• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Public land etiquette

Heres a post from a while back, the story would take too long to retype here.
Takeaways from this experience: First I relate this story because I find it humorous not because I was upset. There's a pretty good chance that the other guy related this story because he peeved that some jerk on a rope ruined his hunt. Its all about perspective.
Second, being mobile I was able to adapt quickly to a plan B and still ended the day with an opportunity.

Illegal Ladder Stands on Public Land

So, I put about 3.5 miles of hiking in on a piece of game lands near me this evening and found 8 ladder stands. You're only allowed to have them up on game lands two weeks prior to the season opener of archery and then they must come down two weeks after the last season which ends in January...
saddlehunter.com
 
kyler1945 said:
I should have clarified.

“If I were bothered enough to ask for advice on the internet on how to deal with someone doing something I don’t like on public land, I would try the friendly relationship building approach instead.”

I am allergic to other hunters in the woods. Access is a different thing - I’ll say hello there and be friendly. Once I’m in the woods, I avoid other hunters and their equipment. I just can’t imagine being so bothered by a deer stand or another person in the woods that I complain on the internet. It feels like it says more about me than the offender if I did that.
Click to expand...

well, i think you're wrong to think someone else wrong to complain about another person being wrong

lol

it's turtles all the way down
 
boyne bowhunter said:
Heres a post from a while back, the story would take too long to retype here.
Takeaways from this experience: First I relate this story because I find it humorous not because I was upset. There's a pretty good chance that the other guy related this story because he peeved that some jerk on a rope ruined his hunt. Its all about perspective.
Second, being mobile I was able to adapt quickly to a plan B and still ended the day with an opportunity.

Illegal Ladder Stands on Public Land

So, I put about 3.5 miles of hiking in on a piece of game lands near me this evening and found 8 ladder stands. You're only allowed to have them up on game lands two weeks prior to the season opener of archery and then they must come down two weeks after the last season which ends in January...
saddlehunter.com
Click to expand...

Haha. I would’ve loved to hear that guy at the water cooler the next day!
 
Part of the problem in our sport is that a large number of the participants have more testosterone than brains. Results in a lot of childish and bully-like behavior. I don't put up with it one bit, and always advise others to do the same when having issues. Can't let bullies win.

Luckily, my state has a law/regulation that you cannot leave any stands or blinds on public hunting land. Not even overnight. Solves a lot of the issues since it is always first-come, first-served with no potential for excuses. This past year they took public comments for potentially changing the law to allow stands to be left up for the season and it got shot down hard. Thankfully.
 
Spartan said:
Part of the problem in our sport is that a large number of the participants have more testosterone than brains. Results in a lot of childish and bully-like behavior. I don't put up with it one bit, and always advise others to do the same when having issues. Can't let bullies win.

Luckily, my state has a law/regulation that you cannot leave any stands or blinds on public hunting land. Not even overnight. Solves a lot of the issues since it is always first-come, first-served with no potential for excuses. This past year they took public comments for potentially changing the law to allow stands to be left up for the season and it got shot down hard. Thankfully.
Click to expand...
Wish they would change our rules to something like that.
 
There are places here where there are so many stands as to effectively make that parcel unusable. I'm glad other states have better laws , and apparently, better people.

I've been overly respectful of other hunters. It's pretty much tanked several of my outings as far as chances of success. I may go full a-hole and put some stands down after the law says they gotta be down. The amount of tacks/flagging/spraypaint is disgusting some places too, and I wish they'd change this rules. If there's sign in the area, there's probably people sign too
 
raisins said:
lazy hunters just think that's what everyone does....no one is mobile
Click to expand...

It continues to amaze me how lazy the general hunting population is. I was up in Pa state forests this past weekend. Most hunters where less than 100 yards from their trucks setup along the hiking trails. Thousands of acres available to be scouted and hunted yet they chose to be that close to a through way for other hunters.

I had one guy literally plant himself on the ground 5ft off the trail looking at it as it came up the mountain. He waved at me to signal that he was there, however it was the way I needed to go without adding an additional mile to my hike back to camp without passing right in front of him. I booked it past him, but honestly don’t feel the slightest bit sorry for him. If you don’t want your hunts interrupted then don’t hunt on the main hiking trails. Setting back in 20-30 yards is better then right on the trail.

It was eye opening that no matter where you go the majority of east coast hunters, and I’m sure west coasters don’t want to put in the effort to hunt other then a short walk from their truck.

To the OP it’s public land. I have an area I like to hunt back here at home and in the year plus I’ve had trail cameras down there have had 1 person on them during the off-season. It’s my secret spot, however I’m very aware that anyone else could show up and hunt the same area and there’s nothing I can do about it.
 
It goes a little bit both ways in my opinion. The guy who hangs a stand to "claim" a spot is not in the right. However a guy who is hunting a spot that is clearly being hunted probably should've made a better decision. Hunting in another guy's stand is a sin. I have no problems with guys hanging stands, I do it too in places that's are tough to reach. But don't necessarily expect to be alone. If I have a honey hole I've been hunting for x years without ever seeing a soul, show up at my clearly-being-hunted stand one day and there's a dude in a climber 50 yards away I'm still hunting in my stand, but I'm not going to berate the guy. It's his right to be there but it's my right to think he's either an idiot or an a-hole for setting up on me. If I see a stand that's clearly an archery setup I move on. I'm talking about fairly rural areas in PA. Heavily pressured areas closer to the burbs are a bit more cutthroat, first come first served, your stand don't be crap, IMO. If there's thousands of acres, move on and find your own spot.
 
THill202 said:
It goes a little bit both ways in my opinion. The guy who hangs a stand to "claim" a spot is not in the right. However a guy who is hunting a spot that is clearly being hunted probably should've made a better decision. Hunting in another guy's stand is a sin. I have no problems with guys hanging stands, I do it too in places that's are tough to reach. But don't necessarily expect to be alone. If I have a honey hole I've been hunting for x years without ever seeing a soul, show up at my clearly-being-hunted stand one day and there's a dude in a climber 50 yards away I'm still hunting in my stand, but I'm not going to berate the guy. It's his right to be there but it's my right to think he's either an idiot or an a-hole for setting up on me. If I see a stand that's clearly an archery setup I move on. I'm talking about fairly rural areas in PA. Heavily pressured areas closer to the burbs are a bit more cutthroat, first come first served, your stand don't be crap, IMO. If there's thousands of acres, move on and find your own spot.
Click to expand...

You say first come first serve as we all agree but also say someone is an idiot or A hole for setting up in an area you have a stand despite you not being there during setup...kinda defeats that logic huh? How is anyone to know you'll hunt that stand that day? Its your spot because you've hunted it for years??
 
Dmathews87 said:
You say first come first serve as we all agree but also say someone is an idiot or A hole for setting up in an area you have a stand despite you not being there during setup...kinda defeats that logic huh? How is anyone to know you'll hunt that stand that day? Its your spot because you've hunted it for years??
Click to expand...
Agreed, here on public land stands are only able to be up for 24hrs. Like i stated before if i come up on one thats obviously been there longer its 100% coming down and getting moved a long ways away or brought the house and given to friends that use them. Ill ruin a hunt to take someomes stuff down, am i an a-hole? Definitely and glad to be to people that dont follow rules in the woods.
 
kyler1945 said:
Has anyone who posts these “Some person on public land is doing something I don’t like what should I do?” Or “My neighbor does something I don’t like what should I do?” Threads considered just becoming friends with the offenders?

I mean, just take a smile and the benefit of the doubt and some grace and self awareness into the situation. Invite them for a beer, or a sandwich or coffee. See if they would like to hunt together or scout together sometime. Worst case, you inject a little decency into the situation, and they see you’re a human and you see them as human and they’re less spiteful. Medium case, they stop with the offending behavior because they now see it from your point of view, and realize they can do better. Best case you make a friend or someone that ends up saving your life in a pinch.

That sounds silly in 2022, I know. Talking to a stranger face to face with only good intentions and no expectations is unheard of these days. But surely, whining about it on the internet or calling the law has not made things better. What’s the worst that could happen? It seems like a more interesting use of your time anyway.


Another rule I’ve come to live by. If I encounter someone behaving in a way that most people wouldn’t, and it’s negatively impacting me, they’re usually having a much harder go at life than I am at that time. I either keep that in mind when interacting with them. Or I avoid them like the plague so they don’t bring me down too. Life’s too short, and there’s too many good places to hunt and fun people. Make a friend or go find less hunter density I say!
Click to expand...

KYLER, You put that into words perfectly. It would be a better world if all people could take this kind of advice.
 
Horn said:
There are places here where there are so many stands as to effectively make that parcel unusable. I'm glad other states have better laws , and apparently, better people.

I've been overly respectful of other hunters. It's pretty much tanked several of my outings as far as chances of success. I may go full a-hole and put some stands down after the law says they gotta be down. The amount of tacks/flagging/spraypaint is disgusting some places too, and I wish they'd change this rules. If there's sign in the area, there's probably people sign too
Click to expand...
you must be hunting the same land as me. So many stands ......year round i believe. A lot of garbage in the woods too, So Sad!
 
Sounds like we got another good use for the slingshot and “doe in heat” marbles, haha.
 
Its fair chase so i cant complain.i hope others are sucsessfull too.in my state the law is if its left in the woods its not mine anymore.let the best man win.there was 8 people waiting at the gate on rob mill road.one said its not daylight yet.i said you all scared of the dark .then walked in without a light.besides that for some reason nobody says anything to me except see anything.
 
I don't mess with other people's stuff in the woods but if someone yelled at me and told me it's their spot. You can bet your ass that stand won't be there the next time they want to hunt "their spot"
 
Here in SW Va. people will setup a cheap tent, set cheap chairs around an old hibachi grill, or park an old pull-behind pop-up three weeks before muzzleloader and leave it to say this is their spot. You can tell because none of the leaves are disturbed and I'm through the area frequently.

Next year, because I'm an ethical hunter, I'm scouting all around those sites.

As far as seeing treestands in the woods, I mark and scout those. If I decide to hunt the area, I go in and will back out if I see a hunter, but I never have.

When you have people pulling antics like setting up stuff around a site or having friends drop another car off in a spot, I really have no guilt.
 
The_Fit_Ness_Monster said:
Agreed, here on public land stands are only able to be up for 24hrs. Like i stated before if i come up on one thats obviously been there longer its 100% coming down and getting moved a long ways away or brought the house and given to friends that use them. Ill ruin a hunt to take someomes stuff down, am i an a-hole? Definitely and glad to be to people that dont follow rules in the woods.
Click to expand...

I don't like it when people leave stands in the woods either and don't do it myself because I think it's rude to other hunters I'm sharing the woods with but that doesn't justify stealing. Call a warden and report it's location if it's that big of a deal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top