…. C’mon swamp … you never salted those slimey things just to watch them shrivel up as a kid ?

… I’m officially questioning your raising

Slugs? I'm assuming what we call leaches?

I have little use for those nasty things. Seen em attached to beaver before and turtles.

…. This is what they look like … grandma would send you with a can of mortan salt to hunt them lol

This right here is my point. Every area is different. I'll tell you flat out in the upper midwest years ago you could get permission on a lot of places by asking the landowner. Up here a handshake and a thank you went further than it does down south evidently. Of course it didn't hurt that my Dad also helped one of the landowners kids out of trouble a few times. I don't hunt that property anymore as it's leased out by the owners other son. It happens so you deal with it. Ironically where I hunt joins that property and I have no ill will towards him and talk to him when I see him. The other farm I'm referring to that joins on the other side of the property I hunt was a relative of my Dads. It was sold so that's also done with. I talk to the current landowner a lot during the fall as he's a hunter. Of course I park right next to his land at the parking area by the road so I see him quite often. We get along great. You see up here sometimes when you're liked that can go aways with people and it's kind of nice. Don't act like a jack arse it gets you farther.

Now to the land where I hunt. What I didn't say before and it really doesn't matter but maybe it'll shed a little light on things to folks with common sense, others it'll sail over their head. I've hunted that area all my life, it's in the middle of nowhere in between 2 dead end roads. The bottom end where I hunt is pretty secluded. I've found chains cut on the gates before which I closed and told the landowner about. I've fixed holes in the fence all be it temporary fixes but it kept the cattle in. I've caught people in there who shouldn't be and reported it to the landowner. The landowner knows if I see something out of place I let them know. I've dragged fallen branches off fences and lifted the wires back up several times securing it with whatever old wire I can find. Here's something else, there's a memorial marker for my Dad on a log down on that property. He was cremated and his ashes were spread there. He grew up in an old cabin about 1/2 mile from the property I hunt. As a kid he hunted and trapped that area. That is where he wanted to be when he died. I'm lucky I can hunt on that land yet and I know it. It may change in the future and I can't predict that but what I can do is be respectful, not leave trash around and also I don't drive on their property. I don't want the combinations to the locks so I can't be blamed for something I didn't do. I don't own a side by side so I don't need to worry about it.

Some people haven't got a clue but it doesn't stop them from spewing a bunch of drivel fueled in large part by jealousy.

To Yes sir and a whole bunch of others from the midwest you know what I'm talking about when asking permission quite often got you on ground to hunt, fish or trap. It was a far simpler/better time and a lot different than now. Nobody gave a crap about shooting a Booner or P/Y and most didn't know what that meant either. That was me too.

Nah, melt them for giggles.

Nope, they are on dry land. Banana Slugs get quite large, as does the slime puddle after salting. Ammonia in a squirt bottle is pretty sporting also.

Snail w/o a shell?

Not common down here in my part of the deep South.

Don't know that I've ever seen one without a shell. And it was less than an inch long.

You'd have to be a professional slug hunter to find any number of those down here.

This entire thread is why all the “outdoor channels” suck. There are a million things to hunt, trap, fish, but all they wanna show are whispering deer hunters from paid land in an elevated blind. I pay 153 bucks for an out of state turkey tag (and I get 2) every year because I love the land and I toss a case of beer or a bottle of whiskey at the landowners and they are happy as (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman). If I deer hunted, I could find a private spot locally (been offered-dont deer hunt) or just hunt public. For EVERYTHING else, I get a combo of both public and private. I dont feel like Im getting squeezed out of hunting anytime soon.

Expensive no kidding ,it's over, done with,get over it. Figure out a way..
But it's all up to you how.
I moved to alaska, took different jobs for carrots (hunting opportunities).totally paid off.
The trips and time involved would of been millions if guided

While the pros are assembled.

What is up with a deer severe drooling,
frothing at the mouth?
The same one did it last year.

I have been on some great hunts that some of you would envy. Never paid 10 cents above equipment costs. I still won't. Pay to hunt is not a good thing. I will never participate.

Own an 80 acre farm that borders my son in laws family farm that is another 240. Have 4 acres that our house is on that borders my wife’s grandparents (century farm) that is close to 400 acres. My sons and I kill deer every year, but last year was the first year in 40 that I didn’t tag a buck. Had opportunities but used tags to kill does off neighbors pumpkin patch as they were doing damage.

We have a fair amount of public ground but it gets a bit “sporty” from out of state hunters that take advantage of our cheap licenses. I refrain from hunting the public ground.

Swamp, I know there has to be some good game wardens, but I haven’t seen or met one in far too long. I still remember the story of a warden getting caught turkey hunting on land he didn’t have permission on and it got him ran out of Maries County. I still have and use one of their turkey box calls. These days we get a new warden every 2 to 3 years straight out of the academy. All gung-ho and ignorant of how to work with the public and short on humility. They cannot build relationships that would help them be more successful or even try to become part of the community.

I know. This is a serious problem here in Ga too. The applicant pool is thin and pathetic. I dont know what to suggest that will fix this that will work on a statewide level. These young folks have little outdoor knowledge or experience and even less people skills....which is what a law enforcement job is....its ALL people management.

I was on Georgia's DNR LE hiring board one year. We interviewed 50+ applicants in a week. We had one young man that had made it thru the process to this interview.....a feat in itself! When I asked about his outdoor experience he stated that he had been a WalMart shopping cart gatherer which was mostly outdoors and that was his only experience. I just about lost my mind.....had to hold back. This guy had made it thru the written test, the physical abilities test - running & swimming, background check, etc.

Out of all those applicants we interviewed that week only about 5 knew what a trap was. Only about 7 or 8 produced a current hunting or fishing license when I asked. It was shocking and this same mess is occurring at the state interviews today.

Got pics?

We all pay to hunt....some more than others....

Gun/Bow
Ammo/Arrows
Licenses
Clothing...ie cold weather gear
Treestands/Blinds
Other gear...binoculars, rangefinder, etc
Fuel to get there
Lease/membership cost (if you don’t own the land)
Property taxes (if you do own the land)

The pre job " skill pool " is very poor at this time in my lifetime. I have witnessed it so frequently that I have real concerns for what is in store for this country and its employees in the years to come.

Young folks that know very little and have very little basic practical hands on skills to bring to the table. Many could care less in their performance or quality of work. I get applicants interested in a wildlife control job that have no experience with animals at all of any kind. It isn't worth the time vested to train them. Might as well do it yourself.

They think like..... Just give me an easy job that I can do, pay me good and let me do what I feel like doing.

You are lucky to have me kind of attitude.

My first real experience with land leasing and pay to hunt was really exposed to me in Kansas years back. I thought, what is this all about? It was an eye opener until I learned more about it. I ran into some complications when trapping some nice cat country.

These desk job folks would want to go quail hunting on these places a few times a month. Of course, they were using dogs so I had to cover or pull my cat/ coyote sets for a few days in a month to keep peace. Which I did, but it was a pain and likely lost some opportunities at some cats as a result.

Sometimes you just have to play the cards you are given and make the best. It is better than having no place at all.

Amen!

Glad you enjoy paying for it.
I need about six to eight a year to keep the family in meat.
Usually doable off my land. Groceries ain’t cheap and “paying to play” adds an additional cost that some of us see as unnecessary.

Lots of slugs in our area. The buggers can really work over my young sunflower plants and my mushrooms on my logs that I cultivate. You wouldnt think slugs could do that much damage but they do pretty quick.

We don't many leaches around here except in some of our spring run stream areas. I get water at a local spring head that the locals go for drinking water. The larger bodies of water have some but I don't see many unless looking for some under rocks for fishing.