Hunting Leases/Kids Hunting/Drury Syndrome

[Nuts]

Hunting Leases. It seams that we are torn as a community about how this has hurt things. For me I have come full circle. I have access to lots of family/friends property. With most being farmers its good hunting. However in PA we have antler restrictions. And now everyone wants to grow bucks like they are the Drury's. All the properties I can freely hunt have hit lists. How do we engage the next generation of hunters if they cant shoot 99% of the bucks they see and cant commit the time often needed to try and get lucky enough to harvest something on the hit list. That's assuming an adult takes them at all if chasing big ones. I do enjoy hunting hit list bucks and have been lucky enough to get a few. But I now lease 300 acres of really good hunting land. Not for big bucks but to allow my kids and my friends and their kids to shoot whatever is legal and makes you happy. It seams to have brought some excitement to things again for them and allows them to pull the trigger. I think as a community there is a fair part of us missing this. I did as well for a while. I lease from the farmer who has significant crop damage. He is all for it. The neighbors who are managing for trophies not so much. I will still take a couple days a year to chase big ones on family property but the rest of the time it will be in a stand or blind with a newer hunter/kid trying to get them on a legal deer. I encourage everyone to think about the future of our sport. If as a 12yr old you had to deal with what our kids do in PA would you have stuck with it?

 

[Nick87]

Hunting Leases. It seams that we are torn as a community about how this has hurt things. For me I have come full circle. I have access to lots of family/friends property. With most being farmers its good hunting. However in PA we have antler restrictions. And now everyone wants to grow bucks like they are the Drury's. All the properties I can freely hunt have hit lists. How do we engage the next generation of hunters if they cant shoot 99% of the bucks they see and cant commit the time often needed to try and get lucky enough to harvest something on the hit list. That's assuming an adult takes them at all if chasing big ones. I do enjoy hunting hit list bucks and have been lucky enough to get a few. But I now lease 300 acres of really good hunting land. Not for big bucks but to allow my kids and my friends and their kids to shoot whatever is legal and makes you happy. It seams to have brought some excitement to things again for them and allows them to pull the trigger. I think as a community there is a fair part of us missing this. I did as well for a while. I lease from the farmer who has significant crop damage. He is all for it. The neighbors who are managing for trophies not so much. I will still take a couple days a year to chase big ones on family property but the rest of the time it will be in a stand or blind with a newer hunter/kid trying to get them on a legal deer. I encourage everyone to think about the future of our sport. If as a 12yr old you had to deal with what our kids do in PA would you have stuck with it?

Unfortunately leasing is becoming the norm. I hate it. But ive considered it several times. I dont think the problem you are talking about is leasing exactly more so everyone wanting to play deer manager. Whether they lease or just have permission or whatever. If there was a button buck in front of my kids that I somehow knew was gonna grow into a 200" deer and they wanted to shoot. I couldn't tell them to take the safety off fast enough. Thats just me though. I know a few guys who own some good property and dont shoot anything younger than 4.5 however the grandkids can shoot whatever buck they want. I think thats a pretty good rule.

 

[Gellar]

Living in pike county Illinois during the early 2000s I have seen brothers come to blows because of their differences on leasing the family farm.

 

[338win]

Just another step in our march towards becoming euro trash where the hunting is for the elite

 

[Nuts]

Just another step in our march towards becoming euro trash where the hunting is for the elite

I understand the statement. Any better ideas or what is the solution?
I can agree in theory. Being blue collar my entire life though I think we work for and spend on our priorities. I dont consider that elite. In this case I choose sacrifices, extra work hours and side jobs to allow others to hunt private land without cost.

 

[Nick87]

can agree in theory. Being blue collar my entire life though I think we work for and spend on our priorities. I dont consider that elite. In this case I choose sacrifices, extra work hours and side jobs to allow others to hunt private land without cost.

Im in the same boat but there's only so much of that to go around. Its not something we can make more of and its dwindling for multiple reasons besides competition just for hunting.

 

[The_Jim]

But I now lease 300 acres of really good hunting land. Not for big bucks but to allow my kids and my friends and their kids to shoot whatever is legal and makes you happy. It seams to have brought some excitement to things again for them and allows them to pull the trigger. I think as a community there is a fair part of us missing this.

I love this, in 50 years those kids are going to be telling their grandkids about their friends deer camp they shot their first buck on. I bet the hit list guys would get more fulfillment from their leases if they treated them like you do.

 

[SaskHunter]

I understand the statement. Any better ideas or what is the solution?

It is illegal to pay for hunting access in Saskatchewan and Alberta. This is the only solution to prevent what you fear from happening. It might not happen in your lifetime, but it probably will happen in the next.

 

[seeth07]

It might not happen in your lifetime, but it probably will happen in the next.

Definitely not. There is no way in a capitalist society down here that a law will ever go into place where you can't lease hunting access.

 

[SaskHunter]

Definitely not. There is no way in a capitalist society down here that a law will ever go into place where you can't lease hunting access.

I meant the "Euro trash" system of pay to play... I'm not naive enough to believe more jurisdictions would make it illegal to pay for access...

 

[seeth07]

I meant the "Euro trash" system of pay to play...

It isn't all pay to play. @devon deer for one can probably tell you that his neck of the woods, free access can exist. I also have a buddy that last year went to Sweden moose hunting and didn't pay for access. He was able to secure free access to hunt on private land.

The way things are in NA now, there honestly is quite the closing gap between the opportunities to hunt that one has.

 

[Nick87]

It is illegal to pay for hunting access in Saskatchewan and Alberta. This is the only solution to prevent what you fear from happening. It might not happen in your lifetime, but it probably will happen in the next.

I like that. I'd imagine its pretty easy to get around though. However it would sure cut out the middle man/land broker which would be a win in itself.

 

[SaskHunter]

It isn't all pay to play. @devon deer for one can probably tell you that his neck of the woods, free access can exist. I also have a buddy that last year went to Sweden moose hunting and didn't pay for access. He was able to secure free access to hunt on private land.

Not sure how this is relevant to my post as it was in response to two other comments above regarding "Euro trash" hunting for the elite and my perspective from someone who lives in a place where it is illegal to pay for access...

I've hunted many Provinces, Territories and States, regardless of where I've hunted, I've always managed to find places to hunt for free. Some places are easier than others. The problem is, my kids will face far more challenges than I ever did unless something changes, which it likely won't as you've mentioned. Case and point, up until a few years ago, it was legal to "trespass" unposted land to hunt in Saskatchewan. This law was changed with the promise that the Province would work with landowners and hunters in order to find a system to easily find hunting access, that never happened. So now we're stuck with this trespass law that will likely never revert back. The majority of landowners I know are unhappy with it as they're bothered more than ever during harvest, continuously getting phones calls and text messages or having numerous vehicles drop by the farm yard weekly or being stopped while literally combining a field. I've also noticed that hunting access, or lack thereof, is now a question on our harvest surveys as hunter satisfaction has gone down the drain...

 

[SaskHunter]

I like that. I'd imagine its pretty easy to get around though. However it would sure cut out the middle man/land broker which would be a win in itself.

It helps that the Province is 4x the size of Wyoming and has about 40k hunters, though half of it is unreachable by road.

The big issue now is that landowners are tired of being asked about hunting access, it used to be you could legally trespass unposted land. I've been told by many landowners that saying "No" is easier than keeping track of who you gave access to and ends the conversation a lot quicker when dozens of hunters harass you every season, mostly during harvest.

You can still get great hunting access away from large centers. I got about 12 sections worth of good elk hunting access over four hours of scouting one day, more than I needed. Doing the same around large cities like Saskatoon or Regina is near impossible. You may be able to find something, but it'll take you a while. I'm very lucky to know a lot of farmers and ranchers who are good friends and allow me to hunt their land.

 

[Nick87]

I'm very lucky to know a lot of farmers and ranchers who are good friends and allow me to hunt their land.

Used to be that way here. Money talks now. Can't blame them. Also when guys were farming a lot smaller acreage you could get access a lot easier. Now its usually a friend or family member who gets exclusive access. Except now exclusive means 4 to 5 thousand acres instead of a few hundred. A select few get tons of ground and majority get nada.

 

[Steiny77]

I just wish more kids would show an interest in hunting. There is still plenty of opportunity for them, but not a great deal of interest.
Too many other activities using up their bandwidth.

 

[338win]

I understand the statement. Any better ideas or what is the solution?
I can agree in theory. Being blue collar my entire life though I think we work for and spend on our priorities. I dont consider that elite. In this case I choose sacrifices, extra work hours and side jobs to allow others to hunt private land without cost.

Stop voting for those that want to sell public land. Stop supporting influencers and wildlife pimps. Make it illegal to make any money from hunting to include videos. Make any landowner tags, depredation tags, and crop damage handouts contingent on allowing access. That would be a good start.

 

[Bux_N_Beards]

Said it before and will say it again for those in the back of the room. The QDM movement has done more to take away Access, Opportunity and arguably Recruitment than a lot of the other points we debate on this forum.

Hit lists, “my deer”, land managers, associated influencing, feeding of wildlife to congregate and attract them in the name of “management” and herd health, antler restrictions, earn a buck programs, I could go on forever.

I seriously question if I’d have the fire for deer hunting that I do if I grew up in the current environment.

The irony of all of this for the QDM’ers is everything they’ve worked for is the first thing tossed out the window when CWD enters the scene and within a few years it’s back to having to hunt for any deer. Literally watched this play out in real time.

To the OP, good on you for giving those kids an opportunity to get out, have fun and enjoy a chance to take a deer.

 

[Nick87]

The irony of all of this for the QDM’ers is everything they’ve worked for is the first thing tossed out the window when CWD enters the scene and within a few years it’s back to having to hunt for any deer. Literally watched this play out in real time.

Idk if they are the ones calling for eliminating deer when it shows up...

 

[Nuts]

I like that. I'd imagine its pretty easy to get around though. However it would sure cut out the middle man/land broker which would be a win in itself.

Not sure how this is relevant to my post as it was in response to two other comments above regarding "Euro trash" hunting for the elite and my perspective from someone who lives in a place where it is illegal to pay for access...

I've hunted many Provinces, Territories and States, regardless of where I've hunted, I've always managed to find places to hunt for free. Some places are easier than others. The problem is, my kids will face far more challenges than I ever did unless something changes, which it likely won't as you've mentioned. Case and point, up until a few years ago, it was legal to "trespass" unposted land to hunt in Saskatchewan. This law was changed with the promise that the Province would work with landowners and hunters in order to find a system to easily find hunting access, that never happened. So now we're stuck with this trespass law that will likely never revert back. The majority of landowners I know are unhappy with it as they're bothered more than ever during harvest, continuously getting phones calls and text messages or having numerous vehicles drop by the farm yard weekly or being stopped while literally combining a field. I've also noticed that hunting access, or lack thereof, is now a question on our harvest surveys as hunter satisfaction has gone down the drain...

Never about me though. Now imagine if your friends did not ha

Used to be that way here. Money talks now. Can't blame them. Also when guys were farming a lot smaller acreage you could get access a lot easier. Now its usually a friend or family member who gets exclusive access. Except now exclusive means 4 to 5 thousand acres instead of a few hundred. A select few get tons of ground and majority get nada.

The access issue. And farmers. So most of my friends and family still farm. And in all actuality myself and my kids will always have a place to hunt. But it is "managed". And sit here but not there is common based on certain bucks movement. Our youth doe season is the 3rd week of October before the rut. . All the managers are afraid there hit list buck will get bumped. It became a hassle. Then add to that none of my friends and there kids have those relationships. With access. And this is supposed to be fun right? I hunted a buddies farm with my daughter probably 7-8 years ago. We had photos of the bucks she could shoot and those she couldn't. We only saw the ones she couldn't because they were on the owners hit list. That was the last time I would take her to any place that had a list. Its shoot what you want or we are on public land until we started leasing. No more craziness over a deer. No posting pictures with excuses or "not the biggest" because it wont be a record book buck. Its killing hunting. The influencers wont influence this family.