Consequences for harvest mistakes on your lease?

[mev002]

The money goes toward improvements to the lease. Gate repair, road work, etc. This past summer, they had several loads of rock hauled in to fill mud holes in the road and put in a well for water at the camp/skin shed.

Right on. That would be a good use of the fines.

[bphillips]

Exactly. Unless it is high fenced or very large with no sheep or goats you are going to have a hell of a time managing for 160" deer. Even in South Texas on low fence place with native browse a 160" is hard. You better be willinig to spend the $$$$ on protein

Several of those places are around here but you likely won't see an opening on here for them

[8pointer]

Several of those places are around here but you likely won't see an opening on here for them

[Texas1980]

I don't understand why anyone thinks that the possibility of a fine takes the fun out of hunting or that they wouldn't want to be on a lease that has a system with fines. There's not anywhere in this country you can hunt without the possibility of a fine. There a are plenty of rules in place that most any game warden wouldn't mind writing you a ticket for if you break them whether it's truly a mistake or not.

[BowSlayer]

We had a fine in place on our lease for shooting nubbins but it's never been enforced. People that shoot a nubbin obviously didn't do it on purpose and they feel worse than anyone about it. If anything killing a nubbin makes them better hunters because they never want to make that mistake again. I went on a day lease once and the guy told us up front there was a $300 fine for shooting one. The second day right at dark I shot what I thought was a doe. I didn't even get out of the stand until the ranch manager came to get me. I told him a shot a doe and we went to trail it. He found it and kicked it's hind legs apart and it was not a doe. I felt horrible about it. I reached for my wallet and handed him $300 and apologized. He gave my money back and told me not to worry about it. He knew i felt horrible about it.

[Kdog]

8pointer - from what you wrote I am not sure you need to do anything. A fine won't stop someone from screwing up, unless you make it so severe that they are really scared to shoot anything.. If you have someone who keeps screwing up, then they are probably not a good fit for your group. We have a small fine on our lease that can be levied for breaking the rules on our lease. (Any rule.). I don't think that this happens very often though. Good luck!!

[Loneaggie]

The problem I've seen there are honest mistakes and those who make it a habit to make mistakes. Rules are always sticky especially if it's not a strict trophy lease.

[Leemo]

Rules of any sort, are for people with no moral conscience.

[flywise]

I don't understand why anyone thinks that the possibility of a fine takes the fun out of hunting or that they wouldn't want to be on a lease that has a system with fines. There's not anywhere in this country you can hunt without the possibility of a fine. There a are plenty of rules in place that most any game warden wouldn't mind writing you a ticket for if you break them whether it's truly a mistake or not.

There is 1 fine that I can think of a GM could get me for as far as killing a deer for and that's 13" rule.
Fined for killing a 3.5 rather than a 4.5 is a completely different animal.
I see a big deer and suddenly I'm scared to death of what the " manager " might do to me so won't shoot. That sounds like a fun damper to me

[JTRichardson]

There is 1 fine that I can think of a GM could get me for as far as killing a deer for and that's 13" rule.
Fined for killing a 3.5 rather than a 4.5 is a completely different animal.
I see a big deer and suddenly I'm scared to death of what the " manager " might do to me so won't shoot. That sounds like a fun damper to me

I like your style. Agreed ^^^

[colonel62]

On our place each member gets 2 trophy bucks per membership

culls have to be 3.5 + years old and less than main frame 8 point
if criteria not met fine of $1000 and counts as 2 bucks

8 and 9 points have to be 5.5 + years old or score > 130
if criteria not met $1000 fine and counts as two bucks

10 points and better have to be 5.5 + years old and score>150
if criteria not met $1000 fine and counts for two bucks

$500 fine for shooting a button buck

This is our second year with these rules. We've found that getting in that wallet makes people take a second look before pulling the trigger. I dont remember the exact numbers but 3 years ago the club killed 40 something bucks (75% were 2 or 3 year old). Last year we shot less than 10 bucks.

[Outlaw_6]

$100 fine.

[8pointer]

8pointer - from what you wrote I am not sure you need to do anything. A fine won't stop someone from screwing up, unless you make it so severe that they are really scared to shoot anything.. If you have someone who keeps screwing up, then they are probably not a good fit for your group. We have a small fine on our lease that can be levied for breaking the rules on our lease. (Any rule.). I don't think that this happens very often though. Good luck!!

Thank you for the input

[Ricky T]

Video or picture of any buck that is on the hit list solves lots of problems. If guys can't pull out their binoculars and look for nubbins on a "doe" I question their need to be there.

[murph62]

My place has 3 hunters. I have been on it since 1989 the other 2 have been on it for 6 years.

I consider them both my friends and I would NEVER seriously get on them for anything other than almost killing someone.



we do not have a management plan because we love being in the outdoors and hunting and management plans (based on antlers) Only tend to destroy friendships and no deer is going to be a reason for that.

So, my friends can shoot anything they want and I will shoot anything I want and we will be happy and proud for each other.



I understand we hunt in an ever diminishing situation and that the trend for many years has gone the way of antler management so in that situation i'll add

that as long as all members understand the rules going in and break those rules more than once send them on their way

Love this^^^^