Tracking on posted land

[jimmyrig]

 Have to get this off my chest......  Last season I shot a nice buck out of my stand at 15 yards with my compound. I truly felt that I made a good hit. I was hunting on a friends property in Seacoast NH. My stand borders heavily posted land and some dwellings are visible off in the distance. Waited an hour and climbed down...No arrow at spot of shot, and no visible blood. Deer ran into posted land. I decided to track the deer in camo and with no weapon. Eventually found slight blood trail and arrow which had penetrated about 12 inches. After a very nervous and tedious 3 hour 250 yd. hands and knees tracking job, deer led me to a very large field next to a dwelling in which the owners were sitting on thier balcony overlooking field drinking coffee. After waiting an hour for them to leave, some children then start playing in the field. Not wanting to get caught on the anti-hunters property, and no possible way to get around to the other side, I decided to retreat and did not find buck. I HAVE LOST NUMEROUS HOURS OF SLEEP over this one!!! The signs say, no hunting, fishing, trapping, or trespassing for any reason or purpose.......What would you have done?

Sorry for thr long post,
 thanks,  jimmyrig

[adkRoy]

I would have driven to the house and explained very politely your situation and how you do not want to let the meat go to waste. If the don't allow you to look for the deer, well, I don't know what the law is where you live but in NY you can call a game warden to accompany you to recover a deer if you have to.

[TallywackahME]

yep ide call a warden in that situation. my wife and her family are all from effingham/freedom/madison area and in law enforcement. ive become somewhat friends with the wardens in that area. i know they would be more then helpful in that situation. when i took my fatherinlaw ,moose hunting over in granite we shoit the moose on land that had a gate and warden hensel came up with a key and let me drive my trailer in behind my wheeler (unregistered) and helped us load it. great guy.

[jimmyrig]

 We have same law I believe. These people are relentless anti hunters, and have lobbied for my buddys parents to stop letting me hunt on their land numerous times. I was basically warned by his parents to stay off of the posted land for any reason. I was afraid of losing my access to this unbelievable spot..... Just the same, If I had to do it again, I may take your advice..... as I truly am bothered by the final outcome.

[CAPTJJ]

                                                                             

[jimmyrig]

yep ide call a warden in that situation. my wife and her family are all from effingham/freedom/madison area and in law enforcement. ive become somewhat friends with the wardens in that area. i know they would be more then helpful in that situation. when i took my fatherinlaw ,moose hunting over in granite we shoit the moose on land that had a gate and warden hensel came up with a key and let me drive my trailer in behind my wheeler (unregistered) and helped us load it. great guy.

Thanks TallywackahME,  Warden Hensel has always been very fair to me, and seems to be a great person. Are you from the Freedom area? I live in Freedom, but was hunting on the seacoat that day.

[TallywackahME]

im from porter. 90% of my jobs are up in freedom, effingham, madison, wolfeboro, tuftonboro, wakefield etc. course ive hunted all that area my whole life too. my broinlaw is your chief   

[Raquettedacker]

I would have driven to the house and explained very politely your situation and how you do not want to let the meat go to waste. If the don't allow you to look for the deer, well, I don't know what the law is where you live but in NY you can call a game warden to accompany you to recover a deer if you have to.

    Yup....   X2............

[jimmyrig]

 Ahhhh...... He is also a good guy!!

[TallywackahME]

hahhaha yeaaaaaaa.....i get along with all them cops over there. have to, my wife works for them

[Green Mountian Hunter]

     Yep I'd call a warden if they don't let you find it normally land is not posted legally they got all the connection's
     here in Vt. it's got to be listed with the Town Clerks Office and sign's every 50' or you can't go on it but call me
     first he say's it's an    OK  THANK YOU  MISTER GAME WARDEN  ; Got to remember every state is different   

[Oldwillys]

Your probably not going to like my answer,but setting your stand up on the border of posted land is only asking for a lost deer.Although a deer can run quite a distance,you are to blame for this incident.I post my land so my family can hunt safely,every season the folks on the adjoining property set their stands on the property line facing my property.Every year we have our hunting interrupted by a gang of hunters looking for deer that they shot on my land or on the edge,and has ran onto mine.Every year we ask them to do as we do and leave a boundary between us where we don't hunt,allowing any shot deer to stay on our own land,each year they don't do it.Even though I'm born and bred hunting,and sorry you lost your deer,do yourself a favor and move further from the boundary.The antis have their right just as you,they disagree with what we do,as we disagree with how they act,move deeper and your odds of finding your deer will be in your favor.

[upstatehunter]

Good reply Oldwillys, my thoughts the same....one statement stood out to me....That your on the border, and dwellings are in sight.....some property, no matter how good the hunting is.....just isn't viable for hunting it....people are moving closer and closer to hunting in populated areas, as that is where the deer are migrating to....more food, and for a while was off limits to hunters....now with more bow hunters, we encroach those areas....still doesn't make it feesable.....losing deer to anything is tough....but losing one to hunting in an area your likely to makes for just bad decisions.....all around.....find a new spot, or if the property is large enough move away from the posted line.....

[stka]

I agree, never a good option to hunt that close to land you don't have permission to be on. Especially if they have told you as repeatedly as it sounds. To be honest you getting caught there would make hunters look a lot worse than the antis who are honest and open about their stance. Remember it's their land, would you want them on your land you paid for and maintain trying to save the deer from you? I'm truly sorry to hear you lost your deer but I have a question, did you continue to try to fill that tag afterward?

[30-30]

      I to agree that you shouldn't be hunting that close to the property line. But if you do, your stand should be facing away from the line, I mean how many time do you see a deer run toward the direction they are shot from. Yes they can change their direction, but @ least there is a better chance the run the other direction.