Shed New Light Or Cut The Losses

[NorthernoaksHunt]

My dad and i hunt at the family owned hunting camp that my grandfather and a few friends made. But we have over the years had too many members join and bring there friends up who shoot up the woods and scare everything over into the nieghbors property. we dont believe it is fair too the owners to put up with it and too have to hunt season after season without much luck. I hunt at my uncles house were he has only 3-4 people on his property that hunt and we manage it good and have 180-200 class deer even though there is no food plot and all we do is hunt and let the deer do the growing. So should we pull out of deer camp and make a different one or stay in. If we stay how could we bring up the problem with other owners.

[prohunter]

Well sometimes too many freinds in the woods at one time can be bad. Maybe you can hunt there when their not ! But i am one that likes to hunt alone or almost.
I think i would hunt at my uncles place if you have that class of deer there. But i would not have any parties. If the hunt club is yours and your families i think i would down size in membership. Or cut and run. jim

[Gulfcapt]

Personaly If its a family owned hunting club, I would call a meeting, and if thats not possible. I would write a semi nice letter explaining the proplems that has accured in the past,and try to get it corrected!! If that fails,and if have the power to kick em off.... kick em off... atleast you can say you tried! When it comes to families it gets alittle sticky at times so start of being diplamatic!

[scottflesher]

I agree with the other posts. If your family owns the hunt club, why not just tell the members that they are no longer allowed to bring friends? You of couse should verify this strategy with the other members first. If they are frustrated with it also, then they shouldn't have reservation about you sending a letter out to the members bringing friends.
Sometimes being in a leadership position (owning land or being a high ranking offical of a hunt club) means having difficult decisions and taking unpopular stances on issues.
In the end, I think your responsiblity is to the long tenured members of the hunt club and to the deer herd.
If you're unsuccessful at the hunt club, then your fall back plan can be to hunt at your uncles.

[hookset6969]

Do any of your grandfathers friends have any ownership in the property? If not call a meeting and discuss the problems and those who don't like it can leave. It's getting real expensive now to own property and to put up with a hastle every time you go there is not worth it in my mind, These people should be thankful to have a place to hunt that is not costing them anything. However if these people are paying memberships than your going to have to listen to their side also and take a vote..

[scottflesher]

I'm thinking that your mainly speaking of the "friends" of the members. Of course you won't be able to keep the members out, unless at the end of the year you don't renew their memberships.
I'm not real familiar with hunting camps. They're not real common in my state. I do have several buddies down south that pay a fee (around a thousand per year) and can hunt 2,000-3,000 acres. They've offered me to come down and hut hogs with them if I pay the "friend" fee that is around $25 per day. Perhaps if that's what you're referring to, your camp can eliminate the "friend clause" and just say members only.
I'm assuming that because your grandfather owns the land, he can make his own rules up. The only down side that I can see is that if you upset too many members and they don't renew their own membership, then you could lose revenue, assuming your using their membership fees to pay for the land or the taxes.