What is "overcrowding" to you?

[elkyinzer]

At home, when some jabroni moves in and puts up a ladder stand in one of "my" spots. I'm stealthy about concealing my spots so I think usually it's coincidence, but I've had it happen a handful of times over the years where I think someone spots me in the tree or otherwise finds my spots and tires to claim it with some p.o.s. ladder stand. But in rifle season we use the crowds to our advantage setting up where the deer get pushed to and I have archery spots that I am within 100 yards of a ladder or hangon but they just don't quite have the location right.

Out west, depends on the terrain and style of hunting. Generally as long as I can dodge the ATV/roadhunter chaos. I am good if I meet a few people back in the hard to get to shit and as long as there are elk around I've always been able to find some to hunt. I don't really care for glassing/spot and stalk but I can see how that causes issues with the sheer amount of ground one seeks to cover with glass that you could somehow feel crowded by a couple of bros a mile away in open country. Kinda the same thing with the youtube style walking around bugling every 5 minutes. IMO those hunting styles you are "asking for it" to expect solitude on public land.

I've also changed my approach to map scouting. Now that every Tom Dick and Harry map scouts, I basically look at the textbook saddles, benches, etc., take the top dozen or so obvious areas and cross them off knowing they'll be pressured by the onX bros and start from there knowing I've eliminated a good chunk of the pressure.

 

[browning2480]

I've also changed my approach to map scouting. Now that every Tom Dick and Harry map scouts, I basically look at the textbook saddles, benches, etc., take the top dozen or so obvious areas and cross them off knowing they'll be pressured by the onX bros and start from there knowing I've eliminated a good chunk of the pressure.

Great idea. I need to start doing this. If we bump into each other, be sure to stop and say Hi. Just joking. This is a good idea though

 

[FLATHEAD]

When I see someone in the general vicinity of where I am hunting. Time to Move.
This means scheduled WMA hunts here in the SE are pretty much off limits for me.
Hence, my propensity to chase alternative creatures the past few years.
I've come to realize hunting for me is very much about solitude.

 

[MallardSX2]

If you want the purest definition go to public land in rifle season in PA or perhaps the worst I have ever seen is Nebraska. I wont make the Nebraska mistake again.

 

[Rich M]

When I see someone in the general vicinity of where I am hunting. Time to Move.
This means scheduled WMA hunts here in the SE are pretty much off limits for me.
Hence, my propensity to chase alternative creatures the past few years.
I've come to realize hunting for me is very much about solitude.

That's kinda where I am too. If it's crowded, not fer me.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

For those who have never hunted Southern Cal. or Az on sept. 1st, you don't fully understand crowding. Unless you have private property with a good number of dove, you will be with many ,many, other hunters. The spot in AZ. we have been hunting for around fifteen years is starting to get to the point of, time to move on. Some of the guys I hunt dove with seem to think the crowd will be down some because it opens mid. week. Sorry guys, way to many people here in So. Cal. who hunt AZ.

 

[street]

I'm in MN so opening weekend of deer season will show you what crowded can be. Most the time "crowding" isn't the issue. It is more the actions of the crowd. With less people you can maneuver away from that or it isn't a big deal. But when a trail head looks like a small city and every 30minutes a new hunter or group coming "still hunting" through the same meadow as the las 10 guys it gets to be much.

It is like when you are fishing and there are 100 boats on the lake. You and another boat are over a rock pile and the jackwagon in the other boat catches a big fish and has to yell about out it and hold it way up in the air. Wait 10 minutes and now your spot it crowded. Same 100 boats but all in 1 zone.

MN opener sounds like red dawn opening morning.

 

[jlh42581]

Im not sure which is worse these days. Some I see regularly, pick one...

100 80k bass boats on a lake you can run end to end in 15 mins

PA Opening 3 Days of Gun Season

Opening week of PA "trout season"

North East US Steelhead/Salmon fishing

Ohio public land archery in November

 

[Blackcats06]

I think most of you are too sensitive. If you see one person that's too much!!!! Are you serious.

 

[Antares]

I am serious. I get that I’m spoiled because I grew hunting in AK, but yes, I get irritated if I see one other person all day. I was glassing around the other day while my brother was dressing a deer. I saw this old guy way off in the distance and I was irritated as hell until I realized he was berry picking.

 

[Rokbar]

4 women in one house

Mormon??

 

[MichaelO]

When I get in my stand (climbing run and gun setup) on opening weekend of firearms, shoot a deer and then 2 other guys shoot at it as it’s running the 50 yards till it drops.

had to run down the stand and have a not so nice conversation with these guys about do they really think they put a slug perfectly behind the front shoulder (where my shot hit) while the deer was on a full bounding run.

last year one of the deer I took, I trailed around 100 yards and then someone holler ed out that the deer is right here under there stand

that’s crowded and until it’s like that out west don’t expect flatlanders to stop coming.


Anyway put in the work to get away from trailheads. I think half the stories of “I went back 5 miles” don’t know what 5 miles it and aren’t using gps to check it.

 

[Button]

When I see someone in the general vicinity of where I am hunting. Time to Move.
This means scheduled WMA hunts here in the SE are pretty much off limits for me.
Hence, my propensity to chase alternative creatures the past few years.
I've come to realize hunting for me is very much about solitude.

Same, it’s the solitude and nature I crave.

I will never understand the people that have 22miles of desolate beach to set up and fish yet they decide right next to me is appropriate. I drive to the end for a reason. I don’t move camp.
Jokes on them, there’s no dunes and I gotta poop at some point.

Most that decide to fish on top of me are weekend warrior day trippers. Usually never have that problem during the week. The worst part is when they have no idea how bad the current is and get their shit tangled up with my shark and surf rods.

Several years ago a large group of Boy Scouts set up. Fishing was slow but I was catching a few. They traveled a long way to catch a shark so I gave them some appropriate weights for the current and leader. One of my rods goes off and let them reel it up resulted in a 5’ sandbar shark. Made their trip. I got more out of watching them reeling up. Ended up drinking homemade vodka with a couple of the dads around the bonfire the kids collected logs for ALL DAY LONG. Cool guys. To this day that raisin vodka is the smoothest I’ve had.

 

[roadrunner]

When someone else is lurking around in an area I hunt or am hunting...

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Bugling at other dudes is always a good time. Even better when you both meet up and point at each other. Been there too many times. I might need a new spot....but somehow the freezer is always full to the brim with elk meat.

 

[Southforkguy]

When your normally deserted forest service road looks like a parade 3 days before and after opening day

 

[MattB]

2 examples from this season. We got to a spot before first light to locate a buck scouted before the season. When glassing light arrived, it turned out he was only 150 yards from us. I got right on him and was within 100 yards. At that point, a guide and hunter came racing down from the top of the canyon to get on the deer even though they knew we were on the deer as our truck was within 200 yards of him.

Another, a buddy of mine was hunting mule deer ~5 miles in and when he would stop at his glasssing point he had a group of guys come to within 100 yards and set up to glass - 5 days in a row. He would even ask them where they would be hunting the next day and then he would tell him he would go the other way to get some space. They still shadowed him each day.

The common theme: both used public land as an excuse for a lack of common courtesy.