maintain, where they're sure to kill a deer.

And having no prior knowledge of the area, much less a general sense of direction, be sure to note all roads and trails with reflective markers or tape so they are sure to find their way.

I was "volunteered" to help a family member out on thier property for a couple- three days. Was supposed to get taken deer hunting in return but haven't seen or heard anything and that was last season.

I invited a couple that we had fished with in couples fishing tournaments for a couple of years to bring their kids and spend the weekend deer and turkey hunting. After several invites they agreed and the kids had a blast. We invited them back again the next year and every year since. About the third year they brought a 4' by 8' blind they had built that is nicer than you can buy with carpet, shelves, and two nice swivel deck chairs. This set up would cost $1200. to $1500. easy. Their kids are busy now in high school and college and they haven't been in two years but these kind of friends are few and far between. I think their total kill is like 2 turkey and maybe five deer over five years. They have an open invitation whenever they can come.

I guess I am lucky. My boys are in college now and BEG to come out during the summer/fall with their college buds to mend fences, fill feeders, clean up camp, cut trees - you name it. All this just so they can hog hunt after deer season. Sometimes they ask if they can deer hunt and the answer is you bet! We have some managemet bucks that need to be taken. They love it - and so do I!

Shoot I would cut trees, hang stands, fill feeders, you name it to get to spend the weekend with sone tffers, it dosent matter if I get to kill hogs or cull bucks.

i guess im the opposite, most of the people that wanna go hunt with me, are willing to do some work. case in point, mossberg man here on the forum, has offered several times to come help me out.

I think putting in the work is part of the satisfaction once you get an animal. There was an old man down in Iraan that owned a pretty big ranch, I can't remember his name but he didn't charge people back in the day to hunt his place but you had to unload a trailer of feed or hay for the right.

Shoot, I'll help anyone right now. If you are an hour from stephenville, send me a pm. I'm also a WLMG major.

As far as I am concerned, anybody that asks to go hunting is not going hunting where I do. If I want you to go, I will ask you.

In my case...When a kid asks to go, I will always let him tag along, especially if kid is mine. I have been invited to got with several friends before to their places where they worked. I was sure to return the favor the following years. Never hesitate with kids. Boys become men in the company of other men.

I graduated a little over a year ago, but when I was still in school I picked a buddy of mine every year that had never been hunting, and took him hunting a couple times each season. Glad to say that I was able to turn 4 guys into die hard hunters during my 4 years at college.

I never pass up the opportunity to show someone who has never been hunting what a great experience it is. I get as much of a rush as killing a big buck as watching a new hunter kill their first doe.

heck! my FIL has nice lease to hunt at 900acres on the red river in clay county. I dont mind helping him out with field work at all. and i dont have a problem if he invites me or not. but when i do get to go, i do my share of work. it's just being outdoors, is what i love the most. wether it be working or just messing around out there. i dont have to hunt to enjoy the outdoors. just something to drink and some bino's and im a happy camper. hunting is just a big bonus to me, thats how i look at it. but i dont expect to get that call all the time either. beggers can't be choosers! is what momma always told me. and if i do hunt, i wanna varment hunt and nothing else.

funny...it's the same with fisherman....never can find anyone to go help put out brushpiles, scout new areas, etc.....but "call me when they're bitin'"!

I have a few friends that allow to hunt on our place they come and help every year 3 or 4 wkends we mow fill feeders build blinds u name it some of them during hay season know that i am so busy they just get together and get it all taken care of without so much as a phone call to me we have a big bbq the wkend before opening every year for them and all there family hang out at camp talk about where we have seen the big ones with all our schedules being different we hardly even see each other during season except we do another big hunt at thanksgiving it works out good for every one a couple of the guys that live real close even help out with the guided hunts and we know this place so well now we give directions like go to the bottom and at the big crazy oak tree take a left and anyone who knows east tx knows all big oaks are crazy growing lol

I wish my buddies offered to take me out to there places for all the stuff i helped do. I had a friend just this week helped him completley take the block off of his duck boat clean it all up. Then helped him re organize, clean, and touch up all his decoys (about 5 dozen)and he went hunting sunday solo and never gave me a call. not a big deal cause he is my friend and i would help em out no matter what but i wouldn't of minded a invite.

That sucks man ... He should have invited you out ... We have a fishing rule... You put gas in the boat and we can go fishin' ... Most of the time people don't even want to spare the $20.00...Thats not even any labor invested (other than swiping the card )

For me its a little different though ... My girlfriends aren't exactly hunters, camping is in a motor-home with satellite, and you press a button to "start" a fire.

However my family has a nice set-up for hunting so most of my girlfriends always ask if there boyfriends can come out to hunt. Not that I would mind but when I say no, my girlfriends can get kinda pissy. I think that some people just don't realize the amount of work that goes into it. They just don't understand ... Its alot of time and money invested into the land/deer management process.