What a crappy deal.

deewayne2003, you hit the nail on the head with your example.

It could be just me, but I think talking to him about it would be best. Be nice about it though and see how that goes. In my experience, starting off on a bad note usually ends on a worse note. And trail cams on the guys own property, catching the landowner himself? Come on now, let me know how that works for any of you.

TCH, I agree that just talking it out is an option, and you are absolutely right about starting off on a good note. I think the point of the trail cams are to snag some pics of the owners friend using the lease holders stand and spot. Not actually the owner.

put a lock on your stand

Confront the LO in a calm manner. Voice your concerns about his friend hunting property that you reasonably believed was exclusively yours to hunt and had paid money to do so. Not much you can do really.

I hate to here this type of story. That really gets under your skin.

Have you saw another hunter on the place? Proof is the best thing you could have in cases like this. The he said/she said generally don't work, and its better to have proof before going off and making a fool of yourself. Learned that lesson the hard way. Any chance he told your "friend" he killed a animal on your place just because he didn't want him to know where he was hunting? Whatever course you decide to follow I would have all my ducks lined up in the same row quacking in unison. Hope it all works out for the best.

We have a "clause" in our contract. The lease is exclusively ours with one exception...1-2 weekends in mid to late December the land owners nephew is allowed to come out when we won't be there. He said he will call us at the first of December and plan around us. Respect...it goes a long way!

The question you must ask yourself is, "Do I want to keep this lease or not?". If no, then go ahead and be confrontational with the LO. If yes, then politely voice your concerns with him about letting guests hunt the property. Ask him if he continues to let this guest hunt, that at least he restrict his harvest to either a doe or spike buck, since you are the one spending the money and putting in the extra effort to take a decent buck.

Sure your lease gives you your girlfriend and a guest of your choosing to hunt it, but unless it states it gives you exclusive rights then there is no breach. Chity land owner... yes, but no breach of contract.

While we are on the bashing a landowner topic, Im sure there are just as many and probably more chitty tenats/lesees than land owners.

matt

Bowhunter, you are in an impossible position. Do you think if you sue the landowner he is going to renew? Do you think that, even with proof, that a local JP is going to side with you over his neighbor the landowner?

Bottom line, in Texas, landowners are king and masters of their domain. Lease agreements, most times, aren't worth the paper they're printed on when it comes to a showdown.

If landowner granted permission, then there is virtually nothing you can do, despite what the lease agreement says. If a POLITE conversation with the LO doesn't resolve it, then you either grin and bear it - or get off the lease.

What I would do, if the LO doesn't volunteer to keep his friend off - is consider the "lease agreement" null and void. Bring your friends and shoot what you can this year and immediately start looking for another lease.

But be patient - I realize that you are probably hopping mad that your deer was taken, but it is still very early in the season. Who knows what will show up? You might have an even better buck show up during the rut giving you an opportunity you never had. That might change your opinion and perception of the situation and direct your course of action.

You might even look back and think it was a good thing that the friend shot that deer because you never would have had the opportunity to take the larger one if you shot that one first.

I have learned that you NEVER rock the boat DURING season, if you want to hunt. The time to bring up issues with the LO is at renew time, when the LO is looking for money - not after he already has it and season is underway. Basic tactics in business.

In your situation, the damage is done. There's no use in closing the barn door after the horse is already gone.

Shoot his cows! Lol, just kidding. Really though, you are in a bad situation that can only get worse in my opinion. I would just hunt the year out and find a new place next year. Post all the LH information on any site he may advertise on and hope someone else does not fall for the same crap you are having to put up with. Good luck!

A thread like this comes up pretty often and I really do not understand some peoples thinking. The main thing is that it is just plain wrong but from another standpoint; I have dedicated a lot of years and money into my operation. The result is a great group of guys that understand my goals and I try my best to understand theirs. To risk PO’ing them would be about the dumbest thing I could do.

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT do this.

If the lease agreement outlines him, his girlfriend, and 1 guest but doesn't specifically reserve exclusive rights to them, it's basically limiting the people he can have out there but still allowing for landowner guests (i.e. he's within his rights having his friend out there).

You bring people not on that document and they kill something, you may find yourself in a retribution settlement with the landowner that was actually acting within his rights.

Make absolutely sure your agreement very specifically grants you sole use and enjoyment of hunting rights, or you likely have no claim at all and will just get yourself in trouble.

First, get your mellow back. Nothing is solved by anger. It might take just a word to the LO that you think somebody is using your stand and/or hunting your lease. You might just inform him of that and ask him to watch for folks hunting on your lease. See what he says about that and let him think on it awhile before you draw down on him.

At times like this I just have to tell myself .....
EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. in the heat of it we may not see the WHY in it but the bottom line is there is always a reason.

At the very least I'd ask the LO to please restrict his buddy from hunting my stands. Suggest that if his buddy is going to continue to hunt he could at least set up his own stand and feeder.

put a steel trap at the base of the stand lol....it wont hurt him but will scare the poo out of him...would be a good laugh at least...bet he wnt be hunting there anymore if he already shot your buck.

Id shoot everything i legaly could then found a new lease.... or if its that good of an area then hang in there....hopefully that will be the only person he lets come out there (dout it) but maybe.... just cuz he shot one buck dosnt mean there aint another

went through the same thing...the owner's nephew and buddies. Ruined the place. We had them on cam, confronted the LO, got our money back then spent twice that setting up on the next place.

MAJOR PITA.

Bad deal but sounds like you got off pretty well... very lucky to get your money back

It sucks the guy is using your stand, I would leave a note in the stand asking not to use the stand. Bottom line your atleast lucky enough to be on a lease and have a place you can hunt and put up a stand and/or feeder, ive been looking for a lease for about 4 years now and still cant find an afforable lease! Ask your self, do you really want to lose the lease?

nobody wins.

just sucks that so many people have such a lack of any integrity.

I agree with Cameron00 Not only would you find your self defending your actions and breach of contract against a landowner in their home turf......Its just flat out WRONG to do something like that.

Hears another option I thought of.....give it a month or so to have some pics of the guy using your stand from trail cameras.

Then put up a NO TRESPASSING SIGN in or on your stand with a copy of the lease agreement with your "exclusive use" clause highlighted and in a ziplock bag with a couple of pics of him using the stand.....He will either get the hint or at least show it to the land owner himself.

Fully agree that bad tenants out number land owners; I have seen ALOT of behavior from lease holders thats not only unethical but Illegal.

If the lease agreement is not binding, as some on here are suggesting, then it seems to me your only course of action would be to have an accident getting into your stand, break your neck, and then sue the land owner for negligence.

You are welcome in advance.