Four years ago, armed with a doe tag, I spotted and stalked a monster buck. I got to do the stalk because the buck had 2 does with him. Here on the Dakota Plains, the rut is either peaking or falling off during the gun season, depending on the weather. That year it was falling off.

I stalked to within 70 feet of the buck. If that sounds impressive, it isn�t. In my roundabout approach of over half a mile, I stalked the wrong weed patch, saw that it was empty, stood and walked to it, only to find the buck and does bedded in the next patch, still close, but totally surprising me and getting away. I didn�t get either of the does; they were gone that quick. But what a thrill to see this old boy up close!

I saw the buck several times during the season, but always on posted land and I saw him several seasons after that initial encounter, but I always seemed to have a doe tag.

Two years ago I drew a buck tag and went after the buck. My first day out, I ran across a buck with an odd rack; one side seven points, the other five. One side large, the other side small. And he was injured. He had lost the use of his left front leg. He would not last the winter. I tracked him across fresh snow and filled my tag. (It looked like a car hit him when he was in velvet bending one antler down at an odd angle. That filled the tag I assumed was destine for the big buck.

The land where my big buck hangs out changed hands last year. There was a new name on the mailbox. The new owner pulled down the no hunting signs and posted the land as open to hunting, and welcome. Unfortunately, in three rounds of drawings, I drew 3 doe tags putting the buck out of reach for another year.

On one of my days afield, I stopped for lunch at a local caf�. A man came in and sat at my table as the other tables were all full. We started talking. He gave me his last name. I attached the last name to the new name on the farm where my buck hangs out.

Yup, he said, his brother just brought the place. I said that it was nice to see the no hunting signs come down. This gentlemen, a total stranger, laid out where all of his land is located, and gave me permission to hunt it all. And he did it without me asking.

I told him about the buck on his brother�s land.

Well, he had a story to tell.

His brother spotted the buck on his land and spent several months pattering his movement and habits. When opening day came, he had a good idea where he would find the buck.

He was right. He jumped the buck, fired and hit him. The buck crossed a fence line, ran a short distance into another farmer�s field and laid down. He ran into posted land.

The owner of the posted land was close by, saw where the buck laid down, went to the spot and took him. The guy that jumped the jumped the buck walked on the land so he could get pictures. The land owner tolerated that for a bit, then ordered him off his land. Not very neighborly.

I plan to visit my new neighbor, demand to see the pictures of my buck, and commiserate with him how fate cheated both of us. I plan to tell him what I think about man that denied him permission to go after a buck he clearly worked hard to get. It won�t take long to give my opinion, but it will be colorful. Guaranteed.

The problem is, property ownership is as fundamental a right as is gun ownership. In fact, it includes gun ownership.

Rules is rules.

I have to say, it's a sorry man that will take another man's trophy as if he'd earned it.

Still, if I ever own property with significant natural resources, I will not likley expose myself to the abuse and neglect I have seen other property owners endure. I would certainly let a guy claim a buck that made it over the line in the last seconds of its life, but I'd also make sure all my friends and neighbors heard about it if I took any crap from a hunter.

Since I don't own any natural resouces, I live by a pretty simple set of rules. It's called the law. I never like it when it cuts against me, but it keeps me from having to figure out difficult stuff like whether this instance or that is sufficient to trespass, shoot out of season, take over-limit or whatever.

kk

In Oregon it is not trespassing to recover game legally shot off the property, the landowner can not stop you from recovering your animal. You can not carry your firearm or shoot across the fence line. One of the most popular elk hunting areas in Oregon borders a national park. If you shoot a bull that runs back into the park you can recover it without your weapon, and you better not shoot it from across the boundries. I am a huge property right believer, but how hard is it to be a good neighbor.

In West Virginia you can recover your game but you can not take your figharm across the fence line.As a property owner myself I would never do that to some one.I'm glade I have good neighbors.Good luck hunting.

RogerK:

Anyone that would claim as his own an animal that was killed or mortally wounded by another hunter is a SLOB!

I am afraid that the reasonable land owner will not have very good relations with his new neighbor. I'll bet that one day an opportunity will come along to allow a little pay-back.

cwilson

The guy's a prick, and one day he'll get what's coming.

As my Dad says "The smart ones always get it in the end." ( Not smart as intelligent, but smart like a cheat."

By the way, good for you for taking the injured buck, and using your hard earned tag to kill an animal that was suffering.

KK, I agree that property rights are holy. I own 2000 acres of natural resources. A small part of it is posted owing to the proximity of the house I live in. From ceratin areas of the land you can't see the house. I never deny permission for that 160 acres to anyone who will stop and ask after I explain that I have a neighbor just over the hill and not to shoot that direction. Anybody that wants to hunt the rest of the land is more than welcome. The land hold wild life in abundace and even a creek with some fine pike fishing duing the spawn run.

North Dakota law says land is open to hunting if it isn't posted. I've been active in the legislative process to keep it that way. So far it's been an easy battle.

North Dakota also has a law that allows a hunter to enter posted land to recover game.