Opening weekend bad news!!

So I take my two boys out on youth weekend and notice the place beside us is clearing huge swath just across the fence, more than just to replace fence, but I don't see the landowner to get the story. Fast forward to Saturday morning and we talk with him about the going-ons and he breaks the news..... That place just sold and the new owners are high fencing the entire 1000 acres and are digging a 50 acre lake not far across the fence from us!! This is after he had about 200 acres of mesquite cleared so the deer are no longer on our place but coming from there!!! What a huge blow to the gut on the first day of the season. I knew I heard big equipment running that morning so that tells the story in full I guess.

I guess all we can do now is hunt hard and slowly start gathering things together for our season ending exit. Has anyone else had something like this happen?

Sorry man

I guess we have the memories of a couple of good deer taken... Youngest has drawn the lucky hand 2 years running with a good, tall 9 last year and a TOAD of a 12 point last weekend!

That’s awful.

Why does the neighbors HFing their place interfere with your deer hunting?

Owner cleared majority of brush off the place and it’s wide open for miles after this place. Currently we have ZERO place for deer to be other than coming to feeders.....

How big a place y’all got, & how many hunters?

700 acres in total but close to 600-650 is wide open now!! Pasture land and some farm land and there were 2 of us that paid.

That sucks but it’s the risk you take when you depend on the neighbors for your deer hunting......

Hate to hear that.

Day in the life of land ownership and leasing. Happens everywhere, not fun but adaptability is part of life. Time to hunt differently this season and probably a change of scenery for next...Is what it is.

Question - when someone high fences a property, will that maybe create an opportunity for the hunters on the outside. The deer are still moving, but then hitting a barrier which would cause them to move laterally along the fence, right?

On the other hand its probably the new neighbors crowning achievement and pride and joy, and their property.

You may find the hunting is not as affected as you think.

Had a decent and extremely affordable lease and my landowner cut every tree on the place.

My only chance was to pull deer off the neighbors place.

With that being my only option, I took down my blind, feeder, and pen and moved on.


With my leased property only offering free corn, I didn't feel right simply trying to lure a buck to jump a fence.

Exactly.

I would set up the stands somewhere in the brush, & hunt them contently.

Don't worry about something you have no control over!
Hunt your place and adjust how you hunt.
As someone mentioned it may not effect you as bad as you think!

I've hunted on 2 ranches that were high fenced on one side and it didn't seem to hurt the hunting.
deer like freshly cleared land and will browse the new growth.
It also doesn't take long for new growth to spring up and reclaim the land unless it's maintained.

Bummer sorry to hear that!

My place is bordered by a HF ranch and it is awesome! When the rut is on it funnels deer right into my place. Deer move set up in the right place. Enjoy the property and have fun.

We had deer regularly prior to the massive land clearing that occurred this summer! Showed up in June to find thick mesquite flats turned into bald prairie.... The game was still hitting the feeder but now that's up in the air.

I thought you were going to say they sold and a new housing subdivision was going in. The high fence thing, while not optimal, is better than what my first thoughts were.