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what would you do ?

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5.6K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  Rick Acker  
#1 ·
I want to get some opinions on a situation that happened to me last year in the early goose season. My buddies and I were scouting for a field to hunt last year and we found a honey hole that was not posted by the land owner. The field was basically a continuation of the owners yard, so his backyard was the cut barley field. So we waited until the owner got home and asked if we could hunt for geese in their field. He was happy that we came and asked permission and told us that he wanted them gone. So the rest of the night we watched the field and put together a game plan for the next morning. Well, we were getting hungry and tired so we decided that we would leave the field and head back home. The next morning we showed up to the field and there was a truck and trailer parked in the entrance of the field. We were shocked so I went up to the truck and asked them if they had talked to the farmer to get permission to hunt this field and they said they didnt becasue it was not posted. So I walked back to the truck and talked to my buddies as soon as I did that they took off and headed out to set up. Now the question is what would you do in this situation?
 
#8 ·
I would have told them you talked to the farmer last night and got permission and asked them if they wanted to join you. Usually it is best to join up in that situation if they don't seem like tool bags and there isn't too many guys. If they don't want to and head out to the field either down wind em or set up between them and the roost. It sucks to do but that is basically your only options at that point.

If the field is not posted I always stay at it until dark to claim my territory and show up very early to avoid this situation.

The last thing you want to do is involve the farmer. I have been turned down by a few farmers who said they don't let hunters on their fields anymore because they had to get involved in some drama between two hunting parties.
 
#9 ·
Duckslayer100 said:
Aren't you required by law to ask permission if there is an inhabited dwelling with 440 yards of where you hunt? So if this was a continuation of the farmer's house, and those guys didn't ask permission, and they were within a quarter mile, I'd say they were breaking the law.

Just an observation...
You are correct, but it usually isn't enforced unless the landowner or person dwelling in the house complains. We were able to get some SOB's on that law.
 
#10 ·
Wait you didn't bring food and drinks for scouting? :bop:
When you find a good field, don't leave it alone-stay till dark and make sure no one else is around. Sometimes you might find a couple guy to join or fend off a large group. Its always easier to talk to guys at night than in the morning on short sleep.
 
#12 ·
1. I like Feathers response explaining prior permission and invitation for the other party to join you. Who knows....might result in them sharing some future hunting opportunities.
That said, we always seek permission whether or not the land is posted. It has gotten us permission to hunt posted lands and lands we did not even know about.

2. Many states, North Dakota included, have "recreational trespass liability" protection laws that will keep a landowner protected from claims of injury.
 
#13 ·
Wulffhunter said:
North Dakota should be like MN and say that all ag land is not required to be posted. My roommate at school said they had that issue on their own land and they would be liable if those hunters got injured. Just dumb how those guys think. I wouldn't even try that bs.
Why would we want to be like MN???????????????? I'm not sure ND has any NON ag land..........

By legal standards the only way a landowner should be liable for anothers injury on his own land is if it were through an act of negligence (eg. someone falls in an open well). Unfortunately when half the jury is filled with leeches looking for a handout themselves it doesn't always work that way...

I do agree with keeping the farmer out of it.. I have also heard of farmers granting permission to multiple parties. Sitting on a field till after dark does not gaurantee no one will be show up. It may have been scouted in the morning....
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the responses. I figured it would be a good topic to bring up cause it could happen to anyone. Well, we eventually said screw it and decided to set up about 200 yards away from them and keep the farmer out of it. At about shooting hours we all realized that noone was going to leave so we went over and layed down some common courtesy your birds are yours and ours are ours and that we wouldnt shoot in each others direction. The hunt turned out pretty successful there were enough birds to go around. It was tough sometimes when birds were working us then they would shoot at birds and vise versa but we did end up taking around 50 some birds between the two groups. I guess you just have to be flexible and you never know you might be rewarded.
 
#15 ·
How about you have a back spot? If you get beat to a field have somewhere else to go. See this is the problem there is no common courtesy in the sport anymore. There is no reason to ever setup in the same field as someone else. If you don't have a back up field or aren't willing to do what is necessary to make sure you get the field then you need to move on. I don't understand how you guys feel like you are going to have a good hunt setting up next to someone else.

This is just like sleeping out in a field and having someone show up the next morning after you are all setup and try to setup right next to you. That is why people get their *** chewed!
 
#21 ·
I say if you snooze...You lose...Not the answer you wanted, but they are in the right to be there. Always have a back up field. Nothing wrong with asking them if you can join them.