Barnes Ridge Rambler
Well-Known Member
...the mice will play. I found that old saying held a particular truth when I went home to TN for Thanksgiving. After moving away in early 2015, my great uncle gave me the opportunity to purchase the only remaining tract of my great great grandpa's farm. Its the last piece of it that anyone in my family owns so needless to say it's special to me. It ain't much, but it's a place to call my own. I'd picked up my non resident license back in the spring so I figured I'd try to kill a deer on my place. Never have gotten one there but it's a goal of mine. I grabbed my little brother the morning before thanksgiving and we headed out. Not having scouted it any this season I didn't know the best place to set up. I'd talked myself out of hunting the bluff area and so we set up on the edge of the field. You can imagine my surprise when I found a log trailer parked in my field and a skidder up on the hill.....and one of my old Red Oaks cut down. A range of emotions ran over me but decided to keep my cool in front of my little bro and we hunted until the loggers showed up to work. After we came to an understanding about my tree (still waiting on my check) and putting their equipment on me, they said they had just seen a real nice buck up by the bluffs on their way in. Definitely wish we had been sitting there instead of the field. So, I find a place to set up for the evening hunt but don't see a deer. On my way out that night I bump into a guy parked beside the property line. I'd ran into this old man back in the summer and he told me that he lives just up the road and "keeps an eye" on that whole area. I let him know that I was one of the landowners in there and he claimed to have almost bought my place years ago (it's never been for sale.) Our conversation this time goes similar and he claimed to have the whole area back there "leased." I had bumped into the neighboring farmer on my way in that evening and he said "I have my place posted, but you and your family are welcome anytime. " So, when I called the old man on his BS he got real aqward. Told me he had killed a nice buck that day around noon and was out looking for more sign for the next day. Well sure enough I get set up on the bluffs the next morning and find a fresh scrape that wasn't there the evening before. 30 minutes after daylight here comes to old man and his buddy. They pop up a ladder stand on the neighbors farm about 125 yards from me. Never saw a deer and assumed his actions screwed me and him both. After thanksgiving I had to head back to the Midwest. Fast forward to last weekend and dad catches the old man set up on the property line watching my field. He told dad he'd killed a buck that week. Which would be his limit. I don't know that he'd filled a doe tag or not but I reckon dad got pretty right with him and he left. Dad called the game warden and let him know the situation. If you've read this far I guess my point is that some people were put on this earth to be a thorn in your side. I'm heading back for Christmas and hope to bust a deer, on my land, with the new .460 s & w pistol barrel I ordered for my encore 
