A Place To Camp

[BrentLaBere]

After doing a scouting run this weekend our group came across a really nice are to set up our base camp for a few days. Problem is there was a stove and two pans tied to a try near the creek bottom. What would you do? Look for a new spot or beat someone to it and set up camp?

 

[MTbowhunter1984]

I would stay on the side of finding somewhere else, but also know that someone else will probably set up camp besides the ones that left the stuff there so it's a toss up.  No real straight answer on that one.

 

[BrentLaBere]

Good points MT. We have never hunted this area yet, but I wouldn't expect too many people to be in this far. Could be wrong. Its roughly 3.5 miles back in. roughly 1 mile on an old logging road and then off path the rest of the way. Just having a hard time justifying not setting up in this location. Its public land and can one really "call a spot".
Never ran into this before so thats why we were looking for opinions.

 

[MTbowhunter1984]

You are exactly right.  No way to call a spot as it's whoever can get there first.  I always try to waiver on the etiquette side, but that doesn't always work.  Some things I would do would not get returned back by someone else.  People are getting better about getting off the roads and going further back as they realize that road hunting can only be so successful.  Like I said not really a straight answer to that one.

 

[turbo1967]

I would say take it but only if your ok with sharing the spot with who ever else, you cant call a spot but you cant keep someone else from setting up beside you. For my self I dont mind the competition , If they are good sportsman they might even give you some pointers on the area that your new to.

 

[BrentLaBere]

Turbo,
That is one thing we did talk about. What does it take for people to get that far off the road? Well, I would guess we are going to run into someone like minded and respectful. Biggest thing is not having a confrontation with anyone over something like this and I really don't think that would happen. Bottom line is it wont affect the outcome of the hunt in a negative way. Thanks for your input guys.

 

[windymtnman]

In my travels, I've found gear left behind several times.  In some cases, I'm pretty sure whomever hauled the stuff in there, just realized how heavy and cumbersome it was, and perhaps just didn't want to haul it back out.  Other times, I've sensed that perhaps they bagged an Elk, and put the priority of their trip labor into packing out the meat, and lost interest in taking everything backout.  I've also found an outfitter's camp that intentionally leaves stuff in his camps, because he's too lazy to pack it out.  (I think the Forest Service would frown on that.)
So, the reality is, on public lands, people have a responsibility to haul their stuff back out.  In a way, it's like littering.  So, unless they recently brought the stuff to this camp area in preparation to set up a camp, I'd say they abandoned it if they left it there from a past season.  Not to be confrontational, but if I set up a camp, and somebody came along and declared that by virtue of there having left their stuff there, it was their spot, I'd tell them they should never have left their property on public lands in the first place.  After all, what if everybody did this?  What then?