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IowaBuckSlayer2013
Guest
OK so this fall is of to a bad start. I have had permission to hunt a specific farm for the last 10 years. I was going to that farm on Saturday to take my nephew out to see if we could bag him his first deer ever with a bow, upon arriving I notice no trespassing signs and warnings that the land is being monitored with cell device cameras. So I leave and we go to some public land. I called the owner today to find out what happened. Now remember this gal is retired and counts on the money coming in from the rancher who keeps cattle there in the fall and the farmers who help farm her land. I tell her who I am and that I am kinda of worried about what has taken place in the last few months as we hunted this land for spring turkey. She goes on to tell me that she did infact close the land this year for a number of reasons. Reason 1 someone on the bordering farms keeps cutting her fence and stealing her ranchers cattle. In the last few years I guess he has lost 1-2 cattle each time. She is unsure if someone stole them alive or shot them and took them out. 2nd reason she had a complaint last shotgun season that a a group of 50 or so people walked onto her land and did a full push of her land. She proceeds to tell me that she did not and will not give permission to people who hunt deer with shotgun. She said turkey hunting with gun is fine but deer season is open to archers only. I told her I respect her wishes to shut it down and will still offer any help from here on out to fix fences when damaged and if she needs farming help to just call. I told her I will not be one of those pesty hunters who are calling every time they see a different truck out there. I always carried my permission slip in my bag encase I encountered another hunter out there on the weekend who also has permission. She said she understands and in the next week or so will be having her son get in contact with me to see what we can work out. How do you determine if the damage and theft is being done buy neighboring hunters or those who also had permission? If the fences are being cut in the back on the same side or what not, wouldn't that make you assume that its the same person with the same MO committing the crime? Well with this all being said I am back to looking for land to hunt in plymouth county as the land is somewhat sacred there.