Public land Paranoia.
 

Any body else experience these symptoms?

I have been scouting some public land and found some birds. Now as opening day approaches, everything seems like another hunter found the same birds. Every crow and owl sounds like another hunter. I went scouting last weekend and heard a crow go off 20 minutes before day light, I would have sworn it was a hunter. No new ribbon or tape in the area, but am always concerned about old tape. I never like to use it to mark my spots, I always felt like I was just giving someone else my locations.
So now I am flip flopping back between a couple of spots, where to park, Do I go to my blind or sit on the trail in case I have to shine other hunters off. I hate when the bird keeps gobbling and assume someone else is going to hear him to.

Anybody else? Do you guys like to use ribbon or tape to let others know you might be there? 1 of my pet peaves is when someone writes there name and what hunt they have, like they are calling that spot. I HATE that. Usually find there tape for a mile square with several hunts in the area.

Been there and done that....heck, doing it as I type. How's it going John?

Other Hunters
 

I never mark my hunt area and I always remove any tape I find to keep the area from the crowds. I would check the roads and trails for foot prints and just hunt like normal, I had a guy find the same roost area once, neither of us got a Turkey that morning but I shot a nice gobbled later on his way back to the roost.

Haven't used tape since the advent of the reasonably priced GPS. Only reason I could think to anymore is to set range for archery. Found a pair of gobblers and another 1 last week...didn't hear a single turkey sound but got a real good look at them. Don't know if it was the fog or the humidity or what, but I covered some ground and heard NOTHING. So, while it could be a more or less boring hunt, I think I found a few AND if they're mute, the chances are good nobody else will be on them. It's tough opening day and if you all are hunting the same few WMAs I reckon you may be, opening day is always you and 200+ of your best friends. Nothing beats scouting and if you can sit all day, odds are by 11:00am or earlier you'll have the area to yourself.

I tear down and pick up people's bread crumbs where ever I go. Tape, paper, cans, tacks, spray paint, if you get lost that easy stay in town.

Busch beer and Pepsi is polular at one of my spots. Amazing they can carry it all the way back in the woods,when it is full, but not take it out with them when it is empty.

Well you can't keep the idiots out. Those who have no ethics. When I hunt public I'm there early. I park so my yruck is well seen. But you still have those who will crowd you.
One reason I went more private than public.
But then on public I look for those out of the way areas. Tough to get to spots.
It is also why I also hunt alot late season. The dumb birds have been shot. But there are still good birds to be had and far less people.
I also pull tape or may reroute them.
I have hung flashlights from trees very early and that has helped.

But be safe out there.
I will not knowingly ruin someone's hunt if they are there before me.
JW

Hunting public land in florida is much like out west where the best strategy is to lace up the boots and put some miles on them. You have to find those spots that hardly anyone wants to walk that far to. Why pull the tape? All you're doing is trying to ruin someone else spot that they found? It is called public land for a reason and contrary to popular belief...you WILL be hunting with other people around you. Yes it is annoying and yes some of them do not know their head from their A$$, but that's the beauty of it. I hunted Kissimmee River back when it was the heaviest hunted place for turkeys in the state and you couldn't go 100 yards without stepping onto another person and the same strategy of walking those long miles paid off and we all killed our birds every year. And instead of trying to take other hunters' tape and reflective pieces maybe try talking to them at the truck and strategize with them..."Hey you go this side of the head and I'll go this side?" Who knows you might find a new hunting partner in the meantime?

Tape - litter - trash - same thing.

"Miles"? Miles of trash? Tape and cans on limbs FOR MILES?

Why is it these "miles walking" super hunters never bother to PICK UP THEIR TRASH?

Forest litter
 

I agree with Jack Ryan pick it all up, I get to the roost area's before there is any light using a flashlight until I know they will see the light then find the roost area in the dark. I used to use my gps but not much anymore a lot of the tape tends to be from big game season, I don't get why more hunters don't use landmarks instead of tape and tacks.

I don't hunt any public land anymore , I was shot when I was 18 because someone got anxious and didn't identify what they was shooting at , I was lucky , so I lease property and have for several years I know who is on it and where and I've had safe places for my kids to grow up hunting ... But hunted public a lot back in my 20s I always roosted my birds got in early and call less most hunters call way to much on older birds it works fine on two year olds , if I heard another hunter I'd always back out and come back later if I didn't hear any shooting... good luck and be safe

You must have a lot more reasonable public land hunters there than I have here. That's about all I can say about that.

It will make a turkey hunter out of ya

Other hunters are part of the challenge of public land. Gotta deal with them and figure out a way to fill the tag.
-Jake

The question to ask is: Is your hunt and the quarry you're after worth the public land effort. If your safety is always in question, that's one thing. Otherwise, if public land was all I had, I wouldn't-and haven't-let someone else ruin it or prevent me.