Hunting Etiquette or unwritten rules for newbies

[nastybynature]

So I saw slickmannick's thread about permanent tree stands on public land and thought rather than hijack his thread I should start another.

I am going out for the 1st time this year and taking my 9 year old son with me. I want to teach him to hunt but know very little of the actual appropriate etiquette other than the things i have picked up here and what seems to be most importantly overlooked everywhere in life, common sense. I have done a search on the word etiquette and found some good info in there although nothing really in depth or recent.

So I can ask the question, "Is it first come, first serve with a favorite spot?" and go into alot of detail about what if the guy argues he has scouted this area all year and what if he doesn't leave and let you have the area but I think a better idea is to just have you veteran hunters give us some of your tips and pet peeves to get a dialogue going. I can always ask specific questions later.

So I would start but have Zero experience hunting other than scouting and bird hunting (probably illegal in hindsight) in Illinois with my pellet gun when I was 10 which is way different.

Anyone want to go on the subject of claimed hunting spot in public land? Anything else?

[vandeman17]

Simple answer is public land=first come first served. Like everything in life, people don't always "follow the rules" but that is basic idea. It really doesn't matter how many times you scouted or what you have done for preparation, if it is public land then it is the first person there that SHOULD get to hunt it. With that being said, don't be surprised at all if guys whine, moan, argue or even decide to just set up next to you. It happens more times than it should but that is just the way it goes. I have had my spots taken before I got to them and as frustrating as it is, I always have a back up plan and know that next time, I just have to be there earlier.

[Bean Counter]

Yes, public land and public camping spots are first come, first served. I guess this is a good question to ask because even on here there are those toolbags who will proclaim "their spot" because they've used it for X number of years. You can start by politely telling them to jump in a creek, and if it escalates from there you'll have to decide whether its going to come to blows/shots or call the county sherif or warden. I won't be bullied off of land I'm legally allowed to be on by some a-hole.

[sticky]

It baffles me when some dude comes bopping into the spot I'm hunting around 8:45 am and is shocked to see me there. Usually if the late-riser actually decides to leave, he makes enough noise to scare every animal in a five mile radius.

[vandeman17]

It baffles me when some dude comes bopping into the spot you're hunting around 8:45 am and is shocked to see me there. Usually if the late-riser actually decides to leave, he makes enough noise to scare every animal Ina five mile radius.

Duck hunting is the worst. I can't count how many times I will have been at my spot, hung out, set out decoys and are waiting for legal shooting time only to see or hear people showing up 5 minutes before LST and into LST. 

[go4itlab]

I'm with Bean Counter, I will not be bullied off public land. I am polite and respectfull if your parked there 1st. I'll move on and hunt somewhere else, I won't even circle or set up above,bellow. right or left. Never place your eggs in one basket! I had a guy last week up in Oak Creek/Bethel come running up on me as I was getting ready to go behind one of the only locked gates in there and precide to ask me, what the hell I thought I was dong  there and go on to tell me he's baited there as well as 4 to 5 other spots all along that system. Corking off a large portion of good hunting area and telling me he'll be all over those piles during the season. Then asked me what I was going to do? I looked at him and said I'm lacing up my boots and I'm going to see what behind the locked gate. He's lucky it wasn't throat punch Thursday.

[Stein]

I generally give people a wide berth and when I accidentally get near someone or end up at the trail head right behind them I simply ask where they are going and let them know I will try to steer clear.  I have more luck with other people bumping animals toward me than fighting over a "hot spot."

99% of the time guys are very good to deal with and we either move on or ask to share.  If they are db type guys, I would rather go somewhere else than deal with them.  Yes, first there is legal but I'm out to have a good time and I would rather move on and find an even better spot than get in a big bru-ha-ha with an a-hole - especially with kids in tow.

[LeviD1]

The harder the area is to hunt, the less amount of other people you will run in to. My parents own 40 acres surrounded by public land and we basically use it mainly as a nice convenient place to stay and start out in the morning for elk. Besides the 1 main road all other logging roads are gated and non motorized access which cuts down on a lot of other hunters just in that fact. On top of that its very thick for the most part and your mostly walking up or down so its not easy flat walking. The area holds every over the counter tag species you can hunt, theres just not giant herds of elk but little pockets of 1,2,3 maybe 4 elk and there's not deer running around like rats everywhere. But when you do see an animal its usually a really good one. Its not crazy hard to hunt either. But I definitely see less hunters there than most other places and only run into another guy about every other year and its never been a bad experience. Just talk to the guy find out what his plans are of where he is headed and we just go another direction since we know the area pretty well and we havent run into any rude people.

[Stein]

Another one is that I always try to strike up a conversation with people I come across - hunters, landowners, wardens, whoever.  You will instantly find out if they are cool or not and I have had more tips that way then I would ever imagined.  A few I have numbers for that are local and offered help when/if OIL tags are drawn.

Final one is watch the easy ticket items - hunter's orange, unload the gun before it gets close to the truck, get off the road, watch the clock, make sure you know where you are, etc.

[nastybynature]

All great info! Please keep it coming guys! 

[brewzer13]

 Agree with the rest of the guys about not being bullied off public land, but you are setting the example for your young impressionable son to follow in the future. We have all had run ins with D-Bags who think they own the area and will do just about anything to make sure nobody else gets in "Their" spot. Is it worth a confrontation that could turn ugly real quick or use it as a learning experience to teach your son and use in the future. Have a back up plan and another back up just in case.
 If you get to the trail/gate/road at the same time others do, ask what there plan is or  tell them what your plan is and see if you both can work it out. You might end up with a new friend or get some advise on others places in that area.

[steelnducks]

I don't know how many times I have parked a ways a way from an area I would like to hunt and walked trying to keep noise out of the area.  Some other hunter decides its better to drive and fallows me within 20 yards the whole way. If someone is hunting an area and he is there first try to show up earlier next time, don't spoil his hunt.

[Todd_ID]

If someone let's you hunt with them, in an area they learned, it's not ok to go back and hunt there without their permission, and it's certainly not ok to take someone else in that spot-even a close friend or family. I'd even ask if it was ok to take your son back if they weren't going with you. Hunting spots are sacred to people; you should only share a place you never intend to go back to: one share leads to another and leads to an area being overrun.

[Duckslayer89]

Lol throat punch Thursday that's classic... Was coming out of a sacred spot a few years ago, saw a friend I had took hunting in the same spot who also brought a different friend. I felt betrayed I had never seen anyone here and now it was being shown to strangers.

[Westside88]

As has already been mentioned, public land can get crowded. Be courteous, but also realize being the first to a gate doesn't mean anyone owns everything beyond it.  (Assuming it's a large area with room for everyone) I like to be early so I don't have to make that decision. A couple of the nicest Blacktail my family has ever taken were shot after we encountered other hunters in an area and chose to move on. The largest was a 4 point after a we encountered other hunters at an intersection on the way in to where we planned to hunt. We regrouped and went with plan B.