Im new to the Maryland area and after giving up on finding private land to hunt on I started checking out some of the local wmas...I found a great scrape line to hunt on but somebody has marked the whole area with orange tape. I guess so they can find it to hunt on again. My delima is I want to hunt it but I dont want somebody else to think Im moving in on them. The other problem is many of the hunters that use the wma are one shot wonders you know opening day heros then done..My wife says I should just go to the spot and if nobady else is there then is should set up my stand and hunt..What would yall do.

If the flagging tape is fresh, I would hunt another place to hunt. How would you feel if you had been the one that scouted early, marked the place, stayed out of it for several weeks before opening day and another hunter was sitting there opening day and it was obvious you had tried to mark the area. It could lead to an unnecessary confrontation.

I agree with timbercruiser, but by law WMA's are first come first serve, if you were there before him legally it would be your spot, ethical? That is a different story, what you may try is leaving a note on the tape asking the guy to call you that way if he is a decent joe he may let you know what days he plans on hunting.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

I thought about this all day today and normally I would agree with the both of you but you should know that this is not some 4 or 5000 acre wma or a national forest. This is maryland and the wma here is only 600 acres...Not to mention the fact that all the local wmas and huntable state parks in this area combined total not much more than 2000 acres. The largest is 1500 and it will have to support somewhere between 5 and 600 hunters opening day of shotgun season. So I think its kinda rude that this guy thinks hes special enough to tape off a few arces all to himself and the rest of us hunters must leave HIS area alone...As to the fact that he scouted and found it before me thats true but lets be relistic with the land shortage its crazy for him to believe he found it first or me to believe that I found it second.

I think that I will ultametly leave his spot alone in fact Im beging to think that I may give the sport up all together...Just not much room for a poor Arkansas boy in Maryland.

Mark your area along/near his and leave a note near his stand letting him know you'll be around the same area. Move farther up on the trail and set up. If you happen to see this person confront him with courtesy and discuss the issue. But don't hunt it till your sure its all casual.
Remember you could have done the same thing and someone could take your spot. OOOHHHH I'd be mad.
Look alittle more.