A Bad Experience with Tennessee Wildlife Enforcement.

[Omega]

I hunt on 7.2 acres, so the likelihood of a deer crossing my property line after a shot is high. I have visited every neighbor and have secured permission to cross over if that happens, but I will still notify them if and when I have to retrieve a deer. So I understand his dilemma, and would have done the same thing, and would still, because I know they will throw the book at us peons otherwise.

 

[megalomaniac]

I hunt on 7.2 acres, so the likelihood of a deer crossing my property line after a shot is high. I have visited every neighbor and have secured permission to cross over if that happens, but I will still notify them if and when I have to retrieve a deer. So I understand his dilemma, and would have done the same thing, and would still, because I know they will throw the book at us peons otherwise.

That's the right way to hunt boundary lines... get permission to retrieve BEFORE you ever pull the trigger or release an arrow. Otherwise the wanton waste may be your fault.

 

[fairchaser]

I wonder if the outcome had been the same, if the deer was a doe? There is so much antler envy in this sport it makes me want to quit hunting. For the most part, the good folks on here are genuinely happy for another hunter.

 

[Andy S.]

For those pushing the "do not hunt boundary lines" agenda, I get where you are coming from, and I somewhat I can see your point because of the risk with retrieval, but I also don't care how my neighbor hunts as long as he/she is legal, and if he/she is on his/her property, they are legal from a having permission to hunt where they are perspective. Simple as that. But I also am not a jealous controlling person, regardless of the subject at hand, and I have hunted long enough to know wild game loves edges and many times property lines. So my question is how far off the line do you propose hunters hunt? Disregard type of weapon and shots that could anchor a deer in place, just wondering what the magic distance is in your head?

 

[tree_ghost]

That's the right way to hunt boundary lines... get permission to retrieve BEFORE you ever pull the trigger or release an arrow. Otherwise the wanton waste may be your fault.

I don't know that I agree totally with you on this one Mega. I completely understand your reasoning, and I know I never want to waste an animal, but what happens when you have a anti hunter neighbor for instance? Not everyone has the means to own or hunt large tracts of land. I don't think that a hardworking person, who has purchased their land, which is more than likely a smaller parcel, should be forced to not hunt their land because of the neighbors disposition. Do I think that just because I am a hunter and the neighbor might not be that I have a right to trespass on their land just to retrieve my deer? No I don't. The anti hunter worked and paid for his land the same as the hunter who shot the deer. I believe that most people, like yourself, are willing to allow the retrieval of a deer if it is done the right way. However there will always be someone who stands on the opposite side of the isle from you and I think that's just part of life. I'm also not a fan of government interference in civil aspects so I'm hesitant to even suggest a change to our laws. I do know that there are other states who allow retrieval of game across boundary lines regardless of having permission from the landowner. I have no experience in these states that allow this but I would be interested to hear from hunters and landowners to get their take on how well that has or has not worked.

 

[Andy S.]

All the above got prosecuted except for one last year.... neighbors sons friend who gut shot a deer, then drove his truck through my winter haylage planting and rutted the field to begin his search, and I caught him at 10 pm destroying the blood trail through my woods. Prosecution would have caused too much bad blood between neighbors, but I asked for restitution for the destruction of the parts of the winter crop he ruined.

What tipped you off to go strolling through the woods at 10PM? Did he pay restitution?

 

[Madbowh]

For those pushing the "do not hunt boundary lines" agenda, I get where you are coming from, and I somewhat I can see your point because of the risk with retrieval, but I also don't care how my neighbor hunts as long as he/she is legal, and if he/she is on his/her property, they are legal from a having permission to hunt where they are perspective. Simple as that. But I also am not a jealous controlling person, regardless of the subject at hand, and I have hunted long enough to know wild game loves edges and many times property lines. So my question is how far off the line do you propose hunters hunt? Disregard type of weapon and shots that could anchor a deer in place, just wondering what the magic distance is in your head?

That I think should always be the question, in my experience most of my deer don't go more than 100 yards been a long time since I had one go more than that until I just said it now it'll probably happen. I guess for me I seem to stay about 100 yards from lines. I do try to keep my daughter a little more than that. Even hit one in the neck 2 years ago just over 30 years figure it get him or clean miss, he only went 75 yards

 

[Andy S.]

.....most of my deer don't go more than 100 yards.... I guess for me I seem to stay about 100 yards from lines.

100 yards (300 feet) is impressive, and unrealistic for hunters on a lot of small cut up irregular tracts. Staying 100 yards off the line deems a 10 acre perfectly square tract (660' x 660') unhuntable, except for the 60' x 60' centroid dead center.

 

[knightrider]

If you come to me and ask i will gladly go help you get your deer. If you dont i will gladly hold you until you are arrested and prosecuted for trespassing and will gladly take a day off work to see you in court!

 

[Lost Lake]

I think Tree Ghost brings up a good point about possibly having neighbors who take a dim view of hunters. I'm sure it's similar in most areas of Tennessee, but in my area, more and more big tracts of land are being parceled out and sold off in 10-20 acre pieces.

The chances of antis owning them is exponentially greater than before.

I still believe most people would do the right thing and allow retrieval, but in today's environment, I'd probably not want most of my neighbors to even know that I'm hunting a small property unless I know them VERY well.

 

[Andy S.]

....... but's in today's environment, I'd probably not want most of my neighbors to even know that I'm hunting a small property unless I know them VERY well.

Unfortunately, this describes the situation for a lot of hunters hunting small tracts.

 

[tree_ghost]

I still believe most people would do the right thing and allow retrieval, but's in today's environment, I'd probably not want most of my neighbors to even know that I'm hunting a small property unless I know them VERY well.

I take this approach myself. Outta sight outta mind. Even on my permission spots to hunt, where the homeowners are on my side, do I rarely allow a situation to occur where anyone sees me entering or exiting the property to hunt, and never once has a landowner seen me drive a deer out. Call me crazy if you want but I will go 10 extra miles to conceal my movements to anyone not hunting with me.

 

[Lost Lake]

I take this approach myself. Outta sight outta mind. Even on my permission spots to hunt, where the homeowners are on my side, do I rarely allow a situation to occur where anyone sees me entering or exiting the property to hunt, and never once has a landowner seen me drive a deer out. Call me crazy if you want but I will go 10 extra miles to conceal my movements to anyone not hunting with me.

Dang right. My thoughts as well.

 

[megalomaniac]

I take this approach myself. Outta sight outta mind. Even on my permission spots to hunt, where the homeowners are on my side, do I rarely allow a situation to occur where anyone sees me entering or exiting the property to hunt, and never once has a landowner seen me drive a deer out. Call me crazy if you want but I will go 10 extra miles to conceal my movements to anyone not hunting with me.

This is more important to stay on the downlow for other hunters than the antihunters. Kill a big deer, let it get out where you were hunting, and expect a LOT more pressure all around you, or even lose your spot to someone who is willing to pay more to lease it.

 

[huntintn]

Use to hunt land bordering a national military park. If anything crossed onto the park's boundary it belonged to the park. No exceptions, found this out by asking before hand, talked to rangers and head over the park. Therefore I made sure of my shots and the distance from the boundary

 

[tree_ghost]

This is more important to stay on the downlow for other hunters than the antihunters. Kill a big deer, let it get out where you were hunting, and expect a LOT more pressure all around you, or even lose your spot to someone who is willing to pay more to lease it.

Lost 3 spots in the last 6 years…every time a 150"+ hit the dirt we were shown the front gate lol

 

[Coker]

The actions of the park ranger will cause more people not to be honest. I guarantee that state land will now have more "trespassers" retrieving their deer than before.

 

[Pilchard]

Is this a Radnor Lake Deer? Apologies if that's an ignorant question.

 

[megalomaniac]

What tipped you off to go strolling through the woods at 10PM? Did he pay restitution?

Total luck I caught them.

I arrived to the farm at 9pm from TN, loaded up with my daughter to ride back in the dark to check trail cam cards on a couple plots to identify where a crippled buck I had passed up earlier in the year was frequenting so she could kill him the following morning. When I got to the middle of the farm, there were flashlights all over the woods. No idea who they were, assumed they were methheads and rode back to get armed (I usually am not armed at night on my own farms) then caught them. After a couple tense moments, they identified themselves at the 17yo neighbors son and his friend trailing a deer they had shot. Just not a good situation for anyone to be put into.... and would have been totally avoidable with a simple phone call... neighbor has my cell number after all.

They put me on the blood trail, and it was gut/ venous blood and sparse... good grief, now they've pushed a gut shot deer right after the shot to God knows where. I told them the only chance to recover at this point would be to leave it overnight and bring a dog the following morning, but even then recovery would be slim. Of course, they weren't willing to spend the $$$ for a little 5 ptr, so it went unrecovered and wasted.

During the search that night, I found fresh truck tracks going through my winter crop. That field is wet in the winter and they rutted it up spinning (unintentionally I'm sure). Tracks led right to their vehicle... good grief, I got really pissed at this point. Adult neighbor came over, saw the damage, and apologized for the whole situation. I asked him to get the 17yo to pay for the damage... a token sum to teach him a lesson... just $100. Which he paid.

But again the whole situation would have been different if they had just called first. PLUS we would have actually recovered the deer the following day, as I would not have let them push a gut shot deer that soon after the shot.

 

[akachuck]

I would've told him I'm the one with the bow and arrow. Just sayin