Where? I love watching deer & being a diva!

What I don't love is a bunch of a-holes taking advantage of my work & my desire to have a nice deer lease.

If you like that, good for you. He asked for opinions, I offered mine.

Once we were satisfied with the deer we shot from our stand, we were open to others on the lease hunting our stand. We just all understood that and were happy. I would not go hunt their stand if they hadn't already got what they were after

I'd confront them with the whole camp there and get to the bottom of it period. Sounds like they are financing a good time on everyone elses dime. That would make sense why he'd kill a good buck and not say anything, they know its wrong.

Care to explain?

And just so you know...I absolutely love to watch wildlife, deer in particular.

And I don't have one bit of patience for freeloaders! They can get off their butts and put in the time, money and work if they want to hunt a good stand. And stay the heck out of mine! I don't hunt theirs out of respect and I expect the same in return!

And just so you know...I found out today they were using a drill to remove my door to get in to hunt my stand...That tripped the trigger. I let them know they are not to hunt my stand again. And that meant under any circumstances!

Most problems can be resolved with direct contact and discussions. Good or bad, their reaction and the reaction from the other members will tell you whether it is time to move on or if adjustments will be made.

I'd talk to the guy before you just pack up and leave... Especially after killing that big of a buck. Luckily at our lease were all good buddies and have been hunting together for a while. Everyone has their stand and feeder (some of us have two setups) that they keep up making sure the feeder is full and the stand is in good shape. You always have first dibs to your stand if you're there no matter what. But if you pure not there then all stands are free game, as well as any deer you might see there. It works good for us because we all help each other out and constantly share game cam pics so we all know what's where. If I'm the type of guy that only hunts twice a year and constantly has big bucks at my feeder and the next guy hunts every weekend and never sees anything good at his spot why shouldn't he be able to go hunt mine and get something on the ground?!

I've been on places that were "area" type leases and they flat out suck.

Plain and simple, you're on a lease with trash. No amount of talking is going to change a thing 'cept prolong your frustration.

If they are using a drill to remove your door, they know they "breaking the rules". In other words, they know they are doing something shady. Ergo, they are either total scumbags or believe they have an honest right to hunt the stand. Since they aren't confronting you about a "locked" stand, they know they are doing wrong. If you confront them, either they are going to throw you off or ignore you. So you either put up with it or leave.

If there are no written lease rules, I would contact the landowner, explain the situation, and ask to bid the lease for next year. Once you have it, you're in charge and make the rules. If it's a quality deer lease, I would outbid their [censored] and throw them off.

If they are doing this stuff, who knows whatever stuff they are doing when you aren't there. Taking multiple deer, inviting their friends out, selling hunts on the side. If they have no respect for your stand, they have no respect for you, and probably not other lease members either. Think about that.

But there is zero you can do this season.

Yep, sounds like a couple greedy bastages

If you have to put a lock on your stand, and can't trust the other members, do you enjoy being on the lease? Can you relax and be at peace in that environment? People like you described are not going to change. I suggest taking this as a learning experience, and moving on. It would be a good idea to understand the rules/expectations, before you sign a new lease.

My dad always says, "You deserve what you tolerate."

You have to decide if staying on this lease is worth putting with this behavior. If it is, tactfully talk to the boss about keeping his feeders full so you can hunt his stands if he's going to hunt yours, take the lock off your stand to prevent any damages they might do to your stuff, and enjoy your time at the lease. If it's not worth it, confront the guy and be prepared to find a new lease. My point is, his behavior isn't going to change without some sort of conversation. You just have to be prepared for the outcome.

It's always the guy running the place that breaks all the rules. I would talk to him and see where it goes and then decide.

Yep

A couple years ago, me and my four brothers joined a lease (knew one of 6 other members). We had same problem - we were permitted to hunt other stands if they weren't present. Trouble was, their stands were run down and fairly close to their camp, so deer traffic was limited. Our camp was in another pasture and blinds aways from camp. We ran many cameras and good stands and knew what we had coming in - they would hunt our blinds after we shared pictures ( they never shared pictures). It came to a head when one of them smoked in my brothers blind (against their rules) and my ex-smoking brother threw a Walloon fit. After that things went further downhill. Cut your losses - those guys are not going to change. I bought a small place of my own and couldn't be happier. Leasing with guys you don't like or trust is stressful - something you don't need while trying to relax.

A lease I was on years ago had a rule that you were not allowed to kill a buck out of another hunters blind unless he was at the lease. My brother was on a lease where the stand owner had to send a group text stating who had permission to hunt their stand.

Better off looking for another lease! These are nothing but low life thieves, and they will take advantage of anyone given the chance.
Deer hunting is supposed to be enjoyable and dealing with those kind of individuals isn't ever going to improve.

If it's a good lease get with the other lease members and go talk to the landowner and see if you guys can lease it that's unless the guy running it and the landowner are tight.

Fill your freezer and find another lease. I don't see this changing and would bet the person whose place you took had the same problem.

How did you find out they were using a drill to break in?
What was his reaction when you confronted him?

I agree with those that say obviously the fact that they did not tell you about the buck means they know on some level it wasn't right. There MUST be some set of ground rules layed down and then everyone can handle them how they want. We have permission rules and no stands are JUST OPEN just because the hunter is not present that weekend. Some don't mind their stand being hunted and some do. This protects the ones that do.
I would not be a fan of the way things are being ran on your lease. Also, as others have said the manager/operator should set the example and enforce them. Not cover them up.

THIS!! Even if you created a set of rules, the guy and his brother would break them when no one is around.

Best thing I ever did was walk away from a lease that was being run by a guy just like the one you describe. And to make matters worse, his brother was an alcoholic who used the lease to get drunk away from his old lady. And his brother felt it was his duty to allow him to do it.

Always remember....a hunter that breaks ANY rule...state laws or any other rules...they will break other rules...they cant be trusted and pass this on to the owner..if the owner doesn't change who runs the lease then leave this place before big problems develop.
Not worth putting up with this...

This is the worst thing you can do because the land owners don't want to deal with drama, and that is why they have a lease foreman. Going to the owner will get you booted off a lease faster than anything.
If you can't convince the lease foreman then it's best to look elsewhere.