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Hunting small parcels

For those of you hunting small properties less than 5 acres, how do you plan for retrieving your deer if it runs onto the neighbors?

If the blood takes you onto someone else’s property knock and ask permission to trail on their property. One property I hunt is a 4 acre piece with a lot of thick area and rarely has a deer I’ve shot fatally left the property. I’d say of the 40 plus ive killed off this piece 2 were off the property

In Iowa, you have the legal right to track a wounded animal onto the neighboring property. You cannot carry a weapon while doing so, unless you have permission from the landowner. You are not even required to contact the landowner before doing so. It is common courtesy to make an attempt to get in touch with said landowner, but not mandatory.

Personally, I don’t have an issue with being able to retrieve your wounded animal, but I think you should be required to make every attempt to contact the landowner first. The landowner should also have some say in when they can attempt to find the animal (within reason) I deal with this practically every year. I have a guy that hunts a neighbor’s property and he is always wounding (and oftentimes not finding) deer that invariably end up on my property. 3 separate times I’ve had him wander right through the middle of my hunt, looking for a deer that he wounded. Never a phone call and he has my number.

This ability to track wounded deer onto another’s property opens up another can of worms during the shotgun seasons as well. Some groups will send a guy through your property under the guise of them looking for a doe that they “think” they wounded and in the process, attempt to push other deer to the standers positioned along the fence lines. Not all groups are like this, but a lot of them are.

I shot a nice 8 point that jumped a fence and I ask the landowner if I could track it. He said no. Then told me he would track it and consider giving it to me. He kept the deer. Three years later he ask if I wanted the rack off that buck and I told him to shove it up his "You Know What" I don't like hunting in areas that could cause me problems. Find out first and get it in writing.

I have a plan before hunting and I keep my shots untra conservative if have to track could be an issue. Lately I’ve been keeping shots around 30 yards and shooting fixed blade heads. The last 2 deer I shot webt 4 yards and 28 yards.

I lease an 80 and the fella next to it has a 4 acre piece. He hunts right on the line and helps himself whenever he shoots one and it comes on my side. I find gut piles every couple of years. When I catch him red handed it will result in a trespass ticket and he won't get his deer. F him for not asking first.

I had the same situation as 320 bull only on 53 acres. Bow only area and neighbors and their friends on both sides. I manage for deer, 9 acres of food plot with great cover, the neighbors benefit, that’s ok. But constantly have people trespass saying they are looking for wounded deer. Some are some not. In MN you have to ask to retrieve if the land is posted. I have enforced trespass with tickets but every year same crap. Brown is down mentality goes with it, no respect for private property. I finally sold the piece this spring and now choose to hunt primarily outstate. Was easier then putting up with the frustration.

Get to know the neighbors first.

Communication is the key. I hunt adjacent to posted property. I asked the new owner if I could retrieve a deer if it came his way . He said of course I could. I have yet to test it but I did see him one day on the land I had permission to hunt. We chatted briefly and ourt of the blue he said that I was welcome to hunt his side once in a while if I wanted to.

I have a small 10 acre urban spot. The middle is pretty open so I have to hunt the edges. The business owner to my east doesn't like me hunting there. I went to get pre permission to track but based on the direction he took the conversation I decided against asking ahead of time. In my situation I will ask forgiveness rather than permission. The last thing I want is to go ask and have him tell me no. I'd rather get a trespassing ticket than not be able to go get my deer.

Check your game laws. Here in. NY if a neighbor denies access you can call the DEC and they will speak with the neighbor to try and gain access.

Lived there long the before neighbors Midwest. Trespass ticket here means you don’t keep the deer. Highly recommend calling a warden to try to gain access to retrieve BEFORE you piss the landowner off. If he says no walk away and pursue it with law enforcement.

One forty acre parcel I hunt I have talked to the neighbours and we all get along and no issues either way but a second 40 acre spot I tried to talk to one neighbour who said stay on your side and also said I hunt the other 2 sides and stay off them too. Funny thing is he always wants to come across on my side to get a wounded deer . The problem there is it used to be vacant land that they just hunted as their own until my buddy moved there and put up a house .They have access to well over 300 acres but are mad because they lost this 40 lol

In Texas, you must have the landowner's permission to pursue. You can call the GW, but if the landowner still refuses, you are SOL. I've only ever had to retrieve one buck that went across my line, and he was about 20 yd. in. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission, especially when that landowner lives 300 miles away.

Don't hunt if you don't have permission from the neighbors ahead of time. On a five acre piece, if the deer is standing in the center of the property you have a rough maximum of eighty yards to a property line. The vast majority of deer go near that or more before dying and odds are your deer isn't standing in the center of the property.

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