Hunting etiquette?

[CayenneHunter]

So we got on some OTC Elk. By the second day, we got close enough for a shot, 3 actually, but I missed due to the gun being dropped the previous day. Anyhow, we resighted and returned to our spot the next afternoon. Now we had been hunting this valley alone, while the crowd stayed near the roads. Wasn't hunting early due to the elk being below us.

Anyway, one of the crowd decided to hunt where he heard us shoot, and was 1 ridge over when we arrived. He was waving at us. I assume to claim the place as his own. Should I have left the spot to him? I later had it confirmed that the guy was there simply because of hearing us shoot the evening before. He wound up leaving about an hour before dark and wasn't around when I shot the 5x5 that afternoon. There was however quite a crowd the next day as we finished our pack out. Coincidentally, I wound up with a roofing nail in my tire.

Wanted an unbiased opinion. Was I wrong for standing my ground when the guy was intentionally trying to hunt on top of us? One of the other guys hunting thought we should have left even though he knew what the guy was doing. They never saw the rack, but did see the carcass.

 

[SwiftShot]

You did nothing wrong. These guys are everywhere. They will try and hunt where they saw you go. Happens a lot. I know great whitetail and mule deer guys that actually park on the side of the road when leaving to go up into the mountains because they get followed.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Nope nothing wrong other than dropping your rifle and not checking it before shooting at elk.

Just curious. What scope?

 

[One-shot]

You were in the right. I can’t believe that guy was actually waving at you. Never seen that before, and we’ve had hunters follow us too. Our strategy of the last several years has been: go high, go deep, and if other hunters are trying to bogart our stock on an elk we do not back down. We backed down in previous years, on cow hunts, and ended up with an empty freezer. No more of that nonsense. BTW use locktite on your scope mount screws. I tend to slip, bang my rifle/scope and it’s stayed true.

 

[realunlucky]

So he beat you to your "spot" waves to let you know he's over there. I don't know what the ridge distance was but common curiosity has you giving him plenty of space since he was there first.

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[Jethro]

If you weren't right on top of each other, you did nothing wrong. Just wave back.

But you seem to feel the other guy was in the wrong, which he was not either. Just cause you were hunting a spot and shot doesn't some how claim it as yours. Especially because the other guy was there first.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Well, you really didn't know why the other guy was waving, right?

I've been watching a water hole as other guys snuck in. I waived just so they knew where I was and didn't shoot me. They generously took a turn and looked elsewhere. Bonus to me but that wasn't what I intended.

 

[2ski]

I mean if you're hunting one ridge I would feel fine hunting another ridge, especially the higher the pressure on an area. What square mileage do we "call" when we are in am area?

It's public land. You hear a shot in an area you go see if something is around the next day. He doesn't even know it was you there the day before.

You also didn't need to vacate. And the nail....maybe it was him, maybe it had been there a while.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

So he beat you to your "spot" waves to let you know he's over there. I don't know what the ridge distance was but common curiosity has you giving him plenty of space since he was there first.

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I'm gonna go with this, public land it doesn't really matter the details if he was there first that's the way it works. Having said that, how in the world did you confirm he was only there because he heard you shoot the day prior? If I heard somebody shoot I'd go in the opposite direction. Maybe he didn't hear you shoot and he cut some Elk tracks and followed them into "your" area. If you hear somebody shoot in the mountains you're probably already on top of them. I've been a few hundred yards away from family and barely can make out the shots.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Its public land, and you got in there in the AFTERNOON. Saw somebody else got in there BEFORE you. But you held your ground LOL

If I was hunting and not seeing much. Then heard shots nearby. I would most likely start working my way that direction. Assuming that who ever was doing the shooting. Had brought a rifle with them, that was sighted in and now is tagged out.

Obviously that nail was from the other people that dared to hunt your canyon

 

[ResearchinStuff]

but I missed due to the gun being dropped the previous day.

curious to hear more about this. lots of folks around here are claiming drops don't impact POI.

 

[cjdewese]

curious to hear more about this. lots of folks around here are claiming drops don't impact POI.

I'm new, but I think it's "drops shouldn't impact POI, but always good to check" I've dropped my rifle before but it was still on when I checked it out.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Long as that scope has a no questions asked, lifetime warranty, who cares............

 

[CayenneHunter]

Nope nothing wrong other than dropping your rifle and not checking it before shooting at elk.

Just curious. What scope?

Athlon Midas 2.5x15

 

[sndmn11]

Anyway, one of the crowd decided to hunt where he heard us shoot, and was 1 ridge over when we arrived. He was waving at us. I assume to claim the place as his own. Should I have left the spot to him? I later had it confirmed that the guy was there simply because of hearing us shoot the evening before. He wound up leaving about an hour before dark and wasn't around when I shot the 5x5 that afternoon.

I don't think any hunter in your story did anything wrong. It is everyone's land to hunt so long as everyone is being safe none of what was described comes close to being ethically wrong in my eyes.

 

[CayenneHunter]

So, the place has a camp site you drive right through going in and out. I usually stop by and say hey. It's 90% older men and kids. But there was a group of younger men there too.

These guys mostly ride around, and typically leave camp at daylight and return by 9am, then make another wrap about 2hrs before dark. I'm absolutely certain everyone gets the required 50ft from the center of the road to shoot...LOL.

Anyway, they usually have a decent idea of where you're hunting by where you park. Well, the day we shot, I wasn't planning to stop, but the guy flagged me down and asked. I said we shot at a raghorn, but missed. I also said we're going back tomorrow after checking the gun in the morning.

Show up the next day, and the guy (not the old man) is there. Waving, about 800yds away. I waved back to acknowledge him, but he kept at it. I got the impression he was trying to wave me off. Anyhow, he left and we shot about 40 minutes before sundown. We didn't get out until almost 10pm that night. Went back the next day to finish the pack out, and the same guy stopped me again and said I must have killed because I was back there so late. I confirmed that I had and he said one of the guys saw me and my son, and that since he was there first, I should have left. I notified him that I had been hunting there for several days. He confirmed that he knew that and told the guy if he wanted to hunt there that he better get there early because they knew we would get there around noon and hike in.

I kept my cool, but had some rather harsh feelings towards the situation. He was adamant that if someone is there first, that I should have left. I told him, I was hunting there first and that I was hunting elk and not gunshots, so I felt like I had the right to be there. His statement was not if someone beats you in...He also wasn't happy that I refused to show him the bull.

I left it there. I do plan to buy a suppressor for next year and I may even take some random target practice to give the shot chasers plenty of hunting options. I felt it wasn't very honorable to do what they did.

I found the nail the morning after the pack out. Maybe a coincidence, but definitely made me wonder.

 

[Hnthrdr]

It’s Co OTC man, it’s the Wild West unless you are on private, I have been sitting a drainage since 0 dark thirty only to have guys walk right up the gut of the meadow with the wind at their back or set up shop adjacent to me in the meadow. I don’t like it but it’s public, can’t do much either you leave or they leave or you know where the animals are coming from and take a shot first… but I have had guys walk through that meadow and a buck walk out 20 min later so who knows. But no one was wrong, no one owns the drainage… hunt early and hike out in the dark and usually the hard work is paid off, congrats on a bull in an otc area

 

[Steve300xcw]

Anyway, they usually have a decent idea of where you're hunting by where you park. Well, the day we shot, I wasn't planning to stop, but the guy flagged me down and asked. I said we shot at a raghorn, but missed. I also said we're going back tomorrow after checking the gun in the morning.

So you essentially told them where the elk were at, and then were surprised that they made a move for them?

Show up the next day, and the guy (not the old man) is there. Waving, about 800yds away. I waved back to acknowledge him, but he kept at it. I got the impression he was trying to wave me off. Anyhow,

Also the fact you have issues about somebody being within damn near 1/2 mile of you is kinda funny. How big of personal bubble do you feel entitled to

 

[WCB]

I whistled and waved at a guy here in MN this past weekend. I was back on an Island and see a guy and his kid walk back...somehow not see me 150 yards away in a tree with my upper body completely covered in orange. He even started setting up his tree stand before he noticed me. I waved at him and after 5minutes or so whistled again and gave him the "whats up are you serious" hand signal and shoulder shrug. They left shortly after....depending on proximity would tell me if you were wrong or right but to me directly infront of someone 150 yards is a bit close. He beat you to the spot. 800 yards his plenty of space...inside 400 is getting close IMO and anything inside that is unreasonable.

Do you expect guys to not to go where the elk are?

 

[Seamaster]

I guess you are just looking for support and justification, and not really open to the idea that you just may have been inconsiderate. From the story that you tell my take is that the other hunter was there first and you crowded him out. Since it is public land everyone has the right to use it, and in most (if not all) hunting situations the fellow that is there first should be allowed the use of the area without your interference, I believe you were inconsiderate.