Angry Elk Hunters(Ghost camps)

[Jermshooter]

So last season I got started early for Archery elk season. Had cams set and made several trips. Been hunting this same spot for the last three years. Had a camp in the same location as well. I set my camp up a couple weeks early this last year. Used it every weekend and obviously opening weekend. Unfortunately due to family issues I had to head home early. Planned on staying the whole week. Left camp set up knowing I was coming back. Now I guess I understand the frustration of ghost camps but in my opinion I didn't have one. So it's pretty crappy in my eyes that I would get threatened by a fellow Hunter basically claiming the land to himself. This little love letter was left at my camp. There were a lot of ghost camps, I'll admit that. Mine wasn't. It was in a location some might not like. But that really doesn't give anyone the right to threaten another. Either way I'll be in the same spot next year, doing the same things at the same time. If the guy who wrote it sees this and wants to stop by leave your threats at home and I'll hand ya a beer. 

[meatwhack]

Most disbursed camping on NF have a 14 day rule so as long as everyone follows that there shouldn’t be a problem.

[carpsniperg2]

Make sure you put a couple well hidden cams pointing at your camp when ever you leave it. Incase your stuff does walk off hopefully you will get some face pics and depending on location license plate pics etc.

[millerwheeler]

So what does in a spot most womt like mean ? Trying to get a full view here .

[Jermshooter]

Please don't re word it. Not most won't like. Some won't like. That's hunting. Not everyone agrees on how to hunt certain areas. Especially elk hunting.  Not the point really. I guess hearing what peoples thoughts are on ghost camps. What people consider a ghost camp. What the actual law is so if I was in the wrong I can definitely change my ways.

[Jermshooter]

But to give you a better view the camp is at the end of a spur Rd.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Maybe he hunted it sometime in the last 15 years and didn't like where I was at. IDK

[huntnfmly]

Most disbursed camping on NF have a 14 day rule so as long as everyone follows that there shouldn’t be a problem.

Sounds like yours was set up for more time than allowed if not I apologize for the assumption and understand your concern but also understand others if indeed it was up longer.
Hard for someone to tell if it's a ghost camp like the others if people see it up there for awhile
Also this is my spot mentality is ridiculous that they would write that note.

[Jermshooter]

Ya I thought public land had a 30 day limit. Looks like I was in the wrong there by a few days.

[BNAElkhntr]

Either way Hunters don't Threaten others

[Jingles]

Well IMO folks that set up Ghost camps are a lot like those that set up Pop up blinds 10 days to 2 weeks before season and if they have been there that long, not used at least every other day and do not have any identification of ownership should be considered abandon, taken down and removed from the forest.
Again IMO those that use popup blinds can be categorized one of 2 ways don't know how to make a blind out of natural material or are to lazy  to use material in the area.

[Buckhunter24]

Well IMO folks that set up Ghost camps are a lot like those that set up Pop up blinds 10 days to 2 weeks before season and if they have been there that long, not used at least every other day and do not have any identification of ownership should be considered abandon, taken down and removed from the forest.
Again IMO those that use popup blinds can be categorized one of 2 ways don't know how to make a blind out of natural material or are to lazy  to use material in the area.

Everyone has an opinion, but I use a popup when whitetail hunting and its not for either of those two reasons.

[vandeman17]

Well IMO folks that set up Ghost camps are a lot like those that set up Pop up blinds 10 days to 2 weeks before season and if they have been there that long, not used at least every other day and do not have any identification of ownership should be considered abandon, taken down and removed from the forest.
Again IMO those that use popup blinds can be categorized one of 2 ways don't know how to make a blind out of natural material or are to lazy  to use material in the area.

Or they like using a pop up blind that protects them from the weather, conceals their movement and is mobile. If its not yours, don't touch it. Pretty simple. I can see wanting to remove an obvious ghost camp as I have seen tons in the woods but lumping that in with a pop up blind is a tad ridiculous. 

[444Marlin]

I've come across ghost camps (I didn't know the term until I read this thread) that were set up obstructing roads and trails into some big areas.  I think they discourage folks from accessing some areas and I feel a bit like trespassing walking through their camp...but I also feel like they know they are parking their stuff on a right-of-way.

I don't touch their stuff, and I'd walk around it if I could.

[CP]

Was this your "camp"?

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,219193.msg2915805.html#msg2915805

[Jermshooter]

Nope.

[ghosthunter]

Hey hey

I take exception to calling these Ghost Camps.

Come on what I do to deserve this treatment.

[follow maggie]

Again IMO those that use popup blinds can be categorized one of 2 ways don't know how to make a blind out of natural material or are to lazy  to use material in the area.

So people that don’t hunt like you do are stupid or lazy? Pretty stupid viewpoint.

[carlyoungs]

Hey hey

I take exception to calling these Ghost Camps.

Come on what I do to deserve this treatment.

I was thinking of you when I read this topic. Cant believe you would set up a dummy camp!!  Hopefully you can get a chance at an elk this year without people leaving you nasty notes at your camp!!!

[trapp01]

IMO pack it in, pack it out each time your not actively hunting that area.  I’m just imagining the camp set ups that some guys must have to make it worth while to leave it up it. It’s never taken me more than a few hours to set up camp.

[ghosthunter]

Nah
I would invite them in and feed them.

Most my hunting partners are 60 - 80. Several crawled through the jungles of Vietnam Nam.
I wouldn’t mess with them. They will greet you with open arms and a string of jokes. But if you show up with attitude, we’ll that would be a mistake.

Life is too short to fight over a flat spot along the road.

We’ve had several threads on here about dummy camps. I like that term better. Describes the action and the person real well.

Hunt on.

[MADMAX]

 
Good on you!

[j_h_nimrod]

I see this from 2 ways. As a hunter I try to respect others, and though I have the right to hunt all the same public land others can, I still feel that if I get to a spot (obviously depending on the spot) that is actively being hunted by someone else I will go to another spot as I don’t want to screw up someone’s setup or stink up their area for them. At the same time if I come to a derelict camp, I treat it as if no one is there and walk around it and hunt as if no one were there.

It seems like some “camps” are trying to monopolize an area, or stake a claim to an area. These ones kind of rub me the wrong way and I will usually hunt the area as if they were not there. If a camp is just there, along a road, in an old pull out, etc. it does not bother me. If there are few camping areas and the camp just happens to be on the end of a road, so be it...

A lot of it comes down to familiarity with an area. There is one place I hunted that the last half mile of the road after a pretty bad wash out went through a good hunting area and there was almost no room to turn around at the end (though the road went further after a big rock blocking the road that was unpassable to all but narrow vehicles). The country was also very limited so I felt that if you had this road you should be left alone. I parked at the deep wash out and hunted the area, seeing a few deer but nothing great. While hunting that day we had a motorcycle come through and drive all over the area, a side-by-side, and a Jeep. Obviously they did not know the hunting area was very limited...  Got back to the truck and had a love note to the effect that if I parked there in the future My truck would be drug off the side of the road.

[Onewhohikes]

Ate you thinking the note was left by the side by side or the motorcycle?

[JimmyHoffa]

You guys are making me wonder about ghost cars.  Could get a bunch of beaters and park 3-4 at each gate I like, leave them there for the season and pick them all up afterwards.  Of course the $30 tabs would need to happen first.

[ghosthunter]

You guys are making me wonder about ghost cars.  Could get a bunch of beaters and park 3-4 at each gate I like, leave them there for the season and pick them all up afterwards.  Of course the $30 tabs would need to happen first.

Now I am as friendly as ya meet in the woods. But I know of hundreds of gates that have thousands of acres behind them. So one truck parked at a gate may not deter me from hunting there. And I don’t think anyone should consider it violating their hunt if others walk in to hunt vast areas.

Years ago there was a road that ended at a fence gate into the NF. And a trails miles up a canyon from there. These two guys would park there trailers either side the gate and put out their awnings. You had to walk right between there trailers to access the gate.

I often made it through during their breakfast time.

[birddogdad]

Funny how people feel they have a right to move someone when we have all those nice folks at the WDFW and the Sheriff department who actually get paid to decide who is in the right and who isn't in these cases. 

Kind of puts those that take the matter into their own hands in the category of "vandals and criminal".

  The whole camp thing to me is kind of funny and sad that people think they own a site, someone there move on period! Some people work, have weekends, don't pull camps for the week so they can speed run to weekend hunts, others can come and go.. it really is not your call to STEAL someone's gear...

Just my opinion but law is the law and we have hired folks to keep us all following these laws...

not anyones private location ever.. no legal right to touch stuff, no matter what you may think or feel about this camp setup.. find another spot, Center of the Universe "have been hunting here 15 years " means you should know a lot of other places to park it... just move on.... i would make it my personal mission to find a lawyer/hunter who has had this exact event happen to them and motivate them to work the courts to make your future as crappy as mine having stuff taken illegally....take enough from a camp and make it a felony charge/conviction and i may even make it so you cant carry a weapon in the future which in itself fixes any future recurrences...  Might even setup a trap just to help fix a person who posted something like this initial cardboard calling card....just sayin

"you" not being pointed at anyone here, just general "you" being spoken..


now some hunters may consider the act of pre-camp setup unethical or immoral or just not fair,  none of which justify illegal actions in response. over 30 years hunting here in WA for big game, i have had to setup my camps in several different locations ( in the same general area) as folks beat me to a "favorite spot", it is what it is.. just move along and good hunting, don't let a piece of campsite ruin your year or beyond!

[NOCK NOCK]

You guys are making me wonder about ghost cars.  Could get a bunch of beaters and park 3-4 at each gate I like, leave them there for the season and pick them all up afterwards.  Of course the $30 tabs would need to happen first.

That practice is alive and well.....although one place I know it happens, does not really detour others from still going in.

[444Marlin]

...  Of course the $30 tabs would need to happen first.

And then there's the 'Discovery Pass' or the NW Forest Pass, all depending on where you hunt and park.  It can add up!

Vehicles at the gate typically don't deter me from hunting there if I know it's an area where we all can spread out.  But I'll go to the next road if it's easily accessed.