Public Land and Hunter Etiquitte

[MTbowhunter1984]

How do you approach hunting on public land and running into other hunters.  I myself will leave an area if I see another vehicle or in the instance where you bump into other hunters will ask where they are going and head the other direction to leave it to them.  I have on multiple occasions have had guys bump into me and just keep going.  I had two guys one day come up to my pickup and ask what I was doing, and let them know I was elk hunting, which was rather obvious.  I asked if they were going to jump in front of me and they snobbishly stated yes and that's public hunting.  It made me mad for the remainder of the day, but after reflecting on it later I realized it was my fault for not getting out and getting ahead of them.  After they headed in ahead of me I headed just down the road and got lucky and found the herd bull I was after, but never did get him.  A lot of the areas I hunt have a lot of road access, which makes it very common running into other hunters.

 

[mtndone]

I always "try" to  be cordial but sometimes its tough- if possible find out where they are heading so we dont call each other in- mostly folks seem to want to avoid each other and we can come to a agreement, but there have been other times when I have asked which area they are hunting and have been told " we are hunting everywhere - dont bother" so in those cases we just outdistance them and get back to whats important- Hunting! last season got the extra thrill of packing out a nice 5 point in front of a couple of guys that literally camped in the area and moved the animals out.

 

[MT_mulies]

I always try to be curtious to them, because I might need them later if I get an animal down, or get stuck or any other reason out there. Last year I went into a place and some people had been camping there for a week. I talked to them to see what there plan was. Because they were there before me I let them decide where they wanted to go and I went the other way. Kind of a first come first serve deal is how I generally deal with it.

 

[ROYCE1967]

That is a scare tatic...do not back down...you have to believe you are better than them and hunt your hunt....

 

[egramza]

On my first elk hunt, we went 2 hours by horse the first morning in the dark to the spot we wanted to hunt.  As we approached the area, 5 riders came charging behind us.  We asked them where they were going to hunt and they basically said the same area we wanted to go.  They wouldn't get anymore specific.  So we just got off the horse early and started hunting.  Luckily it worked out for us as my dad tagged out an hour after getting off the horses.  The next 5 days of hunting on public land we didn't see another soul.

 

[Fullabull]

Where we hunt there are a lot of people, you can't expect people to leave an area of thousands of acres just because a truck is parked there or other people are obviously hunting in the area. There is always more than enough room for multiple hunters in a good size area. We often hear other hunters making a call now and then or have called in quite a few hunters. We see hunters every day, we say hey and move on. If they come into our setup they will move on to another spot. I have never had anyone try and claim an trail or area because they were the first to part there. I'm sure there are thousands or acres to hunt behind that gate or up that trail. Elk are where they are whether that is 100 yards up the trail or 2 miles up its all huntable.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

If they are there first I ask them where they are hunting and hunt either farther or another direction. If I'm there first I tell them where I'm hunting, and let them do whatever they want to do usually they treat you in kind.

Most folks I have run into are polite and courteous.

 

[kikinhorse]

Most of the time hunters will work things out and be good to each other. But there is always that 10 percent who think of no one but themselves. If you do run into hunters in the same area just talk and try and not get into each others areas. If they are jerks, well then lay into them about ethics. But never let them ruin our hunt. I have before and will never let it happen again....

 

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Hunting public land is just that, it is public. If I come across someone I will head the opposite direction. If they are not cordial and as other noted say they are hunting the entire area, then I go as planned and dont worry about them. My plan is to be the first one in and the last one out. If I see a rig at a place I want to hunt and expect to run into them, then I am off to option, 2,3,4,5 etc. Over 30+ yrs I have come to learn to always have a back plan when hunting on public ground and be willing to outwork &&or outsmart 90% of the other hunters in the woods. 

 

[ghost]

Hunting public land is just that, it is public. If I come across someone I will head the opposite direction. If they are not cordial and as other noted say they are hunting the entire area, then I go as planned and dont worry about them. My plan is to be the first one in and the last one out. If I see a rig at a place I want to hunt and expect to run into them, then I am off to option, 2,3,4,5 etc. Over 30+ yrs I have come to learn to always have a back plan when hunting on public ground and be willing to outwork &&or outsmart 90% of the other hunters in the woods.

Couldn't have said it better JJ.

 

[EatElk]

Same as JJ

 

[WardDawg7]

It's getting More and more crowded in my state and with the west coast invasion we have been confronted with I have had a few close encounters and usually not pointing any fingers towards our west coast friends however they don't seem to care about any vehicle parked at any gate, trail head or logging road.  Usually meet them coming back down and they don't bat an eye if you asked them if the saw any vehicles prior to hunting.  I know that public land is for everyone,  however may be they should get up a few hours earlier instead of infesting other hunters.

 

[planebow]

Where we hunt there is usually a lot of other hunters. I try to stay clear of them or just watch what they are doing and try to make it work to my advantage.

 

[ghost]

Where we hunt there is usually a lot of other hunters. I try to stay clear of them or just watch what they are doing and try to make it work to my advantage.

Very good strategy planebow.

 

[wapiti_will]

I had a group of guys follow my tracks for a mile off the road and walked right up to me when I was set up in a clearing at first light.  It was snowing so I know they knew they were following tracks that I put down that morning.  I couldn't believe guys could have such horrible hunting etiquette, and could leave their camp so late that they are walking through the middle of a prime clearing at prime time.  They walked up and said "where you huntin?"  Where does it look like i'm hunting you jerk offs.

 

[idelkslayer]

I avoid the situation by getting there first, and hunting later.  If someone beats me to it then I go to my back-up plans.  I have hunted entire seasons without seeing so much as the track of another hunter. 
When  I do encounter someone, I go the other way.  And I hopethat others will extend me the same courtesy. 

 

[c.rash]

I had a group of guys follow my tracks for a mile off the road and walked right up to me when I was set up in a clearing at first light.  It was snowing so I know they knew they were following tracks that I put down that morning.  I couldn't believe guys could have such horrible hunting etiquette, and could leave their camp so late that they are walking through the middle of a prime clearing at prime time.  They walked up and said "where you huntin?"  Where does it look like i'm hunting you jerk offs.

I wish I could click "like" on this.  "Here's your sign!"

 

[Mountain Bowhunter]

I had a group of guys follow my tracks for a mile off the road and walked right up to me when I was set up in a clearing at first light.  It was snowing so I know they knew they were following tracks that I put down that morning.  I couldn't believe guys could have such horrible hunting etiquette, and could leave their camp so late that they are walking through the middle of a prime clearing at prime time.  They walked up and said "where you huntin?"  Where does it look like i'm hunting you jerk offs.

haha wow that's ridiculous. 


Usually if i see a car at a certain spot I will drive a good ways and go in at another spot to keep from running into them

 

[ghost]

I had a group of guys follow my tracks for a mile off the road and walked right up to me when I was set up in a clearing at first light.  It was snowing so I know they knew they were following tracks that I put down that morning.  I couldn't believe guys could have such horrible hunting etiquette, and could leave their camp so late that they are walking through the middle of a prime clearing at prime time.  They walked up and said "where you huntin?"  Where does it look like i'm hunting you jerk offs.

LSHMSFOAIDMT....................

 

[Jimbow65]

If everybody is polite about it, it can work, we were camped near a father son who were hunting elk, bear and deer, we were able to report what we saw to them and the did the same for us.
But with the wrong people and we would have moved