Abandon camps before opener

[NJDiverDan]

Where I hunt in Idaho there are campers (travel trailers and 5th wheels) that are set up by the end of July in the bottoms along the main road. Many of them do not pull out until the snow flies or later. There is one camp that is ALWAYS there. Earliest I've gone in scouting is the 2nd week in July (too much snow before that) and they are there. Latest I've been in there was late November and they were still there. I am guessing they leave it there all year. I think on NF land, which this is, you are not supposed to have a camp set up for longer than 14 days, then need to move it a few miles minimum, but the rule is never enforced.

 

[KineKilla]

Yep. Big problem here in Utah.

Same old song and dance, won't bore you with the details.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Ran into that bad in CO. They would go as far to set up signs at the beginning of the road or trail saying the camps name, one even said no trespassing we’d typically try to skirt them instead of walking through just to avoid unnecessary confrontation. I’d say most weren’t occupied the seven days we were in the area. I think they were setting up a week early for muzzle loader.

 

[Oregonboy]

I’ve definitely seen this in Oregon.

 

[mtnbiker208]

sometime you only have so much time. I have done it. mainly spike camps, that i have to pack water into.
also, some folks have been hunting out of a certain spot for many generations. They want to make sure there tradition keeps going. I guess, i am so used to it, it does not bother me any.

 

[MarcherLord]

I’m more likely to dump into meth cooks here in Southeast Ak than campers.

 

[blkqi]

In WA this behavior is a cultural norm.

If you are relatively new to an area, consider that there may be some local folkways you are less than familiar with.

 

[brettdunn7]

Happens a lot here in Utah. You basically have to take a camper in a week or two in advance to get a spot for the general deer tag. Personally, I dont let it stop me from walking right through if they did that. We had a guy leave a note on our pickup last year telling us it was "pretty low" to come through his camp on opening morning and that we should "respect" him. Apparently his camper in the paved parking lot at the trail head meant nobody could access anything behind him.

In the Utah forum someone actually tried to justify this to me. No dude it’s public land. Everyone has a right to it. You don’t own it. It’s not just for your use. Lol.


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[HydeParkHunter]

Thanks for the posts everybody. Yes, I can certainly understand permitted outfitters placing camps, they do have a right. Though, people being people, I'm sure some push the boundaries of what is allowed. And for the folks passive-aggressively blocking access at a trailhead or open motorized route, I agree with the move of just going right through their camp. I do know my local Forest Service LEOs have gone undercover and busted that very sort of situation.

The area I was referring to is in an OTC unit not far from the Boise area. Don't know if I've seen it in many other circumstances. And it doesn't ruin the experience for me, I can find another spot. Just a bummer to show up to stay several days early and see these set-and-left camps in the sweet spots.

 

[HydeParkHunter]

Where I hunt in Idaho there are campers (travel trailers and 5th wheels) that are set up by the end of July in the bottoms along the main road. Many of them do not pull out until the snow flies or later. There is one camp that is ALWAYS there. Earliest I've gone in scouting is the 2nd week in July (too much snow before that) and they are there. Latest I've been in there was late November and they were still there. I am guessing they leave it there all year. I think on NF land, which this is, you are not supposed to have a camp set up for longer than 14 days, then need to move it a few miles minimum, but the rule is never enforced.

Have you reported this to the local Forest Service office, if it is indeed on FS land? It may not be at the top of their list to attend to, but my experience is that they would appreciate you reporting it.

 

[mlgc20]

I actually don’t mind it. I like knowing where people are. I find the early camper folks much easier to deal with than the guys with an army of 4 wheelers descending on the trailhead at dawn and buzzing all over the mountain.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I’ve only seen the outfitter camps left up all season.

If folks are doing it out of convenience, meaning setting up a wall tent and only able to hunt it on the weekends, I’d just camp/hunt as close as I needed to there regardless. It’s people that deserve a respectful berth, not just their junk. Otherwise you might as well carry a sign out there and stick it in the dirt. Obviously this requires some prior knowledge, not just that they were out hunting when you set up or had run into town to get ice.

If they are doing it to prevent access to public lands, like setting up a tent in the middle of the road where you can’t pass and it’s legal to drive further in, I’d move whatever I needed to in order to get by, without damaging or taking anything of course.

 

[AZ8]

See it all the time here in Arizona. Usually, they‘ll dump the fifth wheel and put out one chair. Lol This will be weeks before the hunt starts. Rarely see just a tent only camp. It’s always a fifth wheel or travel trailer.

 

[mwebs]

We usually put out a sign about a quarter mile up the road from our trucks that says Orgy with an arrow. Best case weird someone out, worse case someone thinks it's real... Not sure I want to know what that could bring in the middle of nowhere Idaho haha.

Guess that's not so bad compared to leaving camp up weeks in advance which I have seen plenty of. Even found a trailer parked on what would be a close road come middle of archery season, came back and the gate was closed and trailer was still there... Guess the FS doesn't tow, never saw anyone in it.

 

[Rob5589]

The area of Diamond Creek where we usually go has trailers and motorhomes all season long, archery through rifle. But where they are they aren't blocking access to anything so it's not an issue. We learned some years ago to show up in daylight, however. Trying to find a place in the dark is a pita and surely other hunters don't dig headlights beaming into their camp at 0200.

 

[Spoonbill]

We usually put out a sign about a quarter mile up the road from our trucks that says Orgy with an arrow. Best case weird someone out, worse case someone thinks it's real... Not sure I want to know what that could bring in the middle of nowhere Idaho haha.

Guess that's not so bad compared to leaving camp up weeks in advance which I have seen plenty of. Even found a trailer parked on what would be a close road come middle of archery season, came back and the gate was closed and trailer was still there... Guess the FS doesn't tow, never saw anyone in it.

Could always call them in as meth labs, then they could get hauled off... could also discover a meth lab. Be a win win

 

[thinhorn_AK]

People do it here in AK too, they will just pitch a tent and the spot is claimed. They will do it weeks early and of course they will throw a shit fit if somebody beats them to it.

 

[Whiskey_Fish]

GMU 4 in Colorado. Outfitters have pretty much claimed as private property. You can sit on Bears ears peak and spot all the camps set up in the valleys a month+ early

Bear's Ears might as well be Disney Land between May/June and October. Between campers, hunters and ATV's it's a real circus.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've shown up to my camping spots that I've used season after season and someone was already in it. So I go setup somewhere else and a few hours later those folks are pulling out. Grrrr. So I do what any set in their ways hunter would do........I break my wall tent down and move it all to my normal spot.

 

[bozeman]

I use their camp til they show up and as a Non-Resident just say I thought it was setup by CO Game & Fish for non-resident hunters.