I killed my buck the 4th day of the season last year. Went back to my truck @ the front gate and went to get my buck and field dress him. When I got back to the front gate there was a truck with a long goose neck trailer on the dirt road that a piece of equipment had been on. They had unloaded a skid steer in the time I was I had cleaned my deer and entered our lease (125 acres) to do work on some old tanks that had been turned in as leaking by someone. I heard the equipment, but thought it was the county maintaining the road. They were actually there 2 or 3 days clearing brush and mesquites around the tanks and well head and don`t know how they effected the deer movement since I got my targeted deer about 30 minutes before they showed up. Been on the place for 5 years now and first time I ever seen anyone on the place. I always park in front though of the gate and not even the owner can get in until I move my truck if I`m hunting.

In a my years of hunting, I've only had one issue with an O&G worker.

It was during deer season. I took some time off during the week to hunt the rut.
I was rattling during mid day when I heard a saw an O&G truck driving through the lease. No big deal I thought, I new he was there to check equipment and read meters.
I went about my hunting for about another hour, when I noticed his truck sitting at an intersection of two lease roads.
Not sure what he was doing, I glassed him with my binos and noticed that he had a rifle leaning just outside the door of the window. So I started to slowly work my way towards his truck. When I got closer, I noticed he was occupied while looking through his binoculars and had no idea I was near. Once I got to his truck and made contact, as you would imagine, the dude was startled. I ask what he's doing. He informed me that he worked for the O&G company and was checking equipment and meters.
I told him that I knew that, and I heard him come onto the ranch. I informed him that you've been on the ranch for over an hour with no activity, and when I noticed you parked, you have a rifle leaning out the truck window while you're glassing with binos.
I informed him that I lease this ranch for hunting, and the landowner informed me that no one other paid hunters are welcome to hunt this ranch. I let him know it's understood that he has a job to do for the O&G company, but that didn't include poaching, and ask if your job duties are done to please leave.
After the encounter, I called the ranch owner and explained the situation. He said he'll make some calls and this shouldn't happen again.
I've been hunting the same ranch for 25 years and have not had anymore negative encounters with the O&G company employees.

I bet that same thing happens far more than anyone knows. It's a shame that mineral rights were ever allowed to be separated from land ownership.

We hurt some deer hunters feelings one opening morning when we entered a ranch to do a couple of squeezes on a well in Young County. Two of them were livid, and asked me if I knew what day it was. I told them sure do, and if I had the choice I would rather be hunting than working. They said whatever, this is not going to work. We proceeded on and did the jobs, on the way out we saw the hunters talking to a guy who we later found out was the landowner they had called. He came over to the truck and said if it happened again feel free to handle it as we saw fit, gave me a smirk and said have a nice day.

I bet that same thing happens far more than anyone knows. It's a shame that mineral rights were ever allowed to be separated from land ownership.

If you befriend the pumpers in your lease you find out a lot about the deer they see. Those guys are out there everyday driving the roads checking wells. They see a lot of animals.On a big acreage lease they can sometimes point you to the biggest deer in the place.

Some people don't understand math.

If a landowner yields $100k income per year from O&G and $8k per year from hunting, guess which party gets priority.

Many times, the landowner does not own the minerals and has very little say-so in drilling activities, so its not fair to assume that the landowner is trying to submarine the lease hunters season.

That said, most operators are more than willing to accommodate landowner requests that all activity shall be between the hours of 10 and 2 during hunting season.

Spent 5 years on a lease between Albany and Breckenridge with numerous wells and tons of pumping activity. Nary a problem and shot plenty of deer. We didn't wear much camo back then couldn't afford it.
I still stand behind my personal belief that if Texas would ban corn baiting we'd get a handle on the hog problem and 99% of the DFW hunters would quit if they actually had to hunt. Talked to several out of staters that have moved to the Rolling Plains and they can't believe that 1: Texas allows baiting, 2: there are so many baiting stations set up on every single property (they're not wrong either).

STalked to several out of staters that have moved to the Rolling Plains and they can't believe that 1: Texas allows baiting, 2: there are so many baiting stations set up on every single property (they're not wrong either).

It's a shame that mineral rights were ever allowed to be separated from land ownership.