What do you do?
 

It's muzzleloader and in public land. So I set in early this morning. It was an hour before light. As I'm getting ready to climb I see headlights in the parking area a couple hundred yards behind me. I didn't see him walk in but the guy settled in 60 yards from me. I figured it out when I heard him shoot. An hour later I see a buck cruising 66 yards away heading right for his location. I didn't know exactly the guys spot but I knew the buck was well before where the guy was. I tried calling but to no avail. I had a shooting lane on him but didn't take it. I just felt hesitant about it. What would you do?

get up and leave. only other option is to beat the tar out of him. which I would do if hunting on private land, and he had no permision to be there. public land, I would expect nothing else.

It's public land...

I am not sure if the op is asking what he should do about the situation where he is hunting, which is grin and bear it or leave, because it is public land or if he is asking should he have taken a shot he wasn't comfortable with to prevent the other guy from getting a shot. In that case thee is no question, if it isn't a good shot, don't take it.

well , if you didn't know where he was exactly and had doubts, you made the right choice by not shooting.tough pill to swallow but that's hunting on public land. take pride knowing you did it right.

oltimer you posted as I was typeing.
yup , totally agree.

I agree with OT. Safety and an ethical shot are most important. Hunting public land is always a crap shoot. Everyone has the same rights to hunt it. It would have been better if the second person coming into the parking spot went elsewhere but most of the time that doesn't happen. Hunting on public land that close to the parking lot is just asking to have company. For the OP, I think you made the right call.

The question was rhetorical in a way. Had I not known he was there I would have taken the shot. Not to scare the deer and screw him but to harvest. I was confident about it. It was just a grey area scenario.

Set up farther than a couple hundred yards from the parking lot. Few hunters are willing to walk in a full mile to hunt. I never get serious until I'm at least 2 miles from the nearest road/parking lot/ business/ house etc...

I agree. It's the way this place is laid out.... It borders a river and private land. With parking right in the middle along with a body of water. Someone was already parked at the access point to walk a long distance in and I wasn't going to chance tromping on their hunt. The walk from that spot is about a mile in and you hit the river. Which I've made the walk only to have someone come in on a boat from the river side or still walk in on me. I get it... It's public land. Had I saw the guy I would have tried to wave him off. I'm in a climber. I know public land is a crap shoot and you deal with it. It played out the way it played out. I just wanted to open the discussion.