Disrespectful Hunters!
12-01-2010, 10:49 AM
#31
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Harford Co Maryland USA
Posts: 4,966
If you hunt public land, you'll see this kind of scenario played over and over on the opener of deer season and sometimes turkey season. You were the one getting there late - as evidenced by the fact that the others were already set up in their stands. They got a bit perturbed because they got there early and set up only to have you walking in as it's getting light and disrupt the woods which they were hoping was settling down. I had it happen to me years ago on private land on the opener of bow season. Some guy walks in just as it's getting light, tromps ALL OVER the area around my stand WHILE I WAS FLASHING MY LIGHT AT HIM. He finally YELLS that he's looking for the stand he set up LAST NIGHT! I asked him to move since he couldn't find it. It cost me an opportunity at a big 8 point a little later when the does in front of him caught the guy's scent trail. Turns out he had set up LESS THAN 10 yards from the tree where I had hung my stand a number of days in advance. Can ya see why it would upset someone who was there first?
12-01-2010, 04:33 PM
#32
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MN
Posts: 1,260
I'll have to side with the other hunters. They scouted hung stands and got in early. Sounds like your the guy ruining their hunts. I know it's not your fault, but look at it from their point of view. Public land gotta love it.
12-01-2010, 05:59 PM
#33
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: N. Illinois
Posts: 527
public land
Don't tell where you are going. They will follow you there.
I would delete this if it were me.
I would delete this if it were me.
I kind of agree with BigCountry... It sounds like you got into the woods a little too late, and all the good spots were taken.
I sense your frustration with public land hunting areas. I've been there and done that too, on both sides of the coin. It's not easy, that's for sure... I've tried getting into the woods way ahead of time in the pitch black darkness, trying to beat the other hunters to the good spots. But then when the sun came up, I looked out across the ridge from my stand, and it was just a sea of blaze orange. I mean, it looked like a freakin' pumpkin patch! I wanted to scream!!!
Other times, I've gone way far in, way in deep, and didn't quite get in there before sunrise. Other hunters quietly whistled or went "Pssssttt" so I could see where they were. I moved to another area to give them room, and ran into the same problem. Again and again... One time I got so discouraged and pissed off at seeing like 9000 hunters per square acre, I just packed up and went home.
As it is now? I totally REFUSE to deer hunt in the public land WMA's (Wildlife Management Area) here in Virginia. They are so packed and so ridiculously crazy, you wonder if somebody is going to get shot!
I go 2-3 hours west to the Blue Ridge Mts of Virginia, out near I-81 and out near the border of WV where it's more open, more spread out, and where you don't see a deer hunter in every tree.
I sense your frustration with public land hunting areas. I've been there and done that too, on both sides of the coin. It's not easy, that's for sure... I've tried getting into the woods way ahead of time in the pitch black darkness, trying to beat the other hunters to the good spots. But then when the sun came up, I looked out across the ridge from my stand, and it was just a sea of blaze orange. I mean, it looked like a freakin' pumpkin patch! I wanted to scream!!!
Other times, I've gone way far in, way in deep, and didn't quite get in there before sunrise. Other hunters quietly whistled or went "Pssssttt" so I could see where they were. I moved to another area to give them room, and ran into the same problem. Again and again... One time I got so discouraged and pissed off at seeing like 9000 hunters per square acre, I just packed up and went home.
As it is now? I totally REFUSE to deer hunt in the public land WMA's (Wildlife Management Area) here in Virginia. They are so packed and so ridiculously crazy, you wonder if somebody is going to get shot!
I go 2-3 hours west to the Blue Ridge Mts of Virginia, out near I-81 and out near the border of WV where it's more open, more spread out, and where you don't see a deer hunter in every tree.Last edited by jrfrmn; 12-09-2010 at 09:53 AM.
12-01-2010, 07:30 PM
#34
Spike
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 80
I got a good one that made me lol .Hunting ill. mid nov. last day until gun season .I hunt my lockon in the am. and pull it at noon. Go to my climber that I left on the tree the night be for and there's a guy in his climber 20' above mine.I had to laugh a couple of time on the way home ,600 miles.You do not deal the cards on public land .
12-02-2010, 05:07 AM
#35
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 320
B. To avoid the other 2 dozen hunters that set up near the road.
Every area is different, and you're right that some times hunting near the road is the honey hole. On most public land that I've hunted, however, there is just way too much human traffic near the roads to make it worthwhile.
12-02-2010, 05:07 AM
#36
It's okay to talk about the National Forest in Virginia. Heck, anyone can see it on a Rand McNally road atlas. It goes from Winchester/Front Royal, VA all the way down I-81 past Roanoke, and continues all the way through Virginia! It's something like 1.8 million acres. Honest... I have yet to bump into another hunter (aside from the regular guys at our deer camp).
12-02-2010, 05:35 AM
#37
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N/W WI.
Posts: 814
What Guy's don't understand is, on public land anyone can hunt anywhere they want to and this causes problems as no-one has a certain area as his. If they want to walk all day, that is their right to do so. If they want to sit next to you they can. Some people don't treat others with respect and are only out for themselves. If you ask a warden what the biggest complaint during deer hunting is, he will probably say it is hunter vs. hunter friction due to lack of courtesy. This is too bad!
12-02-2010, 07:24 AM
#38
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Great Mills, MD
Posts: 204
The only thing that I can do to somewhat secure my spot on public land is to get up around 3:30 in the morning and get to my stand early as possible. But unfortunately not all hunters enter and leave the woods at the same time. There's those hunters that want to come in late, those who want to leave the woods at lunch time and those who don't stay till sunset. And there are those hunters who walk through the woods hunting from the ground.
12-02-2010, 07:42 AM
#39
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: ohio
Posts: 12
I edited my previous post though.
It's okay to talk about the National Forest in Virginia. Heck, anyone can see it on a Rand McNally road atlas. It goes from Winchester/Front Royal, VA all the way down I-81 past Roanoke, and continues all the way through Virginia! It's something like 1.8 million acres. Honest... I have yet to bump into another hunter (aside from the regular guys at our deer camp).
It's okay to talk about the National Forest in Virginia. Heck, anyone can see it on a Rand McNally road atlas. It goes from Winchester/Front Royal, VA all the way down I-81 past Roanoke, and continues all the way through Virginia! It's something like 1.8 million acres. Honest... I have yet to bump into another hunter (aside from the regular guys at our deer camp).
12-02-2010, 11:51 AM
#40
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,203
Ever heard the term "hell is other people?" That is what I think about when reading some of these posts. I can take the close proximity of public land hunters with the expectation going into public land competing for a deer.
What I would have a very hard time tolerating is the people walking up close and doing a stop and chat. That would drive me insane. Thank God I have options when it comes to hunting property.
To those who don't have that option, I say good luck and also to strive for getting access to private land. It's possible. Just have to work at it.
What I would have a very hard time tolerating is the people walking up close and doing a stop and chat. That would drive me insane. Thank God I have options when it comes to hunting property.
To those who don't have that option, I say good luck and also to strive for getting access to private land. It's possible. Just have to work at it.