My bad or not?

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Sure Shot Mc Gee

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I'm a land owner. I have 160 acres of woods up against 3000 acres of State land. My land is posted during the hunting seasons as to allow my son and I to hunt without disturbance. But when asked I do let a few additional hunters on to hunt without asking for favors or monetary gain. My question is: Since I'm the land owner do I have the right not to allow someone to hunt with a small caliber rifle after I've already given him permission to hunt earlier in the day or before that day? I much prefer if someone were to hunt my property they would use a bottle neck type cartridge verses straight wall even with the State law siding against me on this issue. ( 444 & 45-70 are exempt in this situation) Last Fall I let two younger gentlemen on to hunt who had asked for permission of me while in a grocery store with my wife. Showing up the day before hunting seasons opening in my drive way. I took both out in the woods for a look see and offered them a 20 acre swamp and a small hill side to watch over. The first day of hunting. At noon one young gent (mid 20s) walks up to me carrying a 30-cal carbine. A little time later his pal walks up to us with his grandpaws 25-20. Can you see my point? Or was I on the hook? because I didn't lay down the ground rules I would like to see prior. (State law here: 30 carbine is legal for the very first year last year. But I don't think the 25-20 is because of its overall lenght) What say you?
 
It's your land. You have the right to allow or not allow whatever you'd like. You can require all hunters to have purple hair if you'd like.

For future reference, I'd make any caliber restrictions clear at the moment you give permission. That's hindsight though.
 
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Entirely your call !!!

Whenever I get on a new place or revisit and old one, I always ask about firearms restrictions as well as other details. Now, I know you can't expect averyone to do so but you certainly have a right to determine what you can and will not allow, on your property. ..... ;)

Hunters need to keep in mind that "most" of the time, you are not really doing the landowner, any favors. It's a privledge not a right, to be there. It's your land, it's your rules, regardless !! .... ;)

Be Safe !!
 
You are the owner = you call the shots.

If you wanted to make hunting only between the hurs of 10 AM and 1PM while wearing a pink tutu and matching feather boa a requirement, you could stipulate that..... though you would have to make any stipulations plain at the outset.

If they don't want to follow your rules, they can always try to find someplace else to hunt.
 
Next year - you have the right to specify conditions. Put it all in writing.I would also include that the permission is for that person ONLY [no friends, relatives] .
 
Agree with putting it in writing.

Set forth any restrictions you like (in advance) - as noted, its your private property.

But also include verbiage that you're not responsible for hunters who shoot themselves in the foot tripping over a root, etc. Reasonable disclaimers.

A verbal agreement leaves far too many opportunities for you to learn to your vast disappointment that "No good deed goes unpunished". Regrettably its a litigious society. So long as nothing goes wrong its all good, but should something tragic happen you'd be surprised just how bad things can become.

Put agreements in writing. Make them sign it.

Just MHO. YMMV.
 
I also agree with the majority above. It's your land, so you can set any restrictions you wish. That said -- state the restrictions up front. If you tell me on Friday that I can start hunting your land at 05:00 on Saturday, then you come out at 13:00 on Saturday and tell me I can't use the rifle I brought ... that's not fair on your part. Don't change the rules (or add new ones) in the middle of the game.

Sure Shot McGee said:
At noon one young gent (mid 20s) walks up to me carrying a 30-cal carbine. A little time later his pal walks up to us with his grandpaws 25-20. Can you see my point? Or was I on the hook? because I didn't lay down the ground rules I would like to see prior. (State law here: 30 carbine is legal for the very first year last year. But I don't think the 25-20 is because of its overall lenght) What say you?
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Actually, I don't see your point here. You opened up the post asking about calibers you don't like. Then, at the end, you suggest that .25-20 may not be legal. If it isn't legal, it doesn't make any difference whether or not you stated a restriction before-hand ... illegal is illegal, whether or not you said "I don't like that caliber."
 
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your land, your rules. You can grant, retract, move add and change whatever you want. As others have said, specificity is good. WHO is allowed ONLY, and WHEN, strictly.
 
Nice of you to share. Not enough of that out there anymore.

But to answer your question: yes, you get to make the call. I think that pointing out to hunters that they are using rifles that not legal is doing them a favor.

If you told them they could come back when they brought their legal firearms, then you would be completely correct, imo.
 
Let me clarify a little here. Both asked for permission to hunt. I said they could. But I didn't know what type of rifles they were going to use. For the sake of conversation: One rifle caliber was illegal the other was legal under law. But I'd prefer that they both use something more substantial than what they brought. A 30-30 or even a 25-35 would have made me happy. But a 30 carbine & 25-20.

When we all met up at lunch time that first day. I looked at their rifles and said: "No this isn't going to work for me." I asked both to go home or borrow another rifle from someone no less than a 30-30 and come finish their hunt that day or come the next day and so on till they both got their deer. No sass or questions and both apologized. The two young men got into one vehicle waved and I could see the disappointment on their faces drove away and never returned.

I felt bad and still do as I gave them both permission to hunt on posted land and consider doing so a Verbal Contract between them and I. Neither of us asking nor told what types of rifles were going to be used or required. Spoiled the day for me and their hunt. I hope they both come back this coming Fall. As for permission to hunt. I've never had to ask hunters about their rifles before in all the years I've let others on. But I think its a good point to bring up from now on. Someone gets hurt I have decent insurance on the property. Being up against the Canadian Border we have some really big deer here that don't deserve to die miles away from were they were shot by puny underpowered such cartridges is how I feel about such things.
 
It's your land. You have the right to allow or not allow whatever you'd like. You can require all hunters to have purple hair if you'd like.
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+1. It's your land so call it as you see fit. If they don't like it, they can find another place to hunt.

When I was a kid my Uncle had a small pond and allowed us to fish there. He didn't allow us to keep them and wanted them thrown back in. I wanted to fish there so I did as he asked. His land, his pond, his rules. Your land, your rules.
 
The 25-20 is illegal to hunt with correct?

I wouldn't feel to bad about asking someone to at least obey the law whilst hunting my property. Too, I would also question further the knowledge/experience/character of the hunter using the known illegal firearm.
 
You should have seen my Dad shoot with a 30 carbine. Someday, I may be able to shoot like he did... But now that he is getting old and his eye sight is not as good as it was, he shoots like me. :)


It is your land, your rules, so long as they do not violate the state laws. I got rid of my land leases about two - three years ago. I would get calls and have people stop by to ask if they could hunt down by the river, or back towards that cornfield just a little East of 58...

If I allowed them to hunt, I always gave them the rules and told them if they did not follow them, they would not be back.

I would make a list of rules that make you happy and always insist the folks stop by and talk to you before you give anyone permission.
 
I wouldn't feel to bad about asking someone to at least obey the law whilst hunting my property
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I don't like to break a promise or go back on my word. A hand shake or my word mean allot to me. I'm having second thoughts as being maybe to strict on this occasion. Perhaps since I already gave my permission I should have not spoken up latter on. Just bite the bullet so to speak. After all there are allot of deer in my neck of the woods. But then again I hate to see any wounded or go to waste not being able to find.
 
Your land, Your call. Definitely spell it out in detail (and in writing) next time. If for no other reason, so you don't have to find yourself in this same situation again.

But botton line, your land your call. Don't feel bad about telling them to do it your way or beat feet.
 
I don't like to break a promise or go back on my word. A hand shake or my word mean allot to me. I'm having second thoughts as being maybe to strict on this occasion.
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Very commendable of you. A hand shake/my word means alot to me as well.

But when you gave your word, you weren't aware that one fella was going to be breaking the law on your property. Which is what he's doing by hunting with an illegal weapon.

Here's what happened to a property owner a couple farms over from me. He gave written permission(required here by law) for 3-4 guys to hunt his property.
Game warden shows up and busts one of the guys using a 30-30. Problem with that is, in Ohio, there's no rifle allowed period to hunt deer. All hunters showed warden their signed slips by property owner. Guess where the next stop was by the warden?

Naturally the property owner didn't know the fella was breaking the law on his property, but now, you can bet, every time the warden gets in this area,he makes a B-line straight to neighbors property just to check things out.
 
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Yeah, your word should be considered an absolute but it has to assume legal compliance by the recipient. No different than shaking on a gun purchase and then finding out its stolen. Obviously you don't buy it.

On the flip side, the guy shaking your hand implies that he will be following all laws and regulations. He is breaking the deal if he does not and you are free from the "contract", IMO.

In short, giving your word is a contract which implies honesty and being dishonest breeches and nullifies that contract.
 
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