Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
10-07-2004, 09:55 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 3
Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
I am new to the forum and I'm also in my rookie hunting season. Opening day was the fulfillment of a lifetime dream of mine and, for better or worse, I'm hooked already.
I encountered my first dilemma on opening day in PA. I did my homework and scouting and picked out an ideal spot where I could hunt from the ground in a local state park. About 45 minutes after I settled in, I saw another hunter walk into the woods and set up a spot about 75 yards from me.
I tried to get his attention to let him know where I was, but he either ignored me or didn't hear or see me.
I sat in my spot with rookie-gitters wondering what I should do. Per the previous posts, hunting public land is "first-come-first-served". What is an approprate buffer-zone between hunters in a situation like this. What was an appropriate action to take in this situation?
I encountered my first dilemma on opening day in PA. I did my homework and scouting and picked out an ideal spot where I could hunt from the ground in a local state park. About 45 minutes after I settled in, I saw another hunter walk into the woods and set up a spot about 75 yards from me.
I tried to get his attention to let him know where I was, but he either ignored me or didn't hear or see me.
I sat in my spot with rookie-gitters wondering what I should do. Per the previous posts, hunting public land is "first-come-first-served". What is an approprate buffer-zone between hunters in a situation like this. What was an appropriate action to take in this situation?
10-07-2004, 10:26 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North Lima Ohio & Clarion Pa
Posts: 6,453
RE: Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
First off, welcome to the boards and the woods. There are a lot of skilled hunters here that can help you. Read the posts especially the recovery thread, at page top and enjoy what will become your new passion.
As for ethics of hunting public land, thats a tricky one. You hope that the hunters you run into respect a buffer zone, but there are no guarentees. Like you, I would have tried to get his attention and hope he moved on. If he fails to do so, you have to assess where the deer movement is most likely to occur. If the deer will most likely get to you before him stay put and hope he uses scent control and stays still.
On the other hand during gun season, I hunt public land and have a spot that I am in every year on opening day. I have been in that spot for 20 some years. Most who hunt that mountain know me and where i'll be. I arrive very early ahead of any others. If someone comes close and doesn't move on when I wave a flashlight at them. I just stay put. I know most times they will get antsy and move on after light breaks.
So I guess on public land you hope for sportsman to be respectful of your space, but you can't make them be.
As for ethics of hunting public land, thats a tricky one. You hope that the hunters you run into respect a buffer zone, but there are no guarentees. Like you, I would have tried to get his attention and hope he moved on. If he fails to do so, you have to assess where the deer movement is most likely to occur. If the deer will most likely get to you before him stay put and hope he uses scent control and stays still.
On the other hand during gun season, I hunt public land and have a spot that I am in every year on opening day. I have been in that spot for 20 some years. Most who hunt that mountain know me and where i'll be. I arrive very early ahead of any others. If someone comes close and doesn't move on when I wave a flashlight at them. I just stay put. I know most times they will get antsy and move on after light breaks.
So I guess on public land you hope for sportsman to be respectful of your space, but you can't make them be.
10-07-2004, 10:55 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
On public land in Pennsylvania there is no such thing as hunting etiquette....
...or so it seems on many occasions during the year.
Case in point, last season I got in early and went up a tree that is about 50 yards from where I normally sit. I did this to gain a shot opportunity that I would not have had from my original stand. One of the other guys that hunts the area regularly walked in with me and set up his stand about 60 yards uphill from where I was located but on another trail.
About a half hour before daylight I see a light bouncing down the local logging road about 200 yards off. It gets closer and closer...crosses the creek and proceeds to head up the trail I am sitting on. When it gets within 40 or 50 yards I shine my flashlight at the hunter to let him know that I am there. What happens next just floors me.
His light goes out and I do not hear or see anything further. I assume that he turned around and I could not see the light because his back was towards me. As it got light out I begin scanning the area for game and end up turning around to check behind me. Lo and behold less than twenty yards away is the same guy but up a tree in a climber almost exactly where I last saw the flashlight beam in the morning.
There was a very large and fresh scrape near to where I had positioned the treestand and he must have noticed it the day before.
Now that is what I call respect for your fellow hunters.
On the other hand, this past Monday I took off from work to take advantage of the first few days of our archery season. I had spotted a nice area to hang a stand in the day before. Two nice trails converged at one point before crossing a creek. There were also several respectable deer rubs on the various trees. I marked one of the trees with some cats eyes the day before with the hopes of hunting the spot the next morning.
The next morning I walked into the area and was immediately hit with two flashlight beams about 50 yards away from the tree I had planned on sitting in....and down the trail closer to the bedding area. Instead of being a jerk and just setting up shop where I wanted to I kept right on walking to my "usual stand" instead.
As it turns out I shot a nice doe from my regular stand but one of the guys whose flashlights I saw ended up shooting a dandy 10 pointer that morning as well. Was I upset? Heck no, that is how the game is played on state land in PA. First come....first serve.....and just deal with all of the inconsiderate people that choose to ignore that simple rule.
Sorry for rambling but this type of behavior is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to hunting where I do.
Nice screen name by the way....
...or so it seems on many occasions during the year.
Case in point, last season I got in early and went up a tree that is about 50 yards from where I normally sit. I did this to gain a shot opportunity that I would not have had from my original stand. One of the other guys that hunts the area regularly walked in with me and set up his stand about 60 yards uphill from where I was located but on another trail.
About a half hour before daylight I see a light bouncing down the local logging road about 200 yards off. It gets closer and closer...crosses the creek and proceeds to head up the trail I am sitting on. When it gets within 40 or 50 yards I shine my flashlight at the hunter to let him know that I am there. What happens next just floors me.
His light goes out and I do not hear or see anything further. I assume that he turned around and I could not see the light because his back was towards me. As it got light out I begin scanning the area for game and end up turning around to check behind me. Lo and behold less than twenty yards away is the same guy but up a tree in a climber almost exactly where I last saw the flashlight beam in the morning.
There was a very large and fresh scrape near to where I had positioned the treestand and he must have noticed it the day before.
Now that is what I call respect for your fellow hunters.
On the other hand, this past Monday I took off from work to take advantage of the first few days of our archery season. I had spotted a nice area to hang a stand in the day before. Two nice trails converged at one point before crossing a creek. There were also several respectable deer rubs on the various trees. I marked one of the trees with some cats eyes the day before with the hopes of hunting the spot the next morning.
The next morning I walked into the area and was immediately hit with two flashlight beams about 50 yards away from the tree I had planned on sitting in....and down the trail closer to the bedding area. Instead of being a jerk and just setting up shop where I wanted to I kept right on walking to my "usual stand" instead.
As it turns out I shot a nice doe from my regular stand but one of the guys whose flashlights I saw ended up shooting a dandy 10 pointer that morning as well. Was I upset? Heck no, that is how the game is played on state land in PA. First come....first serve.....and just deal with all of the inconsiderate people that choose to ignore that simple rule.
Sorry for rambling but this type of behavior is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to hunting where I do.
Nice screen name by the way....
10-07-2004, 11:13 AM
#4
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Dekalb, Illinois
Posts: 431
RE: Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
It just happened to me too the other day on public land and i even shined my light to no avail.
I personally look at it as a CHALLENGE now, fine until i can line up some private digs, i am going to be the best darn god hunter in the woods!
O.K. i just blew off some hot air, seriously, there isn't much you can do except adjust your attitude and accept the inevitable bump and grind of public domains.
I personally look at it as a CHALLENGE now, fine until i can line up some private digs, i am going to be the best darn god hunter in the woods!
O.K. i just blew off some hot air, seriously, there isn't much you can do except adjust your attitude and accept the inevitable bump and grind of public domains.
10-07-2004, 11:18 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 3
RE: Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
Thanks for the words of encouragement and advise. I also had another eye-opening experience on opening day. When I got to my parking spot, another hunter was getting ready to enter the woods in the opposite direction from where I was going to setup. I gave him an early-morning nod and didn't think too much of it. About 15 minutes later he came out of the woods claiming that he went to all three of his typical spots only to find other hunters in those spots.
He floored me when he mentioned that, out of spite, he took a whiz at the base of the one hunter's tree and smoked a few cigarettes on the way out of the woods to spoil the other hunter's spots with cigarette stench.
I am quickly learning that not all hunter's are gentlemen. The morals and character that I was raised up on and the ethics that I was taught in the PGC hunter's education courses apparently aren't embraced by all hunters. I applaud those who rise above the behavior of sloppy hunters. I just hope I end up in the same woods as the gentleman among us in efforts to collectively uphold the integrity of the sport and our land.
He floored me when he mentioned that, out of spite, he took a whiz at the base of the one hunter's tree and smoked a few cigarettes on the way out of the woods to spoil the other hunter's spots with cigarette stench.
I am quickly learning that not all hunter's are gentlemen. The morals and character that I was raised up on and the ethics that I was taught in the PGC hunter's education courses apparently aren't embraced by all hunters. I applaud those who rise above the behavior of sloppy hunters. I just hope I end up in the same woods as the gentleman among us in efforts to collectively uphold the integrity of the sport and our land.
10-07-2004, 01:04 PM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
It's not just public land it's hunters in general. I think there are too few of us ethical hunters with common courtesy. Hell I think there are enough ethical humans with common courtesy....isn't that sad. I've run into similiar situations when others have permission to hunt the private land that I sometimes hunt. I just shake my head. Currently I have an exclusive property for archery...the landowner hunts rifle, sometimes and only from his truck or scaffolding stand....I post, plant food plots, patrol, fix, assist, and preserve the property. I'd hate to loose it.....it's produced my 3 wall hangers, my two coyotes and is holding my big 10 for the second year. I know my stands are there, my camera unless someone trespassed to take them and that's not likely....hang in there guys, use the off season to scout some private property...good things come to good people...remember that.
10-07-2004, 01:40 PM
#7
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chenango County, NY
Posts: 224
RE: Hunting Etiquette on Public Land
I think it's a shame that morals of hunters are so low around here in NY. My neighbor has a 300+ acre dairy farm and leave some corn standing on purpose to encourage deer during the season. Myself, and my two neighbors have asked permission and I regularly help out with hunting chores such as putting up stands and marking trails. But it is his land and his family has first pick. This is fine by me and I always ask before heading out there just so he knows I'm there!
However, the point of my post, and the thing that really pi$$es me off is the sheer problem he has with tresspassing! He's posted his whole farm and he leaves his electic fence on during season just to discourage people, but last opening day of shotgun season, we (4 from his family and myself) spent the whole day chasing people off the land! That sucks! I took the day off work, we all gathered for coffee and early morning breakfast, I helped them get the milking done by 5am and we only got to hunt for maybe 2 hours.
Sorry if i'm rambling, but it really ruined a good day with good friends! Half the fun of opening day is the socialization! And it wasn't like these people were even stealthy! One group of 4 guys from NY City actually had the nerve to drive up their driveway, open a gate, drive down a 1/4 mile lane and accross 3 fields at first light. When the neighbor and I approached them since we were both hunting in the field they blew through, they said "Oh... it's not okay of we just hunt here too?" Needless to say, they let the cows (100 head) out when they opened the gate.
Again, sorry for the ramble, but this is rediculous!
However, the point of my post, and the thing that really pi$$es me off is the sheer problem he has with tresspassing! He's posted his whole farm and he leaves his electic fence on during season just to discourage people, but last opening day of shotgun season, we (4 from his family and myself) spent the whole day chasing people off the land! That sucks! I took the day off work, we all gathered for coffee and early morning breakfast, I helped them get the milking done by 5am and we only got to hunt for maybe 2 hours.
Sorry if i'm rambling, but it really ruined a good day with good friends! Half the fun of opening day is the socialization! And it wasn't like these people were even stealthy! One group of 4 guys from NY City actually had the nerve to drive up their driveway, open a gate, drive down a 1/4 mile lane and accross 3 fields at first light. When the neighbor and I approached them since we were both hunting in the field they blew through, they said "Oh... it's not okay of we just hunt here too?" Needless to say, they let the cows (100 head) out when they opened the gate.
Again, sorry for the ramble, but this is rediculous!
