The phone rang just after dinner. One of our favorite clients had finally arrowed Ol’ Whatever They Called Him, the 160-class buck he had been watching for the past three years. He had hit the buck “a little back” and the hunter was despondent. “Would you bring Radar and give me a hand tracking him?” I said sure, and we grabbed our tracking dog and headed out the door, after calling the game warden to give him a heads up. He returned the favor by reminding us that our client and his neighbor to the south were at war with each other and the neighbor would not take kindly to any line crossing. Wow, a 160-inch buck lying out there somewhere and no chance of recovering him if he went south. What a mess. How the heck could a war with a neighbor have gotten this far?
Sadly, we see it all of the time. My son Neil and I have been in the wildlife consulting business for the past 25 years or so and managing neighbor relations is one of most commonn topics we discuss with our clients. Believe me, a war with a neighbor is the last thing you want in a hunting property. It can easily get out of hand and can absolutely take the joy out of hunting. Our clients are constantly asking for advice on handling troublesome neighbors and/or trespassers. The trouble is, by the time it comes to our attention, their problems with neighbors have gone too far to fix. If ever the axiom, “An ounce of
