Mainly it’s been my GF and I that have been hunting my property. For gun season this year my brother, niece and her boyfriend will be hunting as well. What are you camp/hunting rule for your land?
Your land your rules. How do you do things now should be the way they do things. then you will be happy and they will know what is expected to keep being invited back.
Think about the size of it and make sure they know if riding an atv in and out ruins someone else's hunt. If its walking only, great. If not and they will be using them to access he woods, better address it now. Unknowing they will chose an imopportune time to "come out" for lunch.
If its smal, make t where they set instead of sneak around.
Other then that, I would let them define their own hunt. Good luck and God Bless
Are you talking about in camp or hunting activities?
In camp, set up guidelines for what people are expected to bring, what work is expected, etc. Simple things like someone constantly tracking snow in and out can end up being a huge irritation.
Out hunting, make it clear what your expectations are for number and age class of deer you expect harvested, if you want people to hunt only from stands or if it's ok to still hunt, safety rules, ATV/vehicle use.....
Set boundaries now so you don't have hard feelings later.
One of my best friends had a huge blowup in camp last year because a hunter invited in by a long time member of camp shot several does in the head. Created some gruesome sights with young hunters in camp. Plan ahead for dumb actions.
I own my camp. Guests are only asked to keep hunting boots outside. Keep your room as you like, but respect my place. No need to be a dictator when we are trying to enjoy ourselves.
Afield... well, we do have a standard in age, but any mature buck that makes you happy, and any doe, have at it.
When your in my camp, I want you to have fun and enjoy every minute.
Just be clear and it will be fine... remember, these memories last a lifetime... enjoy and have fun.
Missouri, no alcohol?? I don't drink but I'd never tell my guests they can't indulge at deer camp. What's the worst that can happen, they don't wake up to hunt? Deer camp is a pretty safe place to get wasted. It's DEER CAMP not a church retreat.
If you have to worry that folks might not pull their own weight in camp then those are the folks that shouldn't be invited in the first place.
Rules in the field should be pretty simple and adhere to whatever the boss of the land wants. I'd make an exception and let first timers shoot any deer they want .
My dad has a hunting property with two other guys. When I was in middle school one of the partners father in laws came up to hunt. We don't know he was an alcoholic before he got to camp. He started the day, before first light with a 16oz gin and tonic (I think mostly gin.). Before he hits the field he loads the wrong size bullet into his bolt action rifle so bad the shell can't be extracted. Someone actually loaned him a back up gun. I hunted far away from him.
That was the last year he hunted with us. It was not a fun camp with him there.
On my place, two hard and fast rules. DO NOT pass on a hog or coyote, period. Obey the regulations on all things, and have fun. Pretty easy for me, since there's usually only one other guy hunting with me.
As for alcohol, we usually have one drink at night, but not always. I would never tell anyone not to drink, but if you got drunk, that would be the last time you came to my place. I don't like drunks when I'm sober, or sober people when I'm drunk ! :-)
I always shake my head here in Wisconsin. Can't drink and drive but you can drink and carry a loaded firearm during rifle season absolutely insane. In our camp no alcohol until the last night of rifle season. None during bow prior to rifle. Just what we need drink or hung over hunters with weapons. What about this strikes anyone as smart. As far as what to shoot. Kids whatever, mons 82 whatever. All else young does and if your going to mount it. No need with all the does to kill imature bucks. In our camp.
Real simple and I post this from experience. You make the rules. You make them exactly the way you want them and be very plain, there is no voting, no discussion. Your way is the way it is. If that causes a problem, they are free to hunt elsewhere. So, give your rules a lot of thought. Print them out, have each person sign after reading and that is that.
Screwball, even in our great state it is still illegal to carry any firearm while under the influence. I guess I thought it would be common sense that one shouldn't drink before hunting.
It's deer camp though. The evenings should be filled with beer, shit talking and laughing. Stay up too late and hate yourself on that early morning walk to the stand. Take a nice nap at lunch, get done at dark and party again. Some of you take hunting waaay too seriously. Especially gun deer season. Loosen up a little boys. It should be like a vacation that includes hunting not something that ends up feeling like work.
My camp normally consists of 10-14 guys. We don't have any written rules. We all pitch in money for food, take turns cleaning. We stay up late shaking dice and drinking beer. Wake up hunt hard and repeat. We are all adults, we have 120 acres and surrounded by public land. If someone has a tag and wants to kill a deer they see have at it. We don't feel the need to dictate each others hunt. We look at rifle season as a 9 day vacation.
I guess I’d side with those who figure rules are unnecessary because you should probably know people well enough ahead of time that there would be no surprises.
That said, I wish I knew a few more guys like groundhunter, and I do make it a point to be a good guest - mind your manners, let things walk if you’re asked, and always be handy to help track, pack or drag.
Oh, and don’t hunt late if dinner is waiting. Made that mistake once.
Hey CD, were both on the WI site here as well. I follow you on here and respect your input. We will have to disagree on this one. I and my family totally believe the two don't mix. If you drink the night before hunting, don't show up the next day and expect to carry a gun. I am a teacher and hear the stories for the past 26 years. I have said for some time, Game Wardens should carry breathalyzers and administer them. Maybe they have them. The stories of drunk hunting from ages 12-80 is never ending. That is where I come from in my opinion as well as my experience. My Father and family have always taken hunting very serious. We never wanted, but didn't have it easy, we needed venison. That $6.00 license meant hunt your butt off. That still carries on in my family. Sorry to hijack this thread.
My advice is make a set of rules and put them in writing and give a copy to all hunters and then hold meeting and read them aloud so there are no misunderstandings or that the rules ARE NOT open to interpretation. I learned a EXTREAMLY costly lesson much to my sorrow, by assuming people who are supposed to be your close friends will know to do the right thing without being told.
I am fortunate to share an amazing cabin with a group of friends each fall. I'm laughing imagining my friend handing out a rules sheet for us to sign. I can see at a commercial place where you have a constant flow of strangers.
Screwball, I guess that's where how we were raised comes into play. Deer camp when I was a kid was basically a party that included hunting.
I hosted deer camp for a few years and some of my funnest memories are the stripclub in neilsville, casino in BRF and playing poker and cribbage. We treated gun season like a vacation. Sure, we all hunted and really wanted a deer but it was more about the laughs and jokes. No one got crazy but we definitely let loose.
This year I'm hosting deer camp again. Now, I'll be the all time DD. I'll still go out and flirt with girls, gamble it up and talk lots of shit. I just won't be hungover. My buddies on the other hand will get ripped and act like idiots. Drinking and gun deer season in WI go hand in hand. I see no issue with it at all. I'll change my opinion if you can show me where even one person was shot because the gun handler was still drunk from the night before. Half a million people are out there that week and no one gets "drunkshot". Seems like worrying about a non issue.
We have no rules, just lots of fun! If anything is frowned on it would be either not helping do dishes...or worse...on the phone to the wifey-poo all the time...but there's certainly no rules implied. Do what you want to do.
Born and raised in Wisconsin! Fella's ya gotta have a couple drinks and talk smack after deer hunting. We certainly don't get drunk and hunt, but that Bloody Mary on Sunday about 11:00 am with a big bowl of chilli - it just don't get any better than that! We also have a tradition of sneaking a shot of Ginger Brandy in to the coffee if no one is hunting. 12 of us for 22 years now. Lots of headaches but never an issue! Drink and hunt Wisconsibly everyone!
Born and raised in Wisconsin! Fella's ya gotta have a couple drinks and talk smack after deer hunting. We certainly don't get drunk and hunt, but that Bloody Mary on Sunday about 11:00 am with a big bowl of chilli - it just don't get any better than that! We also have a tradition of sneaking a shot of Ginger Brandy in to the coffee if no one is hunting. 12 of us for 22 years now. Lots of headaches but never an issue! Drink and hunt Wisconsibly everyone!
Depending on the size of the property there should be some designated trails or routes for atv use and permissible times of travel even if on foot. If no rules just expect a four-wheeler to come blasting under your stand at the worst possible time.
Family guests can bring no visitors without your permission in advance.
A hunting property/camp without any rules can work fine but it can also be a disaster.
I would hunt with Badger. Some of the archaic and somewhat unrealistic suggestions are unreasonable. If...I say IF, you have a group of hunters who are like minded, you don't need rules. When a rule is needed...make it and have everybody sign-off on it.
When I leased 2,500 acres and put a group of 20-hunters together, I needed rules. I made them, posted them, printed them and had each member sign. The first year, I evicted 8-members for rule infractions. I replaced them and never had another problem. But if it is a group of friends...maybe you don't need rules. Only you know the answer. Also, only you know what rules you need. Don't be asking us. We don't Jack or his cousin, Lumberjack.
On our family farm, we (my nephew and I) are the "hunting caretakers". What we have done is develop a set of ground rules. We know the maximum number of bucks that can be taken annually and that is divided up between us. We encourage others (guests) to come hunt with us, but the total # of bucks killed doesn't change. For instance, if one of my buddies comes up and hunts and he kills a buck it comes off my total. That way we manage our own guests. The rule has always been if he is equal to or better than anything you have killed in the past, or he just gets your juices flowing, drop the string. My guests are very very picky knowing it comes off my total. Much as has been said before, does are open for everyone and no one is allowed to pass up a coyote.
Unless you are doing QMD then the rules should be simple, have fun and be safe. Know where your shooting and ale sure everyone is in a safe distance from one another. Other than that enjoy, and make sure your guest enjoy and take a deer. The worse thing is for a guest to have to abide by a list of rules. I was invited to pike county Illinois for a hunt and was ready to go until all the rules were explained. I politely said no thank you, my buddys face was priceless.
The most important thing, in my opinion, is that you say something if someone is doing something you can't live with. Learn to overlook minor issues, but don't let someone get on your nerves without first asking them to correct their behavior. Drama begins when people hold their tongue, but allow an issue to piss them off.
I agree with the "good people do not require rules" sentiment. That stated, if I was hunting with relative strangers (as I have many times) I'd caution against horseplay and practical jokes. Humor is fine but I've seen too much BS attributed to horseplay and practical jokes to tolerate either any longer.
If you have different people in deer camp every year you should probably have some general rules. But if you have the same group ever year and it’s family I don’t think you need to make rules. If your close friends and family don’t have common sense don’t invite them in the first place. No alcohol seems excessive if you are with the same group every year as well. If you can’t have some drinks the night before and be safe the next day you shouldn’t be in camp in the first place.
No rules, verbal expectations is it. i.e. you have killed a doe 3 years in a row, lets try for some antlers. i.e. you have killed yearling bucks two years in a row, lets get something bigger, or go back to does. i.e. let others know your plan so they don't interrupt that plan. i.e. do your part
Discuss who is responsible for what meals, who does the dishes, sleeping arrangements. You make a mess you clean it up. Not knowing the size of your hunting area, discuss everyday in the morning and at noon if everyone comes in, where they will be hunting so everyone knows where everyone is at. If someone is late getting in you will know where to start looking. If tracking a deer, some kind of visual signage to indicate that is what you are doing, and which way you are heading. There is something to be said for a toilet paper trail tracking a deer and the hunter. Simple rules so everyone knows what they are responsible for and everyone's safety. DANNY
We don't have many rules. Don't drink my last beer. No sampling off the bacon plate until the entire bfast is done cooking and bfast is being served. If you are sitting in someone else's chair and they claim it, get up and get out of the way. If you have brought a dog keep him from barking and clean up after it if it does its business in the common area. Don't wake anyone up unless they asked to be woke up. Don't drink my last beer...Our deer camp goes from Sept 15 to Jan 15th. Sometimes you might be the only one there, other times the whole crew + will be there. Everyone is responsible for their own food and drinks and sleeping arrangements.
20 years ago it was common sense for safety and everyone just pitched in where needed. I was a 20 something then and it this was plainly understood from the time I was 10. Now common sense is even less common and initiative is even less common. So you have to clearly communicate with each person what is expected of them. If they have a problem with it, hopefully it can be resolved before camp. If not, wish them a great fall at home.
I was invited to deer camp in Pa.once. Best I could describe it would be military. They had a pamphlet of rules probably 8 pages long. One in particular was "you must flush the outhouse when done." There was a pail of lime and a scoop on the floor. That's reasonable, but this one guy would run out with a flashlight and check to make sure it was done everytime someone exited!
No Democrats, too violent and the vast majority are anti hunting,.... and, they represent the party of anti hunting, anti gun, anti trapping, anti farming, anti ranching, anti ????.
I really wouldn't need "rules" as I would be very selective as to who I invite to my camp. If I am invited to someone else's camp my cardinal rule would be that I am getting up early and going hunting. I'm not waiting on your drunk hung over ass to get up and get ready.
One rule.. well ok 2. No negativity of any kind and even if you don’t kill anything be happy for the guys who do. You wouldn’t think you’d have to tell people those two things but think again.
My cousin told us in their camp there will be no WBs. My wife asked "what's a WB ?"... and the answer was "No Wife Bringers". My wife thought that was horrible. Seems like a sensible rule to me.
Sit all day the first 2 days to reduce pressure, if you shoot a buck you’re getting a shoulder mount, and shoot all the does you want. Gut them after season close. If a buck makes it to Sunday night in WI gun season it’s likely gonna make it to next year.
I really never shared a hunting camp but my senior hunting partner did and all he told me was every hunter had a a job to do or provide certain luxuries... beer, bourbon, cigars. If you contributed bourbon and cigars you were free of kp duty! ;0)
Yea, I go and watch those deer camp videos on YouTube with the old background music... most of the hunters talk about the camp experience more then the hunting. I especially enjoy the Upper Peninsula stories.
