The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

Just Kidding with that title!

Here's a situaution I was in.

Two years ago, I had an aquaintence, that had a son, that just started hunting. The dad wanted his son to have a good chance at getting a deer.I decided to take them along with me that year todeer hunt.

I took them to several places that I hunt. Some public, some private.We hunted the youth season and rifle season. One of the places I took them was on public ground ( state park ) that doesn't see much pressure during the archery season. The boy was full of questions and I answered as many as I could.

When we hunted that public place he wanted to know if there were deer there. I pointed to a tree and told him that I'd taken four deer from that tree in the last few years. The boy ended up getting a buck and doe later on during the rifle season in a spot I put them in another area on private ground.

Anyhow, the following year they were constantly calling to hunt together that year. To be honest, I just wanted to help him get a couple under his belt but not every year. I'd be vague with answers if I answered the phone at all. I hoped they'd just go away.

Anyway that year during the first day of archery, I hunted one area in the morning and decided to hunt "that tree" on the public area in the afternoon.

Guess who I ran into? Yep!They were archery hunting.I didn't know they even bow hunted. They were parked in their truck. I ask them how they were doing and had some small talk. I told them I was going to go up on that hill and get in my tree.

The boy spoke up and said he was in my tree in the morning and saw several deer.One was a really nice buck but it saw him and ran. The dad shot his boy a look that said " Shut your mouth!" Instantly the boy got quiet. They snuck in on my spot, the exact tree.


I know this wasn't that big a deal but to me it wasn't right. I know it was a public area but there was a hot spot there that no one knew about until I opened my mouth.

I just don't thinkthatwas right after I took them the previous year and helped the boy get a couple deer.

Am I being selfish to feel that way?

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

Well, there are two ways to look at it. It was PUBLIC ground, open to anyone. On the other hand, they wouldn't have known about it had you not taken them there.

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

By the letter of the law, they were not in the wrong.

By the letter of common courtesy, that was a rather inconsiderate and ungrateful thing for them to do.

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

No, you were right. This coincides a lot with the 2nd selfish thread. The boy probably did not know better, The dad obviously did.

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

Based on your title, I would guess that you read my thread. If it were me I'd be furious. I would probably wait until his kid was not around (depending on how old he was) and then rip the dad a new one. He obviously knew he had done something wrong otherwise he would not given his kid the "keep your trap shut look". I would guess that the kid didn't know that he had done something wrong based on his eagerness to tell you about their mourning. It sucks to do someone a favor like that and have it blow up in your face.

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

Nope ...... those guys should have respected what you had done for them previously, enough to stay away from the spot you liked to hunt .... what happened to you doesn't surprise me, however. I have had similair experiences on public and private land ... I have learned my lesson the hard way ...

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

YOU own a tree on PUBLIC land??? I own just as much of that tree as you do....

Let me tell you another story....About 25 years ago I invited 6-7 guys to come down east and run their deer dogs on our farms...15 truck loads of hunters showed up...Over 30 hunters, I went with them, showed them where to set up standers and where to turn the dogs loose...We killed 7-8 deer that day...For 3-4 years my brother, who still lives in the area was running "hunters" off our land that were part of that group.....It is 225 miles from where our family farms are to where these guys live......

You can bet your best deer rifle I learned my lesson....I do take 2 guys with me now each year for a week, one is a plumber and happens to own a nice travel trailer that we stay the week in, the other got me in on a local hunt about 20 years ago, we still have it and still hunt together...

I'm sorry these guys treated you this way, but you have to be careful who you hunt with and what you tell them.

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

I just dont tell anyone where I hunt anymore, had some of the same problems

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

btw....You can fix them this year...Ever taken panty hose and tied them into the middle of ceder trees, with moth balls in them???? Done a week before the season, its pretty effective for 3 weeks or so...

RE: The Selfish Thread to End All Selfish Threads
 

Yeah I read your thread and agreed with you 100%


I was just trying to be funny with the title:D