Will I have a lot to say and ask so I will try and keep it short.
First off let me say to the person in the tree in 5C I'm really sorry if I blew your spot I didn't think anyone was there. I was flashing my light on and off and trying to keep an eye open for any lights in trees but what i did hear was a sound of a owl (most have been you) I did stop dead and gave back (ssssssppppppp) sound and then heard nothing so I entered the area and in looking for my tree I see you waving. well I left as quite as I could and still you do make a very believing owl sound. I hope you got one?
started with a bad morning ever get that feeling that today isn't going to be your day. late start out got to the area got ever thing together and my dam lights in the van wouldn't go off tried all the doors trying to be quite and still no good.so I thought pull all the dome lights out $hit there six of the dam things.so I give up and pack up to leave (would have hard a dead battery by the time i came back) so back in the van and now the lights go out .so back out of the van and open only two doors. alls good.NO LIGHTS off i go now something starts ting ting sound on my climber stop to see what it is cant find so I try to walk softer(a little better) and now I have the worse feeling for blowing that guys spot.
I have only scouted a little of 5C and really didnt want to mess up anyone else's day and could not remember how far off the trail /road you had to be . so it was a early day out for me. back to scouting on sunday and try to find other spot. I will always think if I have found it someone else has to.
Now for the big question what do you do to let another hunters know that your are already in a area?
Now i dont want everyone that was in that area coming on and claiming it was them. If the other guy is a member we will have enough info about the situation to know who we are.
If you hear someone talking about it and they aren't a member let then know about the web site.
Hmm., appears you had a rough start..Just IMO first come first serve no one has a dedicated spot with his or her name on it on Quantico same as Belvoir.
Depending on the time of morning you notice the hunter or he/she you a light whistle always work, or shine the flash light. I had a hunter come in on me once, just whistled and flashed my light he was aware of my location and took another route to the area he was traveling to of course it was much deeper into the woods.
Same thing happen to me today on belvoir I was in my stand 5:45 and I see this light traveling what was about 65 yards from me about 6:55am nothing I could do but watch as the area allows 14 hunters at a giving time, my partner was 75 yards away from me so I knew it wasn't him we scouted the area and decided to hunt within 75-100 yds so nothing would possibly slip through the area we had scouted. And by the way there was a 163# 6 pts taking on belvoir friday H-13 and a 9 ptr. 132# thursday.. I seen a nice 8 pointer at another area I plan to hunt if I'm there in time to check out for the area.
so I am not wrong in saying that the other hunter could have given a little better sign he was there?(6/6:30am)
and yes it is first come first one up I was just using the term( my tree) that i had picked to put a stand in out of all the others.
Bush--I had the same thing happen to me on 5C last year--I get set up at 2pm and then 30 minutes later two guys walk right through my spot talking loudly and goofing around. I wait till they leave, jump in my truck and relocate. 2 hours later I arrowed a small 6 point after relocating in a hurry. Don't worry about it, these things happen on Quantico. Just always remember this on Quantico. If an area seems too good to be true, and too easy to get to, then it probably is attracting alot of other hunters.
Rule of thumb for me....get at least 1/2 mile from where I believe other people will be, and park out in the open see they see my truck and don't follow me in....have fun!
Ditto here. That seems to happen alot to me. Most of the time its because the hunters are just getting off work, and walking into the woods at 1645, an hour and a half before it gets dark, and I'm usually on stand by 1400.
TBS is located through the onville road gate, its the officers school. Before you get to the gate, on your right is a gravel road leading back into 5C, thats the area i was wondering about.
Hoytspeed, I cant see that road on my map, but come Sunday (scouting)I will have to try find it. but I have been down in that area from the smith lake rd and have seen some nice bucks but that is a long way to walk in the dark. don't know the area that well.
I just went on Google earth and the only road I could see off Onville would not be vehicle access. (but the pic are of 2006 I think)If you dont have Google earth you can down load it. it dont take to long but it is great for scouting and area.
you can't miss it when you pull up to the gate, the gravel road is on the right and has barricades in front of it. look to the right next time you go through the gate. I was wondering about that area, I have to find time to get back there and scout, so far this year i haven't done much scouting except for topo maps, whatever area looks good is where i go. I've seen deer, just no luck yet.
QUANTICO 10/11/08
