Trailhead Etiquette

[HairyScandinavian]

I've had a similar thing happen, I went elsewhere because I'm people-phobic and don't want to waste time where some other yahoos have blown all the animals out. Having said that I think you should hunt it because you definitely have a leg up on them and as someone else stated their pressure could help you. I would have a backup plan though because they could run all the animals out of the area pretty quickly and you may need to switch gears.

Long term camps, couple places I've been in Wyoming we hunted for a solid 10 days and saw wall tents in prime camping locations that never had a vehicle visit the entire time, no tracks in the snow at all. Campers covered in snow that look like they'd been there for months, etc. It's definitely a problem and should be addressed by the FS for the rules. There's been a couple times I really needed a decent camp location and had to back out a mile or so because of these squatter camps.

 

[oldhornhunter]

As I another fellow idaho resident. I can confirm and approve this message.

Going to be interesting next year !! According to the National Forest guy I spoke with they are changing the 14 day MAX to 72 hrs. He said they are going to enforce it with tickets starting at $150 & will also start towing vehicles to impound yards that are still there past 5 days

 

[hunthikecamp]

The vast majority of my interactions with other hunters in the field has been positive. I think if you go into it with a positive attitude you'll have a good outcome, might even make a friend.

This 100%^ dont go into it nervous thinking about a 'potential altercation with a guy with a gun', that will frame your perspective and you'll naturally react different, and maybe less friendly, if you do end up encountering them. Just respectfully walk through or slightly around their camp and go on your way.


Id still hunt in there, but would also rely a little more on having a few backup plans at least roughly identified in case they have blown out the basin.

 

[Jbehredt]

I’ve walked through TH camps to hunt and received dirty looks on the way out. I’ve also accessed drainages the hard way not knowing there was a trail and been approached by an angry hunter who thought I’d wronged him by walking through his TH camp. Whatever. Hunt it. If they actually show up and blow it out have a plan to hunt where the elk may have gone.

 

[LongWayAround]

Going to be interesting next year !! According to the National Forest guy I spoke with they are changing the 14 day MAX to 72 hrs. He said they are going to enforce it with tickets starting at $150 & will also start towing vehicles to impound yards that are still there past 5 days

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Hunt it. Most everyone I run into out in the field away from trailheads is fine. Often we all have different objectives (species, quality, etc.) anyways.

 

[Matt5266]

Going to be interesting next year !! According to the National Forest guy I spoke with they are changing the 14 day MAX to 72 hrs. He said they are going to enforce it with tickets starting at $150 & will also start towing vehicles to impound yards that are still there past 5 days

I agree that 14 days is too long but I think 73 hours is too little. You then cant do more than a 3 day trip with out tearing down and relocating....

 

[cnelk]

Since when is one camp, or 3 camps going to kill all the elk in the area?

Go forth and prosper

 

[Customweld]

Going to be interesting next year !! According to the National Forest guy I spoke with they are changing the 14 day MAX to 72 hrs. He said they are going to enforce it with tickets starting at $150 & will also start towing vehicles to impound yards that are still there past 5 days

I'll believe that when I see it.

 

[Customweld]

I'd show up at about 0400 with the second gen Cummins rattling, and proceed on up the trail.
I edited some of that comment out, because I wouldn't shine my headlights on their tent, but if it was a basin I wanted to hunt, I'd still get after it. I'd still have the rattling Cummins though.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

I agree that 14 days is too long but I think 73 hours is too little. You then cant do more than a 3 day trip with out tearing down and relocating....

I would settle for just 72 hours unattended camps. I don't care how long people stay as long as they're actually there using it.

 

[Treefrog18]

I would settle for just 72 hours unattended camps. I don't care how long people stay as long as they're actually there using it.

24 hours unattended camps would be even better

 

[cnelk]

24 hours unattended camps would be even better

That would apply to 90% of Roksliders as they are out hunting

 

[sz28]

The vast majority of my interactions with other hunters in the field has been positive. I think if you go into it with a positive attitude you'll have a good outcome, might even make a friend.

This has been my experience as well. Last year my buddy and I kept running into a couple of guys hunting around the same area as us and chatted with them. We ended up doubling up on a pair of bulls together .

 

[BuckSmasher]

I like the

How does everyone feel about camping at trailheads or hunting from a trailhead where someone is camping?

My dad’s rifle elk tag starts in a few days and I have been scouting a spot all summer that I archery hunted last year with good success. It’s a very small basin accessible via a run down/overgrown trail on national forest land. It would be REALLY cramped in that basin with even 2 hunters. The trailhead for this trail is also really small, maybe big enough for 2 vehicles total, and it is an official trailhead with signage. I drove up there yesterday for one last evening scouting trip before the hunt starts and found a wall tent camp taking up the whole trailhead and essentially cutting off access to the trail and basin. The camp was vacant, I assume it was set up early for use once the season opens.

I know it is not legal to camp at trailheads on national forest but I can not get in contact with anyone at the forest service during the government shut down. What would you do? Should I park along the side of the road and still hunt it or completely abandon my plans because of this camp?

Being polite and trying to reduce conflict is not weakness nor is it dumb. Of course it must be weighed with reasonability. I like the fact that you are at least thinking about what is best and that shows at least in this regard , you are the kinda guy that I wouldn't mind hunting with or running into on the mountain.

That being said, here are two instances that have happened that I think apply here.

Instance one 15 years or so ago I show up day after Thanksgiving to my favorite logging road gate in Sam Houston National forest and I am a bit late, already 4 rigs parked there. Almost don't go but decide to ride my mountain bike in about a mile in a half, never see another hunter and rattle and grunt in the biggest whitetail I have still ever shot. High 130's low 140's buck. By the time I had gutted him and drug him to the logging road and rode my bike back to get my game cart their trucks were gone.

Instance number two about ten years ago me and my buddy are camped not at a trail head, but at a closed logging road gate in Montana night before rifle opener. Dude comes through about ten minutes before we are ready to leave walks right past us at a few feet just say's, "mornin" and keeps on walking. Gets to where we were planning on going and shoots a nice bull right at daylight. Lesson learned that I should have been 30 min earlier rolling out of bed. No hard feelings toward that guy at all. He did the right thing.

In my opinion that is part of public land. Sucks to find a situation where you think there may be other people there but you will have to weigh that with how your other areas are. The morning I killed that buck I knew my other spots weren't as good and decided to go with it. I am glad I did. If I was torn between two spots and one I thought I would have to myself and one I thought I would have company I would always choose the former.

 

[Indian Summer]

Who told you it’s not legal to camp on national Forest at a trailhead? That is not true. Camps should not block travel, but most people wouldn’t choose to camp right on the trail.

Are you sure it’s not a designated outfitter camp? If that’s this case it could be authorized to be there season long.

 

[wardl_3]

A hunting area you know and have great knowledge of… you walk around the tent/camp its not blocking you from the hunt, trail, or basin. Yes they hope to deter folks but 30 xtra steps that day gets you the access go fill a tag, pack out and wave if they are there.

 

[CMF]

I'd hunt it and plan to be in there early. They may not even be after the same species.

 

[Treefrog18]

Who told you it’s not legal to camp on national Forest at a trailhead? That is not true. Camps should not block travel, but most people wouldn’t choose to camp right on the trail.

Are you sure it’s not a designated outfitter camp? If that’s this case it could be authorized to be there season long.

I already replied to a similar comment with screenshots directly from the Forest Service’s website stating you can not camp at trail heads

 

[GunsAreFun]

I learned a few years ago that you just got to go even if you see another truck or camp. It’s all big country. You don’t know if that other person walked 5 miles in and you’re only hunting 2 miles in. You don’t know what way they went either.

I’m even less worried about campsites. I think in 5 years of elk hunting, we’ve hunted out of camp like 5-6 times. The rest we drove somewhere first.

In your case, I’d park as close as I could to the trailhead and walk in.