how close is too close to be hunting/baiting?
Printable View
how close is too close to be hunting/baiting?
This spring turkey season I got to a spot of public land and parked in the ONE spot by the road and walked in.
I quietly setup my decoys in a perfect Killzone right where I'd almost called in a Tom a couple weeks before. I was in the corner of the public land near a field and about 50 m from the property line.
At first light I unencased and loaded my shotgun and started to make some light clucks.
About 20 min when by and some jackass hunter walked down the trail toward my Killzone. I saw him and swung my shotgun away and whisper-shouted "Hunter!". He didn't hear so I repeated "HUNTER!"
He stopped and waved his hand in the air but didn't indicate he saw me at all. I watched him cross behind my decoys and head toward the property line.
At this point I had to assume the jackass was somewhere to my right and had set up between me and the private property in the direction I last had a turkey come from. He was either in my sights or I was in his!
I got up, packed up my and walked briskly down the trail back to my car. I won't pretend that I was quiet at this point.
When I got to my car he had parked creatively squeezing in beside me.
I went to another public spot and set up but didn't have any luck at all.
THAT is an example of too close.
If a plot of county forest has one spot to park and I get there and the spot is taken, well TFB for me and I go elsewhere.
If the jackass who didn't follow common courtesy had come up to me that morning we could have arranged something where I knew where he was and where our arcs of fire where.
I had a similar incident where I showed up at a spot to small game hunt and a guy was showing up to bow hunt deer. It's 1500 acres so after talking for a few minutes in the parking lot we went our separate ways.
Wouldn't you know it that we met up deep in the woods! We exchanged numbers and texted each other that day to coordinate our hunts not interfering with each other. I now chat with him fairly regularly and plan to hunt together this year.
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
Rob Stewart, I think I've shared this story before on the forum, but I had similar occurrence in your neck of the woods last year, I went in about an hour before first light, I get situated in my climber and about 15 minutes later another hunter is walking directly to my tree. A whisper yelling match ensues because he initially thought I was in his climber. Turns out he had left his there from the previous night knowing he would return in the morning. I went in to hunt the spot I had killed my buck the year before, not knowing or seeing that there was a climber attached to a tree about 20 yards away. We came to resolve and when I returned to my truck later that morning I had a note with the guys number, I called him we were both respectful and apologized for the mix up and now text once in awhile and when hunting try to make sure we're not bumping or blowing out each others location. It's nice to know there are still reasonable people out there. Hunters are a fairly marginalized group as it is, so there are no reasons to have adversaries within our community.
So to the guys that hunt deer and or turkey ever thought of taping a sketch of the area with a mark to where your set up too the inside of your car window? Would definitely help the next guy coming in to assess to stay or go.
The guy could have been heading deep in to the private land next door were he has permission( lets just assume the best) and would have not been anywhere near you.
The problem was he did not talk to you, or even seem to care. If he was headed to the private land and he knows he will be far from where you are, that still did not help because you can not safely shoot till you know it is safe to do.
Just a quick" hey sorry, I am just cutting through to the land next door. I am going to be down over the next hill and along way from you." Problem solved.
That's a good idea. However, for me personally, I'm willing to share my location with someone I've developed a rapport with, but not willing to share it with anyone that pulls up at the trail head for the first time. My time spent scouting for the perfect spot would be wasted if the next guy just goes in and sets up because he knows where I've been.Quote:
Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers
yup its a catch 22 , as a bird hunter I got no idea if that park car is a hunter, mushroomer, or whatever so in I'll go. If I know someone is sitting somewhere more inclined to avoid that area.Quote:
Originally Posted by ride.lift.shoot
Unfortunately that’s the game of hunting public land. You have no more right to be there than anyone else. It sucks but if you can’t live with it find a private spot
Totally understand that, and never claimed to have more right to it than anyone else. That doesn't mean I have to advertise via a window sticker the areas that I choose to hunt within that public land.
It's really not worth getting bent out of shape over someone else using the land, I hunt public land and accept that other users comes with the territory. That said, there are ways to amicably interact with others when crossing paths, which is what the OP intended to discuss in this thread.
Yep. And that's why I moved on. That's also why I'm not a dick and push myself into a small plot I wanted to hunt when I get there and someone else is already there.Quote:
Originally Posted by FishHog
I moved for safety but also cuz he was probably gonna get "my" bird anyway.
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
It seems that's the nature of hunting public land. It could be someone coming in late because they only have a small time frame to hunt... Or maybe he is just ignorant. You don't know unless you talk to them. 90% of people who I've encountered on public land have been very reasonable and are happy to work together. The other 10% are difficult but I don't have time to waste on them.
I assume the OP is referring to big game however, I typically hunt public land for all types of small game, for me having a couple of backup spots before I leave the house is pretty much standard practice. Depending on the tract of land I will generally judge how busy it is by the number of cars at the access point, if there is more than one access I check them all. If it seems too busy for my liking or I think I will intrude on somebody else's hunt I will just move on to the next spot. When you frequent the same areas throughout the season you will get a better feel of where other people like to set up and where you can go to avoid them all together.
I hunt both crown and private land. Never don't recall ever having a problem in Eastern Ontario. Myself if I know someone is hunting an area I move at least 1/2 maybe even a km away.
if you are close enough to mess up their hunt, or for you to be shot by accident (or purpose), you are too close.
Few years back I was hunting the controlled shotgun season, on a 25 acre bush that is part of a much larger bush. I see about 15 guys walking across field to the bush. They obviously see me as I'm in about 50yds but it is open and we are all wearing orange. One guy comes on to the property to talk to me. First thing he says is he is sorry, as they spooked about 12 deer in the field down from me I couldn't see.He tells me he is the owner of the field they crossed that they are going to setup to drive the rest of the bush away from me since they don't have permission for the bush I'm in. We talk and he tells me to cover the back side for them to catch what comes back. We are good friends now and I hunt his property now. So there are some good people out there, but there are almost as many ignorant people as well.