Elk Etiquette; Does it Exist?

[Pacific_Fork]

I’ve got too many stories of chasing elk amongst complete ass holes. But I’ll tell a feel good (selfishly) story and toot my own horn if you’ll have it

Drew a good elk tag in Nevada couple years ago. One evening I sat a good water hole. Just as two solid bulls were coming into my set up within Archery range I here a cow all to the left of me and behind. I had the advantage. But I knew these two guys were there before me and I just never saw them. So I froze and let him shoot one of the six points. Then I waved and walked out of there and eventually ate tag soup.

Now I’m not saying I’m a saint in the backcountry, but I Wish more people had etiquette

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

There is a group of people by my family’s place that sets up their camp on the dang NF road 2 big outfitter tents on either side of the road and 3-4 trucks parked around them, basically to try and keep people from going through/ hunting an area, they are friendly enough but I’ve known them for a few years now, definitely not a cool thing to do IMO…

Sounds about right. I've seen folks put election style signs at two track turn offs from the main FS road naming the camp, like elk horn camp or Johnson camp trying discourage people from even going down the two track You go down there and it could be an abandoned tent or 3 toy haulers with folks sleeping in and cooking breakfast every morning before going hunting (SxS riding)

 

[Mojave]

I hunted a 200,000 acre place with an outfitter in 2020 near Alpine Texas. Was the first US hunt on a big property. Was life changing. No drama at all.

Felt like it was such a huge experience that it has really pushed me to only put in for hunts with limited quotas. If I don't draw I pay to hunt private.

 

[Mojave]

Sounds about right. I've seen folks put election style signs at two track turn offs from the main FS road naming the camp, like elk horn camp or Johnson camp trying discourage people from even going down the two track You go down there and it could be an abandoned tent or 3 toy haulers with folks sleeping in and cooking breakfast every morning before going hunting (SxS riding)

In the Gila the Forest Service close a lot of those two tracks. Which is wonderful!

 

[realunlucky]

I just assume there be drama and roll with the punches.

I try and treat people how I want to be treated and hope karma catches up with those that don't do the same.

Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk

 

[Ucsdryder]

In the past 3 years…

People park at turnaround on a public road and get mad at me when I walk through their camp…

2 different guys move in while I’m working bulls during archery season. Bulls started bugling after I got them fired up. Both approached upwind and blew out the bulls

Guys move in when I’m set up on a mule deer, glass me, glass mule deer. Then set up waiting for it to cross onto public.

People are getting stupider by the day and there’s no end in sight.


I’ll add that last year when my daughter was set up in some elk a group of guys came upon us and were super cool. They watched the show and congratulated her on a good shot.

There are both types, the negative encounters seem to stick in our minds more than the positive.

 

[Hnthrdr]

In the past 3 years…

People park at turnaround on a public road and get mad at me when I walk through their camp…

2 different guys move in while I’m working bulls during archery season. Bulls started bugling after I got them fired up. Both approached upwind and blew out the bulls

Guys move in when I’m set up on a mule deer, glass me, glass mule deer. Then set up waiting for it to cross onto public.

People are getting stupider by the day and there’s no end in sight.

Pretty discouraging, I have lots of similar stories, Co is only getting worse, will be interesting to see what otc archery looks like but I doubt there will be much change

 

[Mojave]

I tend to wax over the bad. I think it is because I try to do as many hunts as I can. So failure and eating a tag isn't such a big thing.

Success is wonderful.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’ve met WAY more good folks than ass holes since I started backpacking at a young age.

Here’s what we fail to realize… Eveyone thinks they aren’t the one being the asshole. It’s public land. There is no “your spot” or “ a bull you’re working”.

How do you know someone hasn’t been scouting and patterning that animal for months, and you happen upon it on opening morning?

Has general hunting etiquette and care for other hunters gone down in the last decade. I think it has unfortunately. Is it as bad as the internet would make it seem? I don’t think so.

We quickly forget the “good” encounters and only hear about “bad” ones.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I’ve met WAY more good folks than ass holes since I started backpacking at a young age.

Here’s what we fail to realize… Eveyone thinks they aren’t the one being the asshole. It’s public land. There is no “your spot” or “ a bull you’re working”.

How do you know someone hasn’t been scouting and patterning that animal for months, and you happen upon it on opening morning?

Has general hunting etiquette and care for other hunters gone down in the last decade. I think it has unfortunately. Is it as bad as the internet would make it seem? I don’t think so.

We quickly forget the “good” encounters and only hear about “bad” ones.

I’ll have to disagree on “bull that you are working” I know for sure if I roll into a drainage and see or hear a bull and actively hear hunters calling interacting with that bull… I am 100% the asshole for trying to insert myself into that situation. Now I would never do it but I know guys who that has happened to.

Yes it’s all public and the golden rule should be applied and everyone would be better off, but often times greed blinds and people do stupid stuff…

I’m not talking about blissful ignorance either yes that can and does happen, like wandering into a drainage a guy is already sitting on during rifle season or trying to sit the same wallow or water during archery ect, then it should go without saying the fella who is their first should hunt it, seems like a lot of times guys are being good people out there

 

[Jbehredt]

The dudes doing it for the gram would slice their own mother’s tires to beat her to a raghorn grip n’ grin. Camera on the shoulder strap is a near indicator of a person to avoid in the woods.

 

[bz_711]

Most of these stories sound like hell.

I've had the opposite experience - 15yrs of public land DIY elk hunts and no bad experiences yet in the woods. The majority of guys I've had good conversations with...there are a few that you can tell don't want to talk or tell the truth and I just keep it brief with them.
The large majority of guys are in the same boat I am (got 1 week to hunt elk each year) and have been pleasant to share quick info with, where you from, how many years hunting, any success over the years, etc.

Or maybe I'm just so stoked and happy to be elk hunting each year that I just don't see it...

 

[Laramie]

It has gotten horrible out there. Basically the wild west. Not sure why people are still even applying to hunt elk, especially in general draw areas. Save those points for LQ hunts so you can experience what it used to be like in the general areas.

 

[wytx]

Glad we don't hunt in these areas, our elk hunting is still fun for the most part.
Yep, had folks move in on elk we were working but we just moved on to other elk.
There are plenty out there.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

These aren’t new issues. Social media or the breakdown of society or whatever aren’t causing this. There are court cases from the 18th century dealing with “who owns the right to take the game animal.” People were pissed enough at each other to sue over things like this. With eloquent arguments on each side for the “I was pursuing him! You stole my animal!” versus “Well, I shot him… so he’s mine.” Legally, you don’t have a right to pursue the animal that is superior to any other hunter’s right to pursue the animal. And there’s no way to sort out “who was on him first” with a stranger. If you think you should yield to another hunter, then by all means do so, but it’s absurd to expect someone else who wants it just as much to yield to you.

I remember being out with my father and one of his friends and spotting a nice buck quite a ways off (250 yards). They each insisted the other should shoot it. While they went back and forth, I put down my bipod and said, “hold your ears!” And dropped it. I might have deferred to my elders, but not at the risk of the deer walking away.

Just go hunting and worry about the things you can control.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Packer9037]

Seriously is public land elk hunting even fun these days?

No, it sucks and is the worst 7-10 days you can spend in the mountains. Fortunately, I drew a tag this year so I can report back to you if it still sucks. I'll commit to doing that every year just to let you know if anything changes. But in the meantime, would highly discourage you or anyone else wondering...it's brutal.

 

[Packer9037]

Most of these stories sound like hell.

I've had the opposite experience - 15yrs of public land DIY elk hunts and no bad experiences yet in the woods. The majority of guys I've had good conversations with...there are a few that you can tell don't want to talk or tell the truth and I just keep it brief with them.
The large majority of guys are in the same boat I am (got 1 week to hunt elk each year) and have been pleasant to share quick info with, where you from, how many years hunting, any success over the years, etc.

Or maybe I'm just so stoked and happy to be elk hunting each year that I just don't see it...

Agreed!

I feel like most of the people I come across are good folks. In 2023, I shot my first bull opening day. As my buddy and I were quartering it up, I saw the two other members of our party crest a ridge and start walking towards us. I let out a yell to them excited to show them my bull and then realized it was two different hunters that I didn't know. I was able to meet up with them later in the day and admit my mistake to them, but if I hadn't maybe they'd say I didn't have any hunter etiquette based on that experience.

 

[5MilesBack]

I’ve killed a lot of elk, but I can’t remember it ever being really fun.

Going one on one with mature bulls during the rut.........priceless......and some of the most fun I have all year. I even enjoy breaking them down, and the packouts.......usually.

I do everything I can to avoid other people out there, but sometimes they just seem to appear out of nowhere. Since 2010 I've had five ML hunters shoot a bull I was working, and I never even knew they were there until I heard the shot.

I also run quite a bit while elk hunting. I've probably run past other hunters and didn't even know they were there. Apparently I ran right past my buddy and a satellite bull one time during an encounter. He didn't have a tag, he was just with me on my hunt and had sat down against a tree while I did my thing. It was a long cat and mouse encounter and I lost track of him. I get tunnel vision when I'm chasing a bull. He told me later about it and asked if I even saw him or the satellite bull that had snuck in silently.

 

[hibernation]

I’ve had probably 80% friendly encounters, 15% standoff-ish but fine, less than 5% total jerks. Majority of encounters at trailheads, along trails, or even out in the woods are a friendly chat, how’s it going, and either sharing our own rough plan/direction or asking theirs, so I can try to avoid them. Saves us from calling at each other and wasting a bunch of time. Most people are receptive to that.

Then there was the guy who got his quad around a gate, ripped a mile up a closed road to the spot we had hiked in to glass at first light. Parks 20 yards from where my wife was set up watching some elk that me and another guy were going after. Gets on a radio and gives a play by play to his friend down the drainage, and completely refuses to acknowledge my wife’s existence in the middle of the road with a tripod.

I try to keep the mindset that we’re all out doing the same thing, most people are decent, and assume good intentions until proven otherwise. I’m thankful that it’s the rare few that really push that.

 

[WoolyBugger]

Like John Gierach said.. there are 2 types of fishermen; the guys in your group and the assholes.