This sucks. I had a land owner give me all hunting rights to his 30 acers. I planted clover, winter wheat, and had mineral licks and feeders at different spots. He had about half and half field and wooded. He loved deer meat but not the killing part. He wouldn't ever take any "lease money" so my 1st kill always got processed and given to him. We became close friends, I'd show him pictures, my sightings, their routes, and only killed mature deer. His land started out just being a "cross over" piece of land for the deer traveling to another 200 acres of un-hunted oaks, but never stayed on his property. With all upgrading I did, they started coming to his property and sticking around. He always told me I could hunt it as long as I wanted too with noone else allowed to, even though his nephew, who "shot anything that walked" wanted to, and permission to run off trespassers, which I did a few times and posted signs everywhere.
After a few years I had multiple 8points and does with a big 10pt. It got hit by a car 1 week before season one year. So I took an 8pt and 5 pt and a doe that year. Still leaving multiple bucks and does.
The last year I was after one of those I'd let walk to get big, NICE 12pt, but never pulled it off with him so took a nice 6pt for owner and a doe for myself.
So that next fall owner tells me he's letting his nephew hunt now, so he can have a chance at a "big deer". I was heart broke but what can I do? I go in opening morning for Bow and there is a tripod stand 20yrds by my blind stand. Sitting right on a trail they use. Later I checked a hang on and there is a climber on a tree again 20yrds away on the trail used for a feeder.
I mentioned it to the owner and he said "not to worry about it hunt your places like you want too, I had 1st choice". What good was that? Guy still hunted right beside me AND the owner had shared all the pictures, routes and information with him....
So opening day of rifle I'm sitting in the blind and shots start ringing out all around me, like public land. I couldn't quit thinking how fk'ed up it was and thinking they "got the big one" the whole day...end of the day I stop by the owners place and asked him what was up. He said his nephew had 2 sons hunting with him and the nephew had invited a friend with his 3 sons that morning. I told him that wasn't right and he knew it wasn't right. He told me again "he wanted them to have a chance at a big deer". I finally just said "It's your land so whatever you want to do with your land and your word is up to you." He didn't like that and I told him I'd be back later to get my stuff off his property. Got it all off the next Saturday while they were all hunting, took a doe never been back. Still heart breaking......
