Big Game Hunting > Backcountry Hunting
Etiquette Question - Unoccupied Backcountry Camp
joedawjes:
While hunting a Wilderness area, I came across a well-established hunter's camp. The camp was unoccupied. It had a green accordion sleeping pad, tarps, pots/pans, a shovel, water jugs, and an American Buffalo Silver Dollar nailed to a tree. The camp remained unoccupied for the remainder of the trip, and I didn't move my setup to the new location.
I plan to return to the area and use the hunter's camp because it's probably the best campsite in the drainage. I've identified 3 total campsites in the drainage (including the hunter's camp). In my opinion, it's fair game to use the camp so as long as I (1) don't drink their water (2) take their belongings (3) dismantle any of their setup. Basically, leave no trace within the camp...even though its existence goes against the leave no trace principle.
If the camp's founder(s) walked up while I was staying there, I would probably move. I don't think that I'm obliged to move, but I think that adding a land dispute to the mix would ruin both of our hunts because we would already be in each other's zone. I'd rather have a conversation about which areas we plan to hunt so that we're not stepping on each other's toes.
If you set up camp in a backcountry camp and the founder(s) arrive after you, what's the proper etiquette? Also, if you set up this camp, feel free to PM me. I'm happy to share my hunt plans and see if we can avoid this situation altogether.
Woodchuck:
I would not want to be seen near that camp. You never know how someone might react to someone in and amongst their stuff. You never know who may have also called in the camp and then makes another call to notify LEO that that camp is now occupied and now is a good time to go nab the offender. :twocents:
fishngamereaper:
How about find your own spot
knob221:
I experienced a similar situation this year. Someone had established a tent site and left behind some small items: small folding chair, tarp, and a hand saw. They had a game camera set on a tree pointing right at the tent site for some odd reason. I also found a torn up and scattered contractor bag that I have suspicion they tried to cache food in a small tree. There were claw marks going up the tree from this year (based on the wounds being sapped over but not healed yet) and black hairs on the tree trunk. So, I think a bear ate their food cache.
This sort of gear cache is not only unethical (my opinion), but it is also illegal on most public lands, certainly the area I was in. I'm not sure whether they really cached food or not, but if so I would call that wanton disregard.
I set up in that tent spot and turned the game camera away just so that they wouldnt get 10k photos of me at camp. I turned the camera back to its original position when I left, because I have no qualms with game cameras that are eventually retrieved. I used all of the items they left behind because they left it on public land. It is litter; useful, but litter. We packed out the torn up trash bag because that space/weight is negligible and we packed out the tarp because we got deer blood on it :chuckle:. The only thing I feel bad about was that I didnt pack out the chair and saw, but our packs were already tight on space and pushing 100 lbs after we killed a buck out of "their camp".
Had they shown up (never did) I would have tried to have a respectful conversation with them, but that may have been hard for me if you cant tell. If they wanted to set up camp next to me, thats fine, but its not their spot because they littered there.
You may consider looking into the regs for this topic where you are hunting. If it is illegal, I would feel empowered to camp there, use their stuff, then pack it out. Gear caching is unethical to me unless you're just making multiple trips within a short period of time. :twocents:
full choke:
--- Quote from: fishngamereaper on September 25, 2023, 03:53:58 PM ---How about find your own spot
--- End quote ---
Or, how about don't leave your trash (unoccupied campsite) on a mountain when you are not there?
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