I cancelled my deer hunting vacation this year.

A year and a half ago the owner of the property, the trustee who had control of both his sisters property, passed away. That sister leased her property hunting rights out. it comprised about 60% of the area we hunted. Then the Trustee died, followed shortly after by one of his sisters. On his property and that of the second sister we kept hunting permission. We had to push into area we had not really hunted before, deep inaccessible areas where not many deer are found. We could live with that though.

But the "trustee's" property apparently falls to a single nephew and the sister who died is his mother. He is her only child. He is not an outdoors man and does not live there. at this time, as far as I know, the estate is not settled. I suspect he will sell the property or at least lease out the hunting rights. We could hunt Wayne national forest land, but nothing there impresses me.

But now the dumbasses lost the gas supply to the place we stayed. They had worked on the lines in the street and when they came to inspect the residences nobody was there. They locked the meter. Someone in our group cut the lock off so the second time they put another lock on. Well, someone cut that off and the third time they pulled the meter. There is no way the place will pass since we have a console heater without a control valve and the hot water heater is not vented properly.

I can get around all that by removing the heater and reinstalling it after inspection. Then remove the hot water heater and put in electric. But I am hearing that the gas company wants $1000 to reconnect. I guess that is fines for tampering with their equipment, but I don't know if they can do that or really have.

There were two remaining original owners left. One just had a stroke. The other is 78 years old. The remaining one is not going this year and two of the younger guys say they are only going for two days.

So I'm not going, no way I want to freeze may ass off for only two days.

Sounds like a potential investment opportunity is forthcoming to an enterprising and hard working young man.
Get involved and gather intel.

That’s what happened to the best place I ever hunted. Once the old people pass, it’s gets sold off.

Propane bottle and heater will solve the heating problem. Propane bottle hooked to cook stove will solve the hot water problem. Sorry to hear about the loss of hunting.

Understand that the structure is 2700 square feet not counting the basement, not insulated, built in 1889.

Haha! You dont have to heat the whole thing!



Set up a wall tent and get to hunting.

What about hunting some public land?

Anything close by?

^^^This...

Good lord, talk about spoiled. Do you know how many guys grew up no where near deer or deer woods? I'd have slept in my car to hunt that piece! Take stock in the wonderful times shared there, regroup, and go kill a flippin' deer.

And then do your diligence to find out what can be done to own the place.

And oh yeah, tell the guys to not cut the damn locks off of meters, that $1000 could have been avoided.

They screwed the pooch when they cut the lock off.

That said there are ways of still being able to hunt that place with a little thought.

Are you a Conservative?

Move out here to California, we need more of them.

Lots of public land.......................not many deer or tags compared to whitetail areas................but there's lots of places to hunt.

Geno

I wouldn’t let that stop me from hunting.

Cold in a tent, and no water heater either.

Well, maybe in a fancy outfitters tent, but not in my tent.

I do have a Black Cat heater though.

Geno

"... no water heater..."

come on , man..... you don't need a shower for 2 days.... just STANK a little!

Man, I've done way more than 2 days without water heater or heat... its not real hard but it can be if you dont' want to do it.

I rather enjoy it when its nice and cold and you live in it. Of course I"m not talking -50 either so not sure the temps you thinking of.

If wife isn't with me I often don't turn on heat in the camper at the deer lease even if its in the teens.

The place I hunted had no electric at all. We had a butane heater, but didn’t sleep with it on. We would wake up cold, warm it up, get dressed to go hunting. Did that for 25 years. My east Texas lease was the same way, no electric, no big deal!

Can you rent a camper until the estate gets settled? Don't give up without a fight!

So the short story is that you not only expected this family to provide you with a free place to hunt but also running hot water? And they’re the dumbasses?

You think there’s a possibility they let the gas get cut off because they’re tired of guests. Not trying to be a jerk but I’ve been the trustee in that situation and it sucks. When it comes down to fulfilling the terms of the trust or allowing free hinting it’s pretty unusual for somewone to write up the trust where it’s purpose is to to continued providing free hunting for the grantors buddies

Sounds like some pretty austere conditions.....

As bad as sleeping in the front seat of the truck and cooking on the tailgate under a solar charged lantern.

My water heater hanging on the truck rack. No padlock on the fuel supply, Ma Nature don't roll that way. Warmed it up enough for a quick wash up after the 4 mile walk:



If my hunting camp gets any rougher I think I'll give up.

Geno

PS, them Swiss and Frenchies make some decent surplus equipment so I don't have to rough it so badly.

I never have counted on having the same hunting places year in and year out.

Figured the ground could be sold at any minute or the owner could decide no more hunting or let somebody else hunt and kick me out.

Have hunted 1 place since '02, pulled my stand 2 weeks ago. Owner is a buddy of mine and is selling to move across the state. By far the best deer hunting I have ever experienced was on this place.

Only way to ensure you have same place to hunt every year is to purchase your own ground.

Wife and I just completed a 8day elk camp. In a tent designed for the everglades I suspect. Highest temps were 22 degrees. No not water. I've on the tent walls every morning. Between us we have lived 130 years. Grow a set

Good on you deerstalker.

Keeps the blood flowing I say.

Geno

Armednfree,

Don't let us get to you too badly. We're just a buncha a-holes that like to pick on others.

For someone used to it as you are, your situation would suck. 10gaugemag has it right, for those that hunt in those conditions there's no way to insure your hunting other than purchasing your own land or getting an unbreakable lease that lasts the rest of your life.

But don't let your situation this year stop you from hunting, go find somewhere else to go. Go even if you have to drive out to the spot every morning and go home every night. Take advantage of the Wayne, even if it's not exactly to your liking. It's better than not hunting at all. Even if you don't see anything, it's got to be better than moping around.

Geno

You all miss the point. It's not the hunting, that's just a reason to go, it's the guys and the place. The tradition, the ending of 19 years of that.

Frankly if I do or don't ever kill another deer again it doesn't bother me. Sitting around talking to the guys, eating fantastic dinners together, playing cards, slamming a few shots, that's what I'm talking about.