When do you own the area?

[Ucsdryder]

Let’s say you park your entire life’s possessions at the end of the road. What portion of the area behind that road do you now own for elk season? Would one be accurate to say all of it?

If it was a circle, would you own 360 degrees or just 270 degrees. 1 mile? 5 miles?

If you’re on here, I’m sorry I walked through your camp, and got close to your donkeys, I mean “mules”. We weren’t hunting the same area, trust me. And that bull that bugled 150 times in an hour 500 yards from camp wanted to die, and no, he wasn’t too far away.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Zero.

Hope you packed the bull right through their camp.

 

[gwtravis]

 

[87TT]

 

[Ucsdryder]

The lady had an uncanny resemblance and an attitude to match!

“Why are you walking through our mules? They’ll kick you!!”

 

[KBC]

I own it after I’ve given the bank all my money.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I feel like there's a story here we'd get a kick out of if you shared it.

Last year a spot I like to check at the end of a dead end closed road had four tents and three jeeps sitting at the turnaround. I had a bit of a time getting turned around and one of the guys offered to move a jeep for me. We got to talking and I joked they had my spot all locked up, he laughed and said park next to me, just because we setup camp here doesn't mean we own the spot. I thanked him and said it felt weird to park in somebody's camp and we split. They were cool but a strange spot to setup.

So yeah, it's still public land.

 

[Sherman]

I own it after I’ve given the bank all my money.

Not even then. Try missing a property tax payment and see who really owns it.

 

[CorbLand]

Parked at a trailhead, paved parking lot and rode quads in a few miles then hiked the rest of the way. Came back to a note on our pickup saying something about “we shouldnt drive through peoples camps, be noisy at that time of the morning and how it was disrespectful to hunt places other people are hunting.” So apparently you own everything when you park your van in a paved parking lot at the trailhead, camp there and plan to hunt the 100,000 acres that trail head provides access to.

 

[The Guide]

Parked at a trailhead, paved parking lot and road quads in a few miles then hiked the rest of the way. Came back to a note on our pickup saying something about “we shouldnt drive through peoples camps, be noisy at that time of the morning and how it was disrespectful to hunt places other people are hunting.” So apparently you own everything when you park your van in a paved parking lot at the trailhead, camp there and plan to hunt the 100,000 acres that trail head provides access to.

Every dang time! I love the passive aggressive notes left on my vehicle. I can't understand the mom's basement mentality that it takes to leave that kind of message on public land.

Jay

 

[Hnthrdr]

Unless it’s private… Never haha
Had some no issues encounters and had some really awkward, guys getting all butt hurt that we are at the same parking area encounters. So I just put my head down and hike to where ever I’m going.

 

[AndrewD]

I feel like there's a story here we'd get a kick out of if you shared it.

Last year a spot I like to check at the end of a dead end closed road had four tents and three jeeps sitting at the turnaround. I had a bit of a time getting turned around and one of the guys offered to move a jeep for me. We got to talking and I joked they had my spot all locked up, he laughed and said park next to me, just because we setup camp here doesn't mean we own the spot. I thanked him and said it felt weird to park in somebody's camp and we split. They were cool but a strange spot to setup.

So yeah, it's still public land.

I'm always mystified when I find a firepit on the side of a forest road. As in, on the gravel and in a spot where they had to park on the actual road to camp there. What kind of maniac does this? Does the road offer some sort of protection from the dark spirits of the woods?

 

[The Guide]

I'm always mystified when I find a firepit on the side of a forest road. As in, on the gravel and in a spot where they had to park on the actual road to camp there. What kind of maniac does this? Does the road offer some sort of protection from the dark spirits of the woods?

The infamous parking lot, turn around spot, or wide place in the road fire ring. Often left smoldering or fully on fire. May contain glass from their broken beer bottles because it is "just sand" and the fire will "melt it" and return it to nature...

Jay

 

[rclouse79]

Even with other vehicles parked where I hunt, I can only remember one time running into another hunter once I got back a mile from the rigs. This year I drove from my day one evening hunt to where I was going to hunt the next day. I got there an hour after dark and there were two rigs parked there. I camped a couple hundred yards further down the main road so I didn’t wake them up. I went by their rigs in the morning because there was a bridge to cross the creek there. Never saw or heard them while I was hunting.

 

[Q child]

On public land, we all own it, that’s the point. Gotta share. I try to steer clear of other people though, there are a lot of morons out there.

 

[Yarak]

Walking through someones camp is not a wise or respectful thing to do and neither is leaving a note on a vehicle and neither is thinking you own public land
Public land is just that ...public land....we all own it but dont be a jerk by being disrespectful
Walking through the middle of someones camp is just plain disrespectful and going hunting where you choose on public land doesnt mean the only access to that hunting spot is through their camp site especially if its 100k acres of land

 

[BAKPAKR]

Walking through someones camp is not a wise or respectful thing to do and neither is leaving a note on a vehicle and neither is thinking you own public land
Public land is just that ...public land....we all own it but dont be a jerk by being disrespectful
Walking through the middle of someones camp is just plain disrespectful and going hunting where you choose on public land doesnt mean the only access to that hunting spot is through their camp site especially if its 100k acres of land

I wouldn’t walk off the trail to go through someone’s camp but if the trail goes through the middle of their camp, I will certainly say, “Hi,” as I walk through it.

 

[Yarak]

I wouldn’t walk off the trail to go through someone’s camp but if the trail goes through the middle of their camp, I will certainly say, “Hi,” as I walk through it.

Wouldnt this be the case of someone thinking they own the public land behind them by blocking the trail ?
The problem with people and assholes is everyone has an asshole with them and public land bring this out more anything

 

[ORJoe]

I'm always mystified when I find a firepit on the side of a forest road. As in, on the gravel and in a spot where they had to park on the actual road to camp there. What kind of maniac does this? Does the road offer some sort of protection from the dark spirits of the woods?

I just assume that at some time in the year that's as far as you could get due to snow.
Can't get to the top, don't want to camp at the bottom and walk up a perfectly good road.

 

[DenimChicken]

There's some give and take. Sounds like you did nothing wrong. My take on it is don't be a jerk and have some common courtesy. If you setup and block the access, expect people to walk through your camp. That being said, I try to give people wide berth when possible, and would appreciate the same.