Post by: Lowski on July 26, 2010, 04:30:01 PM
Please share your stories of similar situations or just your thoughts if you have no first hand experience. Please no comments like "just hunt on private land", I would like to, but it's not in the cards right now.
Post by: mossback91 on July 26, 2010, 04:33:01 PM
Post by: vandeman17 on July 26, 2010, 04:34:52 PM
Post by: grundy53 on July 26, 2010, 04:38:51 PM
Post by: sirfunkeybut on July 26, 2010, 04:43:25 PM
Post by: chrisb on July 26, 2010, 04:46:44 PM
I always have a few back up spots just in case.
Should always have a couple of places in mind for each and every trip you make to the field, especially when hunting public land.
Post by: Pathfinder101 on July 26, 2010, 04:46:56 PM
Those are the routes that you want to be sitting on come opening morning. A smart buck will change his patterns(meaning that he will probably go mostly nocturnal unless someone bumps him) when the shooting starts, but he won't change his hiding places. That's the best place to ambush him. Next time you are scouting your area, try playing a little "chess". Try to think 2 moves ahead...
Post by: saylean on July 26, 2010, 04:54:39 PM
I had a guy walk the trail ahead of me by just a few minutes last deer season...I debated about going down the same trail but sermised that there was lots of land on the way,...so I might as well. Besides, he might not hunt the same hill I wanted.
I waited a bit for him to get ahead of me further and started in. When I got to my hill I wanted to hunt...he was no where to be found. I shot a deer about 15 minutes after that.
Good luck, you never know.
Post by: rasbo on July 26, 2010, 05:03:53 PM
Post by: steen on July 26, 2010, 05:12:15 PM
Now I'd prefer to have the mountain all to myself but I've also had fellow hunters spook bucks to me also. My daughter shot a young 4 point that was trotting by us spooked by my sisters.
We used to have a huge camp that drove the deer right to us every year but they got kick out of that spot because of rowdy behavoir (bummer) and now are competing on the other side with the rest of our camp.
Still love hunting that area and enjoy the hike, seeing deer, being with my kids hunting and our whole hunting camp experience.
Just my :twocents:
Post by: high country on July 26, 2010, 05:27:31 PM
Post by: calib on July 26, 2010, 05:40:43 PM
Post by: Ray on July 26, 2010, 08:42:09 PM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on July 26, 2010, 08:46:50 PM
Post by: Ray on July 26, 2010, 08:48:38 PM
Post by: mulehunter on July 26, 2010, 09:26:11 PM
Mulehunter :(
Post by: BENCHLEG on July 26, 2010, 10:07:48 PM
Post by: kramman on July 26, 2010, 10:22:24 PM
Post by: haus on July 26, 2010, 10:44:39 PM
Post by: Armadillo on July 27, 2010, 07:50:59 AM
Post by: Ray on July 27, 2010, 08:13:05 AM
Post by: Fish4Fun on July 27, 2010, 08:42:42 AM
Just makes you want to hand a guy a can of Alpo Dog Food for bring them straight to you every morning.
Post by: kbdavear on July 27, 2010, 09:23:00 AM
First Come first serve. How many of you tell the truth when another hunter greets you in your spot asking if you've seen any deer?? Thats the real question :chuckle:
Well, I don't have anything I would call "My" spot, but I have a few that I am hoping work out. I have to say that I am honest about what I see or dont see when I am out. I figure your out there and there is not much reason to lie about it. I am from S. texas so the public land thing is new to me. I am sure that my outlook on this may change in the coming years. I do know for a fact that I have had people lie to me though. I get the secrets about your spots, but at the same time....You can only get 1 deer and total 2 bear a year. Unless you get drawn for something (Which I do not completely understand yet).
Post by: kbdavear on July 27, 2010, 09:27:51 AM
If you come across a road/trail that has a vehicle parked at it. Will you go ahead and head down the road/trail? I ran into this last year a couple of times (because I was lazy and got out later than normal). I chose to not even head into the area because I just didn't feel comfortable walking into an area that someone was hunting (not knowing where).
Also, how many people wear Orange during Bear season?
Post by: Skyvalhunter on July 27, 2010, 09:56:28 AM
Post by: robodad on July 27, 2010, 10:13:15 AM
Post by: Fish4Fun on July 27, 2010, 10:19:32 AM
If you come across a road/trail that has a vehicle parked at it. Will you go ahead and head down the road/trail?
One year some guys set up a travel trailer right infront of the gate of the road we were going to hunt on opening day. They were thinking that NO ONE would beat them up the hill opening day of deer season. As we slipped past them with flashights in the dark we heard their alarm clock going off, we were miles ahead of them by daylight. An hour after daylight those guys finally made it up the hill to see the 2 bucks we had killed half hour after daylight. If you know an area is getting hunted by others, be there and gone before most guys show up.
Post by: carpsniperg2 on July 27, 2010, 10:30:29 AM
Post by: vandeman17 on July 27, 2010, 10:50:07 AM
Post by: kbdavear on July 27, 2010, 11:22:08 AM
kbdavear just because some one is parked there does not mean there is not room for you to hunt. there is plenty of ground down most logging roads that you can get on.
there is very few people that i know that wear ornage during bear hunting i carry orange in my pack if we get a bear down but i do not wear it when hunting.
The spots it happened on last year were kind-of limited. The end of the road was really the only spot to hunt. I was just nervous about heading up and 1 messing up there hunt and 2 coming out at the bottom of the clear cut with a "*censored*" looking through a scope. I know they are out there.... If I know the area, and I know there are plenty of spots I would probably head on in and try to get into one of them. However, that is why I try to have more than one area, which I am slacking on this year. Putting all my bears in 3 bushes, but the season is long.
I dont wear orange during Bear season either, but I too carry it with me. I was just asking that question because it was presented to me by a Loved one that, well, ummm, JUST DOESN"T GET IT. :chuckle:
Post by: THunt on July 27, 2010, 01:28:08 PM
Post by: deadyote on July 29, 2010, 02:33:43 AM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on July 29, 2010, 05:30:04 AM
Post by: ICEMAN on July 29, 2010, 05:32:19 AM
Actually I had an accidental discharge and began to talk to myself loudly. Just as my finger slipped onto the trigger and it went bang, two does and a small buck took off right next to where the guy was running past.
Was it a safety malfunction?
Yeah, please share a little more about the accidental discharge. Hope you werent just touching off a round cause you were pissed off.
Post by: billythekidrock on July 29, 2010, 05:46:46 AM
I was so pist that I just turned around and walked out because I don't want to hunt a spot that this guy is going to jog through. Actually I had an accidental discharge and began to talk to myself loudly. Just as my finger slipped onto the trigger and it went bang, two does and a small buck took off right next to where the guy was running past. Now he was pist!!! ........... It just ticks me off how some people have lost all hunting ethics.
:dunno:
Post by: MADMAX on July 29, 2010, 06:19:02 AM
In areas (clearcuts) at ST Helens open to camp in years past
I have had guys walk into/through my camp and say geez I wish I had a nickle for everytime I sat here on this landing watching the elk herd.
I have had guys drive around into the ditch to camp 100 yds down the dead end rd we are camped on.
I have had guys literally almost run the kid over to haul butt past him to the try and shoot the elk he was trying to get ahead of.
This was all during elk archery.
I can't wait to see how it is after my first rifle hunt for elk in 20 years this year.
On the other side of the state I gun hunt mulies
We were rolling through glassing sage one late afternoon and a truck came up behind us and dogged us so we pulled over, he and his buddy rolled past and was a minute down the road when a legal basket rack decided to make an appearance, he saw us coming and we stopped because the deer was between him and us and crossing the dirt road, I did not want to shoot it but he thought I was stopping to get out and as soon as the deer cleared the road bed he is running down the road shooting a lever action at it at least 5-6 times before he hit, now this is on the side of the road, he finally shoots it.
God what a moron,
Someday I hope to be able to pack up move to MT and be hunting with 2 mules up high.
Good luck to all this season bear starts Sunday
Post by: Dmanmastertracker on July 29, 2010, 04:14:49 PM
Post by: h20hunter on July 29, 2010, 04:22:00 PM
Year before last I and my group were hunting public land that we, and a few others, had trespass rights to access. You needed to go through private property and two gates to get access. We came across a few other guys that were allowed on occasion during our days hunting. One morning I hoofed it out a little earlier than most and got set up looking over a nice clearing. Not to long along comes one of the guys and says shoot, guess he hiked all that way for nothing. No worries I say, just set up a few hundred yards along the ridge and watch another clearing. I told him I'd sit tight and watch mine and check in with him when I was ready to move so he would know I'd be traveling. Obviously he was pleased and said good deal. We both sat up on our respective clearings, shot nothing, and chatted a bit later. Nice guy. Hopefully, next time I'm hunting and come across somebody they will be kind enough to help me set up where we both know deer are but not in his way. Karma is a funny thing sometimes.
Post by: CMG on July 29, 2010, 05:33:02 PM
I have tried to learn from my mistakes in hunting public areas as well as learn from others mistakes that unfortunately affected me. I have scouted new areas early in the summer that did not appear to have any pressure :rolleyes: until opening day, when I realized I missed the memo that everyone else obviously received? Learn from it and move on to plan "B". Sometimes "c" and "D".
"First there" gets the spot doesn't always workout. Usually there is more than one point of access to an area. And you can bet if there is, someone will be using it. Most of the time you won't know it until daybreak and the orange shows through the darkness! Be as courteous to them as you want them to be to you. Not saying I haven't been p** off a few times I have! But at that point it is useless to make it worse.
Some have shared stories of rigs being parked at gates or on the side of the road, and a decision to "go in" or "not go in" is a choice. I personally would not go past a rig parked if I had not scouted the area first. Or Like others have said, there may be a huge amount of area behind that rig, and if I was confident I wouldn't bust a fellow hunters hunt, it is public land. Just be cautious and courteous.
It takes years to learn an area, not only where the deer are but where the hunters are. Two years ago I was forced to explore a new area. I scouted during the early season a few times. Then I actually scouted during general season with my step dad,(who has a disability) Just to get an idea where other hunters were not. It proved to be a pretty good strategy. Should be a good area for a few years.
Post by: banannaclip on July 30, 2010, 08:50:15 PM
Post by: Elkaholic daWg on July 31, 2010, 10:45:37 AM
Alot of times will deer hunting you can use people and they will have no clue they are helping you out. I dont know how many times and have circled around someone and had them scare something right to me.
that method does work!
Post by: huntinkid20 on August 17, 2010, 10:39:55 PM
Post by: KimberRich on August 18, 2010, 10:26:55 AM
Post by: follow maggie on August 18, 2010, 12:12:34 PM
Post by: BlackRidge on August 18, 2010, 12:18:14 PM
I'll post a good experience to balance a bit.
Year before last I and my group were hunting public land that we, and a few others, had trespass rights to access. You needed to go through private property and two gates to get access. We came across a few other guys that were allowed on occasion during our days hunting. One morning I hoofed it out a little earlier than most and got set up looking over a nice clearing. Not to long along comes one of the guys and says shoot, guess he hiked all that way for nothing. No worries I say, just set up a few hundred yards along the ridge and watch another clearing. I told him I'd sit tight and watch mine and check in with him when I was ready to move so he would know I'd be traveling. Obviously he was pleased and said good deal. We both sat up on our respective clearings, shot nothing, and chatted a bit later. Nice guy. Hopefully, next time I'm hunting and come across somebody they will be kind enough to help me set up where we both know deer are but not in his way. Karma is a funny thing sometimes.
Ah, that was refreshing man... good to hear there are some good stories out there
Post by: ICEMAN on August 18, 2010, 05:47:03 PM
Some of these stories are why I always bring my two good German friends with me- Mr. Heckler and Mr. Koch. The white trash get pretty polite when those two make an appearance.
You kiddin' right?
Post by: Elkslayer on August 18, 2010, 06:26:36 PM
Now here's a little twist, not trying to change the subject. But what about shed hunting on public land? I know that I have pissed a few people off by walking around in the same area even if they were there first. But these are also the same area's that I have shed hunted in the past and prior to the last few years with the boom of shed hunting, I never saw or ran into anyone else in these area's.
Besides that you just got to outsmart them some times. One year I pulled up to one of my moose areas and there is a fourwheeler parked right in the middle of the road. I shut my rig off and this guy comes running down off the mountain. I start a conversation and find out that he is just checking the area out for moose sheds as well. I then inform him that I have already covered the whole area a few days prior and did'nt find any thing. He says he's gonna go check out a different area then and gets on his wheeler and takes off. Well I follow real slow till he gets out of sight then I pull off the road and go hit the area. I ended up pulling out 3 nice moose sheds including my biggest to date. So, does this make me a bad person or a smarter hunter? I think this happens more often with shed hunting as I know some of my buddies havent even been out yet but as soon as I say I'm gonna go check an area they say that they already hit it last week or so.
Post by: huntnnw on August 18, 2010, 09:56:33 PM
Post by: follow maggie on August 19, 2010, 08:11:01 AM
Some of these stories are why I always bring my two good German friends with me- Mr. Heckler and Mr. Koch. The white trash get pretty polite when those two make an appearance.
You kiddin' right?
Nope- not kidding. Only one time, though, when some crack heads tried to rob me when I was bow hunting near Forks.
Post by: banannaclip on August 19, 2010, 03:21:14 PM
Post by: PA BEN on August 24, 2010, 06:34:51 AM
:bash: