THE PROPERTY OWNER--Their rules.

[ImAfossil]

When my bride and I packed it in, leaving Philadelphia after 65 years, and relocating to South Central Pennsylvania in 2005, we fulfilled a dream.

A little single home, 3 bedrooms and a spacious 2 car garage. This could be the beginning of something beautiful. A 2 car garage in Philly was like finding a diamond mine. We are going to live in the COUNTRY ! !

Surrounded by cornfields and watching doves go to and fro, I am going to knock on some doors. I was an avid pass shooting dove hunter. The first farm I stopped at to ask permission, the property owner said "you shoot those things that sit on the power wires. You must be hard up for something to eat".

Looked like my 1st interview was a dismal failure. The property owner was a bit stern and standoffish, but he was about to negotiate. You can hunt those birds, but I would rather have a hunter that shoots groundhogs. WOW ! He hit a key word with me. Groundhogs. We went over his rules. The list was as long as my arm. This particular farmer hit me once with parking---I was to park as far left as possible on one of his access roads. My truck stuck out a hair. "Next time you block my way to get to the lower fields, I will put a chain on the tractor and drag your truck into the creek".

NOBODY HUNTS THIS PROPERTY---Follow my rules.

I have a .243 and .270, I love for groundhogs. All of the property owners ; NOT ACCEPTABLE ! I went with a .17HMR---It passed with the farmers, but it lacked the reach and energy---I asked them if I come up with another caliber, will you give it a look and listen. Enter my .204 Ruger with fingers crossed. The consensus was, a healthy crack, but not a huge BOOM !-----It passed judgment. Sweated that one out ! ! THEIR PROPERTY, THEIR RULES !

That was 10 years ago. I have had 5 farms I rotated for shooting chucks. I believe all of the property owners have the same play book on rules. All of them are on a first name basis with our Chief of Police. They also let you know that.

After the initial being backed into a corner and beat up a little bit, we have been receiving Christmas Cards for a few years now from these hard working families.

It's easy----MY PROPERTY, MY RULES-----Dodge a few bullets in the beginning and enjoy 600 to a 1000 acres, 10 minutes from my little Country Home.

I was the only hunter on these farms, now I can bring a guest who will follow the RULES.

Have you members had similar experiences ?????
fossil

[S&WOwner]

Wow - great story - thanks for sharing.

[A-5]

Exactly. My buddy had the cops called on him and he had permission. And the the chief of police thing also. I've stated this before property owners are very ...... I'll be nice.

[Jhaydeno]

Exactly. My buddy had the cops called on him and he had permission. And the the chief of police thing also. I've stated this before property owners are very ...... I'll be nice.

Thanks for being nice, because I'm one of those guys! No, not some big Ponderosa Ranch like Fossil hunts, but large enough to grow horses and hay with room to spare.

What many people don't see is the delicate balance you need to achieve between your livelyhood, your family's safety, and being a good neighbor: You don't mind sharing with responsible folks, after all we are just stewards of the land, and clean & green allows reasonable public access. You can't afford to have jumpy cattle (gunshots), but you can't afford a leg broken in a chuck hole either. Deer eat plenty of field crops and a few less mouths to feed wouldn't hurt. And family safety is always on the back of your mind... Is your wife or daughter out on horseback in the woods? Will a hunter know that brown blob running full speed across a field of tall hay is our fawn colored great dane? Which direction are they shooting? Do they know there are neighboring homes over the next rise?

The property owner has spent a lifetime on that property. I know where the deer and turkeys rest, I know where the winter springs are, where the rock with the 150 year old wedge and feather marks is, and we certainly know which fields will 'stick' even the best four wheel drive tractors in the spring! Our rules may seem arcane or absurd to those who ask permission, but believe me, we have reasons for them: been there, done that!

[GrumpyBear]

Exactly. My buddy had the cops called on him and he had permission. And the the chief of police thing also. I've stated this before property owners are very ...touchy sometimes... I'll be nice.

^^^ In red ! Dealing with trespassers could make even the most patient GRUMPY !

Their property their rules !

[bogey1]

You had to tell them you were from philly, didn't you.

[Jhaydeno]

You had to tell them you were from philly, didn't you.

He shoots his .204 sideways!

[Bmarshall91]

I'm actually typing this from someone else's land. I'm out hunting turkey today, and am sitting on about 100 acres of corn field. All the property owners lands I hunt on seem to be way cool with me and my different caliber rifles. I hunt a dairy farm with a .223 bolt action for groundhogs. The cows actually come running TOWARDS me after they hear the first shot. (Nosy ass cows!) The farmer USUALLY leaves me a present inside my truck when I leave. Im assuming it's for getting rid of all those pesky hogs. (Usually it's a bottle of made an hour ago chocolate milk. Or pepper jack cheese) he's by far the coolest one.... I also hunt Amish land. They've sometimes even come out with me to show me where the good spots were. Lol.

But you're right, no matter what. ... their property, their rules! Want to hunt there, listen to them!

[ImAfossil]

You had to tell them you were from philly, didn't you.

Bogey: Until now I never thought about that (from Philly), but that could have played a part in getting permission. I sure did not have a Pennsylvania Dutch Twang in my voice. That had to be their initial clue, that I was not local.

Another thing that just jumped out after getting permission was "Don't let me catch you deer hunting on my ground" ! ! !---Double exclamation point on that one. They were adamant. No deer hunting.

As time passed, a few of these property owners have said to me ; "I know you see quite a few deer while hunting groundhogs on my farm and the other properties that you hunt on, where these properties touch each other. Why don't you deer hunt ????? "

Now that is a 180 degree reversal of the initial rules. Things change. What can I say ???
fossil

[ImAfossil]

This thread may be endless. Talk about being turned in to the Police. I paid my dues 3 times.

Somebody driving by sees a guy in Camo with a gun. I guess my blaze orange cap was not a giveaway. A HUNTER, not a bad guy.

I set up a meeting with the Chief of Police and we worked out a compromise. I took pictures of our 2 vehicles, they were posted at Police HQs.

If an Officer saw one of my vehicles, he did not have to trudge 300 yards through hay in 90 degrees, to find out 'WHAT's HAPPENIN' HERE'.

Problem resolved.
fossil
PS: For Jhaydeno---I do not shoot my .204 sideways---I shoot scope under---Kinda' like small airplanes---Wing over or wing under.