Public Land Etiquette

[an-ok-hunter]

Hey everyone.

I'd like to see where people stand when it comes to passing people on public land while hunting (especially during gun season). I know you will have people that don't care about anything or anyone's hunt and will do whatever they want but looking to see what the majority say. I always have the thought process that if you see someone setup in between you and a spot you want to go you should make a reasonable effort to get around them without walking right passed them. There are situations where that isn't possible so what do you do? Do you walk right passed them or hunt a different spot? I'd rather hunt a different spot than walk passed someone like that, if my spot isn't too far away from where that person is sitting, and most certainly wouldn't sit within a reasonable distance. My bar is set low for the etiquette for others but what do you think?

[G-Patt]

I use the golden rule, and it depends on the reasonableness of the other person. For example if some fool is set up on a busy area, well tough, I'm walking through. If I was set up in a busy travel-through area where other hunters are likely to be, I wouldn't expect the other hunters to go around or avoid the area where I'm hunting. But if I go to some out of the way place that's a mile or 2 back and see someone has taken the time and effort to hunt an area where I'm heading, I'd give him the courtesy and avoid that area and go to plan B or just wing it. The golden rule applies.

[MuskieHunterDave]

I almost always turn around when I see people. No matter how big a half circle you make, going around will probably ruin their hunt. Then again, I've got a lot of public land around me so it's easy to find something else.

[Boogieman1]

Treat people like u want to be treated. Will say 75% of public hunters in my parts follow this rule. Now if someone wants to be a horses but then I can go slumming with the best of em. I don’t play by the be a bigger man rules. Beat em at their own game is my motto.

[1STRANGEWILDERNESS]

There’s so much public land in these parts that most people won’t even come onto a parcel if there’s a vehicle already parked there. I generally stick by that because there’s a million places to go.

However last yr a neighbor started hunting an area I frequent and he setup a blind right on the access trail. He was kind of mad at me for using “his spot”
Im like bud, I been using that trail for several yrs, if you want to hunt on it that’s fine but im walking past and probably going another mile. Going around wouldve pit me in solid buckthorn for 200 yds. No thanks. I didn’t feel bad walking through his bait pile. He already was to get to his blind anyway

[szwampdonkey]

I will go WAY around them to do my due diligence to not mess them up.

If i can’t get around them i’ll back out and go to a different spot. It’s common courtesy, or at least it used to be back when people weren’t as self centered and entitled.

[Andr3wxmma]

Once I notice them I back track and go a terrain feature around. If I can’t I go somewhere else.

[PublicLandOwner529]

I tend to hunt smaller parcels, so if there is a vehicle in the parking lot i tend to find a new place altogether.
If im on a larger chunk i will back away from the other guy and hunt plan B spot on that parcel. If the guy is set up on an obvious and main human trail, im walking past him. You cant set up on an access trail and essentially claim the whole spot to yourself…plus that guy is usually not even in the game anyways, so im not going to let him sitting there make me sacrifice my most likely good hunt because I put the time in scouting.

Not to say setting up on an access trail doesnt work, because i know it can….but as a blanket statement i feel what i said above is accurate.

[Ryan549]

I don’t usually run into people, I am out there way before most, but 99% of the interactions that i have encountered have been pleasant. Most people turn around and walk off, which is respectful and I would do the same.
Then you get the people who want to walk up to your tree and have a 1/2 hour conversation. I know they don’t mean any harm, but I’m kinda in the middle of something here and don’t feel like discussing where you will go…. As long as it is away.
This has been during bow seasons, and I feel that bow hunters tend to be more respectful.

[mipubbucks24]

Be the first one in, and only pass them while dragging a deer out, and you will be good to go.

I always try to get to public very early as to dissuade others from hunting the area. You would be surprised at how many guys won’t hunt an area if someone is parked there. Gun season is a whole different situation. I would still try to beat everyone there even if that means sitting in the dark for 2 hours.

Today on my walk out from public there is a guy set up 100 yards from the truck on the main trail to the parking, well if you set up like that just expect that people are going to walk right under you. I actually did not, I looped around but my friend never saw him till he was right in front of him. So if people are right off the main 2 track going into the property well they are probably going to get walked under.

[Drich]

If I am stand hunting and going to the spot and a hunter happens to have set up near my path, tough luck. If I am hunting on walkabout and see another hunter I will do a one-eighty and walkabout someplace else.

[1STRANGEWILDERNESS]

I actually setup on an access trail early season because something large was coming out of bedding in one side of it. I didn’t think anyone was hunting that parcel. A younger guy walked right by me. I wasn’t upset at all because after all I did setup right where everyone walks.

If someone’s on an access trail. They are probably planing on deer crossing it around that point. By doing a loop you probably hurt them far more than just staying the course and leaving scent where the deer are used to it. That’s just my thoughts in those situations.

[rempse2]

I make it a point to be the first one in so I'm avoiding that dilemma in the mornings. It pays to live close to your hunting grounds! That being said, If a guy made it in before me, and I was encroaching on his spot I'd back off and go to plan B. I've been fortunate that most people that have come upon me have always reversed course/gone around.
I make a point to try and avoid people, so if I head to a different spot and someone is already parked/in there, I'll move onto another spot.

[Stingray713]

90% of the time I’m waving and turning around, but if the guy lets me get right underneath him and gives me a whistle, I’m waving and walking by him

[A5BLASTER]

Well seeing as how 99% of the rednecks that hunt the wma's I hunt are afraid of the dark and refuse too setup more then 50 to 75 yards off of pipelines,powerlines,trails and roads. Are they pile up right on the pipelines,powerlines,trails.

I have no choice but to walk past them. And we have a metric ton of public ground too hunt, heck I have over 500k acres just within a hour to hour and twenty mint drive of my house combined.