Proper Spot etiquette

[Datoneer]

Maybe it is just me and my dislike of hunting near strangers but I have always lived by a first come first server basis when it comes to hunting. You get to a spot first, its yours. I should have gotten up earlier. Am I wrong in this line of thinking? Would you pull into an area already occupied by gearing up hunters and rush to unload quick to hit the trail before they do? Feels real *censored* to me.

[fishngamereaper]

Public land...

I will because 99% of the time I know guys aren't going where I go. I don't race them but I get my gear ready and go when I want to. I know guys that get to gates at 3-4 am just so they are occupied trying to claim "their" spot...Sorry its public land, access is shrinking and I don't let a couple trucks deter me from a good hunt.

[Stein]

I error on the side of being the guy I would want to encounter.  My daughter and I pulled into a spot last year and a truck was there gearing up.  We were ready to go yet waited about 15 minutes for them to head in and another 10 minutes to give them some room.

There obviously is some line in the sand on that, if they were there brushing their teeth and pinching a loaf, I would head in before them but if it is reasonable I am not going to jump them.

[Datoneer]

I error on the side of being the guy I would want to encounter.  My daughter and I pulled into a spot last year and a truck was there gearing up.  We were ready to go yet waited about 15 minutes for them to head in and another 10 minutes to give them some room.

There obviously is some line in the sand on that, if they were there brushing their teeth and pinching a loaf, I would head in before them but if it is reasonable I am not going to jump them.

I tend to agree with this sentiment. Reasonable amount of time is one thing. If they are still dinking off then I will head out. Like you I want to treat others how I would want to be treated. Heck I let a chuckar hunter and his grandson go ahead of me last season so the Kid could get in some shooting.

[AspenBud]

It depends.

If we're talking a pheasant release site or gated logging road I will walk in. I will however try to put as much room between myself and them as possible.

If it's a spot on public land, like state or national forest, or private land open to vehicle traffic by permit, I will move on.

My reasoning is pretty simple. Pheasant release sites are "the spot" and gated roads are a fact of life for many of us and given that we all have to share that common entry point... But where vehicular access is available some common courtesy doesn't hurt and from a safety perspective it's common sense.

[10Key]

Depends for us too. The spots we bird hunt are typically huge expanses of public land with limited access. If I see a truck or two, we don't usually bag that spot and move on. For one, coming from the west -side, my possible hunting locations are limited due to timing and travel and two, the areas are so large that just because we see a truck or two doesn't mean those hunters are in the area we are going to hunt. If we in turn see another hunter and his dogs, we head the other direction if we can.

[Bill W]

Maybe it is just me and my dislike of hunting near strangers but I have always lived by a first come first server basis when it comes to hunting. You get to a spot first, its yours. I should have gotten up earlier. Am I wrong in this line of thinking? Would you pull into an area already occupied by gearing up hunters and rush to unload quick to hit the trail before they do? Feels real *censored* to me.

I encountered this at Paterson the first year I hunted it.

[jjaba]

Dealt with this for years.  If they are there I talk with them and see where they are going... if they are going left we would go right ect. 

One duck hunting spot I used to hunt in Northern California we would all get there about the same time and talk to each other to decide which spots would be filled by whom.  usually worked out well till someone would come and set up 20 yards to the right or left.... smh....

[AspenBud]

Honestly I don't really mind if someone wants to hunt an area that I'm in as long as they are safe in what they are doing. What I mind is when some yahoo comes rolling up on September 1 when I have my gear on, dog out of the box, and they want to gripe because I am going to hunt grouse in their deer hunting spot that I got to first.

[bracer40]

Honestly I don't really mind if someone wants to hunt an area that I'm in as long as they are safe in what they are doing. What I mind is when some yahoo comes rolling up on September 1 when I have my gear on, dog out of the box, and they want to gripe because I am going to hunt grouse in their deer hunting spot that I got to first.

It's funny, I've heard some grumbling during archery elk season when the non-archery hunters would come through our drainage. They could be hunting grouse, scouting for MF or MZZY season. I'm just grateful to have beautiful and challenging places to hunt! And I love getting to see wildlife of all varieties!

[cmeskee]

Dealt with this for years.  If they are there I talk with them and see where they are going... if they are going left we would go right ect. 

One duck hunting spot I used to hunt in Northern California we would all get there about the same time and talk to each other to decide which spots would be filled by whom.  usually worked out well till someone would come and set up 20 yards to the right or left.... smh....

Personally, I think this is the only way.  If you talk it out with them, 99% of the time everyone will walk into the area (ideally in different directions) satisfied.  Many birding areas there's only one place to park, but plenty of land to spread out in once you're in.

For deer/elk, I won't park if there's already another vehicle in the spot unless it's a gated road leading to vast terrain - there's just too much other land to be hunted.  And then, talking to the other party still helps a ton.

[Bean Counter]

Maybe it is just me and my dislike of hunting near strangers but I have always lived by a first come first server basis when it comes to hunting. You get to a spot first, its yours. I should have gotten up earlier. Am I wrong in this line of thinking? Would you pull into an area already occupied by gearing up hunters and rush to unload quick to hit the trail before they do? Feels real *censored* to me.

I learned on H-W.com that you can abandon property on a camping spot on public land and that people are supposed to leave it alone because that land is now reserved for their use.

So I roped off about 60,000 acres of national forest land for my own personal use by posting signs "Private Property, No Tresspassing."