Going out this season but we need a new spot

[enfieldshooter303]

I will finally after 10 years be going hunting this season but I got some bad news. The family spot has been posted(no more hunting). This spot has been used by my grandfather, my father, my uncles and me. We are all in shock as we always used that area and now we look like a bunch of dummies.

This spot was awesome, here is the layout.......

First off, if anyone has ever been to Gettysburg it looks like little round top flowing into devils den. There is a field about 300 yards long and about 200 yards wide thats is also a valley full of puddles, low grass and man size boulders everywhere but from our spot we can see everything in, around and behind these boulders. We have a nice hill side about 200 yards tall but not steep at all and right smack in the middle of the top there is a group of rocks perfect for a full day of watching.

The rocks are perfect height to put a folding chair behind and set your rifle on top off the rocks. We once had six guys in that spot and 4 of us (one being me) fell asleep for half the day, we finally woke up when my uncles buddy got a buck.

Well I guess its time to find a new spot fast, I guess all good things must come to an end.

Thanks for reading,
Enfield shooter 303

[Dredly]

thats definately the trend across the state. I never heard whether the land owner liability protection piece got passed but after what happened to the land owner a few years ago I wouldn't be surprised to see a LOT more land being posted in the near future.

Also land leasing is finally making its way to PA, its been held at bay for a long time by high taxes however long time land owners are starting to see the value in it, they can enroll their land in "clean and green" and pay like 10.00 taxes a year and get a good chunk of income by leasing it out to people who will patrol it for them. Its a good move for land owners, not so much for those who have been here a long time and have hunted it for generations.

Its only a matter of time until all the land in PA will either be public land or leased out private land.

[bnkrtstk]

Have you thought of asking the owners for permission to hunt there?

[kx90]

Samething happened to us about 11 years ago. My dad and his buddies bought an acre in Huntingdon County (town of New Grenanda to be exact) as he wanted to get out of the camp he was in when my brother and I started hunting. We hunted the same grounds as he always did though. Then our favorite spot was posted. We did have permission until one day while archery hunting my cousin and I were stopped by two guys on a quad. They said they are the grandsons of the owner and this is our last season being able to hunt there.

Well, the following 4 years we hunted state game lands, which yes, was scary. I went out of my way to walk until my feet were numb just to get out of the "populated" areas. I've crawled thru my share of clear cuts and walked up and down my share of mountains in those four years and I only ever got one shot at a doe. My dad's buddy did get a spike one year (prior to the point rules).

Now my dad and his buddies bought 60+ acres in the NE and posted it.

[enfieldshooter303]

Originally Posted by bnkrtstk

Have you thought of asking the owners for permission to hunt there?

we are going to ask just for the possibility but they put alot of signs up, every 12 feet almost lol so it may be for nothing

[Dredly]

Originally Posted by kx90

Samething happened to us about 11 years ago. My dad and his buddies bought an acre in Huntingdon County (town of New Grenanda to be exact) as he wanted to get out of the camp he was in when my brother and I started hunting. We hunted the same grounds as he always did though. Then our favorite spot was posted. We did have permission until one day while archery hunting my cousin and I were stopped by two guys on a quad. They said they are the grandsons of the owner and this is our last season being able to hunt there.

Well, the following 4 years we hunted state game lands, which yes, was scary. I went out of my way to walk until my feet were numb just to get out of the "populated" areas. I've crawled thru my share of clear cuts and walked up and down my share of mountains in those four years and I only ever got one shot at a doe. My dad's buddy did get a spike one year (prior to the point rules).

Now my dad and his buddies bought 60+ acres in the NE and posted it.

And the cycle begins again, I'm sure someone has been hunting that for years, now they are screwed and have to go find somewhere else to go.

[God's Country]

My big issue is that many people today have little respect for private land. Many don't ask permission, litter, tear it up with 4-wheelers, act like they own it and then get pissed when it gets posted. It just happens to be a sad fact of life these days.

[kx90]

Originally Posted by Dredly

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And the cycle begins again, I'm sure someone has been hunting that for years, now they are screwed and have to go find somewhere else to go.

True. But they are the owners now it's not so much about not wanting people to hunt the property as it is for our safety as we have quite a few guys on there during the season.

[Dredly]

Originally Posted by kx90

True. But they are the owners now it's not so much about not wanting people to hunt the property as it is for our safety as we have quite a few guys on there during the season.

You can justify it anyway you would like, but the truth of the matter is just like you were pissed about losing your last piece of land, whoever hunted this before just lost theirs :P

[CoyoteJack]

I own several chunks of land around Erie county. The only signs I'd even consider putting up are ones that say 'hunting by permission only' and that would only be on the land I want to introduce my son to hunting on. I want others to hunt my land. I can't get the deer moving around all by myself and still stay in my stand. That said if I catch someone in my new stand and they refuse to leave then the hunting by permission only will likely come to pass.