Curious as to what rules yall have around the hunting lease, ranch, farm etc. Doesn't really matter if it's around the property in general, around camp or specifically out hunting.

I'm going to print out a list and laminate a few copies to put up because it seems like somebody brings a cousin or a friend and suddenly some people revert to being feral male toddlers if they dont have something/somebody to remind them of how to behave (especially after drinking a few without wives around)

Our property is not large. My two rules during deer season are 1) quietly shut truck doors and 2) no loud talking outside.

The only one we have concerning hunting is what time everybody needs to be in the stand and what time you can leave. That's only because we have to pass other hunting areas to get to ours and it is just being considerate. In the mornings you have to be in your stand by 6am, can't leave until 9:30am unless we've all texted each other and agree earlier is fine. Afternoons we generally all strike out of camp around 3:00-3:30 and stay until its too dark to shoot legally.

Other than that, around camp it's pretty much "don't be a ****** canoe" and "if you need to sight a gun in or whatever, let everybody know and don't shoot towards another cabin".

We all have our own cabins and areas at camp so it's pretty easy to not disturb others when they go to sleep. Most of the time we are all asleep by 10 at night anyway.

Brad, Mitch and Jerry have an extensive set of rules you can find on here.

I recently bought my own ranch property after leasing and dealing with the hodgepodge of good/bad owners and good/bad lease members and managers. I was sick to death of the BS and was either going to buy my own place or stop hunting altogether.

Good news is that I can now invite who I want, when I want and I try to enforce only the rule a normal human being would associate with basic decorum. On the harvest side, I am a stickler. We will be nursing a well-managed herd very slowly from a property that had been more or less left alone for about five years. Yes, there will be cull animals to shoot for guests, but the place is not (and will never be) a free-for-all.

In camp, do what you want so long as you are mindful of the company. That is a sliding scale that depends largely on the presence of women and children. Otherwise, just don't piss me off.

As a general rule, no liquor and loaded firearms.

Bradley.Kohr.II said:

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As a general rule, no liquor and loaded firearms.

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This, of course, is Rule No. A-1

Easier to just get rid of the idiots than to force them to act their age.

Another general rule would be a cap on poker games. $x buy in and can't buy in more than y times.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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Brad, Mitch and Jerry have an extensive set of rules you can find on here.

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Yep!

SanAntoneAg said:

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Our property is not large. My two rules during deer season are 1) quietly shut truck doors and 2) no loud talking outside.

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Ours isn't very big either. When it comes to hunting walk back. Only bring trucks to fill feeders and the tractor if shredding is needed.

Don't shoot anything at Mom's feeder (the house feeder)

This is awesome

If I had a place to set rules on the first one would be no night hunting during deer season. I see folks out until 2 AM blasting coyote calls, driving by every feeder looking for pigs and hitting every road imaginable looking for rabbits and then the next morning complain about only seeing a doe or two.......its a little different on a high fence place b/c you know the deer cant leave but you would think year after year seeing the neighbors kill mature bucks a lightbulb would go off.

1. Leave gates in the manner you find them. They are open or shut for a reason.
2. Don't give gate combinations to anyone
3. Pick up any trash you see, no exceptions.
4. Report anything damaged: fences, gates, water troughs, etc.
5. You see a log in the road, you move it completely out of the way. Don't drive around it.
6. Don't drive around in the mud and rut up the roads.
7. No neck/head shots on deer.
8. Figure out where you're going to sit the night before. Everyone knows where everyone is.
9. Figure out how to drive to stands to avoid disturbing anyone.
10. Agree on when to go to the stand & when to leave. (as other have said)
11. Somebody wounds a deer, everyone helps to look for it.
12. No alcohol in the stand or driving around. Camp only after hunting is over. No dumbassery.
13. Everyone knows where the first aid kit, fire extinguisher and emergency numbers.
14. Everyone knows the address, GPS coordinates, etc. of the place for emergency responders.
15. Everyone cleans up every time. No mess is left and no shirking.
16. Bring your own food, coffee, booze, etc. Don't eat others food without asking.
17. Guests must be agreed upon and vetted
18. Everyone signs a hold harmless agreement
19. No dogs running around
20. Some sort of agreement on shooting hogs, coyotes, coons, foxes, bobcats, etc. What is policy?
21. Everyone learns to age deer, and adheres to the standards of harvest agreed upon.
22. What is the policy on "claiming" a deer? ie: Bubba's been hunting that drop tine buck all season. Skeeter is out for the first time all year in January and kills "Bubba's drop tine buck". Bubba now hates Skeeter and camp tranquility is ruined. Get this mess sorted out and stick to it.

That's off the top of my head.

Apache said:

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1. Leave gates in the manner you find them. They are open or shut for a reason.
2. Don't give gate combinations to anyone
3. Pick up any trash you see, no exceptions.
4. Report anything damaged: fences, gates, water troughs, etc.
5. You see a log in the road, you move it completely out of the way. Don't drive around it.
6. Don't drive around in the mud and rut up the roads.
7. No neck/head shots on deer.
8. Figure out where you're going to sit the night before. Everyone knows where everyone is.
9. Figure out how to drive to stands to avoid disturbing anyone.
10. Agree on when to go to the stand & when to leave. (as other have said)
11. Somebody wounds a deer, everyone helps to look for it.
12. No alcohol in the stand or driving around. Camp only after hunting is over. No dumbassery.
13. Everyone knows where the first aid kit, fire extinguisher and emergency numbers.
14. Everyone knows the address, GPS coordinates, etc. of the place for emergency responders.
15. Everyone cleans up every time. No mess is left and no shirking.
16. Bring your own food, coffee, booze, etc. Don't eat others food without asking.
17. Guests must be agreed upon and vetted
18. Everyone signs a hold harmless agreement
19. No dogs running around
20. Some sort of agreement on shooting hogs, coyotes, coons, foxes, bobcats, etc. What is policy?
21. Everyone learns to age deer, and adheres to the standards of harvest agreed upon.
22. What is the policy on "claiming" a deer? ie: Bubba's been hunting that drop tine buck all season. Skeeter is out for the first time all year in January and kills "Bubba's drop tine buck". Bubba now hates Skeeter and camp tranquility is ruined. Get this mess sorted out and stick to it.

That's off the top of my head.

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Thank God I don't have to hunt on a lease. I felt like I was walking on egg shells just reading that.

I don't hunt a lease, but on our family place we follow most of those rules. It isn't difficult.
Curious what made you on eggshells?
Most of it is just common sense/courtesy, safety oriented & have a plan for what/how you are killing.

Bradley.Kohr.II said:

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As a general rule, no liquor and loaded firearms.

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I hunt on my own place but for years spent a weekend or two on a lease with some cousins. Their only rule was no loaded firearms inside the camp fence. And with all the alcohol we drank that was important.

They invited several different people every year so it had to be a rule. They had one guy one year that refused and they sent him packing.

Don't burn ANYTHING but wood in the fire pit.

Had a loaded .223 go off one year because someone burned the trash. That was loud.

Tarponfly said:

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I recently bought my own ranch property after leasing and dealing with the hodgepodge of good/bad owners and good/bad lease members and managers. I was sick to death of the BS and was either going to buy my own place or stop hunting altogether.

Good news is that I can now invite who I want, when I want and I try to enforce only the rule a normal human being would associate with basic decorum. On the harvest side, I am a stickler. We will be nursing a well-managed herd very slowly from a property that had been more or less left alone for about five years. Yes, there will be cull animals to shoot for guests, but the place is not (and will never be) a free-for-all.

In camp, do what you want so long as you are mindful of the company. That is a sliding scale that depends largely on the presence of women and children. Otherwise, just don't piss me off.

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Mas89 said:

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Don't burn ANYTHING but wood in the fire pit.

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To piggyback on this, be smart about burning anything outside when the conditions are dangerous. Dry vegetation and high winds trump your desire to relax by a campfire.

Apache said:

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I don't hunt a lease, but on our family place we follow most of those rules. It isn't difficult.
Curious what made you on eggshells?
Most of it is just common sense/courtesy, safety oriented & have a plan for what/how you are killing.

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Augustus appears to be the guest you don't want to ask. if a common list of courtesy items puts you on eggshells, don't need that guy on your lease.

AgDad121619 said:

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Apache said:

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I don't hunt a lease, but on our family place we follow most of those rules. It isn't difficult.
Curious what made you on eggshells?
Most of it is just common sense/courtesy, safety oriented & have a plan for what/how you are killing.

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Augustus appears to be the guest you don't want to ask. if a common list of courtesy items puts you on eggshells, don't need that guy on your lease.

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If I show up to someone's property and they hand me a two sided page of rules, I probably won't be back anyway.

Some people have lived too long in an HOA and it shows.

This thread reminds me of why I like fishing.

Tumble Weed said:

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Some people have lived too long in an HOA and it shows.

This thread reminds me of why I like fishing.

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Yea when I saw that list it is exactly what I thought. That type of list would only be necessary if you hunt with lots city folks.

Tumble Weed said:

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Some people have lived too long in an HOA and it shows.

This thread reminds me of why I like fishing.

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Brock Horner says hello

I'm not a hunter, but farming and owning land in the country have taught me that the vast majority of people have no idea how to act in the country. I wouldn't have to deal with greyhound idiots, road hunters, target shooters, mudders, trash dumpers, dog dumpers, etc. if they did.

Sure, it would be great if a list of rules wasn't needed, and an owner didn't have to insult the intelligence of good people.

But it only takes one idiot to ruin it for all. I'm good with a clear set of rules. Don't like that the landowner lays out guidelines for the Very Expensive land he owns? You will not be missed

Man I'm glad I have my own ranch. Don't invite dumbasses and you do not need a booklet of rules, address things in a one off manner as needed. The only thing that comes close to a lecture/rule at my ranch is I let everyone know, do not assume every gun I have is loaded, know they are loaded and ready to go. (For the safety bunch, the reason I state this is my pistols are always loaded for obvious reasons, my snake gun is always loaded and my AR is always loaded for quick shots at coyotes, bobcats and pigs at the headquarters or on the roads).

agsalaska said:

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Tumble Weed said:

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Some people have lived too long in an HOA and it shows.

This thread reminds me of why I like fishing.

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Yea when I saw that list it is exactly what I thought. That type of list would only be necessary if you hunt with lots city folks.

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These types of comments are just dumb.

I've met just as many country folk that I wouldn't trust with a BB gun as I have city folk. Probably more.

CanyonAg77 said:

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I'm not a hunter, but farming and owning land in the country have taught me that the vast majority of people have no idea how to act in the country. I wouldn't have to deal with greyhound idiots, road hunters, target shooters, mudders, trash dumpers, dog dumpers, etc. if they did.

Sure, it would be great if a list of rules wasn't needed, and an owner didn't have to insult the intelligence of good people.

But it only takes one idiot to ruin it for all. I'm good with a clear set of rules. Don't like that the landowner lays out guidelines for the Very Expensive land he owns? You will not be missed

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9 times out of 10, it is those good old salt of the earth, never would violate rules of the land, etc. country folk that fall into this category.

schmellba99 said:

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agsalaska said:

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Tumble Weed said:

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Some people have lived too long in an HOA and it shows.

This thread reminds me of why I like fishing.

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Yea when I saw that list it is exactly what I thought. That type of list would only be necessary if you hunt with lots city folks.

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These types of comments are just dumb.

I've met just as many country folk that I wouldn't trust with a BB gun as I have city folk. Probably more.

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Ok there city boy.

Im from the country and therecare many that dont know the first thing about aging deer, realizing deer and mature bucks are a finite resource. Hell, this is why we need antler restriction rules in place.
Some country boys still believe tgat spikes are inferior snd they are managing a property by killing them. Country boys tend to act like they know it all vs a city boy that realizes he knows nothing and is more willing to learn than argue...

Just my 2 cents from growing up in the country of a town of 600 and living on a farm but yall go on acting like yall are better and dont need rules. Unfortunately rules are a great way to have clear, concise communication so the goals can be met

No hookers.

Capt. Augustus McCrae said:

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AgDad121619 said:

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Apache said:

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I don't hunt a lease, but on our family place we follow most of those rules. It isn't difficult.
Curious what made you on eggshells?
Most of it is just common sense/courtesy, safety oriented & have a plan for what/how you are killing.

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Augustus appears to be the guest you don't want to ask. if a common list of courtesy items puts you on eggshells, don't need that guy on your lease.

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If I show up to someone's property and they hand me a two sided page of rules, I probably won't be back anyway.

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But do you rent pigs?

Quote:

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Quote:

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Tumble Weed said:
Some people have lived too long in an HOA and it shows.

This thread reminds me of why I like fishing.

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Yea when I saw that list it is exactly what I thought. That type of list would only be necessary if you hunt with lots city folks.

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Well geniuses, the OP asked for what rules do you have on your ranch because of this reason:

Quote:

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it seems like somebody brings a cousin or a friend and suddenly some people revert to being feral male toddlers if they dont have something/somebody to remind them of how to behave

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This isn't a list we have printed out, but it's kind of a SOP ingrained in us all: Be safe, Take care of the place and animals, help each other out, and if things go south know who to call and how to tell them to get here.

I'm curious what rules you think are too difficult to follow or silly. All of it looks like normal stuff to me.