Hunting Etiquette

This is a good game plan. We hunt a lease but tag out on stands, first come first served. The stand I wanted has been taken many times.
 
I'm just siding with jmp1 in post 55. And yes, I do hire guides from time to time because of physical limitations or because I'm hunting in Canada where the law requires it. I hope you guys live long enough to find out what it's like to spend weeks in the rugged backcountry after retirement age where you don't see anyone else...ever. Much nicer than arguing with densely populated treestand occupiers.

 

You do realize a lot of these guys here have spent a shit ton of time in rugged back country, high mountains and desert shitholes.

They have been places you wouldn't want to go.

Their prey got to shoot back at them.
 
lol. This is why I don’t gun hunt. Shooting said deer from a hundred or so yards away doesn’t make me feel accomplished. I hunt bow for the challenge and joy of it. If I take a deer then that’s great. If I don’t, then that’s great to. I have more fun now sitting in a stand across from my son and helping him harvest one during archery season. To each his own. Hunt however makes you happy and enjoy it.
 
I bow hunt because it gives me the ability to harvest deer a month and a half before rifle season - you know, before all the idiots go stomping around in the woods like Daniel Boone, pressuring the deer until they're almost completely nocturnal.

I rifle hunt on occasion too. I have no ill will against rifle hunters. My gripe is with the weekend warriors who spent two summers on grandpa's farm as a kid...and by the time they're at hour number three in the woods this season they've assumed an identity somewhere between Tanto and John Rambo. Then they boast about their skill on internet forums.

Where you hunt, isn't where somebody else three states away hunts. Sitting in a tree in a densely wooded Eastern forest is the only way a lot of dudes are ever going to get a chance at a deer. And if you spend the day walking around, the amount of noise you create will keep those deer 300 yards ahead of you...which is 250 yards further than you can see. Conversely that just doesn't work out west in many places where if you sit tight you won't see squat.

The fact that anybody in this thread tries to establish superiority over a topic like 'hunting methods' boggles the mind. You have to be one of the least empathetic and most narcissistic people out there to fail to understand the geographical difference in different hunting regions. But we 'love' all the photos of you 'roughing it'...almost as much as you love your photos of yourself (not really).

Dudes like this sit five feet behind the animal they just paid $10K+ to harvest, after being led by the hand to the exact spot where they can get a shot off (frequently by someone with some real outdoors knowledge). You impress nobody but yourself, and maybe the 3 - 4 other dudes on an internet forum, who by the time they've rounded the third tree (that they cant identify the species of BTW) from their truck, they can practically smell their target animal as they become one with their 1% American Indian heritage.
 
it will absolutely make you question your sanity. I hunt solo alot. 110 lb pack, 9 miles from the truck after 25 miles humping. Luckily these blacktail are small enough to do in one trip. Going back for another load of meat would be next level suck.
 
If its public land you probably cant build a stand just for your self so its first come first serve . If the builder has a good hunter human story like.....he has helped maintained the area ,helped others build stands or maybe has built it for a needful hunter you kinda give him the place
 


I’m secure enough in my skills and abilities that I don’t need to belittle others.

My philosophy is you do you, enjoy hunting the way that you want, as long as you’re legal and ethical I don’t GAF how you do it. Get out there and partake of the heritage of hunting. Appreciate the gift in the manner that suits you and I’ll do the same.

Judging is for ąssholes, in my opinion.




P
 
Someone had changed the spelling of your screen name to GayRider.

Again, this is the Bear Pit, the place where feelings, sensibility, and sometimes self-respect go to die.

Don't worry, I have also been the target of roasts. Fortunately, for me, most of my feelings burned out years ago. And the other few were surgically removed.

I am a certified asshole.

 
I don't get the whole gatekeepers thing for hunting. It's something we do. Some are lucky enough to travel to hunt. Some hunt where they can. Idgaf. If it's something your doing ethically and legally go for it.

I hunt west so we don't use tree stands in general. Who the fuck cares? I sure as shit don't.
 
I hunt on public land. I do not have a lease or any I am close to enough to borrow their land. My old high school mate keeps telling me we need to schedule to go west to his family's ranch in west Texas and from there, we could go after mule deer. What we are lacking is logistics and time away from work.

Anyway, on public land, it doesn't matter what section you like. Everyone has a crack at it.

One time, I found a spot that I liked. A bunch of downed branches and brush to my left looked like a good bedding area and the creek was to my right.

So, I set my gear down, set up the tripod and rifle and got really still.

And then looked up and noticed hunting sticks and harness on a tree. No one else was around and also, I did not move. If he came along, I might talk with him. Certainly, he was off checking other spots.

There is one difference of assigned places on public land.

Out west near Itaque and Turkey, Texas (south and east of Amarillo,) is a state park called the Caprock Canyon SP. Throughout most of the year, it is rugged camping only, no hunting.

But for about a week, it is closed down to the general public and set up just for rifle (general) season hunting for mule deer. And, for that, if you win, you show up the day you are supposed to be there for orientation and also, you will be assigned a compartment. A section of the park you can use and also, safe directions of fire. In fact, the description of the hunt usually points out these things. Be ready for icy winter conditions (high plains desert.) Rugged camping.

And be able to adequately shoot at least 200 yards in the wind. It really is a canyon and there is just rock and scrub brush. No trees to hide in or behind. The best you can do is hide behind a boulder or some bush and you cannot catch a mule deer by putting salt on his tail.

In all of the time I have hunted public land and encountered others, there was never once a squabble over a roosting spot.

In the case of the OP @GrayRyder , I get the drift. And it is a valid point. Even though it is private land, there are no assigned compartments. The other hunter's son is asking a lot.

As for others talking about what is or is not real hunting, I think hunting from a stand 70 yards from an auto-feeder is just fine. Anyone who has done that knows the amount of work, time, and money that went into taking care of all that. I saw it through the experiences of someone I know.

So, one could stalk and that is also work. Minus the work of building and setting up a stand or blind and planting feed crops and browse and clearing lines of sight, etcetera.

Then there are outfitters. People who's job it is to care for land and herds and run off the predators. For about half the price or less of a lease, you get a whole weekend where you can get a buck, a doe, and a hog. And it is all taken care of. The harvest is taken to a place to process and they can send off your trophy to a taxidermist.

Guess what, it is still exiting and effective.

Yeah, they take you to stands and hides and blinds. They know where the deer a going. How is that bad?

What if I tell you exactly where I saw a deer, down to the GPS coordinates. All you have to do is go there and wait a while. Is that wrong? Is that not "real" hunting?
 
Completely and utterly false interpretation. The point being made is that treesquatting is not the pursuit of game. It is sitting in ambush. Only those actually in motion are pursuing game. Has nothing to do with guides (which is an entirely separate subject) and everything to do with the definition of hunting.
Here are some other definitions of hunting:
  • To pursue for food or in sport
  • To manage in the search for game
  • To pursue with intent to capture
  • To search out or seek
  • To drive or chase especially by harrying
  • To traverse in search of prey
Plenty of guys head out with a backpack, stay in the field for extended periods of time using base, spike and bivy camps. They do it without guides on public and private land, and often face hardships treesquatters don't. The guy in the tree often rides an ATV or ebike to his stand or at best...takes a short walk. Many leave at midday for lunch and return before dark. Totally different experiences that are world's apart. It's not about superiority...it's about effort and sport. If you don't see the difference then you must be a treesquatter.

Oh and anyone who has ever hunted elk in Colorado during archery season knows...it can coincide with muzzleloader season and those good ole boys from the south will fire a smokepole at a moving bush. Guys dressed like this hide behind trees when they hear Bubba coming.

 
So by your narrow definition, mountain lions who lie in wait by a deer trail aren't really hunting? Just sitting and hoping? Hawks who roost near bird feeders aren't really hunting, because they just sit and watch until time to strike?

How about you do you, and not worry about anyone else? I and numerous others that I have taught, have sat in trees, glassed from different ridges, shot across canyons, packed out deer, hiked far into the wilderness and climbed mountains in search of critters. I adapt my methods to the game being pursued and the area where I am pursuing, including green fields in the Southeast, treestands that you had to wear waders to get to in the South Carolina swamps, senderos in South Texas with feeders, water holes in dry country, stalking where/when appropriate, and a host of other methods.

I would wager a significant sum that could not come to some of the places I hunt and kill a deer by stalking/walking and attempting to Indian up on one. Patiently, silently, waiting motionless, or as near as a human can get, is the best way for some places. Bonus with this method is the time you spend watching the woods wake up and shut down for the night.

There are also species like Eastern wild turkey that you will not typically be able to kill walking and stalking. You either call, or pattern the birds and lie in wait for them to move through.
 

Now that you mention it, someone did misspell my screen name. Inadvertent no doubt. It's killing me.

As far as being an asshole is concerned, you're not the only one. I was actually driving in my car the other day and thinking of somethings that had recently occurred and it struck me that I AM an asshole. And that the only way to beat an asshole is to be a BIGGER asshole. I think humility (or a lack thereof) is a big part of it. But what do I know? LOL
 

Sorry it took so long for my response, I had forgotten about you until I started reading the most recent posts backwards.

It seems that I struck enough of a nerve of yours that you took time out of your day posting glamor shots that your guide took of you, as well as your own selfies of you 'roughing it' to respond to me. For that, I am grateful for your time and attention (not really).

You can call those who still hunt whatever you like, but I will not bash them or any other person who is enjoying the great outdoors *legally*...Be that from the ground with a 10-mile pack out, or from a tree 300 yards from the back door of their house.

We get it at this point; You like hiking and camping (and probably cycling and veganism too). The other 98% of the people in this thread are enjoying life doing something different from you. So much to the point where you are seen as entertainment value and nothing more...yet to fail to realize your own irrelevance.

At this point I have no other input to offer you - constructive or otherwise - so if you've finished your concrete work and bench presses for the day, perhaps we can move on.
 
Kinda dumpy white kid getting famous absolutely clowning the entire NBA is f’n legend.

It’s the exact opposite of someone thinking they’re king dingaling hunter for the fact that they are paying to be drug by the nose to their game animal.
 
Nope...no veganism. I mean really, can you imagine anything dumber? Ya don't see bacon trying to disguise itself as broccoli. Augh. That said...I had been told today I have been agonizingly difficult to be around for the past month. Actually the word she used was anal. So I apologize to anyone with delicate sensibilities that may have gotten butt hurt by my opinions. Or maybe that's just a side effect from sitting too much while you hunt. Hard to say. But I have been in hell since the end of October because the Pez dispenser for big pharma I call doctor has had me sedated in the wake of a complicated and prolonged post-op recovery. They are dialing back the meds as of today because my wife threatened to stab me in the chest (she's Sicilian from NYC) and advised my MD that we own Cutco knives. So perhaps I am somewhat desensitized and "anal" in my posts of late. Could be the drugs or perhaps they just reduce my natural inhibitions and make me feel freer to say what I think. Does it matter? F no. It's an opinion in cyberspace...tiny points of light on your monitor. Those can only hurt you if you let them. And if you let them then you're a p*ssy. To all the nonpussies laughing, I don't apologize to you. Pour yourself a drink and join me somewhere between Hell & Valhalla in the mindset of I don't give a fuck, the interweb is entertaining. In my original reply I did say we may have to agree to disagree. I did not type, whine if you disagree. Oh and for you FN vegans...I had this rain cover made for you.

 
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Only this past month?

(I had the right to remain silent. I did not have the ability.)

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Perhaps she meant "exceptionally anal?" I didn't feel like arguing with her. But yeah...being bedridden, drugged and the related pain and anxiety has pretty much sent me to the darkside. Figured the Bear Pit was a safe space. LOL

 
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I think the value of the pit is that it reminds that we are not "all that and a bag of chips."

Also, it lets me know that I am not the only one with problems in this world. There are people in here who, whether in the pit or technical section, cannot post a single response without being contentious and insulting. For me, that would be exhausting. At least I don't have that problem.

Usually, my problem is quoting or stating something inaccurately or even bass-ackwards from what I know is correct. I have had to post a clip of Billy Madison ("Everyone in this room is now dumber from having heard it. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.") on myself a time or two.

Then, again, life has beaten some humility into me and I can laugh at myself. A lot of guys cannot laugh at themselves.

So when someone insults me, I remember what my friend Lee had said and I understood and absorbed it.

"I've been called worse by people close to me."
 
Depends on which drug. Just sayin'...

Once in a while, a Tylenol can be helpful.

I could not pass up the chance to continue being a smartass. It's the one thing I am really good at.
 
I stopped deer hunting on public land because of this sort of shit. Too many hunters lacking any concept of courtesy or hunter safety practices. In my home state, if you hang a tree stand or erect a blind on public hunting lands, you must attach a card with the name address and phone number of the owner of the stand on it for identification purposes. If it is vacant, any hunter can hunt there but if the owner arrives he does have claim to the stand. You could still stand and hunt beside it but that is rude at best and unproductive. Best to move on to another site.

When I hunt squirrel or turkey on public land and encounter another hunter, I aways stop, turn around and quietly leave the area. I avoid speaking or shouting to the other hunter for any reason. No point in making extra noise. I always hope the others will do the same but they often do not.

I cannot tell you how pissed off I am when other hunters or hikers or wood cutters show up, making noise and spoil my hunt. Public land is a compromise on the best days. If you cannot deal with the trade offs, then it is best to find a willing land owner who is generous enough to grant you hunting privileges or buy your own land. I am fortunate enough to live next door to the 875,000 acre Daniel Boone National Forest most of which is open to hunting. Still, I never deer hunt on that land simply because I do not want to be in the woods with a bunch of Yahoos who do not know what they are doing.

My Dad and some friends once hunted in Western KY on public land for deer. I missed that trip being away in school. He said they camped in a large campground shared by many other hunters. One of his friends walked out into some bushes to take a dump at noon while they were in camp for lunch. While he was out in the bush doing his business, a very large buck ran thru the campsite and then jumped into the same thicket. Four hunters, not with my Dad's hunting party all opened fire with semiauto 30-06 rifles at the deer as it ran thru camp and then emptied their mags into the thicket randomly shooting in the general direction of where the deer had last been seen. It is only by dumb luck and the grace of God that my Dad's friend was not shot. Soon after this occurred, my Dad's friend came stumbling out of the thicket carrying a roll of toilet paper and declared that his bout of constipation was now cured but, if anyone else tries to shoot at him again, he was taking his rifle with him when he goes out to shit and he will return fire. It was a perfect example of why I do not like to hunt public lands.

When we hunt private land, every hunter knows where each other hunter is going to be located every day and we are in contact via radio or cell phone text message. We set up a group text to stay in contact and to be able to alert others if on the move or in need of help. When on public land, you never know who or what might show up.