Scouting - Boot Print - Let's Talk

[NRA4LIFE]

Can I ask what you plan to say to this person?

[HooknoseHunter]

If you are concerned others will mess up your hunt just turn the tables and ensure you mess up their hunt. Maybe they won’t come back again next year.

[pianoman9701]

Well this is an amusing post.

[Bushcraft]

Can I ask what you plan to say to this person?

It's pretty straightforward really, but I'll put this question to you:  Would you rather operate from a position of having more information, or less? Would you risk your time and treasure and a lot of sweat equity if you knew it would be wasted?  I doubt it.

Personally, I prefer to operate from a position of knowing as much information as possible. If I found out that a group of guys have been hunting an area for years - and their close family and friends and their offspring will likely be doing it until the [bleeping] anti-hunters eventually strip away our hunting privileges in this state, I'd look elsewhere and not waste my time, or I'd hunt alternate seasons, or figure out how to join forces.

I've said this before elsewhere, but it evidently bears repeating.  If a guy looks at a map and thinks that just because it's remote, it doesn't mean that he is first person to ever contemplate going there, set foot there, or hunt there.  In fact, the exact opposite is likely true.  And, by the other side of the exact same coin, if a group of guys have been hunting a place for almost two decades, it's rational to think that others might want to give it a shot.  Heck, I was one of those guys before the old-timers finally had to give it up.  And, I've bumped into some hard core dudes that have become my hunting partners.

After all, we live in a state with 7.6 million people.  Crossing paths in the backcountry is bound to happen. 

If it's not your boot print...it's not your problem.

If it's your boot print, and you'd like to learn more about the situation, it would be rational for you to reach out and have a mutually beneficial and cordial conversation.

 

[Bushcraft]

If you are concerned others will mess up your hunt just turn the tables and ensure you mess up their hunt. Maybe they won’t come back again next year.

Neil Peart solos are awesome.   

[pianoman9701]

If I get your post correctly, and I think I do, you want to find the owner of that boot track and give him two choices: Join us or leave us because if you don't join us, you're screwing up our personal public land that we've hunted for generations. Is that about right?

[jrebel]

We have an elk spot that we have hunted for years.  We have been pretty successful over the years.  It is a fairly small area and in our experience, there is really only one way to hunt it....that's how we learned it, messed it up multiple times while learning it.  Anyhow...years go by and we have success.  During this time we have encountered multiple hunters that approach the area the way we did...messing it up.  We always did our best to touch base with said hunters and advise them of the area and how to hunt it.  We had one guy put up a trail camera (40 yards off the road) and trail we used to walk in.  One day, we met the guy and talked to him about his stand.  He stated he had seen elk there all summer long but not now......we shared our experience and he abandoned the stand.  Elk weren't their during the rut and his stand was useless.....well except for the bear that pooped in his pile of apples.     

Long story short.....I kind of understand where Bushcraft is coming from.  Some area's can be messed up if entered / hunted the wrong way.  We never tried to push people out, but rather tried to work with them and educate them to that specific area.  It was public ground and there was plenty of room for everyone.....as long as you didn't enter through the elks bedroom and push them into the steep dark hole half mile away.  Once there, they were not coming out for a minimum 3 days.   I see no harm in trying to find out who may be hunting an area you also hunt and sharing experiences. 

[Bushcraft]

If I get your post correctly, and I think I do, you want to find the owner of that boot track and give him two choices: Join us or leave us because if you don't join us, you're screwing up our personal public land that we've hunted for generations. Is that about right?

My preference is that he not screw it up at all.

There are thoughtful and decent ways to approach things when it comes to sharing public spaces, whether those are sidewalks, roads, parks, camp grounds, boat ramps, wilderness areas, etc.

And, conversely, there are utterly moronic ways to approach things, like voting for Democrats if you are a gun-owner or a hunter, for example. 

[Bushcraft]

We have an elk spot that we have hunted for years.  We have been pretty successful over the years.  It is a fairly small area and in our experience, there is really only one way to hunt it....that's how we learned it, messed it up multiple times while learning it.  Anyhow...years go by and we have success.  During this time we have encountered multiple hunters that approach the area the way we did...messing it up.  We always did our best to touch base with said hunters and advise them of the area and how to hunt it.  We had one guy put up a trail camera (40 yards off the road) and trail we used to walk in.  One day, we met the guy and talked to him about his stand.  He stated he had seen elk there all summer long but not now......we shared our experience and he abandoned the stand.  Elk weren't their during the rut and his stand was useless.....well except for the bear that pooped in his pile of apples.     

Long story short.....I kind of understand where Bushcraft is coming from.  Some area's can be messed up if entered / hunted the wrong way.  We never tried to push people out, but rather tried to work with them and educate them to that specific area.  It was public ground and there was plenty of room for everyone.....as long as you didn't enter through the elks bedroom and push them into the steep dark hole half mile away.  Once there, they were not coming out for a minimum 3 days.   I see no harm in trying to find out who may be hunting an area you also hunt and sharing experiences.

This. Exactly. I'm glad someone gets it.  Thank you.

[Fidelk]

So far, you have a boot print. The trespasser may not have seen anything of interest and may not come back. I know of an occasionally productive spot in the LT Murray......one of my hunting buddies would sit on this one roost for the entire hunt. Occasionally, if he didn't get to it early enough someone else would be on it. He'd just quietly swear to himself and move off.......then return in an hour or so, usually finding it unoccupied. No discussions, no claiming ownership.......it's public land.

[knh]

 

[jrebel]

I haven’t seen anyone claim ownership of public land on this post.  Did I miss something??   

[Ridgeratt]

Doesn't the public land belong to all of us?
Just asking for a friend.

[jrebel]

Doesn't the public land belong to all of us?
Just asking for a friend.

I’m seriously asking where anyone claimed otherwise?   I have not seen it in this thread…..asking for a friend.   

[Alchase]

This post should get interesting. I can only imagine how I would act if another hunter came up to me as this post was presented.