I'll see if I have any old pics but I do have some new ones, bad quality (cell phone pics) but I'll see what I can put together. I agree on those three things and that's why I'm a little nervous.... Thanks for offer on the stand, you can only get offers like that from the Hunting Forum! I think I'm gonna be ok it's just a weird situation that I wasn't ready for and it's gonna take a lot reworking the stand layout on our place for sure.

Comparing cover in East Texas to West Texas is no comparison. Deer in the area he hunts were raised in open country and are used to it. They also know how to utilize what cover is there.

Bill

They sure are. You'll be amazed come deer season just how well those deer can appear out of no where and sneak up on you with "no cover"

You know we have a landowner beside us that 2 yrs running he has started land work on opening morning, first started digging a pond last year started clearing trees. Now as aggrevating as it is , it did irrtate me but what the hek the deer love me and keep coming in to feed at my diner I hae for the and every year I introduce one of them to my lil friend Mr. 270 , so pick your battles here, where your stands are tore up , if you can fix them easily fix em if not talk to your landowner. Hopefully he or she will see where there was a differnt way to have done things. JMO

No reason to be upset and have no right to be upset imo. Landowner removing a water sucking plant from his property. Give it a little time and the removal of them wont hurt your hunting at all longterm - no need to worry. We had a place that burned and killed all of the trees, deer didnt pay any attention after the first good rain to wash away the smell.

I understand what your saying but would you be excited about hunting 750 acres of flat land when the last 4 years you've had a place that you can walk and stalk with your bow and now it's completely out of the question?

I don't know what I'm gonna do I'm gonna sit on it a few days and handle it right I know that. I'm not gonna just call him up and start chewing him out for taking away trees that were hurting his land.

What keeps going through my mind is why didn't tell me? Why didn't he let me know that he had these plans before we payed? Why wouldn't he tell me to secure our blinds and feeders before they got knocked down? If I would of toured the place for the first time there is no way we would of leased it.

Hey check the lease listings and look for leases in Foard Cty. They have 750 acres available not too far from you and it looks good. I have leased the 400, so the rest is still available as of yesterday.

Man I'd be all over that last month. I drive through there and always have said that I wish I was here instead of Matador. Thanks for the heads up though man I appreciate it.

It's never fun when something like this happens. We used to lease paper company land. They came in one year the week before deer season opened and did a controlled burn on over half of the acreage. Even burned up some of our wooden ladder stands.
Unfortunately, there's always the landowner's side. If he leases the land out for hunting, he probably is not that knowledgable about hunting since he has obviously chosen not to do it on his own land. He could also just not care, since some landowners feel they are doing you a huge favor letting you lease hunting rights on their land. And many know that there will be people lined up behind you willing to lease it if you drop it.
I found over the years that the best relationships with landowners are mutually beneficial ones. We have helped build roads, fix fences, entertain the landowner's friends, even take his grandkids hunting for fossils on our place in Alabama. We also abide by his rules such as no cutting cedars, no bush hogging the place (CRP), etc. But with all that there is still the very real possibility that at any moment he could pass away, or they could sell the place, or the kids could take it over, etc. and all the efforts won't count for anything.

Let us hear how it turns out.

Sorry to hear about the stands but you should sign a long term deal right now. Without the cedar you will see a dramatic improvement in native growth and overall improvement in deer habitat. If the deer where spooked by the equipment they will be back in a very short period.

You will be amazed at how much grass will grow now that the cedars are gone..and grass is food..Look at it this way you have a huge food plot...If the deer moved they will be back....We have been dozing 15 acres at a time in Bosque and the grass that grows after is incredible..You see more deer hang out in those areas than others...

Hopefully the forbs will grow instead of grass. Deer don't like grass much.

agreed with JJH, regular pasture grass is not food for deer.
Cereal grains are the exception.

Forbs(weeds), woody stems (browse), and mast (grapes, acorns,persimmons) are food for deer

I'd be happy the cedar is gone(for now).

The owner probably should have told you before clearing. But, he is the owner, after all. In the long run, the absance of cedar will improve the land. Until then, look for different spots to set up. You might also find out if he intends to leave the cedar piles or burn them. That could make a difference. Personally, I never anchor a blind or feeder to a tree. Last year, in Mills County, we saw 700+ acres of cedars destroyed by storms. Since then, the oaks and grasses have come back, big time. The deer are still there, and don't seem to care that most of the cover is now gone.