Billy from Wisconsin asks,
Hey Bill, hope you are doing well! With all of the land you have owned I’m sure you have had to deal with your share of neighbors and them pushing the borders. How have you dealt with this in the past, especially if someone is hunting very close to the border line? What are some methods you have used to deter fence sitters and to funnel the deer away from that area and into the safety and cover on the center of your property? Thank you so much for your time!
Bill responds,
Topic: How to Work with Problem Neighbors
Even though you and your neighbors may not agree on all things, it is important to maintain good relations anyway. If you don’t, the border wars will really start and you may as well sell the property and find another one.
Billy,
I have been blessed to have good neighbors over the years. I think it is probably due, in part, to the fact that we have always lived on the property we owned and that meant we saw our neighbors often, our kids went to school with their kids, etc. You get the idea. If you live on the property be sure to have friendly relations with your neighbors even if they annoy you. That means stopping by to say hello a couple times per year and helping them with the odd project when your time permits. That way you are less likely to have problems, plus those are just the neighborly thing to do.
Not saying that will fix all the hunting issues, it probably won’t, but at least your neighbors will think twice before they take advantage of you or let someone hunting on their property do the same.
Now to your question. For sure I would put the food in the middle of your property if you have the choice. That way you cause the deer to focus in that direction with their movements. I would also create the thickest cover possible so it is very hard to shoot (or even see) into your property. If you have problem areas, like a fence line with a view into your property, I would plant some fast growing trees along this stretch. A good example would be some kind of hybrid willow (you will have to cage these at first because deer eat them) or cedar. A band about 20 yards wide of fixed thick growing trees will result in a nice screen over time.
You can’t eliminate deer crossing the fence between you and your neighbor, but you can make your property attractive enough that deer leave less often. Again, that comes down to food in the center and as much thick diverse cover as possible. Good luck. (5/3/21)
