Reasonable rules?

Grantspastor · 05-07-2005, 08:21 AM

I am about to implement the following rules for hunting on my property. For years it was unecessary. Most everyone who hunted was great. The best have been I-fishers. My wife thinks I'm being a little hard-nosed. What do you think?

1. Before hunting the first time, I will show you around. I will show you where to park. I will show you my property boundaries. Permission to hunt my place is not permsission to hunt my neighbor's place
2. Do not just show up. Permission to hunt one day is not permission to hunt whenever you want
3. Don't park on my neighbor's land, in front of my garage door, or in my driveway
4. Don't bother my neighbors. They are my friends. I'd like to keep it that way
5. Don't bother my wife. Don't ask her for permission to hunt. I do not show up at your house when your wife is home alone. Don't show up at mine when I'm not there. I am not going to put my wife in the uncomfortable position of having men she doesn't know very well wandering around while I'm not there. I mean business with this rule! If you choose to disregard it, then it will become personal
6. Don't invite your friends to hunt my place. Don't bring them with you unless I know about it ahead of time
7. Don't call me late at night wanting to hunt the next day. It puts me in a bad mood and makes me wonder why I ever invited you to hunt in the first place?
8. Hunt safely. If I feel you are endangering anyone or anything, you won't be coming back
9. If you ask to hunt and I say no, try to keep a good attitude. I'm not a game biologist, but I am trying to guage the impact of hunting on my place. If you think I am being unreasonable...that's tough! I'll just add you to the list of people not coming back

Snakebite · 05-07-2005, 09:00 AM

Sounds reasonable to me! You must have quite a place! I guess I don't need to put down ground rules at my place unless mole hunting becomes a rage!

sandman · 05-07-2005, 09:43 AM

I accept!When can i start!I think your rules are more than fair.If i was my property i'd just let a select few hunt it that you have gotten to know through the years.I have farm with a couple nice lakes and people stop all the time and ask to hunt ducks/geese,I just don't want people i don't know hunting there.Last season i have over a thousand geese on the lake!

Hawk · 05-07-2005, 09:45 AM

Grantspastor,

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Actually, it sounds like common sense rules that hunters should be following anyway if they are hunting on private land.

So, do you have any turkeys on your land down there in Grants Pass? :grin:

Get Bit · 05-07-2005, 11:13 AM

Absolutely 100% Reasonable! It a privilege to hunt someone's property: NOT A RIGHT!.

Get Bit

Blue Tip Spinner · 05-07-2005, 02:12 PM

ABSOLUTLY!!!!!!!!!(sp?)

Don Becker · 05-07-2005, 02:44 PM

Unquestionably reasonable! It's a shame you even have to go to the extent of writing-down what should be just plain and common courtesy. 'Put it in front of them in writing, make 'em read and sign it . . . if they hesitate for even a second, after reading and before signing it, pull it back and send 'em on their way. I'm very sorry that you're so generous as to share your property with fellow hunters and they don't show enough respect and courtesy to adhere to such basic courtesies. Don

Fishstix · 05-07-2005, 04:50 PM

I would have to agree with hawk. It sounds like common sense rules that all hunter should use when hunting on private property.

Swamp Puppy · 05-07-2005, 05:15 PM

all i have to say is that it is a darn shame that you even need to list those "rules" for hunting on your place. there's not a one on that list that wasn't a common courtesy for hunting on private land.

Straydog · 05-07-2005, 09:17 PM

The only thing I find that might be taken as unreasonable is the rule to not show up to ask permission when your wife is home alone. While I understand your motive, I am wondering how one is to know if she is home alone or not?

Hawk · 05-07-2005, 09:29 PM

0

RogueFishr · 05-07-2005, 10:06 PM

Quote:

The only thing I find that might be taken as unreasonable is the rule to not show up to ask permission when your wife is home alone. While I understand your motive, I am wondering how one is to know if she is home alone or not?

I gotta agree with Hawk on this one. If someone wants to hunt on my land, they can get a hold of ME, not my wife. LEave me a message, or whatever. If you waited until the last minute, you are out of luck. lack of preperation on your part does not make it an emergency on my part.

GP - its too bad that this list of common sense items has to be implemented into "rules". None of it seems unreasonable to me at all.

RF

Straydog · 05-08-2005, 06:58 AM

I think you guys both missed my question, or I didn't present it right.

My only question is, how does one know who is or is not home when they approach the house???????? :whazzup:

I guess if the rule was to always call ahead of time, I would understand it. But that is not how it is presented, as I read it.

Let's say someone is out driving the area one evening looking for likely hunting spots for the weekend. (BTW, I live about 2 miles from Grantspastor and know the area quite well... :smile

He see's a likley looking oak savanah (sp?) and decides to ask the land owner if he can hunt at a future time. He drives up the driveway and approaches a house strange to him. How does he know who is in that house or not??? :whazzup:

I just wonder how one is supposed to know if the man of the house is home or not??

waterflogger · 05-08-2005, 07:04 AM

A few years ago i had some property with a trout stream on it, never said no to any one who ask to fish it. Rules
do not damage crops, and clean up your trash. Well the people who ask brought there buddys who brought there buddys, long story short trash and crop damage. Signs went up and fishing closed.
Rules are needed, and need to be followed.

Gun Rod Bow · 05-08-2005, 08:04 AM

I have permission to hunt probably 20,000 acres within 30 miles of my home. Landownwers are individuals. Each has their level of what makes them comfortable. I endeavor to never give them a reason to dis-invite me.

I still ask permission...before season and before each hunt. I keep asking until they tell me it isn't necessary. I contact them afterward and thank them. I never leave as much as a tuft of grass or a shotgun hull behind.

Yesterday, while hunting my families ranch, I took my buddy's 12 yr old son to hunt turkeys. The birds have been acting real skiddish and all in 1 huge flock this year. I suspected they'd been being hunted by tresapassers. Yesterday while we were set up and had 14 toms gobbling, I hear a gunshot from about the dead center of 500 acres of fenced private land. Turkeys bugged out and 3 guys poke up over the ridge.

I ran them all the way to the fence...up hill...they beat me to the fence. That neighbor has been giving these 20 something guys permission to hunt his place, they knew my sister was gone...they knew exactly what they were doing.

I wish they also knew they screwed up a hunt for a really good 12 year old kid.

They better hope my sister don't get her hands on them...she's way meaner than me!

Hawk · 05-08-2005, 11:50 AM

Stray, I see your point. I think we're talking about two different topics. My assumption was that you already had spoken with Grantspastor, but when you actually decide to go hunting you didn't call before just stopping by.

In your scenario, which I will call "cold calling" for lack of a better term, I think a decent option would be to use your cell phone to call 411 and use their directory assistance feature. Give them the last name and address (from the mail box), and they will give you the number and hook you up. If you only have an address they can usually look it up that way as well through their reverse directory capabilities.

If they are unlisted, then go back by on a day where you see people outside and approach them at that time. I, personally, don't like cold calling on women as I can certainly see how many of them may be a bit fearful, especially if you pull up in a dirty truck wearing full hunter regalia (camo).

Straydog · 05-08-2005, 03:30 PM

Got it Hawk.

I guess, "Call first" would make sense.

Spotted Owl · 05-08-2005, 07:18 PM

It does not matter if we agree(which I do) or disagree this is your place and you should do what you feel is necessary. I would think that these rules would be common sence but in todays world it's sad to say that common sence seems to be a rapidly dieing(sp) quality. I do agree 110% about the don't come to my house when I am not home. That could turn very ugly very fast and it should become personal if that happens. Stand strong to your rules and thing will work out fine for you. I do agree with all of your rules and understand the fact that these things need to be brought into play. Hopefully you will not have to shut down your land to hunting I'm sure you have met some very quality people and most likely some friends from your generousity of sharing your land with others. People such as your self willing to share is what makes hunting a great sport and help the world keep on the good track I only wish that others would keep the same open mindedness that you have(oh andI wish I lived closer to Grants Pass so I could meet you some time and hunt with you.)

Owl

RoscoeP · 05-09-2005, 06:41 AM

Your rules sound more than reasonable to me. More common sense than anything. How people would not think of these things without being told is beyond me. Don't change a thing!