Orange flags don't mean the guy that hung them will ever come back. Could be a guy that worries he's gonna get lost. Could be blood trail markers from last week. Never know.

I would think twice about following flags into the woods though. Somebody is sure to follow them sooner or later.

When you hunt public land, you take your chances. There's no reason why a guy can't go out after first light. There's no reason why a gang can't run drives. I've seen drives go past me, and that's when I expect to see a deer coming out through the side or back of the drive.

People in the woods will move deer. I bet there are lots of guys that have shot a deer that somebody else got moving, without ever realizing it. Try to use the predictable actions of others to your advantage when hunting public land.