Giving up the special spots - Forum etiquette

[Special T]

I think being burned is when you have a spot or area that you never see anyone in. You take some one new and either there ends up always being some one in it, or it gets over hunted and is no longer a good spot.

[pianoman9701]

This isn't a one-size-fits-all situation. Sometimes, someone's in a spot with a family member who's getting older or one who's just starting out and pointing them in the right direction may mean the difference between an enjoyable hunt or a disappointment. Sometimes someone is serving and moves here to JBLM from another state and has limited time to scout. There are others when someone just too lazy and wants free info. You have to decide who you help and who you don't.

[fishngamereaper]

I've never thought of my hunting areas as special spots. Sure I have areas I go and generally see animals, but its not guaranteed. Its not like my halibut and ling holes that produce every time and a few feet either way makes a huge difference.  I cant tell you to go into canyon X, cross the creek turn right at the big tree and a bull elk will be standing there every time.

[Blacktail Sniper]

When you guys say that you shared information and were "burned," what are you talking about? Does that just mean that you told someone about your spot, then saw them hunting your spot?

I guess I've never had a bad experience sharing hunting information. I have a select few guys that I share all of my scouting information with and they reciprocate with me. If they kill something in a spot I found, good for them. It lets me take credit for a buck even if I wasn't hunting that day.

I can give my example of being burned for sharing.  Several years ago, a new guy started at work, avid hunter, moved to the area for the job and seemed like an okay Joe.  That October, I took him up to a place I called "The Canyon."  I told him that I only brought a few people there and that it was the best and most productive spot we had found because we were very careful about distrubing the area.

It had produced bucks, starting the first year I hunted it and for several consecutive seasons since.  Wasn't by any means a hard to access, difficult to find spot. 

But was just off the beaten path enough, that probably 1 out of a couple dozen trucks passing through the area would even conside the road that lead into it.

Anyway, took him up there showed him around the general area and some productive spots to be extra mindfull of including The Canyon.  A shortime later, after his days off, he came back and said that he had been up in The Canyon over the weekend.  When asked how it was, he said him and the guys had been all over it, ran out all the little fire trails and such with the 4 wheelers.....  They all thought it was a great place!!!

What he had done was call all his former hunting pals and a group came down and brought their quads.  Again, this was not some exclussive location that only I had access to, it was just one of those spots that if you know how it works, it works, and if you don't you might go there once and never come back.

[T-Bone]

Good topic, merkleman.

Yes some folks can be down right demanding of "The Spot". Over the years, I've changed from being specificly helpful to pointing folks to the information sources available. The lazy seldom want to make that effort and persist in internet scouting.

Please continue to post the birds and those beautiful shotguns. I guess caution is wise to the background, but I am naive as to how a general background (in most cases) can I.D. a specific location?

[jennabug]

I'm going to add my thoughts, as this topic has been on my mind quite as bit.  I'm a new, new, new hunter.  I don't have any local friends that hunt regularly.  My husband has hunted the Yakama reservation with family, so that's not an option for me either.  I have honestly been a little disappointed in the forum when people ask for help finding a spot.  I see many posts go unanswered where people are hoping to start out, maybe with rabbit or some other small game.  I don't see the harm in someone responding on what general area and types of features to look for when hunting a particular animal.  Here's why... the more hunters help each other find success, the more people will stay hunters, and the more people you have contributing con conservation and voting in favor of hunters.  I've noticed that these folks eventually stop asking and go away.  I would hope that some of you that want hunting to stick around will mentor new hunters, maybe just talk about what to look for (e.g. fields or a particular type, etc), or offer a word of encouragement.   

[JDHasty]

Lots of people want the info but not the work required to get it... I know of a couple of extremely successful hunters who now rarely post pics because of this issue.

I am happy to share where I do my rock chuck shooting in central or eastern Washington:  East of the PCT, north of Umatilla, west of Post falls and south of Oroville

All kidding aside if you have seen the photos of my shoots and rockchucks you will see that any identifying landmarks are cropped or obliterated. 

I am completely done inviting anyone new to go chuck hunting or any other hunting for that matter who doesn't have anything invested or who hasn't invited me to go to places they have to hunt/fish, from now on it will be my and my seven-year old daughter and my other two kids when they get old enough and a couple trusted friends/shooting partners.  No one new ever again.  Period.  Full stop. 

If you want to know why... I think I have pretty well covered what happens when someone with no investment in finding rockchuck colonies finds out where a colony is.  It is no different with chucker hunting spots or anything else for that matter. 

 http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,184670.msg2478465.html#msg2478465

[tlbradford]

I know this doesn't apply to most on this forum, but please, please get permission from landowners before hunting their land.  I hit some new areas this past two weekends, and almost every farmer said, "Thank you for asking, most people don't bother."  Just because it isn't big game, or isn't posted perfectly, doesn't give anyone an excuse to hop out and pop a pheasant, etc.  It really hurts our image.

[John B]

I've found the best way to shut someone up hounding you about where you hunt is to say "It's my buddy's spot and I promised not to tell anyone". Nobody seems to care how many hours you spend looking at aerial maps or how many miles you put under your boots to find some good hunting spots.

[JDHasty]

I've found the best way to shut someone up hounding you about where you hunt is to say "It's my buddy's spot and I promised not to tell anyone". Nobody seems to care how many hours you spend looking at aerial maps or how many miles you put under your boots to find some good hunting spots.

I have found that I can get the point across with a single raised finger or two. 

[John B]

I have found that I can get the point across with a single raised finger or two.

There's always that haha

[wildweeds]

It's quite sad that the "code" isn't obeyed by everyone. You know the one, it's I take you to a spot and you never go there unless I'm with you, and vice versa. Got burned once over 20 years ago with a slam dunk duck spot. Showe'd up to set dekes out in the dark and there was the guy I took with 4 other guys I'd never met before.

[jkthomps]

I still have the coordinates that someone gave me. I guess this was a thing back a few years ago, but talking about it now can get you banned. Glad I research the crap out of everything before I believe in people.

48.277739,-121.831038

Anyways, I have received great info here and handed out great info. Like mentioned above, you can give info without giving away a honey hole.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[hunter399]

You all just pm me your spots here in eastern wash.And I will see ya there,i be the one loading my truck when you show up,but really I will only tell a people about spots close friends and all I say is have you ever been up this road I never give exact spot

[Ruger]

I personally just would like to find some more guys to hunt with so I am not hunting alone all the time...  If your interested PM me...