Roll down any CR, RR or FM, and you'll pass a hundred gates.
The vast majority will never open to an armed stranger for ANY amount of money.
(At this point, your length of Lone Star residency is revealed by whether you're nodding in agreement or shaking your head in disbelief).
This forum is often visited by newcomers searching for the secret to finding property to hunt in the vastly privately owned nation of Texas.
And our members, quite justifiably, typically remain silent as no such secret exists (persistence and luck do seem to be key elements).
The unfortunate reality is that simply whompin' hawgs and 'yotes competently and safely is rarely sufficient reason alone to be given that gate lock key or combo.
So how do we make our boots welcome on hallowed ground throughout the year?
In my experience, it boils down to developing
a varied skill set, being willing to contribute as needed, PARTICULARLY when it's inconvenient and uncomfortable.
I have been hunting a 700 acre property in the Hill Country for about eight years.
Before I pulled a trigger, I helped put down two layers of vinyl paint in an unventilated concrete water tower at 105°.
Since then, I have:
Fixed gates, fences, feeders, bowstands, elevated blinds, windows, and toilets
Installed air conditioners, cut firewood, mowed grass, cleared brush from shooting lanes
Cleared the road of fallen trees and dug up big ass rocks
Supplied tacos, coffee, cigars, booze, coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, weather monitor and a laptop computer for game camera photo management.
Filled truckloads of water barrels and pumped them up the tower
Hauled out trash and scrap metal
Bought and laid down concrete bags in road at low traction muddy areas
Monitored livestock, weather damage, water levels, road condition and wildlife count
Provided use of my remote game camera for hunters during deer season
Marked trails for day and night for hunters unfamiliar with the terrain
Put out mosquito dunks after a heavy rain (okay, that’s just been twice)
Built a custom tripod stand and two brush blinds for general use
(You may notice that with the exception of the last item, these tasks are not directly tied to me actually shooting a damn thing).
And majority of it without being asked.
There's more, but you get the point.
So as tutorial (or warning) for a hunter who wants to stay on a property instead of waiting for a call back that may never come...
What non- shooting work have you guys done to earn the privilege of hunting access to a property?
The vast majority will never open to an armed stranger for ANY amount of money.
(At this point, your length of Lone Star residency is revealed by whether you're nodding in agreement or shaking your head in disbelief).
This forum is often visited by newcomers searching for the secret to finding property to hunt in the vastly privately owned nation of Texas.
And our members, quite justifiably, typically remain silent as no such secret exists (persistence and luck do seem to be key elements).
The unfortunate reality is that simply whompin' hawgs and 'yotes competently and safely is rarely sufficient reason alone to be given that gate lock key or combo.
So how do we make our boots welcome on hallowed ground throughout the year?
In my experience, it boils down to developing
a varied skill set, being willing to contribute as needed, PARTICULARLY when it's inconvenient and uncomfortable.
I have been hunting a 700 acre property in the Hill Country for about eight years.
Before I pulled a trigger, I helped put down two layers of vinyl paint in an unventilated concrete water tower at 105°.
Since then, I have:
Fixed gates, fences, feeders, bowstands, elevated blinds, windows, and toilets
Installed air conditioners, cut firewood, mowed grass, cleared brush from shooting lanes
Cleared the road of fallen trees and dug up big ass rocks
Supplied tacos, coffee, cigars, booze, coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, weather monitor and a laptop computer for game camera photo management.
Filled truckloads of water barrels and pumped them up the tower
Hauled out trash and scrap metal
Bought and laid down concrete bags in road at low traction muddy areas
Monitored livestock, weather damage, water levels, road condition and wildlife count
Provided use of my remote game camera for hunters during deer season
Marked trails for day and night for hunters unfamiliar with the terrain
Put out mosquito dunks after a heavy rain (okay, that’s just been twice)
Built a custom tripod stand and two brush blinds for general use
(You may notice that with the exception of the last item, these tasks are not directly tied to me actually shooting a damn thing).
And majority of it without being asked.
There's more, but you get the point.
So as tutorial (or warning) for a hunter who wants to stay on a property instead of waiting for a call back that may never come...
What non- shooting work have you guys done to earn the privilege of hunting access to a property?
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