Do you offer up area help/beta?!

[Foldem]

I don't look down my nose at new western hunters, but I'm really reluctant to help guys on the internet. Between all the free information on podcasts and forums that took me decades to learn myself there's really no excuse. Everybody is looking for a shortcut and this has become one of the newest fads so I've seen spots where I never see anyone before become even crowded in the past few years.

Now in person I've helped lots of people if they're out there doing it. Once you have a little conversation the information and help starts flowing out pretty easy if they seem like good guys.

 

[bsnedeker]

I'm not a terribly successful elk hunter, but I always get into elk when I'm out looking for them. I have no problem sharing information with friendly people I meet on the trail. Opening weekend I went to my number 1 spot that I had scouted out and there was a hunter from NC camped out there. I explained to him that I had seen a group of 3 cows the weekend prior not more than 1/4 mile away from his tent down the ridge he was camped on. I went to my number 2 spot and was chasing a bull around all day long.

My point is there are plenty of elk for everyone to chase...why not help out a fellow hunter?

 

[jspradley]

What’s a “beta?”

I was wondering about that too...

 

[huntaholic123]

I believe paying it forward and karma go a long ways. General advise to a couple of inexperienced hunters is worth more than most think. Everyone was a beginner at one point and I guarantee if you didn’t receive help you would have been more than willing to take some pointers from a seasoned veteran. An act of kindness literally costs nothing to you but could mean the world to someone starting out.

 

[Poser]

I was wondering about that too...

It’s rock climbing slang. It means “prior knowledge of almost anything to do with a particular climb”

For example, say you intend to climb The Nose of El Capitan. You can just go out and do it blind or, you could buy a guidebook or get your hands on a Detailed topo map that has all kinds of “beta”: what range of gear you need, where the belay stations are and what they consists of, ideal locations to set up a bivy, how and where do bail if you need to, how to get down from the top once you get there. Basically, it means “intel”

 

[Farmingdale's Finest]

My son and I met a guy packing out his cow on the Colorado opener. He was so shocked to find anyone other than his two friends in this drainage he told us exactly how to get to two of his spots.

He had been hunting the drainage for 10 years and had only seen his two friend a that hunt it with him there. When he found out I discovered it by escouting and we discussed other areas I had picked on the map. He said if any out of towner deserves an elk it was me and my son. We had a cow come to under 80 yards in a spot I had found on the map on our third day but the wind swirled and it went back over the ridge. We planned on going back where we met him on the 4th day but my son woke up with AMS and we had to cut the trip short by 4 days.

So for 2 guys from NJ that never did it before we had bulls responding to my bugling on the opener but we cliffed out and almost had an opportunity on the third day. I would say that was a very successful first trip and I am confident now that I have a better understanding of the area we can be successful given enough time.


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[WJS23]

I have no problem helping or swapping info with guys I run into in the woods. The last time I hunted Colorado for elk I was seeing the same bull moose every afternoon down in a swamp and on my hike out I ran into a kid and his dad the son had a bull moose tag so I told them where he was. I don’t know if they ever killed him but I hope they did. Maybe someday it will get payed forward.

 

[hammerguy]

......Between all the free information on podcasts and forums that took me decades to learn myself there's really no excuse.....

Not to hijack the OP, but this is so true. I successfully hunted NE Arizona last week. Leading up, I searched YT, podcasts, websites, and forums like a bloodhound. After one scout trip I reread everything which gave new context and insight. In short, after three days I felt like I knew a piece of the forest as if I owned it.

 

[Hhardrockminer]

We find it rewarding to help others while we hunt as you never know if or when you'll need help.
Last yr. we were near the spot we we're going to hunt and a guy was down in the draw dressing out a nice buck so we talked about the tough drag he had ahead of him, so we stopped and asked if he could use some help getting the buck up to the ridge and he said he'd appreciate any we could give, wore all three of us out getting that monster up out of that draw. He couldn't stop saying how much he appreciated the help. Told him to pass on the favor some time to someone else. NICE to help fellow man in need

 

[S.Clancy]

Like mortgage bonds, I rate my hunting spots as AAA, AA, A, BBB so on. In general, no one is getting info on any AAA, AA, A spots cause those are the ones I hunt regularly. However, I have given and prob will continue to give info on my lower priority spots that hold reasonable numbers of animals. If they seem douchey I tell them a thirty point buck type of story.

 

[isu22andy]

Im with you all that believe in karma. On the internet its tougher, but in real life both years I went to Wyoming antelope hunting I showed a pair of hunters both times how to use Onyx. They literally had no clue and were struggling to fill tags as we had 3-4 filled on opening day.... One pair I never heard from again, one pair was a father son taxidermist dou, they caped our antelope for us, bought us beer, and helped us draw tags to another state weve never hunted for mule deer. Still text him from time to time. Dont need to tell everyone all the details but life is too short to atleast give casual info.

 

[justinspicher]

I do it all the time, mostly over the internet from dudes on this site. I try to be as real and honest as I can be about an area that I'm asked about.

 

[*zap*]

I think most people just do not follow advice that they did not ask for. Many do not follow advice that they did ask for. You can lead a horse to water but...
I do not hunt western so it may be different but around here I just avoid interaction as much as possible but will certainly help someone who seems decent, looks like they need help and asks for it. Blood trailed a few deer on public to the animal that the shooters had given up on. Cart/drag help given to a few people who were in over their head. Sharing hunting spot info? No, thanks anyway.....before you know it 10 people know about that spot.

 

[cnelk]

I ran into two different groups of hunters last week, different times. One group was from Okla the other from Iowa.

I was tagged out, and I struck up a conversation with each when I encountered them.
Didnt take me very long to figure out who I wanted to help and who I didnt.

Got word yesterday that one of the Iowa guys smacked a bull and the Okla guys pulled out.

Guess who I helped

EDIT: Just heard both Iowa guys tagged out

 

[brsnow]

I would tactically not like to share information but my lack of self control gets in the way. It is hard for me to not help.

 

[tater]

A wise man doesn't need advice, and a fool won't take it anyway...

 

[Rich M]

A wise man doesn't need advice, and a fool won't take it anyway...

I'd rather say that "a wise man will take advise and a fool doesn't need it."

If the clueless guy was me, I'd sure want to know what I was doing wrong. The idea of glass the nasty cover, steep hillsides, go high or low is excellent advice for someone just getting a grasp.

I'm more likely to help someone who seems receptive to getting help. If the guy/gal/kid sounds like a know-it-all, I leave it alone.

 

[Bisley45]

We're all new to something. I'm scarred to death of Karma, I'll help anybody I can as long as they will take the help. I've been in a couple bad situations and received help.

 

[Bowhunting WI]

I try treat others as I'd like to be treated. I'm not going to give specific locations away, but I'll share general information with just about anyone. Life's too short to go through it being a DB.

4 years ago I was an elk hunting newb. First trip out west, hiked my butt off on all my e-scouted spots and saw nothing but cattle, mulies and moose the first 3 days. Ran into a local on the mountain who gave me one small suggestion and I ran with it, killed a bull 2 days later. I've now killed 3 elk in 4 years in that area. That local guy is now a great friend and we plan our September elk vacations to overlap so we can hunt together.

 

[Chordeiles]

I'm not a terribly successful elk hunter, but I always get into elk when I'm out looking for them. I have no problem sharing information with friendly people I meet on the trail. Opening weekend I went to my number 1 spot that I had scouted out and there was a hunter from NC camped out there. I explained to him that I had seen a group of 3 cows the weekend prior not more than 1/4 mile away from his tent down the ridge he was camped on. I went to my number 2 spot and was chasing a bull around all day long.

My point is there are plenty of elk for everyone to chase...why not help out a fellow hunter?

This pretty much sums up my view as well.

Turkey hunting in the East has blown up, like elk hunting in the West.
When(not if) I run into a fellow turkey hunter in the woods, if they seem like a decent person, I don’t mind giving up a little general info.
I did that for a young guy this past spring while scouting and it seemed to make his day. He really got chatty after that Hopefully I’ll run into him again next spring and find out if he had any luck.