Strategy for Other Hunters in "Your" Spot

[flathead#2]

Like others have said, get there first.
Might not even be a hunter.
If you cant, have several back up spots lined up,
which is a good idea anyway.

 

[Jimmy]

If close, I walk over and talk.

1-Introduce yourself. For me it usually goes very friendly when I'm friendly first.

2-Commiserate over not having the place to yourselves, but what can ya do?(this is where the other guy nods that yeah this sucks)

3-Ask their plans for the hunt, or give them yours.

At this point you decide if he'll go one way and you go hunt the other way. Or, you hunt together as a team. Or, you get all up in each others way and it usually never ends well and everyone goes home upset. (this can vary if it's a huge area or a small spot)

Usually I walk away still disappointed that someone else was there, but now I have a plan. And I usually get their phone number and some guys we'll text for years. Can turn into a good source of information.

 

[StoneTrees]

I had an opportunity years ago to get better intel on this particular ridgeline within the overall system of 5-6 basins I'm working in. Unfortunately, my hunting partner at the time wasn't up to the task physically to get up there.

I also ran into another hunter several years back that was part of a bigger group who'd establish camps to spike out from their base camp along the main road. Never saw the guy again, but this could be one of their setups.

This may or may not be me trying to tell myself it'll all be okay.

 

[RockAndSage]

I had an opportunity years ago to get better intel on this particular ridgeline within the overall system of 5-6 basins I'm working in. Unfortunately, my hunting partner at the time wasn't up to the task physically to get up there.

I also ran into another hunter several years back that was part of a bigger group who'd establish camps to spike out from their base camp along the main road. Never saw the guy again, but this could be one of their setups.

This may or may not be me trying to tell myself it'll all be okay.

Make sure to let us know how it goes, could be interesting

 

[Crowmangler]

I would go & plan to hunt it because this place might be someone's "plan C, D, E or F" spot & they may never even make it to the spot during the year. On a particular piece of public land I have about 6-8 spots that I have scouted as alternate places depending on wind, hunter pressure, time of day, etc. On scouting days I''' build makeshift ground blinds & stash a water bottle just in case & may not get to them during the course of the season. Don't change your plans before you know if it's even a problem

 

[Blowdowner]

You guys all missed the correct answer - find out if there’s fire restrictions and get the “arsonist” arrested.

 

[Boarmaster]

I didnt read all the replies but its public land. Your spot isnt really your spot. This is even an issue on private leases. Anytime your sharing a property your spot is tough to preserve. On our private lease we try to get guys to respect a spot if they see a guy has been working it and has his stand up. Food plots and shooting houses are common areas and cant be claimed as a spot. Using someone else's personal stand or ground blind is frowned upon very heavily. Some of us put up ground blinds on food plots or roads and make it known they are available for anyone to use. Pretty hard unless you have an exclusive property to have your own spot.

 

[lintond]

Get there first, setup camp and enjoy the free firewood.

Otherwise move on somewhere else and deal with it

Strongly disagree! Somebody else did the work to stash the wood under a tarp. Don’t touch it.

Imagine you packed in gallons of water and people drank them. How would you feel. Same thing with trail camera, ground blinds, etc.

The spot is first come, but just leave other people’s stuff alone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[StoneTrees]

To be clear, I have no intention of touching anyone's firewood. That's an ethical no-no for me. Public land or not, whoever gathered the wood put in the work and protected it under trees and a tarp. That gives them privileged use of the wood, even if it's technically part of the public domain.

If that pile is still there untouched next year, I'd judge it to be abandoned and fair game at that point.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Probably not even a hunters stash, neither is the fire ring, I mean think about it, remote ridge, can see a long ways so you can spot people approaching. So probably definitely some kind of serial killer ax murderer type, few teeth, but thinks you have a purty mouth. May not be just one person, but a band of blood crazed inbreds that prey on solo campers, probably rape pillage and then eat people. Yeah definitely probably those types of people made that fire ring.

 

[Northwest Outdoors]

Like others have said, get up there earlier than initially planned but also map out a few other spots just in case. They might not even be up there hunting but who knows, maybe you find a new hunting partner or just trade a little Intel and compare notes etc. Is the area big enough to both of you to camp up there and not be too on top of each other?

 

[dylanvb]

Had this happen to me and my buddy, Went out to the ridge we wanted to scout then noticed once we made the top there were 2 hunters below us struggling to make it to the top. Helped them up to the top and let them have the ridge since we had other areas we wanted to check and they were out of state. Doesn't hurt to be nice but having multiple plans is key IMO.

 

[MNGrouser]

I'll be the umpteenth answer to say, "Get there first." I do think it is an interesting question if you get there first, second guy gets there and stays. Part of me would not want to reward the behavior I see as outside normal ethics. You are just teaching the other guy that failing to honor the "get there first" code has its reward. Too much can go wrong when pissing matches start and it would ruin my hunt to stay there just so he doesn't get the place to himself. I'd move on but I wouldn't like it.

I should add that the Wisconsin deer hunt massacre happened within a 1/2 hour of my hometown. I may be overly sensitive to encroachment squabbles.