Found someone's stand on my father's land....update pg 3

[Longbow917]

Very well done Bud.  Sometimes we all fall a little short in some way.  I have always prided myself on learning the boundaries and property lines and respecting other people's land and was quick to criticize those who didn't.  Until I found a note on my ladder stand one day.  Same deal, about thirty yds too far, river bottom property and fence had long been buried in flooded timber and weeds.  Landowner was stand-up guy about it and I promptly apologized to him and his son for any harm I had done to their hunting.  He could have easily been much more critical but extended grace instead of a hammer.  I have never forgot it and I doubt the young man you dealt with will either.

[Widow's Son]

You done good! 30ft is not much and an easy mistake to make. Now it would be different if he had to cross a fence. We had this problem years ago on my buddy's land. They knew they were trespassing and we kept taking their stands. We scored 3 freebees before they got the message.

[jsweka]

It great that you're approaching this in a civilized manner and not coming at with hostility. Who knows, maybe you'll end up with a life long hunting buddy.

Now the downside is he's only perhaps 30 feet onto your Dad's property.  If your budding relationship with him goes south, all he has to do is move the stand 10 yards and he's still hunting the same area and there's not much you can do about that.  12 acres isn't much land when considering the home range of deer, so if he's not on your father's property killing deer, he's gonna be on the adjacent property killing the same deer.

I think your best bet would be if you, the renter, and the adjacent landowner can all come to an agreement that both of you can hunt each other's property.

[owlbait]

Pay it forward Bud. Remember who gave me that advice? You are a squareshooter and I believe you will find the best way to handle this. Good luck my friend!  

[owlbait]

Pay it forward Bud. Remember who gave me that advice? You are a squareshooter and I believe you will find the best way to handle this. Good luck my friend!  

[joe ashton]

[SheltonCreeker]

Good job. Lost my temper last year with a neighbor and it cost me a lease. Long story short I learned the hard way how to handle neighbors! You did good.

[Hopewell Tom]

I agree, you did the right thing. And so did he. For now. Keeping cool can get to be tough, but wars are tough on all.
I have our property well posted, but usually meet someone who "didn't see the signs". An outright lie, or they're blind!
Being courteous (but firm) at all times (even when faced with belligerence) is the only way to go. In the end, being reasonable always wins.

[smokin joe]

Bud,
I have been impressed with your Trad Gang posts in the past and this story confirms my impression. I believe you handled this well and that you show that you are a good man who can help another see a better way. That young man will be fortunate to get to know you.
A situation well handled. My compliments.
Joe

[Bud B.]

Thanks again guys. I'm going to take an old RH  30# Shakespeare Wonderbow along in the truck just in case    You never know when a wayward stump might pop up that needs shooting. It just might create a spark in the process.

[HawkeyeArcher]

Well handled Bud! Sounds like that could have gone alot worse had you handled it differently. Hopefully you can help the young man out and make a friend in the process!

[Buffalo Two Fletch]

12 acres 30 feet. It sounds like things are pretty tight where you hunt. I think you handled it very well. Supose you had got mad. Thrown the guy off, took his stand and then sometime in the future you hit a deer and had to track it on his land? You did the right thing.

[Mudd]

Thank you Bud for sharing.

Great teachable moment with the right lesson as well.

I am very proud to be able to call you friend.

God bless,Mudd

PS: Your actions reminds me of something I've read.~ Romans 13:9 .... and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

[Sam McMichael]

You handled the situation well.

[Bud B.]

I met with the young man today and we walked the property lines and talked hunting. He's just starting out on his own and I think things will be fine from here on out.

He did thank me for not removing his stand and his ladder. I got the impression he doesn't have alot of expendable cash.

I took along a dual  shelf Bear Alaskan #33 @28. Just before leaving I took a shot at a target across the small gulley. After shooting a few arrows I asked if he wanted to try. He said he's "never shot one of those" and gave it a whirl. He was all smiles. I talked about why I hunt with traditional archery gear and mentioned the municipal archery seasons we have here in NC. He had never heard of that. His interest grew. Come to find out he know landowners in two nearby municiaplities that allow an Urban Archery Season up to around March. Seems like I may now have a few places to extend my archery season now that he's intereaset in my weird bow and the fact he really liked shooting the bow.

I picked him out a tree near his corner of the land so we're not hunting on top of one another. I'm gonna text him when I'm heading out and he's gonna text me.

Yeah, I think things will be fine.

Thanks again all for the encouraging words.

Bud

[marshratTC]

I was spot stalking on a property that I have permission to hunt. As I was listening to some brush busting a few yards away, I slowly make out hunter orange coming through the trees. I am livid and ready to pounce as this jackleg was unaware of my presence. I'm thinking to myself, "the nerve of this guy, trespasser, poacher" etc. and other things that I can't mention. I decide to retreat to get a better vantage point to observe his illegal activity and literally trip over the downed boundary fence that I inadvertently crossed without my knowledge. I am that jackleg.

[JamesKerr]

30 feet is definately not far to wander off of your property in the woods with unmarked boundries. You handled the situation well. Hope for the best for both of you.

[toddster]

Very well done.  I hunt mainly public land and am always mindful of signs and indication of private property.  It does happen that once in a while I will cross and I always will convey my apoligy to the land owner's.  An honest mistake is that and should be treated as such.  but, one who purposly crosses as the turkey hunt is wrong.  I know that if I owned land, and someone make a mistake I would work with them and forgive, but to purposly cross to work and animal would anger me too.

[Panzer]

Thats the way to use your head and not your emotions.

[slivrslingr]

Bud B., you are a true ambassador of our sport, thank you!