Base Camp Etiquette?

[Tookeymonster]

So your saying I am set my tent up when I leave for the season this year and leave it up till next your unoccupied and everyone should leave me my space? Ha that's the dumbest thing I've heard in a while

If I'm not mistaken there is a law in CO on how long you can leave a tent/camp in one spot......?

 

[Jtelarkin08]

There is no law stating you need to give a squatter space either

 

[squeekieslayer]

look guys, I am NOT saying that you have to leave the area, but the fact is that he beat you to it, plain and simple. It is legal to have your stuff in 1 spot for 14 days here in montana.... so if he has his stuff there, its his camp spot. Get over it and move on.

If you set up camp right next to him that is a dick move.... period. How do you know he wont be there that night? He could be out for the day only, you never know. If his tent is there, and its public land that he can be on, leave it alone.

Joe

 

[squeekieslayer]

So your saying I am set my tent up when I leave for the season this year and leave it up till next your unoccupied and everyone should leave me my space? Ha that's the dumbest thing I've heard in a while

No, because that is illegal. The max is 14 days in most national forests.

Joe

 

[squeekieslayer]

So , if you not going to be there in time to get this prime campsite because you choose to work at a job that gives you little time off and flexibility you have the right to leave a tent up and "reserver" the spot ? I mean , you are obviously more important than anyone else and everybody else should work around you right? Just because I made the choices and commitment to be there early that counts for chit right ? Leaving a tent as a reservation is a d$ ck move imo. It leaves someone else in an ethical bind . Lack of time off is a personal choice and no excuse for being a jerk.

Yes, you should absolutely be able to do that.... Just bacuase someone beats you to a camp site does not mean that you have to hunt somewhere else, just find a different place to camp. People also have the "personal" choice to live in a place where they want to hunt, they have the ability to go in on a weekend before the season and set up camp. It is legal and people do it ALL THE TIME. Just because someone only has a couple continuous weeks to hunt on a vacation doesn't mean that nothing goes on in that area before you get there.

Joe

 

[tstowater]

Since I missed all this fun yesterday while having a family day out on a hike, what if the camp was set up by an experienced hunter and they were going to bring a new hunter on his/her first hunting trip? Now, that could be a real way to introduce a new hunter to the fold. Don't know the answer, but it isn't fair to "own" the only real water source for miles. Need to give them some space, but the terrain will dictate what is necessary and to be expected. Also, since it is public land, you don't own it either. Put the shoe on the other foot. Seems that many of you have taken ownership of some of the public land that you hunt. Shrek, your turn.

 

[wyelkhunter]

Leaving a camp unoccupied for more than a couple of days in my opinion is bad etiquette. You don't know when they will return. Camp and hunt there. It is their loss if rhey show up while you are rhere. If there is no gear at the camp they are obviously not in the area.

 

[Soutie]

If you walked up on to our camp you would also think it is unoccupied because we have no gear lying around. Nothing. Its either with us or inside the tent. Unless you're saying I need to start leaving stuff outside to tell everyone it's occupied. Are you going to touch that zipper to check? Not nice! I dont leave empty tents in the forest either and would rather take a chance...and work with others in the area.

 

[Jarhead]

Yes, it was a nicer tent! Mtmiller - I know there was no gear in the tent because when I got there a big storm was blowing in and we threw up our tents in a hurry to get out of the storm, figured we would make a decision while we hunkered down (set our tents about 50 yards away). A few hours later when the wind and rain died down we stuck our heads out and saw the tent had collapsed. Figured the neighborly thing to do was fix their tent before it became a soggy mess. To do so I had to open up the tent which is how I know there was no gear inside the tent (or outside for that matter).

Ultimately I set my camp and figured if the other folks showed up we would talk plans, and if someone needed to move it would be me. As it turns out, we tagged out in 3 days and nobody ever showed to use the tent. However, the whole time I had mixed emotions, half the time I felt bad for camping/hunting the same drainage. The other half I felt like I had done the right thing. Either way, I spent way too much time thinking about this question and not enough time enjoying the hunt.

Guess I'll see what happens this year.....thanks for everyone's thoughts and opinions. Good luck the year.

 

[Jarhead]

I'd add this too - if we were talking about an outfitter camp, there would be no discussion. Those guys are trying to make a living and have permitted areas to hunt and camp. I steer clear of their operation as best as I can. And since someone is sure to ask, I know this wasn't an outfitter camp because I know the outfitter that hunts this part of the gmu and talk to him every year before the season to make sure our plans don't overlap. I know I'd be pissed if I paid $5k to hunt with a guide and packed miles into a wilderness area, only to walk over the first ridge and run into some idiot like me with a backpack full of gear.

 

[Ironman8]

My opinion is you did the right thing Jarhead. I imagine that most hunters have grown up with the same core values, so even if you may think that the squatter is doing the wrong thing, there's really no need to be combative and I imagine a little respect and politeness would have diffused any kind of drama....even if that meant you still packed up and headed to the other side of the valley. Life is too short and we go to the outdoors to enjoy ourselves and get away from the rat race and drama of everyday life. No need to bring that to the outdoors.

 

[orionsbrother]

What Ironman8 said

 

[dotman]

Yes, it was a nicer tent! Mtmiller - I know there was no gear in the tent because when I got there a big storm was blowing in and we threw up our tents in a hurry to get out of the storm, figured we would make a decision while we hunkered down (set our tents about 50 yards away). A few hours later when the wind and rain died down we stuck our heads out and saw the tent had collapsed. Figured the neighborly thing to do was fix their tent before it became a soggy mess. To do so I had to open up the tent which is how I know there was no gear inside the tent (or outside for that matter).

Ultimately I set my camp and figured if the other folks showed up we would talk plans, and if someone needed to move it would be me. As it turns out, we tagged out in 3 days and nobody ever showed to use the tent. However, the whole time I had mixed emotions, half the time I felt bad for camping/hunting the same drainage. The other half I felt like I had done the right thing. Either way, I spent way too much time thinking about this question and not enough time enjoying the hunt.

Guess I'll see what happens this year.....thanks for everyone's thoughts and opinions. Good luck the year.

I think you did the right thing and if that was my tent I would be happy to introduce myself and share a camp. Heck maybe I spike camped for 4 days from that original spot to checkout some new country. Left my main tent, stashed my base camp gear and headed out.

I have left a main tent up before to spike out further in and stashed any gear I didn't want to pack in further so only a tent was up.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

I think most of us have left a camp unattended, whether it be a base camp at water or a spike camp at the far end of our area. I personally have shared a favorite wilderness base camp spot with other horse guys. Sure it sucks when you arrive and there is already a wall tent in your favorite spot, but remember it's THEIR favorite spot too. Over the course of a few years hunting together, we all became really good friends and began to coordinate our efforts. Good memories around that BS fire.
But the thing I'm trying to say here is that this "someone beat me to MY spot first" thing has been going on ever since the first paliohunters bumped into one another in THEIR favorite hunting spot.
Public ground is, well.... public. Good job Jarhead.
Hunt'nFish

 

[justinspicher]

I say you sleep in their tent, then you won't have to get your out and get it dirty and then clean it. If they come back, tell them you just wanted to check it out because you were thinking about getting a tent just like it.

 

[Olydog09]

This type of thing irritates me. Where I hunt there are limited camp sites. Most of these are staked out by late August and then rotated every 14 days so that the same people have that spot from August thru October. I have found it is usually rifle hunters (no problem with rifle hunters) who do it and have that spot for the opening of rifle in oct. I know it is legal but it rubs me wrong. I thought about going in and beating them to it but it isn't my style. I am not worried about it this year though cause we are packing in with hammocks so the base camp is not too important to me this year.

To the original poster if you packed into this spot and they have a camp there it would be a good idea to leave a note with your name and phone number so you guys can coordinate for future seasons.