Saving Hunting Camps Early

[elksnout]

Are we as a hunting culture listening to what we are saying? Racing to beat out the next guy, hanging elk nuts on a guys door handle, etc. All the bad mojo we read on this site about the going on's up in the Winston. Rigs blocking roads. Camps positioned to try and block access.  Good grief. Aren't the mountains and streams places we all want to go to get away from the day to day crap we all suffer through?
Can't we all just be nice guys? Help out your neighbor? Maybe the next guy you race to beat out is that 12 year old kid who's after his first buck or bull. Ever think of that? Or an old timer who's on his last hunt? How about this fall we all give our word to find the positive in our hunting pursuits. When you pull off the highway, check the rat race attitude at the turn off. Sorry for the rant, but this crap really pisses me off.

[sebek556]

 

[boneaddict]

old timer who's on his last hunt?

  Reminds me of a story.

Idabooners last elk hunt probably.  His big bull tag.  I scouted an area, Figured on the quickest quietest access that would have the wind right.  Did it appropriately before the season as to not scare any critters.  Made camp away from the place.  Got up three hours before light so we could get there and park and be in the right space before dawn.  Parked the rig, started climbing the hill, pushing the ole mountainman to his max.  A rig pulled up next to ours and guys got out slamming doors.  We slipped up the ridge and got to treeline.  I could hear them coming as they had no problem cussing in the dark trying to beat us to "their spot". Got posistioned just right, and the two guys come in behind us, see us, and go in front of us, and sit down.  Trying to be th e best partner possible, I took Idabooner into the trees to cross the ridge to a different spot.  They see us doing this and try to cut us off or get in front of us. A foot race of all things. 
Interesting thing was, eventhough it spoiled the hunt, it really didn't spoil anything because as I later found out, they scouted THE NIGHT BEFORE and friends watched them from a distant ridge run off all the elk out of the meadows.   

[RadSav]

Not sure you guys read the first post! 

We are not talking guys getting in a little early to try and secure a camping spot or to save a favorite hunting spot.  These are guys setting up camps to block off hunting access a whole season early for the express purpose of keeping bowhunters out of their public land area.

If they are guys just beating us to our favorite spot I would agree with you.  We just move on and wish we had been there earlier.  But this was not the situation stated in the first post.  Or with the situation we encountered.

[colockumelk]

Are we as a hunting culture listening to what we are saying? Racing to beat out the next guy, hanging elk nuts on a guys door handle, etc. All the bad mojo we read on this site about the going on's up in the Winston. Rigs blocking roads. Camps positioned to try and block access.  Good grief. Aren't the mountains and streams places we all want to go to get away from the day to day crap we all suffer through?
Can't we all just be nice guys? Help out your neighbor? Maybe the next guy you race to beat out is that 12 year old kid who's after his first buck or bull. Ever think of that? Or an old timer who's on his last hunt? How about this fall we all give our word to find the positive in our hunting pursuits. When you pull off the highway, check the rat race attitude at the turn off. Sorry for the rant, but this crap really pisses me off.

This is the reason I started hunting with a bow in the wilderness.  I realize that not everybody has the ability or capability to do this.  So I wish that people wouldn't do this to each other.  Before I went into the wilderness areas every other year my family would have to change locations because people would see my families success and move in.  Rudely I might add.  Ruined the whole thing. My Grandpa even got fed up and stopped hunting.   

[RadSav]

These guys have gone as far as putting huge 4 foot signs up at all the gates that say "Private Property Keep Out".  We stopped to talk to the Weyer Security as they were taking one down.  He said they had removed similar signs three times in the week before the archery season opener.

[boneaddict]

That is nasty. (hanging illegal No trespassing signs.)

[RadSav]

Hey, those scrotum sacks make great door knob covers.  I personally had one on my 4X4 gear shifter.  The women love 'em!

[steen]

Well said Elksnout.  We will be there with cow tags this year and hope to do you proud!

[bigtex]

Arrow,
 The person you should contact is the US Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer for that area. The "rangers" for the USFS aren't law enforcement personnel. North of Manastash ridge is the Cle Elum Ranger District, south of the ridge is the Naches Ranger District. Call the correct ranger station and ask to speak/leave a message for the law enforcement officer.

[dreamunelk]

Are we as a hunting culture listening to what we are saying? Racing to beat out the next guy, hanging elk nuts on a guys door handle, etc. All the bad mojo we read on this site about the going on's up in the Winston. Rigs blocking roads. Camps positioned to try and block access.  Good grief. Aren't the mountains and streams places we all want to go to get away from the day to day crap we all suffer through?
Can't we all just be nice guys? Help out your neighbor? Maybe the next guy you race to beat out is that 12 year old kid who's after his first buck or bull. Ever think of that? Or an old timer who's on his last hunt? How about this fall we all give our word to find the positive in our hunting pursuits. When you pull off the highway, check the rat race attitude at the turn off. Sorry for the rant, but this crap really pisses me off.

 

As I have said before and will say again and again:  The greatest threat to our hunting heritage is hunters!

[CAMPMEAT]

What gets me is this a supposed to be a free country and someone can't even camp in the USFS without friggin' permission/permit from the government. We pay for their wages, vehicles, fuel and anything else. It pisses me off that we are so controlled by big brother and can't change crap. It should be first come, first served.

[Arrow]

   Thanks for all the good advice. Our plan is to head up early again this year to make sure they don’t save the camp spot for their muzzle loader spike hunt in Oct and if they do we will turn them in like everyone suggested. Again I don’t have an issue if another archery hunter gets the spot I just don’t feel someone should be able to a whole season ahead of us. 
   I also agree we need to leave the egos and the rate race attitudes back on the pavement. One of the main reason’s we are archery hunter’s is to get away from crap like this so we can enjoy being in the woods.     

[Recurve-Elk]

Here is how I feel on this stuff.  I think camp locations are first come first serve.  However, that is if you are going to be using them with in a day or two.  In this case, the muzzle loaders don't have the right to hold a spot for that long.  This is public land we are talking about! 

PS - I don't think that just because people have camped in the same spot for a few years that they have priority over someone else.  Again this is public land, first come first serve.  We had camped at the same location for at least 5 years, then one year someone beet us to it.  We simply found another camp spot.  No problem.  One year though we found a new spot.  That first night, some drunk guys came over and threatened to drop a tree on our camp if we didn't move by morning, because they had camped there for years... Aren't people just delightful sometimes.

[Bean Counter]

Some good thoughts here.

I don't care if your family has hunted that public land for 15 generations. Its still public land. Its not "your" camping spot. Don't like it? Go pound sand and buy some private land access.