What bothers me more than a responsible guy that had a beer, is a damn sober city slicker swinging the muzzle of a gun around. There has been more damage done that way than one beer has ever done.
If you have a no beer rule, it makes since to have everyone pass a safety/hunter education type class. And instantly ban anyone that swings a muzzle in your direction or fails to have an open bolt at camp.
I was on a lease that had a no alcohol while hunting rule. Them fools would drink after hunting and then drive down the highway to a hotel or the other camp, idiots. A vehicle has many times more killing power than a gun. And can take out a few families with with just a moments lapse in timing. But hey, they never had a single beer in the stand.
Safety is an all around thing, not just the one thing that gets your goat.

Yep. I would rather hunt with a country boy that has a few beers in the blind than most city boys any day.

It sounds like your set-up isnt ideal whether beer is involved or not.

The only safe way is that when you start drinking, your hunting day is over. No exceptions.

This is a situation that I've dealt with on our lease for several years now. It hits close to home, because I've watched two friends that I hunt with abuse the drinking privilege that our lease has allowed.

Both started out mainly drinking at night around the campfire. Then progressed to start drinking at lunch. Then to late morning as soon as they returned from the morning hunt. Once they hit this stage they carried on with the drinking until they were sh!tfaced drunk every night by 8-9. When they hit this stage they are intoxicated when they are hunting the afternoon hunt.

We hunt on a very large piece of property and we are very spread out with our sets. The danger was really on themselves of accidents happening, UNTIL they come back into camp with loaded firearms around others.

I have not been in charge of our hunting group until this year. But I've always had a lot of influence on the guy who has been. Even though they were good friends of mine, I made sure they were not invited back to the lease when they hit the start drinking in the late morning stage.

Once the bullet leaves the barrel it's not coming back. I've decided from my observations and experience now that I'm in charge, if you drink before sundown, your hunting will be over for that day. No exceptions. It's a shame it has to come to this, but it is what it is. When I look back on things we were lucky we didn't have an accidental shooting when I think of how drunk those two wre when they came in from their afternoon hunt.

IMO, if you can't enjoy the afternoon hunt without a beer or mixed drink, you have a drinking problem.

Getting chit faced and having a few are completely different. The situation you described would be a problem on almost any lease! But enjoying a few drinks in the blind has nothing to do with having a drinking problem. I love having a few beers in the blind on a good cold afternoon and that is why I do it. I want to do it because I love it. I don't do it because I need it.

Rex you and Booner make good points. I hate to group guys together with those who become irresponsible. I'm just concerned about what can happen between the time the irresponsible guy starts drinking too much and it comes to my attention. The guys I know that are still on our lease I have no hesitation believing that they can have a beer or two while in the blind and it not come to a dangerous situation. But the guys I don't know well, that's what I'm concerned about. Once they get drunk while handling a weapon, by the time I find out about it bad things that can't be undone could of already happened.

Any suggestions?

Man that's tuff. I have never hunted with guys that I didnt already know really well so I'm not sure what I would do.

I guess you could err on the side of caution at first. Maybe see how they act around the camp while drinking. If they act like idiots then they probably don't need to be drinking and hunting.

So maybe start out with the rule of no drinking before sundown if you want to hunt that afternoon, and then ease up on it once I determine everyone is responsible about drinking a couple beers in the stand?

the deer lease is a place for fun and enjoyment.to be able to cut loose.most every lease has a deer camp cop that thinks because he does not drink no one else should.if you are that worried about it hunt when no one else is there.problem solved but what if you have an accident who will be there to help you no one because you want to be deer camp cop. i drink and hunt in the stand in the afternoon and can control it.we are all grown ups here and should take responsability for our actions.i have hunted for a lot of years and on several leases and have never seen a accident due to alcohol.if alcohol offends you maybe you should hunt on a lease by yourself.that way you dont see it. as i stated i drink and im on my lease by myself and like it.