Hunting Incident

[kongzilla]

Yea, I always feel a bit uncomfortable when I am the second one to the parking lot. Just want to be respectful and hopefully not bump into the other hunter's setup.

 

[bj139]

Maybe we should all have business cards made that say:

Hello.
My name is _______.
Yes, I am hunting.
No, I have not seen much here.
A speedy, quiet departure would appreciated.
Thanks & Godspeed...

When people walk nearby your setup or come up to your tree to talk, you can clip the card onto your bow rope and lower it down to them.

 

[Hogtooth]

I was in Georgia hunting public land. I waded across a swamp to to reach a island full of oaks. I hung my stand cleared my lanes and left the area opening day couldn't come fast enough. There was hog and deer sign every where I was excited to say the least. I thought to myself I have this spot all to myself nobody is going to walk across that swamp to get here. Opening day came I was up and in my stand before day light several does had came by and it was 10:00 am. I here voices and I'm thinking am I losing my mind. 30 min later 5 collage kids dressed in polo shirts and kaki pants walk right under my tree. I speak softly "hey" the stop and say did you hear that. they looked around and started looking at plants again. I say again softly "hey" the one kid says to another "dude are you messing with me" I start laughing under my breath. I say again "hey" that time they look up at me it scared the crap out of them. I told them to watch out down below I had to pee while I was undoing my belt.

They laughed and apologized I laughed they said they was doing research for a paper about certain plants in the area and moved on. I laughed so hard by the way the scattered when I said I had to pee.

I asked them how did they cross the swamp to get there. they said we didn't cross a swamp we walked the road. I found the road and walked out that way back to the parking lot. It was a much easier walk. I found another area to hunt

 

[DanielB89]

If hunting gets to be like a golf course, I'm giving up. I am not getting stuck up a tree in the dark for "etiquette". I should be free to leave whenever I want. If you want privacy, get a lease to yourself or buy some land.

So would you get mad if someone were to come over and climb up 40 or so yards from you? The same etiquette that would guide both you and someone not to do that is why you wouldn't do it(assuming you wouldn't).

I was just posting a thought to deepen perspective. With the profession of WWJD, wouldn't you say that situation was completely avoidable by just waiting until dark to come out? You don't necessarily have to be up the tree when dark gets there. Just not disrupting someone else's hunt.

No matter what leisure activity you choose, there is always etiquette that goes along with it. Some guys may only get a single day to hunt a week and then to have someone walk up on them in prime time would be a pretty big deal imo. I have heard of some crazy stuff happening down here in LA on some reserves with situations like that. People here are CRAZY; fights, tires slashed, atv shot with gun(literally), etc.

In response to your, "go buy land" comment, I did buy land. The same land all other public land hunters bought. There is etiquette in everything you do.

 

[bj139]

So would you get mad if someone were to come over and climb up 40 or so yards from you? The same etiquette that would guide both you and someone not to do that is why you wouldn't do it(assuming you wouldn't).

I was just posting a thought to deepen perspective. With the profession of WWJD, wouldn't you say that situation was completely avoidable by just waiting until dark to come out? You don't necessarily have to be up the tree when dark gets there. Just not disrupting someone else's hunt.

No matter what leisure activity you choose, there is always etiquette that goes along with it. Some guys may only get a single day to hunt a week and then to have someone walk up on them in prime time would be a pretty big deal imo. I have heard of some crazy stuff happening down here in LA on some reserves with situations like that. People here are CRAZY; fights, tires slashed, atv shot with gun(literally), etc.

In response to your, "go buy land" comment, I did buy land. The same land all other public land hunters bought. There is etiquette in everything you do.

He should have handed me a map when he walked by my stand two hours before with his tree stand marked and told me to avoid HIS area. It's the only way to be sure. I didn't know where his stand was or I would have avoided it. Did he display proper etiquette when he walked by my stand? I didn't think anything about it and I was not offended in the least. I will not wait till after dark just to appease a younger, stronger hunter especially when I don't know where they are. They may be home already eating a late dinner while I'm still up a tree in the dark.

 

[EricS]

I was hunting with my 14 year old this weekend. We were hunting in different trees but “within sight or sound of” each other( 50-100 yards). After sitting the same area Friday pm and Saturday am I tried to get him to want to move to a new area. We were both seeing deer and he wanted to stay. Well Saturday evening he only saw one and it came in behind him and busted him. He wanted to make a move. Well that meant going in blind to an area I had hunted before but haven’t scouted in a few years. So this means that I now have to get to the woods early enough to get him setup, lifeline set and watch him up a tree then go climb one myself. Well we get to the tree and my son’s having stomach cramps. Sent him the quarter mile back to the truck to get tp and take care of buisiness. So I climb his tree, get predator setup, life line set, gear hanger hung, backpack hung, and crossbow hung and loaded. Then my phone rings. Some guy met my son at the parking area. Apparently he was setup 50 yards from the tree I’m in and has been there since Friday. My son told him it wasn’t a big deal we were saddle hunters and we would move. I met the guy coming in. He was nice enough and I explained we were moving because we didn’t want to hunt where he had been hunting for three days. I also explained to my son that we don’t have to move for anyone that if the guy wanted to hunt that spot he should have been there not rolling in half an hour before legal light. I could have been a but and said we weren’t moving and listened to the guy crash through the woods beating his stand on everything. We only moved a couple hundred yards to what was probably a better spot anyway.
As far as people walking in on you it sucks. Especially prime time. I probably would have been upset also. Wouldn’t have yelled and probably would have rather you didn’t even notice me on your way out. That said it happens and I try to think that as many deer get bumped toward me than spooked away from me.

 

[EricS]

@bj139 I don’t know about etiquette but he have some hunts here where it’s actually against the hunt rules to be down and moving the first two and last two hours of light. According to my wife I don’t climb down until I can’t see my hand.

 

[bj139]

@bj139 I don’t know about etiquette but he have some hunts here where it’s actually against the hunt rules to be down and moving the first two and last two hours of light. According to my wife I don’t climb down until I can’t see my hand.

This is a state park so there are walkers using the trail. The hunting area is just an afterthought. Hunting is not the primary reason for the park.

 

[DanielB89]

He should have handed me a map when he walked by my stand two hours before with his tree stand marked and told me to avoid HIS area. It's the only way to be sure. I didn't know where his stand was or I would have avoided it. Did he display proper etiquette when he walked by my stand? I didn't think anything about it and I was not offended in the least. I will not wait till after dark just to appease a younger, stronger hunter especially when I don't know where they are. They may be home already eating a late dinner while I'm still up a tree in the dark.

I can't base your actions off of what HE did. His yelling at you is wrong. Him claiming an area is wrong. But, I think context is key here. I personally believe all the hours should be in reference to the sun rising or setting. IMO(I THINK most hunters would agree with me), no one should be walking a hunting area within 2 hours after the of the sun rising or 2 hours before the sun sets. In your example, if he walked by at 4 and it gets dark at 7ish, I would be fine with it, but if he walked by me at 6 and it gets dark at 7, that is totally different. I appreciate the dialogue. We don't to agree, but I do believe we can learn from each others opinions and perspectives.

Now, I can't tell anyone what to do or not to do, but I think it would be a good idea to restrict your areas of hunting to closer to the parking area just out of etiquette. For you to walk a mile in knowing that you'll have to climb down an hour or so before dark just to make it out would be offensive imo.

On the opposite side, I think hunting closer to the truck would be better etiquette as the likeliness of walking by someone and disrupting someone else's hunt would be far greater.

 

[bj139]

I was hunting with my 14 year old this weekend. We were hunting in different trees but “within sight or sound of” each other( 50-100 yards). After sitting the same area Friday pm and Saturday am I tried to get him to want to move to a new area. We were both seeing deer and he wanted to stay. Well Saturday evening he only saw one and it came in behind him and busted him. He wanted to make a move. Well that meant going in blind to an area I had hunted before but haven’t scouted in a few years. So this means that I now have to get to the woods early enough to get him setup, lifeline set and watch him up a tree then go climb one myself. Well we get to the tree and my son’s having stomach cramps. Sent him the quarter mile back to the truck to get tp and take care of buisiness. So I climb his tree, get predator setup, life line set, gear hanger hung, backpack hung, and crossbow hung and loaded. Then my phone rings. Some guy met my son at the parking area. Apparently he was setup 50 yards from the tree I’m in and has been there since Friday. My son told him it wasn’t a big deal we were saddle hunters and we would move. I met the guy coming in. He was nice enough and I explained we were moving because we didn’t want to hunt where he had been hunting for three days. I also explained to my son that we don’t have to move for anyone that if the guy wanted to hunt that spot he should have been there not rolling in half an hour before legal light. I could have been a but and said we weren’t moving and listened to the guy crash through the woods beating his stand on everything. We only moved a couple hundred yards to what was probably a better spot anyway.
As far as people walking in on you it sucks. Especially prime time. I probably would have been upset also. Wouldn’t have yelled and probably would have rather you didn’t even notice me on your way out. That said it happens and I try to think that as many deer get bumped toward me than spooked away from me.

So, this guy says he has been hunting where you were setup but is not in his tree. You should tell him you were hunting this area last week and he should move. Where does it stop?

 

[bj139]

I can't base your actions off of what HE did. His yelling at you is wrong. Him claiming an area is wrong. But, I think context is key here. I personally believe all the hours should be in reference to the sun rising or setting. IMO(I THINK most hunters would agree with me), no one should be walking a hunting area within 2 hours after the of the sun rising or 2 hours before the sun sets. In your example, if he walked by at 4 and it gets dark at 7ish, I would be fine with it, but if he walked by me at 6 and it gets dark at 7, that is totally different. I appreciate the dialogue. We don't to agree, but I do believe we can learn from each others opinions and perspectives.

Now, I can't tell anyone what to do or not to do, but I think it would be a good idea to restrict your areas of hunting to closer to the parking area just out of etiquette. For you to walk a mile in knowing that you'll have to climb down an hour or so before dark just to make it out would be offensive imo.

On the opposite side, I think hunting closer to the truck would be better etiquette as the likeliness of walking by someone and disrupting someone else's hunt would be far greater.

Deer are shot at all hours of the day. Am I now supposed to be up my tree before first light and don't come back down until after dark? Am I supposed to go out on the trail and tell the walkers going by who are talking to stop talking because they are scaring the deer? Some one posted on SH about being up a tree near the parking lot and noticing a buck in a small patch of brush hiding. All the hunters walked right past him and further into the woods. I found that funny as well as instructive.

 

[bj139]

I feel this is like football and we should all huddle up in the parking lot. Lenny, you go do a square out left. Bob, do a slant to the right. Ezekiel, just go long.

 

[BTaylor]

He should have handed me a map when he walked by my stand two hours before with his tree stand marked and told me to avoid HIS area. It's the only way to be sure. I didn't know where his stand was or I would have avoided it. Did he display proper etiquette when he walked by my stand? I didn't think anything about it and I was not offended in the least. I will not wait till after dark just to appease a younger, stronger hunter especially when I don't know where they are. They may be home already eating a late dinner while I'm still up a tree in the dark.

Not sure how you could question his etiquette when he walked by you when you did nothing to alert him to your presence. Leaving a stand during prime movement time and walking out past a person trying to hunt when you know they are there is completely disrespectful, esp since it was only for convenience of not having to walk out in the dark. The other guy could have handle things better than to just start yelling too. Based on the information given here, you both were at fault.

 

[bj139]

Not sure how you could question his etiquette when he walked by you when you did nothing to alert him to your presence. Leaving a stand during prime movement time and walking out past a person trying to hunt when you know they are there is completely disrespectful, esp since it was only for convenience of not having to walk out in the dark. The other guy could have handle things better than to just start yelling too. Based on the information given here, you both were at fault.

I already stated I did not know where he was or where his stand was. I didn't question his ettiquette just comparing our different reactions. I was not butt hurt when he walked by me. Do you know where all the hunters in your area are located? I sure as h*** don't and I am not about to keep track of them all.

 

[BTaylor]

I already stated I did not know where he was or where his stand was. I didn't question his ettiquette just comparing our different reactions. I was not butt hurt when he walked by me. Do you know where all the hunters in your area are located? I sure as h*** don't and I am not about to keep track of them all.

Here is what I can figure out given what you have posted. This is a fairly small property with access from multiple directions. I guy accessed the area from a different direction that you and moved past you. You did not alert him to your presence. The direction he was moving was in the general direction of you access. The safe assumption here is that he didnt go across the property to hang next your parking area so he was probably set up between you and your vehicle. Getting down to leave an area in the middle of normal deer movement time doesnt make a lick of sense to me just from a deer hunting perspective but that is not relevant to this situation. Odds were high that your exit was going to put you in close proximity to another hunter. Risking a bad encounter for convenience was on you, esp. considering you failed to alert him to your presence. While I dont condone his reaction, there is a better than average chance the whole situation could have been avoided in at least 2 ways, alerting him to your presence or if not wanting to do that then stay in the tree until dark.

 

[bj139]

Here is what I can figure out given what you have posted. This is a fairly small property with access from multiple directions. I guy accessed the area from a different direction that you and moved past you. You did not alert him to your presence. The direction he was moving was in the general direction of you access. The safe assumption here is that he didnt go across the property to hang next your parking area so he was probably set up between you and your vehicle. Getting down to leave an area in the middle of normal deer movement time doesnt make a lick of sense to me just from a deer hunting perspective but that is not relevant to this situation. Odds were high that your exit was going to put you in close proximity to another hunter. Risking a bad encounter for convenience was on you, esp. considering you failed to alert him to your presence. While I dont condone his reaction, there is a better than average chance the whole situation could have been avoided in at least 2 ways, alerting him to your presence or if not wanting to do that then stay in the tree until dark.

If you don't want to read the thread, I don't want to keep repeating.

 

[EricS]

This is a state park so there are walkers using the trail. The hunting area is just an afterthought. Hunting is not the primary reason for the park.

If someone sets up on an access path they should expect someone to walk in on them.
As far as the guy claiming a spot because he had been hunting there since Friday I get it. We left our stuff in the woods Friday night to hunt the same spot in the morning. We also parked an hour and a half before sunrise to make sure someone didn’t go in and setup before we got there. I’m not totally against hunting close to someone else in early season either. My son and I saw different deer most of the weekend although I were only 50-75 yards apart. Of course finding spots that were ideal to have two hunters that close together can prove difficult.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

Gotta agree with this, it's pretty basic if you hunt public guess who you will deal with,



Hunting public land gotta deal with the public, like others I have had some experiences but none of them this bad, however I am not ruling out the possibility in the future, price you pay for hunting public.

True. More weird and funny than anything. Except the trespassers


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[bj139]

I think I will not hunt on Saturdays. I may have said that already. It should avoid many problems.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

I think I will not hunt on Saturdays. I may have said that already. It should avoid many problems.

I try to avoid weekends. And even Monday. The weekend hunters spook the deer so u wait til Tuesday


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