I have a sticky situation that I would like everyone's input. My wife's grandfather has a ranch in West Texas that he has graciously allowed me to hunt on. I've never had my own hunting place and never really hunted deer while growing up. I have always had an affection for the sport, and now I've been given the chance to really get into it.

Over the last 3 years I have established two nice blinds and feeders setup with game cameras to help scout the activity. I have cut cedars and mesquites to enable clear shooting paths. I have spent numerous hours and even days on the ranch sweating and making it a nice place to hunt - on top of the financial means of getting it all setup on my own. I have had an awesome response with plenty of deer under the feeders at any given time.

I've been able to take one commendable 8-point the first year and have instituted my own population management by having buddies come out on "doe-hunts". All in all, I honestly feel that I have an awesome setup - even though I completely realize it will never be a high-fenced trophy-buck farm.

Here's my sticky situation: Once I got the place setup nicely and spent MY time, MY sweat, and MY money to start a wondeful hunting place - my brother-in-law goes and shoots the biggest deer on the place last year. My wife's brother is, well, to put it nicely, he's a big dreamer that never follows through with his word.

So, I graciously opened my blinds and feeders to him with the understanding that this year we're ONLY SHOOTING DOE. Yet again, he shoots a buck, and his response was, "it was a 7-point cull buck that needed to be taken." This is a low-fenced, 1/2 section ranch that, in my opinion, does not have a 7-point cull buck on the place. And to top it off, he honestly doesn't know a yearling buck from a mature buck becuase he does absolutely no research. He just thinks he's a "big-game-hunter".

This guy has never put a nickel of his money in (primarily because financially speaking, "he doesn't have a pot to piss in"), nor a drop of his sweat into making this place work. Yet he wants to be the one calling the shots, literally.

I'm torn as to whether or not to just pull my blinds and find me a lease somewhere, or to just deal with it. After all, it is HIS family's land, and I certainly don't want to jeapordize my good relationship with my in-laws. They really are a good christian family - but they just have that one "black sheep" that always ends up ruining it for everyone else.

I'd love to hear your opinions and what you all think I should do. Thanks for reading.

I'd talk to your father-in-law and explain the situation and see how he reacts! If he takes sides with your bro-in-law I'd find somewhere else to go!!! Hard work, sweat and money is what we do to hunt to bring in our deer, but when someone like that does that it's time to speak up!!! If the bucks are plentiful out there you may just want to let it go and let him shoot his cull! If he gets out of hand then lock your stand up!!! It's hard to hunt on family property because of this situation! That's why it's easier sometimes to just go your separate way!!!

The downside to making an issue of it could be that the old man doesn't want to hear about any drama and could pull the plug on hunting altogether.

When it comes to hunting family property you have to take the good with the bad. My family has property in San Saba Co. and I haven't hunted on it in years, in part to the family drama. It was my choice. I can hunt it anytime I want but chose not to because I don't to hassle with some certain family members.

In all reality it worked out best for me. I got a lease closer to home with a lot more game on it and have been very happy every since.

When it comes to family it's been my experience that blood is thicker than water and regardless of who is right and who is wrong you'll end up on the short end in that deal.

I personally wouldn't cause a stink over it. While you are the one who spent his time and money on the setup, it is still his land (fathers I know). While you do have money invested, it is not half of what you would pay to lease.

As you said, he may be hurting for money so I'd go about it as trying to get him to help with labor. If he is not really a hunter, maybe he doesn't know what to do, how to do it, or doesn't want to mess something up. See if y'all can help.

There are a lot of land owners who lease their land but still hunt it, I think youre just in one of those situations.

If he doesn't want to do anything but shoot, I'd probably place a lock on my blinds without saying anything and see what happens then.

And I would agree that a 7 point is probably not a cull on 300+/- acres in west Texas, but it definitely could be.

If you are thinking of pulling off anyways because of the BIL I would go ahead and talk to your FIL first. What you got to loose but a headache. It could work out in your favor and it might not. If you dont try it then you will never know what could have been. I know some folks think blood is thicker than water and thats true most times, but I have more respect for a man not afraid to speak his mind if he feels hes being wronged. I guess thats just me though. Hell just talk to you FIL.

I'de invite the FIL on an all-expense paid goose hunt or something and explain what is going on in nothing more than a shooting the breeze conversation while killing time on the road.

Or you could take BIL on a private charter deep sea fishing trip...accidents happen at sea and sharks eat the evidence...just sayin'...Kidding, of course. But really, I've got a boat.

Had that very thing happen to me. I spent two years helping a friend of mine turn a piece of land into a really nice place to hunt,with me doing most of the legwork.Then one day his son shows up out of nowhere and totally takes over the place over along with his friends.His father now an ex-friend never said a word,didn't take me long to drag up.

I've got one just like yours. Trashes up the family property with lumber and a 1/2 built blind. Doesn't keep up feeders and lets 200lbs. of corn sour. Shoots 2-3 times at a deer....while running! He's a mess. I've since torn his 30ft tower blind down (the tree-line is about 25ft) so he thinks he's a bad-a$$ by building everything bigger and badder. Shoot s a 270WSM that's rusted to heck b/c he's not taken care of and left in blind ALL YEAR. But I think our father-in-law is just happy to have this guy's son (his grandson) down to hunt. I can't say a word that will make a difference b/c it's not our land.......yet.

half a section of land is hardly manageable unless the surrounding parcels of land practice those same standards. That 7 point most likely would be shot by other adjoining parcels.

I'd enjoy the free hunting while it lasts.

Call him every time you go out there to do work. Don't ask him.......just politely tell him to meet you out there cus you know he wants to help maintain the place.

If he says he can't make it tell him that is fine just put a check in the mail so you can fill the feeders. Ie - he buys and you do the work that weekend.

If you have to politely shame him into helping out........do it. Bring it up in casual conversation in front of the family at Christmas that you need his help around the place.


Tbar

You are an in-law, you can witch all you want. The grandson can and will always be able to do what he wants and how he wants.

Besides, trying to manage a half section is an almost impossible task unless you have every adjacent landowner in on the program. Every landowner, every deer hunter in the area will have to be on board with the food plots, the feeding program and the protein feeding program. Or you are feeding corn and protein to any hunter's future trophy.

While annoying, I would chalk your effort, money, and time against having a free place to hunt and realize that having a place, problems and all, is far better than not having a place.

Thanks for the responses. I think you all have very helpful input. And after I've slept on it, I've about decided to just let it go, but make sure he helps out with sweat/money and if he doesn't then i'll have a sure-fire reason to call him out next year.

My only leg-up would be that my brother-in-law is actually a half-brother-in-law, and has basically rejected my father-in-law ever since he became his stepdad when he was 2 years old. So, i do feel that there is a stronger bond between my father-in-law and me. BUT, it's my mother-in-law's father that owns the land. I know, I know, it sounds like we all moved here from Arkansas and have a screwed up family tree.

In summary, i may actually have to borrow LandPirate's boat!!!

I know how you feel but just like you said dont wont any family members upset with you over a few deer.Blood is thicker than water.Just do your thing and let it be.

I'm the in-law where I hunt...as long as the FIL's daughter and I see eye-2-eye, my opinions carry some weight when it comes to the shooting of deer on places we can shoot deer.

Family is sometimes hard to deal with with it is your blood and even harder when its in laws but a free place to hunt is better than nothing. You could always tell your brother in that you are going to set him up his own blind somewhere that is away from your blinds and let him deal with clearing, shooting lanes, food plots and feeders. Then maybe that will keep everyone happy.

Thats why my blinds are all either hidden in the brush for bowhunting or have a big lock on them. That way they aren't even tempted. I do feel your pain though, I hunt on my grandparents land and have an uncle that just drives around and shoots whatever doesnt run from the truck. So as long as my blinds arent in view of his truck I dont worry about it. If you bowhunt I would find the thickest piece of brushy area you can find and hide a hanging stand or ladder stand in there with a small feeder so he wont even know where it is.

I don't hunt on the family place because I don't want to deal with the crap the, the kids, the buddies etc and I am one of the owners. Be happy your not paying taxes on a place that angers you every time you set foot on it.

Tough call, but if it is going to cause issues with the family, maybe it would be better to find your own place and move on.

If this is going to up set you, then it probably isn't worth contining to invest your resources out there. IMO

I agree with calling him and trying to get him out there for some of the sweat. Keep all of your recipts for corn and stuff you spend out there. If he wants to have full hunting rights, ask him to split the price to keep the place going.

I am in the position of your Fil, had family members that thought they owned my place. I didnt realize what was going on until a good friend of the family informed me. Since that time things have changed. Would suggest you have a friendly conservation over dinner with fil.

I'am in a similar situation. Start working for this guy and finds out one of his family members has 40 acres that no one has been on in years. Talk to her and start leasing it, been hunting on it for 6 years now and am starting to see alot of deer and bigger bucks. Brought him with me last year and let him shoot a nice 8, well now he's got the hunting bug and has took it upon himself to put up his own stand, buy himself a gun and a new four wheeler. Told him me and my buddy would be out there saturday. He told me he planned on going on sunday and would rather not have us out there the day before??? I told him I payed to hunt there and I would hunt when I wanted and he said its his family's land and he would do what he wanted. Looks like after all the hard work me and my buddy did we have to walk away and start over. Thinking about going in on a piece of land and buying it so we don't have to worry about this anymore.

forget all that management bs on a half section, just get out there and hunt with your BIL and enjoy yourself.

Who cares if he shoots a buck. Shooting does only on a half section is pointless.

Hunt it and forget about managing a small place.

Enjoy the free hunting and it's your money and nobody forced you to spend it on the place to make it nicer for you.

The BIL is what you should consider as the cost of the lease and just live with it.

There are hundreds of guys who would gladly trade places with you.