Ole Mill Hunting Lodge: Harvest, Austin

Announcements and Events

Ole Mill Hunting Lodge is accepting new members for the 2025 and 2026 season. If you are interested in becoming a member please contact us for more information, please email: olemillhuntinglodge@gmail.com 01/27/2025 Greetings Fellow Hunters, There will be a hunting club meeting/workday 9am Saturday March 15, 2025 at the club house. We will be voting on some important items. Please make plans to attend this meeting. The following scheduled work days for this year are May 17, 2025 and August 23, 2025.

Rules and Regulations

Club Membership Dues are based on total expenses and the total number of paying members for each hunting year.

3/16/2024

1. No guests allowed until after Thanksgiving Day.

2. Immediate Family Members (IFM) are defined as your spouse and your children under the age of sixteen. Each paying Member and/or IFM combined total harvest cannot exceed NC Wildlife Big Game harvest limits for any one licensed hunter in the state (2 antlered deer and 4 antlerless deer for a total of 6 ). This is to say that each deer killed on our club property by a Member or IFM will be deducted from the paying Members total allowed harvest. Guests are defined as Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Cousins and Friends.

3. The paying Members are only allowed 2 antlered deer. The first antlered deer of the season is allowed to be 6 points or more with a minimum 12in inside spread. The second antlered deer must have 8pts or more with a 12in inside spread. Button bucks will be counted as an antlered deer and carry the same fine as an undersized antlered deer. Antlered deer must be verified by at least one other member. Guest and IFM have to abide by what the paying Member has already harvested. There is a $100.00 fine for any deer not meeting these requirements, the fine will increase by $100.00 for every under-sized deer harvested. Example: 1st under-sized deer is $100, 2nd $200, 3rd $300. After the 3rd under-sized deer violation, membership will be put under review which may result in membership termination. This fine does not reset each year and will carry forward to the next year. All doe harvested must weigh 40 lb or more. There is a $100 fine for any doe under 40 lb. These fines are in place to encourage you to look over the deer very carefully before you decide to pull the trigger. Piebald deer should be taken with no penalty to strengthen the herd. Note: IFM or guest first-ever deer harvest is the only exception to the fines.

4. Guest Fees: $15.00 per night to stay in the lodge, or on the property, $35.00 per day to hunt, and a $50.00 fee for each deer harvested. IFM over sixteen may harvest one doe each year without any guest deer harvest fee. All fees must be paid before a paying Member is allowed to continue hunting. (All fees and fines are to be paid to the Treasurer).

5. The paying Members, IFM, and guest will follow all NC Wildlife rules and regulations.

6. No Alcohol during hunts.

7. No smoking in the club house and no smoking in deer stands.

8. No dog hunting of any kind is allowed until after Thanksgiving.

9. No running dogs on Friday nights during deer season.

10. During deer hunting season, no joy riding is allowed in the hunting areas. We will limit our activities to hunting and baiting stands.

11. All paying members must provide a stand that is suitable for all other members to hunt. If you plan to hunt a box stand on club land, you must provide a box stand that others may hunt.

12. All paying Members must participate in at least 2 out of 4 work days each year before deer season. Members who do not attend 2 work days will be assessed a $100.00 fine for each day missed. Work days are in March, May and August. If members request to complete work on days not scheduled, days and work must be approved by club. One work day will be a club only work day, for club land maintenance and repairs only.

13. No guests are allowed during turkey season.

14. All deer harvested on club land are to be registered in accordance with NC Wildlife hunting laws. All hunters must sign-out and sign-in for each hunt using the log book. Earliest sign-out time is 4am for AM hunts and 12:00 noon for PM hunts. Also, record each harvest in the log book for tracking purposes. The Club log book is located in the lodge. (NO EXCEPTIONS)

15. From October 31 - Thanksgiving Day, only the paying members and IFM can hunt using only one stand and one weapon. IFM children over the age of 16 will be treated as a guest and pay fees.

16. If you allow your membership to lapse, you will be assessed as a new member. At least half of the membership fees are paid by the first work day in March (needed to hold your spot from being filled by a new member) and full membership fees must be paid by 3rd Saturday in May of each year. Club Membership Dues are based on total expenses and the total number of paying members for each hunting year. Club membership period will be for one year from April 1 to March 31. New members paid in full by the first meeting/work day may hunt turkey in the April of that year. All membership dues are non-refundable.

17. Only full paid Members are allowed to vote on rules and changes. All members not attending the first annual work day meeting, will need to send in a proxy vote form 10 days before the meeting.

18. All paying members, by accepting membership, do agree to abide by these rules and regulations. Individuals further understand and agree that the land owner, lease manager, and other club members will not be responsible, or held liable, for any accidents or injuries to themselves, family, or guests while on club property. All members, immediate family members, and guests will hunt at their own risk. Violation of the rules and regulations are grounds for membership termination.

CLUB LODGE USAGE GUIDELINES

If you mess it up, clean it up. Trash is picked up on Fridays, please move trash can to the road side on Thursday evening. No Smoking in the Clubhouse. Please bring your own toilet paper and paper towels. Be respectful of others at all times.

Bedrooms and bunks: are on a first-come, first-served basis. To secure a bunk while at the lodge, put your bag/bedding on the empty bunk of your choice. Each time you leave the lodge for one or more nights, please remove all your personal items from the bunk and lodge to make room for other members or guests.

Kitchen: remember the kitchen can be a very busy place during prime hunting season. Please communicate with others and share the kitchen space stove, refrigerator, cabinets, counters, and table. The refrigerator has limited space, please leave room for other members. If you need extra space, please bring a cooler. Each time you leave the lodge for one or more nights, please remove your personal items from the refrigerator. It is ok to leave condiments and small items.

Bathroom: keep clean and remove water from the floor after showering. Remove all personal items from shower and bathroom after each use. House use during January, February and until our first scheduled workday/meeting in March: club members must sign in club log book when using the clubhouse during these months. Club members using the club during these months will be responsible for winterizing the house and the cost to winterize. Any cost and or damages that result from not winterizing properly will be the members responsibility. Any gas bills over $50.00 for the month will be considered excessive and the members using the house during this period will be responsible for the total gas bill during this period.

CLUB DEER STAND AND BAITING GUIDELINES

1. All paying members must provide a stand that is suitable for all other members to hunt. If you plan to hunt a box stand on club land, you must provide a box stand that others may hunt.

2. All members must sign-out and sign-in to the stand they are hunting. If you change stand location you must sign-out to the new location (NO EXCEPTIONS). If a climber stand is used, sign-out to stand closest to where you will be hunting and indicate climber stand in sign-out log book.This is for your safety. We need to know where you are hunting.

3. All deer stands including box, tripod, ladder, and blinds must be marked on the club map (NO EXCEPTIONS). Stands may not be placed on club property randomly. Box stands have priority in placement location and will be considered the primary stand. Placing other stands too close to the primary stand will not be allowed. It causes too much pressure and or it affects deer movement to the primary stand.

4. Baiting to include corn, sweet potatoes, minerals, and other deer food attractants may not be placed on the club property randomly. Baits may be placed at designated locations and/or in an area where they can be seen from the primary stand location. Placing bait in an area near the primary stand, where it can not be seen from the primary stand or in a manner that may reduce deer movement to the primary stand, is not allowed.

5. Some stands may be designated as no bait stands by the stand owner.

6. Stands should be baited during low deer traffic times 11am-3pm.

Be respectful of others at all times.

Trucks and cars are to use roads or paths that exist. DO NOT drive around the edge of fields!

All Deer in the cooler must have proper Identification attached.

All members are responsible for the proper disposal of deer carcasses.

If you mess it up, clean it up.

Each member should review the CLUB RULES.

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Harvest, Austin