Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

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Stanley
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Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:28 am

When I was hunting in the early stages of my career, you could go anywhere knock on a door and get permission to hunt for free. Now its all about the big bucks, both green backs and brown backs. Land is leased up so others can't hunt with out paying. If you owned land would you allow others to hunt for free? Would you take a guy and show him where to hunt on public land? Is hunting a selfish sport?


You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby blackwolf » Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:19 am

There is some selfishness if you have put in lots of time and effort to find a honeyhole, you are stupid to share it with almost anyone except a long standing hunting bud you completely trust. I lost a couple great spots when I was younger because I was unselfish and helped out a couple guys. I have a couple guys I have hunted on and off with over the last 40 years that don't even know my best honeyhole. My son is probably the only person I will take there. Too many guys even with good intentions who wouldn't hunt your spot will scout and tramp around the woods in your area screwing things up. I have the most success hunting unmolested deer. I scout spring, go in and hunt fall with minimal invasion of the area in the fall. Just quick spot checks. I have 2ndary spots I share more often with good friends, but mostly keep to myself. Hunters who understand hunting unmolested deer are a rare breed. Probably more guys like that on this site than anywhere.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:35 am

blackwolf wrote:There is some selfishness if you have put in lots of time and effort to find a honeyhole, you are stupid to share it with almost anyone except a long standing hunting bud you completely trust. I lost a couple great spots when I was younger because I was unselfish and helped out a couple guys. I have a couple guys I have hunted on and off with over the last 40 years that don't even know my best honeyhole. My son is probably the only person I will take there. Too many guys even with good intentions who wouldn't hunt your spot will scout and tramp around the woods in your area screwing things up. I have the most success hunting unmolested deer. I scout spring, go in and hunt fall with minimal invasion of the area in the fall. Just quick spot checks. I have 2ndary spots I share more often with good friends, but mostly keep to myself. Hunters who understand hunting unmolested deer are a rare breed. Probably more guys like that on this site than anywhere.

Great post, I believe you are correct that is why this thread is not getting much interaction. Maybe everyone is out getting chips and beer for the big game. ;)
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby GRFox » Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:51 am

I agree completely. But like mentioned, you have to be a little selfish sometimes. Other guys don't take hunting as serious as I do annd could quickly ruin a spot that I put a alot of time into.

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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby goldtip5575 » Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:51 am

Yes it is selfish and no I wouldnt let anyone else hunt my land cuz more often than not they are more selfish than me.Other than family and best of friends never.Case in point.Unknown to me our aunt gave her boss permission to train his dog on our family farm.Is that selfish for me not to want him on YES.Is it wise to let someone run dogs where you bowhunt no.But that isnt where the story ends.Come thanksgiving we like to soft push this area during gun season.Well low and behold dog and human tracks everywhere.Here he invited him self to pheasant HUNT not train during gun season on our property.Then it gets better we wanted to push it during the muzzle season and low and behold the guys kid is up one of my tree stands.I ask him what hes doing out here and he explains to me how his dad has permission to run dogs here and thought it would be o.k. to deer hunt to.To keep peace I say no its not so please dont deer hunt anymore.Then he says they were out here thanksgiving morning and and kicked out a huge buck while pheasant hunting.Well lets just say strict hunting policy of owner allowed 1 guest if said owner is hunting with said guest to get a handle on whos coming and going.Is that greedy YES is it needed YES.That kind of put a knife in my bestfriends back who I would let hunt there even if I wasnt and to this day is a touchy subject with me and him.So no never allow someone you dont know hunting access if you yourself hunt it.. If you give them an inch most will take a mile without regards on how it affects you.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby JV NC » Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:54 am

Great post, I believe you are correct that is why this thread is not getting much interaction. Maybe everyone is out getting chips and beer for the big game.


Been scouting for the past 3 hrs.

Call me selfish....but, I found a ground blind and a climber on my hunting land that shouldn't be there. They'll be getting a call, today.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby dan » Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:00 am

Trust needs to be earned... I do share spots sometimes. I will offer help, and I have shared spots soley hunted with those I felt were genuine, or honest. I was a lot more selfish when I was younger.

I believe one of the "MAN RULES" is never ask a man where he shot a buck, or where he hunts.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby Hunter74 » Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:13 am

I would say it can definately be a selfish sport... I know myself personally would teach any of my good friends and family what I do to be successful, where I hunted and exactly why I was hunting that spot... I even set up spots for friends and family to be successful...

However when it comes to people I don't know I won't give them the slightest clue where I was and what I was doing or if I even saw anything

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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:19 am

goldtip5575 wrote:Yes it is selfish and no I wouldnt let anyone else hunt my land cuz more often than not they are more selfish than me.Other than family and best of friends never.Case in point.Unknown to me our aunt gave her boss permission to train his dog on our family farm.Is that selfish for me not to want him on YES.Is it wise to let someone run dogs where you bowhunt no.But that isnt where the story ends.Come thanksgiving we like to soft push this area during gun season.Well low and behold dog and human tracks everywhere.Here he invited him self to pheasant HUNT not train during gun season on our property.Then it gets better we wanted to push it during the muzzle season and low and behold the guys kid is up one of my tree stands.I ask him what hes doing out here and he explains to me how his dad has permission to run dogs here and thought it would be o.k. to deer hunt to.To keep peace I say no its not so please dont deer hunt anymore.Then he says they were out here thanksgiving morning and and kicked out a huge buck while pheasant hunting.Well lets just say strict hunting policy of owner allowed 1 guest if said owner is hunting with said guest to get a handle on whos coming and going.Is that greedy YES is it needed YES.That kind of put a knife in my bestfriends back who I would let hunt there even if I wasnt and to this day is a touchy subject with me and him.So no never allow someone you dont know hunting access if you yourself hunt it.. If you give them an inch most will take a mile without regards on how it affects you.

Sometimes you do get taken advantage of by sharing. This kind of ruins it for everyone.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby Zap » Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:13 am

Sharing a spot with one person can lead to a dozen folks hunting that spot within a few years.

I have let others hunt on private that I have sole permission on, but I control when/where they hunt.
As the years pass I am less inclined to even do that.

I would help anyone with figuring out things, but most everyone I run across knows everything already. :?
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby Dewey » Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:40 am

I have been burned a few times by giving information to the wrong person so now I am a little more careful. That doesn't mean I won't help anyone as I more than happy to help someone out that is willing to put in the extra effort that I do. As far as new hunters if the seem like decent people I would be more than happy to set them up on a good spot or two to get them started and help them any way that I could. Again that depends on the person and their attitude.

There are just way too many people out there that want everything the easy way all the time and don't want to work for it.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby Scot » Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:47 am

Yes we probably are. My thought s pretty much mirror Dans. I don't mind helping people who I know are decent and sincere.
The worst situation is the "take over" situation. You bring someone in to an area and all of a sudden they are hunting it aggressively and bringing their buddies in to it.
There are one or two people who I will give "exacts" to. I know they would do the same for me.
It is a double edge sword, I am looking to gain information about lands that are within an hour to an hour and a half away from me, I have asked questions on a New York State based hunting web site and no one is answering my questions about public land.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby dan » Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:07 am

I have people tell me they come to hunting beast and read the posts all the time but never joined, or give opinon back, some of them are great hunters. We also have some members who are great fishermen but won't post tactics or pictures. Its there right, and I don't hold it against anyone, but its dissapointing that people don't help others more, especially if others are sharing with them.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:26 pm

I will point friends in the right direction on public. I do a lot of scouting without ever hunting the spots I scout. Just too many spots, or too many better spots sometimes. I have no problem sharing public spots. As stated though its a trust thing, and as grfox said, if I am more dedicated of a hunter, giving the spots to the wrong people could really burn them out. If its a friend but I don't like the style they hunt I won't give them as exact of a spot to hunt as I would with someone I know won't abuse it.

On private land I own, it's hard to say that I would ever let anyone else hunt it. Where do you draw the line ya know? How come you let friend A on but friend B is not allowed? That gets to be a sticky situation. There is also liability involved with allowing strangers on your land. Too many "slob" hunters now a days I think that is why most people don't allow others on. I
couldn't even gain access to goose hunt a single farm last season and majority of my "no's" were due to the landowner being burned by previous hunters.
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Re: Are we too selfish as hunters sometimes?

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:47 pm

I've offered others to hunt in the past and it always seems that there is some little thing that makes me regret it. So I guess it comes back to me being selfish.


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