New neighbor

Looks like I have a new neighbor at the ranchito. This place to the south is about 700 acres and has been for sale for a year or so. Looks like someone must've bought it. These pics from my side of the fence. The large mesquite directly behind the feeder in the has a new seat, so the line of fire comes across the fence..... They have 700 acres and decided to put a feeder within 15 yards of the fence line near the creek.




They must not be familiar with Texas hunting if they think that little wire fence will keep the hogs out......

I would call the game warden today. No point in waiting. Document the problem with them and likely the game warden will explain the law to the new property owner.

Or print out the law add your information and a welcome to the area, laminate it and hang it on the fence. 50% chance you will get a call and an apology, or they will move the feeder and hate you forever. Whatever.

From the view of the second picture he should be okay if his blind is in that big mesquite to the right. That angle he would be shooting into the dirt from that tree as where you took the picture you are on the high ground, or is that mesquite on your property?
He's too close if he does have 700 acres, but people seem to be drawn toward those fencelines for some reason.

Some people just do not know any better or are just inconsiderate A Holes

I would check into it to see if someone actually bought the place.
Could be some guy that knows a guy, that told him he could hunt the place.
I'd be suspicious since he put up a feeder this late.

In the 2nd pic the mesquite with the seat is to the right hand side and out of view - basically directly across the fence 90 degrees from where I was standing when I took that 2nd picture.

They can afford to buy land but can’t affors a descent feeder? I’d be suspicious for sure.

Yep, old rusty feeder and looks like he's trying to get as far away from the middle of the place or roads as possible.
My bet is he doesn't really belong there.

TEXAS!

The entrance is on the opposite end of that place, so if it's a trespasser I don't know where they would be coming in from.

If it hasn't sold yet, it may be one of the ranch hands. The owner has a large cattle operation and many places much larger than this 700 ac.

Sounds like you know quite a bit about the land owners and who may or may not have access.
I would check deeper into it as it sounds like the guy drives into the property and crosses all the way across to the back of the property to put up a feeder.
That would be a red flag to me, so it might be to your advantage to check into it and question the stand location.

His land in Live Oak county to the west has not had any hunters on it in years now since the EFS started. His main ranch lives on to the west of IH 37 is the one he hunts but it is much larger and thicker cover. He owns land across the county road from my place there where it is mostly wide open grass pastures(old farmland) with some drainages and pockets of brush/trees also. His place in Bee County is more open like those close to me. Might be the real estate agent doing some hunting.

I doubt seriously that moving it 200 yards would change anything ------ same deer would go to the feeder no matter .

Well if they are going to hunt in the middle of that big nasty mesquite I would get the satisfaction of knowing they are going to be picking ticks from here till kingdom come!

Yes. Same deer will go to it, but they should be shooting into their property and not into mine........

Could be REA. Whoever it is, they don't seem to be familiar with S. TX. It's hard to see in the 1st pic, but they have built a pen with some field fence. I don't think it will hold up well once the hogs find it... maybe it's meant to be like a gill net but built for hogs and they'll get tangled up in it.

You know him STX.

I have met the LO one time and I think the REA is from Austin. That ranch was once mainly all farmland except for the drainages till the 70's. That is when the deer numbers started to rise. There is 600+ acres under contract just north of this place 700+ acres and it is on 72.

I'm told my place used to be farmed, along with most all of the Pawnee area.

might surprise you, their drive to escape/evade danger is much stronger than their drive to get to a feeder. We used sheep/goat netting for years to build feed pens around corn and protein feeders. I had the same pen for 10+ years. Every once in a while they would tear a hole you fix it and life goes on. The pen is still in use now, my uncle hunts it and its getting closer to 20 years old.

BY law the shooter is responsible for where the round goes. If concerned that a round could travel onto your property I would try to contact the land owner/hunter if its now a lease. A friendly note on the feeder asking them to contact you might be worth a try. If that failed call the game warden.
The direction a hunter is shooting should not allow for a round to easily pass onto adjacent property.

A lot of the land there was all farmed and mainly cotton till they realized it was not the best soil type for it to be planted every year. They had a cotton gin in Pawnee till it burned to the ground in the early 60's. After that they farmed corn, milo, flax, guar and small grains.

I put a corn bag target on the fence and it was moved along with a PM from a member on here apologizing but it was on the fence... We keep everything far from fence so no one knows were are there. Just ask the LO.

Just put a note on the fence....ask them to contact you....be friendly/neighborly until given a reason not to be...