claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

This is my first season hunting on a WMA, and was wondering how you guys claim your hunting spot. The reason I ask is, I have a nice little feeding area (acorns) picked out and have hunted it about 4 times this season. I was in doubt on what to do. Make it obvious I was hunting the area, or just hope nobody else found it.
I decided to make it obvious I was hunting the area and hung a couple of ribbons on the entrance trail. Now when I see ribbons or brite eyes, I avoid the area because someone is obviously hunting there and assumed others would think the same way. To my dismay, someone has actually tied their ribbons right next to mine, and I assume they plan on hunting there! I know there is nothing that can really be done because its public land, but I would think there are " unwritten" rules to stay out of someone elses hunting area if you see obvious sign they are in there. I have other areas picked out, but I hate to let him just walk in and take my spot. Any suggestions?? Sorry to be so long, it just kinda chapped my hide!

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Get there early and hope whoever else doesn' t walk in to the spot you are hunting. As you said, it' s public land. First come first serve.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Only an idiot would put ribbons right next to yours.Obviously this is a selfish hunter and if I were you,I would go right back to your spot,don' t let him kick you out.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Who says he hasnt been hunting there for 20 years and didnt need ribbons to get in there day or night. You might have moved in on his territory, and hes just letting you know there is someone else is in there? Never mark trails on public land and expect people not to follow them.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I believe it' s first come first serve. Anybody could hang ribbons up all over a WMA. You might not even be there the days he is going to hunt.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I' m with swampthing....NEVER mark a trail on public land, too much risk of attracting others.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I hunt a WMA here in La. and you just have to get there earlier than the next guy. The WMA book states that no spot can be reserved , it' s first come first serve. I never use ribbons to mark my way in. I use a etrex gps to go in and out. The actual tree I put stand on I usually mark with a couple of those flourescent lighted tacks. And if after all that I always have another place or two to go hunt.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I Bowhunt lots of public land in a couple states. keep your spot undetected if possible-have more than 1 spot in mind & IF the area is large, like some of the larger places just go in a little farther. If you have Public ground that is accessible by boat or canoe & you have one-use it-you will get to lots of unused PUBLIC ground.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I have found the best defense to hunting public land is to leave as little evidence of yourself as possible. Set up as many stands as possible (to rely on one or two on public land is a recipe for disaster).

Any mark you leave will be investigated by others - they may not hunt it - but they may mark it to discourage you.

Its a dog eat dog world out there:D:D

I mark limbed out trees I find with black tape - if a hunter uses the tree he will usually remove the tape - And I know what trees are being hunted.

Know your deer and know the hunters;)

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Rack attack, It' s illegal to leave stands up on public land.

NYS law
Travel off-road using any motorized vehicles (motorcycles, snowmobiles, trail bikes, motor scooters, mopeds, all terrain vehicles, etc.), except as specifically allowed by a permit or posted notice.
Damage vegetation, including trees, or remove anything from state land.
Place nails or other hardware into trees.
Build permanent structures, such as tree stands, platforms and blinds.
Erect, use or maintain a building or structure.
Store personal property.
Deposit or leave any litter or rubbish.

Leaving a portable stand on public land is storing personal property. You don' t use screw in steps too do you?

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

The first person to get to the spot, is the one that hunts it, and depending on terrian a good chunk of the area around it. You cant reserve public land. I dont care if youve been hunting there since dirt.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

i have kinda been scoping out some public land here and was kinda wondering the same thing. I dont think there will be that many people hunting out there so i should be alright.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

If another hunter put ribbons next to yours - I' d think he' d had the area staked out - and is letting you know he plans on hunting there as well. Personally, I would move altogether - I' m not the confrontational type. The best case scenario would be to meet the unkown hunter, On the private land I hunt, we often share our hunting areas with very good success - because we communicate.

In the future, on public land - I wouldn' t mark a thing. I' d rather slip in without a stand, and set up on a very small little section. With a stand I' d opt for a light climber or light lock-on stand - take it in and out - and would not ever plan on hunting the exact same tree.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I think he meant that you set up stand sites, ie trim branches, clear shooting lanes and such.
good luck

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I just plan my hunt like nobody' s going to hunt there and hope for the best. I haven' t had a problem yet, but It will probably happen someday.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I have an interesting situation coming up this year. I have hunted the same state land for the last 13+ years so I know it all pretty well. This year when I went to scout I noticed that a local had planted a nice corn field that is about 5 acres.....this land (which is his) shares a border with the state forest. He has posted signs every 50 feet in the woods so everyone knows it.

Here is where it gets interesting.....The corn goes right up to a few hundred yards of hardwoods then it' s thick pines. A nice little stream runs through the hardwoods also. It is absolutely PERFECT. The deer have everything they need right there and the place is absolutely covered with great sign. I am looking VERY forward to hunting this area this year. I only hope that the guys that own the private land are not jerks because I really don' t want any trouble if a deer I whack runs on their land to expire. I plan on hunting with my back to the private land in hopes of the deer running back into the state land if hit. Should be interesting because it is pretty obvious that the owners are planning to hunt near there as well.........hopefully they are just slug slingers.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Oh and more specifically on the subject...........I have gone to the same spot opening day of shotgun since as long as I can remember. 3 years ago I was greated by a flashlight waving at me.....from who I still don' t know. Bottom line was I hunted that spot for probably 9 years straight but had to keep walking because public land has no such thing as " my spot" .

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

It' s nice to see that most of us would believe that first come first serve is the right answer. Hunting a WMA in Kentucky a couple years ago climbed up the tree, got locked in just sat down and wouldn' t you know I see a streamlight coming towards me. Flash the light at the guy, he acknowledges and proceeds to set his stand 30 yards from mine. It turned out to be an uneventful morning watching him watch me. Always have an alternate plan for the ones who don' t share the same ethics as you do

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

You will find that some people can be absolute jerks on public land. Thats being downright spightfull. As for leaving my stands on public land, that would only happen once. The next time I would go to hunt a bare tree where someone had removed my stand.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

3step is right - I use a climber

And just to clarify - most of the " public" land I hunt is " private" land that is not posted and open game to the public.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

My spot.....public land.....:D:D:D:D:D

Some well placed mounds of crumpled toilet paper can discourage others from using your site...[>:]

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

That' s a good idea cyclone, LOL.
First come, first served. If a guy is there before you, go somewhere else, don' t setup 75 yards up the trail. I' ve hunted spots for 10 years and had someonee come in and " claim" the spot, ribbons everywhere. I don' t want to have to outsmart the deer, AND overcome someone else' s blundering. Easier to just move on.
If someone setup 30 yards from me, one of us is getting a whuppin' .

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

The lands I hunt here in Illinois you have to sign into a certain area. First come first serve.

I' nve hunted public land in MI, and only had a problem once. I chose a spot that was near another guys hang on stand. I was there about an hour and a half before he got there. He said to me......" I' m hunting here, I don' t care. I' ve had my stand here all season" . Well, I did' nt want to get into a pissing match since I was in a climber I climbed down and went a 100 yards down a ridge. I saw him in the parking lot and he did' nt see a damn thing. I saw 7 deer that night;) Never got a shot off. I had a doe spot me in the tree, but she played with me for about 15 minutes trying to get me to move. Thats another post, though.

J

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I some idiot sees me and sets up 30 yards from me the day is ruined anyway. So I will just move around alot make noise,even sing,talk out loud to myself. They eventually move and dont come back. They just wright me off as a psyco case.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I tend to agree with the thought of " first come, first serve" when it comes to any given day on any public land. Granted, you did scout the place out and prep it for hunting but every person that hunts public land does so with the thought that another hunter could be in the spot that they picked out. As per the other suggestions, I would have a few stand locations set up prior to when you plan on hunting any given area. That way if someone is in your primary location then you can move to another place with little effort.

I take the same gamble every time I go hunting. The SGL that I hunt receives quite a bit of pressure during just about every season. I still do prep " favorite spots" and do put cat' s eyes up to lead to each stand. But, under no circumstances do I assume that any spot is " my stand" . What I do is get up there extremely early to make sure that I am the first one to the spot. If I see another hunter approaching then I shine the flashlight in his direction. Most of the time the hunter turns around and heads back in the direction they came from. However, I have had several occasions where the hunter blunders around in the dark trying to find another tree that is relatively close to the one I am sitting in. They think they are far enough away but when it gets light out then chances are they are within 50 yards of my location. In such a circumstance I just grin and bear it. More often than not their new stand location does not have any shooting lanes and deer actually walk right past them and down, or over, to where I am sitting. It happened last year with a half rack 8 pointer that I saw on the third week of the season. I am sure it will happen again this year.

Personally, I think the orange tape around a tree, etc... is a bad idea. It immediately alerts others to your presence even from a distance. Most hunters are curious and will investigate. The cat' s eyes, though still noticeable, usually cannot be seen in the daylight without being relatively close to them.

I would get there early if I were you and hope the other hunter has some common decency when he sees there is another person hunting that particular spot. There really is not anything else you can do.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Not to be a pain in the butt ,but that is also illegal on public land in NYS.


It' s nice that people are still not posting everything.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I' ve hunted public land that had so many darn ribbons I literally couldn' t find a place to hunt.

First come first serve.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I will hunt public land for the first time this year. I found some pretty good areas and hope the (first come first serve) rule works for me. I know if I got to an area and someone was flashing a light at me, I would certainly turn around and find a new spot, I hope others would do the same.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I have tried the ribbons and other markers but other hunters just pull them off and stick theirs up. I now just go into an area and put up a stand unless someone is obviouly hunting this spot. If someone else comes in I' ll usually move further in.
Most places I hunt, other hunters dont want work to get to. I' ll put on a pair of chest waders and cross a swamp or small creek while everyone else doesnt bother to walk more than a few hundred yards from their truck. Over the years I have learned to pretty much avoid the other hunters. I may have to walk through their area to get to my spot but usually no conflict. The six main stands I had last year, I never saw another hunter. Not even during the gun season.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Got to say i am with teh swamp man. Don' t put up a sign and expect people not to check it out. But it is sad that there aren' t to many ethical hunters out there respecting each other.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Its usually first come but I try to find out who' s sharing the area and what days they usually hunt there then I just hunt a different spot. (I have at least 15 different trees picked out) or I try not to hunt Saturdays and hunt during the week when I usually have the woods to myself. Love the thread about the t-paper:D As someone said communication is the key. Also those solar lights they sell in garden centers work better than those bright eyes;):D:D

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

What " unwritten rule" ? It' s public land. It' s not [/B]your[/B] hunting area. It' s everyone' s land. Unles you' re actually hunting the area at the time, you' ve got no complaint.

This is your first season hunting there, right? Maybe he hunted it last year? This is why I hate hunting public land. People don' t seem to understand the difference between public and private.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I hunt public land in northern Wi and most of the time the guys you run into bow hunting are very friendly and will move on if your in there first and I do the same. Rifle hunting sometimes you run into a yayhoo that spots you and just sets up next to you. Its something you have to deal with if your on public land. I also agree putting up flagging tape to mark your trail or stand sight is inviting people to check it out.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Thanks for the advise guys... as mentioned I will just have to arrive a little earlier on days I would like to hunt the spot. I am not complaining about having to hunt first come first serve, I have accepted that ...I just dont understand why someone would WANT to hunt a spot someone else is OBVIOSLY using and risk walking in on the other while hunting, even if it was " their" spot last year. Thats why I marked it in the first place, but I will keep my other spots a secret :D

Oh well, its a mute point... like someone mentioned some are just lazy and its easier than scouting the woods in the 90 degree heat. Thanks again!

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

I hit this one a little late. Being a veteran of public land hunting I have come up with my own little philosophy on hunting " spots"

Speaking in reference to a area in a WMA that has thousands of acres, If another hunter can pick the same spot I have or vice versa then I am not hunting far enough or deep enough from the road ;)

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

well, its public land and that means that its everyones spot. i have had all kinds of experiences from someone setting up within 40 yards of me to the person who turns at the sight of my light and finds another place. bottom line is you can get mad all you want and it does no good but ruin your day. i find that going in at first light to my stand site works good b/c you can see evidence if someone is using the same trail as you and if they are where you plan to hunt you can find another one easier in the light than blundering around the dark. just my 2 cents.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Last season I was on public land that just opened up for hunting. I was sitting in a tree about 50 yards off the border of the reserve area. I saw something moving about 100 yards away, but realized it was 2 guys looking for a place to hang a stand with screw in steps(not legal). They spooked a nice buck that was bedded 70 yards away from me. It ran past me without offering a shot. These buttheads kept coming toward me, so I whistled at them and told them that they were in the no hunting area. They moved on up the woods but came back to set up about 100 yards from me, which would have been fine except they were only wearing camo shirts with light bluejeans. They had no bows, only a drill and a stand.They took 2 hours to hang the thing. The whole time I could see one of them walking back and fourth. If I would have known that it would take that long I would have moved a couple hundred yards down the border. I was told that I could track a wounded animal into the reserve, that is why I was hunting near the boundry.

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

One of my biggest pet peaves is seeing our national forests littered with ribbons and bright eyes![:@]
I leave the forest the way I found it , unless I find some trash , then I' ll pick it up and take it with me!

RE: claiming " your" spot on public land...
 

Don' t be so hasty to look at this as a negative. Yes, I enjoy hunting alone, but this guy might be of some help. He might have better knowledge of where the deer are on that part of the land. Who knows, he could become your new hunting parter