Tennessee stops nitetime running

[denny606]

It is my understanding that a KDFWR officer does not have to have to have a warrant to enter private property.Unless they are are searching your residence for something specific,say they were acting on a tip that you had poached an elk or whatever else they would have to specify what and where they were looking for.Although you don't even have to have a license to hunt your own property they can still walk right on and ask to see your license or any one else on your property. It is a rule that needs to be balanced with common sense. I don't like the thought of any one telling me what I can and cannot do on my own property and don't turn any one down who wants to hunt on me.But here is the problem,while most hunters are honest law abiding citizens and are grateful to see some land that is not posted,there are those among us who walk right posted signs and act like it is their God given right to go anywhere the please,throw down trash, shoot whatever is in sight and rub land owners wrong every way possible and get the rest of us fenced out, denied permission to hunt and looked at like we are thugs for even asking to hunt on someones land. I know that there are snobs and uppity people as well as outright Anti-hunters that will never let any one on their property for any reason .There are also some pretty decent people that post their land because of the reasons I mentioned before and who could blame them,If i lived in Tenn I would be plenty upset,and I don't like the way it is in Eastern Ky either but some of the blame sets squarely on our own shoulders for letting things go this far.I would guess that every one on here knows several of the slobs that call themselves hunters as well as I do.THOSE PEOPLE are NOT HUNTERS!!! Lets call 'em what they are CRIMINALS. Nuff said,Denny

[Briarhoppers]

Denny -

I couldn't agree w/ you more. SLOB hunters hurt our sport more than the radical anti's b/c they paint a negative picture to the average citizen that knows nothing about the many good law abiding citizens that are out there.

Let me give you an example that drives me crazy to even think about. My family (Dad, two brother and one brother-in law) have land leased for hunting. We work very hard to even afford the lease. We also work very hard to build deer stands, plant food plots, bush-hog, put out minerals, work hard on Quality Deer Management - very selective on what we harvest. We have put up literally 100's of no trespassing signs, gates, chains, etc., etc. Still every season we catch people trespassing, hunting in our deerstands, shooting and trying to drag out small bucks, beer cans under our deer stands along w/ empty rifle shells....even before the season opens, stealing anything we leave out there, etc. We've had game wardens, sheriffs out numerous times and bottem line is that you can not stop it. We have approx. 900 acres and I'm going to guess that we have at least 20 hunters illegally hunting on us.

Of the guys that we catch....and we have caught quite a few. Most are unimployed (not that anything is wrong w/ temporary unemployement), but you don't have to talk to them long to figure out that they are loosers and they hunt all week long while we are hard at work and make it out on the weekends. They have no license, no orange, they hunt out of season, trespass, steal, take down trespassing sign, tear-up gates, disregard limits, poach, cut racks off and leave carcusses, gut shoot deer and don't track them, spot light, I could go on and on.

If we want to protect our sport and tradition we need to discourage all SLOB hunters.

Pete

[Briarhoppers]

I'm on a roll now...couple other thoughts. GA -and other states are banning deer hunting w/ dogs b/c of SLOB hunters. Guys that completely disregard property lines and have a reputation of not caring for their dogs. Are there many good, law abiding deer doggers out there that care for their dogs - - absolutely. But, this sport is being outlawed all over b/c of the negitive reputation that goes along w/ it. Ask the average person in the deep south what they think about deer doggers and I bet you get a negative response. Too bad.

Around here in middle TN - the coon hunters have a terrible reputation. Again total disregard for property lines - cutting fenses, beer cans, trash, etc. Sad the SLOB hunters ruin it for the rest of us.

-Pete

[S.R.Patch]

Leasing and posting people out will tend to have the effect on them. While I don't condone disrespecting others people's property, I'd be willing to wager those 20 folks who are giving you trouble probably hunted that grounds before it was leased. I only assume this because it's what I've seen around here. We have thousands of acres that have been leased up by the few that don't even live in the area. They come down when the season they favor is in and run off the kids and locals that have fished and hunted those grounds for generations. Many have given up hunting or fishing and call it a lost era, others try to slip in for a few mushroom or a mess of bluegills, while trying not to interrupt or be seen by the turkey/deer hunting fraternity that holds the keys. To me, both sides are wrong but the world and human nature being what it is, the struggle for balance goes on...

[Briarhoppers]

I've lost hunting priviledges to lands that I have hunted for years due to new owners, developers, etc. Its a sad fact of life. And like it or not the days of just hunting where ever are gone. Believe me we work very hard to maintain relationships w/ land owners and pay for leases for the land we have access to. It is a year around thing. Gone are the days of just hunting where ever you like. Again, I think it is sad, but it is the way it is.

In regards to the lease I refered to previously, we have held that lease for 9 years. Still have just as much trouble today as the first year. My family does live in the area and we are certainly not the weathly locking up land to keep the poor out. We are very hard working and make big sacrifices for the sport and family tradition we love. After losing much of the land we had access to, we had the foresight to realize leasing land and have legal access to it is the way of the future....like it or not. If you can not afford to own your own land (most of us can't) and you no longer have enough contacts w/ family members and friends that have land, then the best solution if you want to keep hunting is to lease land.

And yes, we have given a few permission that have approached us properly and asked permission to take they kid squirrel hunting, or brim fishing in the pond, etc.

-Pete

[wvduece]

its getting to where if you dont own or have a lease ya have no where to hunt i have 1500 acreas of abandon strip mine land leased it is just about impossible to keep people from trespassing alot of the people hunted the land for years before i leaseed the property we dont say much to anyone unless they try to rabbit hunt the lease i know the people deer hunt it we sell a few permits just to help pay the lease most of the guys that buys a permit are rabbit hunters n just want somewhere to run their dogs almost all of the land here in southern wv is already leased n posted one of our rules is ya dont kill no rabbits on this lease we tried a couple years ago to just let the members kill a few while they were training their pups but that didnt work some members seem to think they had to kill every one they jumped so we had to u the rule back in no killing any rabbits i hate rules of any kind but ya gotta have something to go by or some people will just take advantage of you no matter how good ya try to be to them guess the dont realize if they shoot alot of rabbits it just makes the running alot tougher sometimes grown men act worse than kindergartin kids ya need a baby sitter for them jb

[Pine Mt Beagles]

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE IF, YOU OWN PROPERTY OR LEASE IT,, YOU STILL DON'T HAVE MUCH RIGHT'S,, IF THE STATES CAN TELL YOU NOT TO RUN AFTER DARK,ON YOUR PROPERTY, ARE THEY GOING TO PAY PART OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX I DON'T THINK SO!!!!! I SURE HOPE I'AM NEVER PUT IN THE POSITION OF A GAME WARDEN COMMING IN ON MY FENCED IN AND POSTED" PRIVATE" PROPERTY TO WRITE ME A TICKET FOR LETTING MY HOUNDS RUN THAT I ALSO FED, I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW "I WOULD REACT TO THAT,AS I KNOW THE GAME WARDEN WELL, AND KNOW IT IS HIS JOB, BUT AS A TAX PAYER I HELP PAY HIS SALARY.SO IT WOULD BE A BAD POSITION TO BE IN ........I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY THING SO FAR ABOUT RUNNING PENS BUT 'IT SAY'S PRIVATE PROPERTY AND AFTER DARK SO I GUESS PEN ARE INCLUDED....................IS THIS STILL THE U.S.A.

KEEP'EM RUNNING
PINE MT BEAGLES

[Briarhoppers]

In regards to SLOB hunters being our own worst enemy. How many times have you approached a land owner or farmer and asked permission to hunt their land and have them reply some like - "We don't let any more hunters come on here b/c we use to let a couple guy hunt here and they trashed the place, tore up roads, left gates open, beer cans on the ground, they brought all their buddy's to hunt and we even found a dead deer that they just cut the rack off and left it."

Not only are we loosing places to hunt, we are loosing favor in many folks eyes.

-Pete

[Newt]

Another problem, if the landowner gives permission to a couple of hunters, the next week one of the hunters can't hunt so he brings another friend along. The next week there are four and it keeps multiplying until the landowner has had it. The first two may be good honest folks but eventually there will be a slob brought into the group then you lose your privilege .

[Pine Mt Beagles]

NIGHT TIME RUNNING STOPPED,

PINE MT BEAGLES