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Land owner question

My wife and I have been very lucky to have permission on a farm close to our home. The farmer has woods by the barn and a 40 in the back that we get to hunt on. We have been there 10 years and he loves it when my wife gets a deer. This past year, his grandson rifle hunted it and got a buck by the barn. The same grandson also bow hunts on his other grandma's farm. So far, everything is going well, but I get nervous that we will loose our hunting spot to the grandson in the future. My options are to keep working with the farmer and his family so we can keep hunting, bring up the topic of a lease, or start the conversation about buying the back 40. None of these options are easy for me because I don't want to ruffle feathers and blow up a good thing. We provide a nice Christmas gift and he knows how much hunting there means to us. My question is, what would you do in this situation?

My suggestion is get to know and become friends with the grandson.

In many ways you are helpless other than to continue your good friendship. Biggest issue will be if the grandson wants to bring buddies and the place gets too crowded.

I wouldn't do anything that gives the grandson the impression you're trying to squeeze him out. I would go out of my way to help the farmer out around the farm doing chores, bring over some fresh backed goods, maybe a smoked pork butt or turkey. If he is a hunter, maybe build him a nice, pimped out box blind to hunt out of. Anything that demonstrates good will and friendship should help keep you in the good graces of the farmer. Play you cards right and maybe you could hunt on the other grandparents farm too.

The grandson lives 2 hours away. We try to bring the farmer fresh fish, pies, and other treats during the year. The farmer doesn't hunt and hasn't been in the back 40 in over 12 years he says.

I would also suggest doing something for grandma too. You don't want to forget her.

Always a box of chocolate and an Easter ham for her along with a gift certificate.

Plan ahead I think you'll lose it eventually.

Honest and up-front. If you are interested in buying it let them know. Bring it up face to face that you've always loved that land and you have a sentimental attachment to it. Ask if he would sell it to you. If not don't get huffy or discouraged. Enjoy what you have now and hope they change their mind to include you someday. I've made many offers on different things over the years. Seldom accepted at first, but once in while someone contacts me and says "you remember asking if I would sell...?"

I would suggest going hunting with the grandson. Perhaps you both will enjoy it, and the potential problem will never be.

Matt

Just keep your head down abs get the getting while it’s good. If you have to start leasing the are other places.

I just let him know if he ever wants to sell you sure would appreciate having first shot at it and if anyone ever makes him a offer he is considering let you have a chance of matching it. I think you will be good with the grandson as long as he see you as a friend and not competition. Offer to share your stands with him, share trail cam pics, make sure he never thinks he is hunting the second best spots because of you, and I doubt he will ever start trying to push you out with granddad.

… I just spit coffee all over my keyboard.

Great help guys. One last thing going for me is that the grandson shot a nice buck on is "primary" land this fall with his bow and never has bow hunted the 40 we are on. This was the first year ever talking to him and I was very honest about deer activity where I have my stands.

Hate to say it but blood is thicker than water. I have a place like you describe but it's not my only option at all. I'd just tell the owner how much you appreciate his generosity and offer to lease it if he wants to now or in the future but you really need to find another option or 2. Hope it all works out.

Murphy...LOL!! This could go multiple ways. The kid could loose interest in hunting and move on, I've had that happen on some ground I used to hunt. However, the 10 acre woods that I grew up hunting that my dad had hunted for 45 years is now off limits because a grandson developed a liking for hunting. I totally understand it, but its still tough to know that I can't hunt there. That is the very reason that I recently buy my own "back 40". I'd suggest to keep things as positive as possible. You could bring up a lease or even let it be known that you'd be interested in buying but I wouldn't hold my breath. I think most farmers would never even consider selling ground. Might be abel to buy it from his kids once the farmer has passed on, that's usually when ground gets sold.

My wife and I talked about buying a 40 and she is 100% on board. We are going to get pre-approved soon and I have talked to two realtors this week. In the mean time, I will do my best to continue the relationship and make it work.

Just keep the communication lines open, do not shut down. As a landowner the people I will let return and hunt are the ones who are genuinely excited about what they have done.

I let a guy shoot his first deer ever this year from my treestand. He is 50 and was three years hunting with a rifle and no kills. The guy shot a spike buck and you would think it was a wall hanger. He brought me deer steaks for lunch and was truly enjoying eating the venison.

He can hunt again whenever he needs to. I tried to teach him how to learn a piece of public land the same way I know my private land, hoping he will go learn his own honey hole, and become a prolific hunter. But if he asks he is welcome back because he was thankful and excited.

oz

It sounds like you are doing about all you can do to continue to hunt that place, but buying your own sounds like a good plan. Good luck !

I think the lease option 8s the last thing you should consider. You ate worried about getting pushed off the land but, that's exactly what you want to do to him by leasing it. It sounds like you are doing everything possible to show your appreciation and that will most likely be enough for bow. I do like the idea of offering to buy the property if he ever decides to sell though.

Buy a piece somewhere else. There is other land for sale out there besides this “ back forty”

Better hope that kid doesn't pick up a bow:) Most rifle hunters I know aren't as committed as bow hunters. Not a big deal if he rolls in and takes a deer with his gun. Usually won't take them more than a couple sits to tag out. You should still mostly have the place to yourself assuming you aren't able to purchase the back 40. I have a similar situation on a property I hunt. We have it for bow season and then we can't hunt there until his boys shoot a deer in rifle. They basically shoot one from the front porch of the house and are done in a weekend. We let it settle and we can be back in the tree with our bows for the rut. I was worried about it initially but I can see those boys don't really care to put much work into it, the just want a deer for the table. Has worked good for us. Obviously, owning the land would be the best if you can swing it. Good luck

I would start working on a backup plan just in case you . Family takes precedence over friends 9 times out of 10

Blood trumps all, if the grandson doesn't loose interest he will eventually decide your in his way. Been there done that. Be making plans to find a new spot if you can't buy the 40.

I agree with the guys who are recommending keeping your eyes and ears open for other opportunities. My family had been hunting on a property since '86. It was an absolutely amazing place to hunt and just commune with God and nature. Every year we made certain to let the land owner know how appreciative and thankful we were that he let us have access to his property. Every year we would give him and his family gifts and summer sausage. We helped build and repair fence. We helped his kids if they needed assistance in tracking deer that they shot. Heck, I even helped the kids with their homework. The list goes on extensively. We did all of this not just because we wanted a place to hunt, but because we believed we had built a genuine lasting relationship with the family. Then last January we received a letter from the land owner stating that he had just employed a new hired hand. As part of his compensation, the hand wanted exclusive hunting rights to all of the land owner's property. This amounted to several thousand acres. I get that the land owner can do as he pleases with his property. I get that providing exclusivity will save him a lot of cash. It just stings like hell. The good thing is he notified us with plenty of time to start looking for a new place to hunt. We did find a new spot thankfully.

Offer to buy the back 40 and make friends with the grandson. Good luck

I would ask if he's ever considered selling the 40. If he says no tell him if he ever does that you'd like to buy it. Then gauge his interest.

DO NOT ask him if you can lease it unless it's your last resort.

I would jus put your cards on the table. Tell the farmer your concerned that you might loose your hunting rights due to the grandson wanting it all to himself. I'll bet you the farmer will tell you that won't happen, he'll honor your friendship you've had all these years and just don't think he'd throw it all away. If he gives you the idea that you may loose it in the future, then see murphy's idea.. If you can't do that, then plant drugs in his car and drop the dime on him, one of those ideas should get you what you want,. ;)

The old saying "If you don't own it, you will lose it" doesn't always apply, but more often than not.

Telling the landowner who is a blood relative of the party you are concerned about that you’re concerned about yourself and how the family relationship may impact your hunting may not be the best way to go

You are a guest who is entitled to nothing and should approach this humbly and by showing what value you can Add. by being allowed to continue.

Also let’s be honest here you may lose the access to 40 acres it’s not 400 or 4000 or 40000 so you should be able to replace permission on some property that size or bigger with a little work and ingenuity.

It is probably just a matter of time before you lose permission to hunt all of the property. It may or may not be to this grandchild but it is just a matter of time. I will not bore you the stories of me and my friends losing permission to 100s of acres of land over the years. Four of them even got permission to put a mobile home on a property and put a pump in the pond. Less than 3 years later one the landowners sons got the trophy whitetail bug and they were out. Leasing it does not change your position by a lot. Buying the land or another piece is the only guarantee of a place to hunt. Enjoy it while you can and build the best relationship with the landowner that you can. Good luck in whatever you do. It is unfortunate that there is not enough land for everyone to have great hunting.

"Blood is thicker than water," and it's never thicker than between grandparents and their grandchildren. The kid controls your future. It's the way it is all over, including on our farm.

Do the best you can now and show the grandchild particular support and kindness...which you should be doing any way. There's no permission-ground out there that can't be lost before the next season.

Plan ahead.

Hope you the best find a back up spot, I have lost a lot of spots to kids and grandkids. Good luck

If I could afford it, I’d talk to him about buying his. I’d explain why. You might find you’ll get the land you want more affordable.

I had the very same thing happen to me. The land owner turned the hunting access to the property over to his grandson. He was a nice enough kid and never restricted my hunting at least in the beginning. Then he started letting friends hunt and the friends let others hunt. There were a number of parcels and if a vehicle was there, first come first served, you moved on the the next choice. After I had a guy, I had never seen or met, walk through the middle of the field while I on stand I through my cards in and moved on.

The grandson is a potential future problem. 40 acres is not enough for three people to effectively hunt. If the grandson asks grandpa to have exclusive hunting rights to the 40 he will likely get it, unless grandpa doesn't like him too much. Why would grandson want you guys to hunt on the place? Try to have a friendly relationship with him but understand you are going to need to find a new hunting spot unless grandson takes up a new hobby.

Nothing good ever lasts. Enjoy it while you can, keep doing what you're doing and hope the kid never gets too serious about it.

I've lost plenty of good spots to a son, grandson or neighbor kid who had more influence. I've also lost spots when the farmers kid takes over the farm and the guys he went to school with move in. Nothing ever lasts so keep looking for the next good spot.

Best option is to work your ass off, save a lot of money and buy your own land.

I’ve lost hunting privileges to grandsons and grand sons-in-laws. Stinks, but it is what it is. Gives you the opportunity to find and learn a new place while saving to buy your own.

Owning your own is the only way to ensure that you don’t get kicked off it some day.

Look into buying some other hunting land. I owned 140 acres and am now 78 years old so I sold 100 acres and live on the 40 acres I still own. Nothing beats owning your own place. I can walk out my back door and hunt. I just killed a deer with a .50 cal muzzle loading pistol Sunday. Good luck. The guys that hunt the 500 acres across the road from me are only a phone call or Gator ride away if I need help. I am blessed.

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