Hunting alone next year

[bass28]

I need to vent but if anyone has some encouragement that would help!

My long time hunting buddy continues to bring new hunters into spots when I cannot hunt. I take him with me on scouting and hunting trips to my spots because I like the company. The past several years these guys end up shooting bucks I have been hunting/scouting and it happened again this morning...second day of PA rifle. The irritating thing is I scout my but off from the archery opener in early Oct until the Morel mushrooms appear in May. I have one spot in mind that was a goldmine. It now has clans of hunters during rifle all stemming from my buddy inviting someone and it just kept growing from there.

I enjoy hunting with a buddy. Makes things fun. But I cannot keep putting myself through this every rifle season when the pics start getting sent to me.

Any advise other than just hunting alone and being all secretive? Am I just being a jerk/unrealistic? It is public land...they have a right to be there. However, I can guarantee they would not be there had it not been for me.

[elk yinzer]

I have throwaway spots I'll hunt with friends and acquaintances basically expecting that to happen. Not really bad spots, I just have dozens of places scouted and some I am not too invested in should the situation arise.

My limited number of true hunting buddies would never do that to me. If they did we would either have an honest talk, or if they already knew better we would cease to be hunting buddies.

[Dewey]

Unfortunately this happens and you just need to move on. Nothing is more frustrating when guys leach off your hard work. I don't mind helping a guy out but when he passes it on to others I have a big issue with that. Some guys look at hunting like a fishing hot spot. Just because one guy kills a good buck there the rest think they have to pile in on that spot ruining it in the process. This is exactly why a large portion of my best spots I tell NOBODY about.

[jmaas07]

That really sucks. I wouldn't be friends with someone like that.

[bass28]

I have throwaway spots I'll hunt with friends and acquaintances basically expecting that to happen. Not really bad spots, I just have dozens of places scouted and some I am not too invested in should the situation arise.

My limited number of true hunting buddies would never do that to me. If they did we would either have an honest talk, or if they already knew better we would cease to be hunting buddies.

Yea, we had a somewhat honest talk last year...not a lot of good. This year one of his buddies showed up to drive for bear in an area I was hunting a big 12 point based on his recommendations. Sure enough they jumped him out of the bedding area. You can guess what rifle season will look like there.

[rfickes87]

I need to vent but if anyone has some encouragement that would help!

My long time hunting buddy continues to bring new hunters into spots when I cannot hunt. I take him with me on scouting and hunting trips to my spots because I like the company. The past several years these guys end up shooting bucks I have been hunting/scouting and it happened again this morning...second day of PA rifle. The irritating thing is I scout my but off from the archery opener in early Oct until the Morel mushrooms appear in May. I have one spot in mind that was a goldmine. It now has clans of hunters during rifle all stemming from my buddy inviting someone and it just kept growing from there.

I enjoy hunting with a buddy. Makes things fun. But I cannot keep putting myself through this every rifle season when the pics start getting sent to me.

Any advise other than just hunting alone and being all secretive? Am I just being a jerk/unrealistic? It is public land...they have a right to be there. However, I can guarantee they would not be there had it not been for me.

Here's my advise...

Luckily for you, you have the resources (THE BEAST) to go find another spot. Given your location I can relate to this issue more than anyone else on this site... . This sort of thing hasn't happened to me YET in my 3 beast style years but absolutely could and I've thought about it before. I really don't care though and don't worry about it. Its such a fun game for me to play...the addictive cyber scouting/scouting on foot mentality that I have. I can look at maps and find those goldmines that you're talking about and you should try and do the same. So what if your buddies found ONE. Forget about it and move on. I'm never gonna tell anyone how to go about their business but you're asking for advise. If I were you I would just smile and move on. Make it your goal this off season to find 6-10 more of those goldmine areas and rotate thru them as you hunt next year. Shouldn't be too worried about 1 spot.

I feel your pain, believe me. I'm sure you put a lot of work into that spot you found. Just put it behind you. PA rifle hunting is an absolute circus right now. you can't stop guys from hunting. You said it's public. I'm sure there are other guys hunting it that you don't even know of. All you can control is yourself.

P.S....
Honestly, I'm considering on moving in on some of my hunting buddies areas for next year. They talk about big bucks on public and tell me where they hunt. I can't help but sit back and look at maps and see exactly where some suspect bedding areas are and now I want to hunt that. Some areas are 500-1000 yards from where they are hunting and they don't have a chance at killing them anyways.

(Bedford county hunter here)

[treeroot]

The further into mature buck hunting I've gone the further away from hunting with friends I've gotten. I think to hunt Mature buck's you end up being one yourself. Alone and secluded.

For me it's been 50/50. 50% just want to be lazy and hunt the same 3 pre hung stands. The other 50% want to leech off my work. I'd love to have a hunting buddy, but I have yet to find one.

To be honest most people I have a hard time listening to their hunting stories. Either I morally disagree with their lack of respect for living creatures, or they just want to complain about not seeing deer after the first few hunts.

[RiverBottoms]

Has the target buck been killed? This is going to sound dirty, but you could go bust/stink up the bedding. If they (a friend of a friend, no less) want to leach on spots you found through hard work, let them. Just make sure it is burned up already. I haven't run into this situation yet, but I am focusing more on hunting solo going forward. I'd hate to lose friends that happen to hunt also over hunting spots. Still can talk hunting in generality, just not going to share much intel going forward

[bass28]

Has the target buck been killed? This is going to sound dirty, but you could go bust/stink up the bedding. If they (a friend of a friend, no less) want to leach on spots you found through hard work, let them. Just make sure it is burned up already. I haven't run into this situation yet, but I am focusing more on hunting solo going forward. I'd hate to lose friends that happen to hunt also over hunting spots. Still can talk hunting in generality, just not going to share much intel going forward

This particular buck has not been killed to my knowledge. Honestly, he is probably already locked down somewhere till the pressure is gone.

[bass28]

I need to vent but if anyone has some encouragement that would help!

My long time hunting buddy continues to bring new hunters into spots when I cannot hunt. I take him with me on scouting and hunting trips to my spots because I like the company. The past several years these guys end up shooting bucks I have been hunting/scouting and it happened again this morning...second day of PA rifle. The irritating thing is I scout my but off from the archery opener in early Oct until the Morel mushrooms appear in May. I have one spot in mind that was a goldmine. It now has clans of hunters during rifle all stemming from my buddy inviting someone and it just kept growing from there.

I enjoy hunting with a buddy. Makes things fun. But I cannot keep putting myself through this every rifle season when the pics start getting sent to me.

Any advise other than just hunting alone and being all secretive? Am I just being a jerk/unrealistic? It is public land...they have a right to be there. However, I can guarantee they would not be there had it not been for me.

Here's my advise...

Luckily for you, you have the resources (THE BEAST) to go find another spot. Given your location I can relate to this issue more than anyone else on this site... . This sort of thing hasn't happened to me YET in my 3 beast style years but absolutely could and I've thought about it before. I really don't care though and don't worry about it. Its such a fun game for me to play...the addictive cyber scouting/scouting on foot mentality that I have. I can look at maps and find those goldmines that you're talking about and you should try and do the same. So what if your buddies found ONE. Forget about it and move on. I'm never gonna tell anyone how to go about their business but you're asking for advise. If I were you I would just smile and move on. Make it your goal this off season to find 6-10 more of those goldmine areas and rotate thru them as you hunt next year. Shouldn't be too worried about 1 spot.

I feel your pain, believe me. I'm sure you put a lot of work into that spot you found. Just put it behind you. PA rifle hunting is an absolute circus right now. you can't stop guys from hunting. You said it's public. I'm sure there are other guys hunting it that you don't even know of. All you can control is yourself.

P.S....
Honestly, I'm considering on moving in on some of my hunting buddies areas for next year. They talk about big bucks on public and tell me where they hunt. I can't help but sit back and look at maps and see exactly where some suspect bedding areas are and now I want to hunt that. Some areas are 500-1000 yards from where they are hunting and they don't have a chance at killing them anyways.

(Bedford county hunter here)

Yep, that is how I am trying to approach this. I do enjoy the game we play and I am sure I can locate areas. The other satisfying thing is that I know where the bedding is in these areas including the big 12 point...they don't.

Thanks for the advise (southern Blair county here...practically neighbors )

[Grizzlyadam]

I learned a very long time ago that I simply cannot have hunting buddies. I do have buddies that I share information with and we constantly update each other of our adventures etc, but we don't hunt or scout the same places, and we don't blab about anything outside of our circle.

I had some bad experiences like yours many years ago with a good friend that I was nice enough to get signed up on a farm I hunted. It took a lot away of much that I enjoyed about hunting. It changed me for the better in my mind. These days the only person I ever hunt with occasionally is my brother and even that is a pain because we are constantly butting heads about what we should be doing and where to go. I always just feel like he's being thick headed, making dumb moves and screwing up all our spots. And he is. It's not just me.

Maybe one day I'll find someone that's on the same page as myself but until then I am perfectly content going at it solo. One of the biggest aspects of hunting that fuels me is the Independence and freedom of being alone in nature failing, succeeding, learning, adapting........

[BowHusker]

I can understand your frustrations with this and I also agree with a post above about becoming somewhat secluded from our other hunting buddies . I've always been somewhat of a loner when it comes to hunting, especially after I found the beast. My daughter is actually the one who started calling me the "lonewolf assassin" because I always had my stand on my back and would go out by myself where most ppl aren't willing to go. Plus I had a really good run of killing mature bucks. Disclaimer: I haven't harvested a mature buck since she started calling me that lol.

I've embraced hunting by myself and have really come to enjoy it. My family and I get together every year for rifle hunting on our 80 acres and always have a great time. But after that I'm ready to be by myself again. Figure out what you want and see how you can adjust it to fit that scenario.

[MN_ArcheryGuy]

I have always been a mostly solo hunter. My brother hunts with me, only because he has the same mentality and tight-lipped mindset that I do. You just can't give out info to anyone, its unfortunate, but you will end up losing all your spots. I will park a long ways from where I hunt and walk the extra distance to keep people guessing. Once you kill a few nice deer, people start watching. Go solo, you won't be disappointed.

[Rich M]

I'd have stopped hunting with him a long time ago. Or just have a few hunts annually where it is more about the company than the hunt.

You know how he behaves - every spot you find and lose because you take him is to be expected. Some folks just hunt and have fun - he sounds like that type.

[Jdw]

Do you want to hunt as part of a group or have the best possible chance at a big buck? It sounds like unless you find a more considerate friend you will have to decide what is more important.