Youth Weekend Controversy

[AtTheWall]

Yes and I know what your dealing with Dad. Yes that 105 is a great buck for him, and heck I'd be happy with it myself right now LOL!

They do need to learn marksmanship, respect, woodsmanships skills and proper care of the harvest. A lot before and after the kill. When it's time to put that big one down, he earned the right to field dress...course you might need to help him cape it properly

I hear ya and I'm glad I really never had to worry about a quality place full of decisions for my young guys during their early years. The Texas Hill Country back in their day was not what it is now. Kudos for getting things in a very good way out there for them! Good luck this season to both of you!

[bowpete]

Selfish cry baby grown? men. At least you have something to gripe about...guess it would be no fun if you did not or at least that what most posts seem to be about. Good role models for your children??? I hope she gets the BIGGEST buck in the county GOOD LUCK!

[Dirt Napper]

Unbelievable! I can only hope that if I ever has to be in a deliberation setting, I get a jury that is willing to listen to both sides before making their determination. I happen to be the "cry baby", "selfish", "whining" TBH aforementioned in this thread. It strikes me as odd that you guys are able to make such an educated decision on half of the story.

Let me give you some background that was inadvertly omitted in the thread opener.

This is my 3rd year on this lease, which I happened to locate and retain. I signed that contract with the landowner. I know that it was stated that a guest is a non-hunter in the original posting. The contract exerpts are as follows: "I acknowledge I am being allowed as a NON-hunting guest on the Premises pursuent to the terms of a hunting lease (LEASE)......" as written by the landowners attorney brother. It goes on to say "landowner's remedies for Hunter's default are to terminate the lease, effective date of notice, and receive as liquidated damages an amount equal to DOUBLE the base rent...." Therefore, adherence to this policy was of my upmost concern. The contract was NOT signed by the posting party, and therefore he has no legal stake in the matter. That being said, the hunter went directly to the landowner and asked for permission BEFORE asking any of the hunters on the lease. Additionally, this our FIRST year that we had the lease for any length of time other than the general rifle season. There was no previous stipulation or precedent that, with the landowner's pronounced "opening to bow season", this would now include the youth hunting weekend as we had never had this opporunity before.

It seems to me that many of you read this as his kids can't hunt. This is NOT the case. As a COURTESY to TxMuley, we ammended our own ESTABLISHED rules and "no guest" policy so he could, in fact, bring his kids to hunt. There was no problem with that, and the invitation was extended throughout the 12 weeks of general season.

I simply asked him, AS THIS HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED as an error on my part in hindsight, that he hold off on bring his kids until the general season started. This would give the paying members the same opportunity of harvest that his kid(s) would be getting. Additionally, he had discussed that he wanted his kid to shoot his "trophy" buck for the last 2 years. It was not mentioned that this would be cull, but rather the one trophy that each member is entititled to. It seemed unfair to me that he or his family now gets to shoot a trophy before anybody gets to rifle hunt. I didn't tell him he couldn't go, I merely suggested that he hold off out of respect to the other paying members.

I'm disappointed that this could not be resolved in conversation, but rather dragging me through a public forum, where the "mob mentality" convicted me without knowing the entire story. I'm disappointed that he chose to circumvent the lease members and go directly to the landowner. I'm disappointed that the landowner didn't tell him that this needs to be resolved by the lease members. It disappoints me that you guys have the audicity to start name calling over something as trivial as this, and about someone which nobody obviously knew was another member.

As an interesting sidenote, the shoe was on the other foot, and I leased directly from TxMuley and his family for three years. We were only allowed one buck, could not shoot a doe after Thanksgiving, and were not allowed to bring ANY guests, PERIOD. All the while, they brought the whole family on the same lease (landowner priveledge, I suppose). I'll have it be known that I never once challenged any of their rules out of respect, and because this is what I agreed to when I signed up.

I don't know if this cleared anything up, but ya'll can hold of on the name calling, and try think through objectively. I have to think to myself that a continued no guest policy would probably have eliminated this whole ordeal.

[arrowflinger83]

Im with every one else that is straight up childish

[Smart]

My father was on a deer lease last year and we had the same problem with him bringing me on as a guest during the archery season. ........

Their point was that they paid for the lease and if I shot a big buck then that was one less deer for them to have a chance at. Yes I think it is selfish and no I do not agree with their thinking, but they did pay for their chance to hunt the property and don't want to see a "guest" shoot "their" deer.

Hope this helps.

At 37 years old I can see their point.

[Bluesman]

Dirt Napper presents new material! Interesting to see how things play out.

[holepuncher]

Our Guests(my kids) are not supposed to be hunting, but I talked to the landowner, and he said he didn't have a problem with my kids shooting a deer as long as it came off my slot.

Was this a rule that you and your partners agreed upon?

[Humper]

I felt there must be more to this than the first post. Based upon the Dirt Napper's additional input, it should to be a very interesting opening weekend at that lease.

[Robert]

Hmmmm

[Tommyh]

I don't see this argument as being a "my child is coming to hunt on youth weekend and they dont like it" as much as "i am trying to circumvent the rules, go over the lease signer's head and do what i want and they dont like it".

"I acknowledge I am being allowed as a NON-hunting guest on the Premises pursuent to the terms of a hunting lease (LEASE)......"

Honestly, two things come to mind here. Why would you take a guest to a "hunting lease" if he/she cannot hunt? are you looking for someone to do some of your work or cook and clean for you while you kill something? instead of "NO GUESTS ALLOWED EVER BECAUSE THEY WILL KILL OUR MONEY PAID FOR LEASE DEER", just allow culls or does to be taken. pretty simple.

And second, why would you allow him to sign onto your lease if he exercised his rights as a "land owner" and brought the whole family to hunt when you couldnt? arent "hunting rights" in a lease signed away to no one else but the persons that the lease is being signed by?

[Doc Garris]

Ask them so called buddies if they want a little cheese with that whine! At my lease as I am sure at most leases my buddies/lease members encourage all the kids to do as good as they can.Some guys don't take their kids but most do.Its not like your sitting your kid in their stand to deliberately shoot a deer that has been frequenting their feeder or spot.She is going to shoot your tags anyway and hence your buck,how are they gonna feel when your daughter shoots a nice deer but not considered a trophy by their standards,But is a huge trophy to her? After all if we don't take our kids hunting and teach them things,they are going to learn it by themselves,from God knows who about God knows what.Take every opportunity you can to take your kids with you.If it ****** your buddies off then they aren't really buddies anyway and you are better off without them.or at a kid friendly lease.My opinion is if my kids aren't welcome them I am not welcome.It's only going to be a matter of time before they want to take their kids and how are they going to feel about being the horses patoots they are being now.Most specially when you welcome their kids with open arms because you have been there.This thread strikes a nerve to me as well as it should to me and all the rest of the dads and moms out there.Good luck and good hunting.Hope your daughter kills a good one.And tell her their are a lot of folks pulling for her.Post the pics I'd like to see them.

[Keg]

I love to see the kids hunt and fish and enjoy the great outdoors...but...
I have to agree with Tommyh on this....and Humper..Opening weekend will be kinda interesting on that lease....

[denowt]

I'm all for taking kids hunting. I have an 8 yr old boy that goes with me most of the time during rifle season. He hasn't shot anything bigger than a squirrel yet, but that will hopefully change soon.
That being said, if you're on a lease and you have agreed to certain rules before getting on the lease, you can't expect everyone else to change the rules a week before opening day.
Personally, if I was presented with a lease opportunity that didn't allow my son to shoot off of my tags, then I would not sign up for it. It sounds like the rules have been "bent" to allow guest hunters and now someone tried to bend them a little further and they broke.

[buzzbait]

Our lease is a bring guest lease. But we all have the agreement it is lease members only the first 2 weekends. It's the only time all 7 of us are together... then guest are allowed..........

[TxMuley]

WOW! All the name calling is not what I was looking for. This thread has taken on a life of its own. Before I even got on this lease I told them I wanted my kids to be able to hunt. That wasn't going to be a problem. We had a conversation with the landowner in the pasture one weekend and got that problem solved. As a paying leasee I have a copy of the contract. No my name is not on it, but I've been informed several times while kidding around, that if something happened I was part of the lease agreement.

The only reason I called the landowner, is that I assumed that hunting this weekend would not be a problem, and I wanted to make sure he was OK with my kids hunting, due to the wording in our contract. In the past, if there was any question about something I was told to call the landowner. I knew the other hunters were ok with it, but I didn't know they were against hunting the youth weekend. This is my fault, I should have never assumed anything! I just want the kids to enjoy the privilege to hunt a weekend set aside for them, not get the early jump on the so called trophy. Believe me they would be quite content with a cull or doe!

As for dragging you through a public forum, Im sorry, I never once mentioned your name. I was simply looking for opinions and suggestions. You told me that you called other hunting friends and they felt the same way you did. I was looking for a similar situation, because I was in shock that you felt it was not fair that my daughter had the 1st chance at a deer. Our conversation was going nowhere. We just completely disagreed over the situation. Remember all of the silence?

As for leasing from my Grandmother, I had no control over that, and you knew it. Your pasture was completely separate from the family hunting pasture and we never hunted your pasture! You were allowed a buck, spike, and 2 does. Not too bad for $800 and 20 minutes from the house. There was never a stipulation on when to shoot your does. You chose not to shoot does because you were always after the big buck, while letting numerous bucks live another day. That is one of the main reasons I chose to get on this lease!

Thanks for the replies.