Ticking off other hunters

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J.W.83
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Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby J.W.83 » Sun Mar 10, 2019 5:32 am

With first time sits and in season scouting being so important, and being mobile and creative with exit/entry being a principle of Beast hunting, do you folks encounter a lot of other hunters on public land? Do they get frustrated, and vice versa, do you get frustrated while hunting and someone comes through? I know it’s all a part of public hunting, but I will be hunting a public stretch next season that I’ve never been to, and I don’t know the deer density or hunter density, so I’m sure I’ll be encountering some hunters.
Do you move off a spot that you’re confident in when someone passes by? Would seeing stands while scouting affect where the deer sign would otherwise lead you, or how you access a bedding area?


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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby Wolfie417 » Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:06 am

I do not typically encounter other hunters on public much anymore. If I do it's in the parking lot. I make it a very important point to hunt where other people do not go, so I dont get a lot of guys walking past me. Sometimes I walk past other hunters on access trails or in the parking lot. I dont really care what they think if they are just set up on the main trail, but if I was off the main path a little more I might make an effort to go around them. Where I'm hunting I can usually guess where the other hunters are gonna be, and where they for sure wont be. I see most guys gravitate towards that feild edge style, or they are in open hardwoods. So often times I'll pick out spots on a map that I will have to cross water to get to. Also if you encounter a lit of hunters try switching up where you access from a little. Also often times I'm going into the public so far that I get there earlier and end up leaving later than the other hunters.

I would more than likely leave a spot if someone passes by where I think the deer are gonna be. I just dont like seeing people when I'm hunting. I like the feeling of the seclusion in the wilderness.

I like seeing stands when I'm scouting because to me that's like a giant sign that says "Not hunting here!" For me. Its actually illegal here to leave stands up year round but it seems like everyone does it anyway.



Just some thoughts on the topic. Most of the time when I do end up seeing someone they are super polite. I wouldn't worry much about running into other hunters if you stay off the beaten path.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby freezeAR » Sun Mar 10, 2019 12:05 pm

In the last several years the only people I come across are lost walk in duck hunters. I did and will stick out the hunt. Bucks get good at avoiding people on public and they will move in close proximity on occassion. I'm rearely coming back to that spot sone regardless. Stands are good to know were the lazy hunters are.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby tgreeno » Sun Mar 10, 2019 3:18 pm

You focus on your scouting and let the cards fall where they may. If you encounter someone, that's part of doing business on public land.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Sun Mar 10, 2019 3:27 pm

The one and only time so far I been frustrated was when someone decided to walk in and set up a ladder stand on the same ridge I was bow hunting on, like a week before gun season. He walked by and even waved at me as he was carrying the whole stand kit with him. I could hear metal clanging the whole time. That hunt was officially done. Whatever, right? What also got to me was the guy parked right behind me, so he knew I was in the woods.

Another time I was hunting a public marsh and a guy was along the creek and what looked like to me was aimlessly wandering. He ended up walking by my tree and I whistled to him. Scared the crap outta him. He was apologetic and said he was out checking some traps he had set out for beavers and he woulda waited the next day if he knew I was out there. I couldn't be mad at him for that. It happens.

Other than that, I don't think I have ever walked into someone else's set up. If I did, they never made their presence known.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Sun Mar 10, 2019 3:46 pm

I’ve seen more hunter sign deeper in the swamp the last three years then I ever have, but it’s usually still hunted incorrectly. Last case guy was in his climber directly upwind from a pair of buck beds I had found. Didn’t bother me other then marking it off and turning a hunting evening into a scouting evening. Found another spot north of the area where it looked like it was possible they were skirting the hunter. On a hunch I slipped back out there ate the climber was still hanging in the same tree three weeks later.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby hoyt31786 » Sun Mar 10, 2019 5:03 pm

Our public lands in Ohio do recieve pressure. We have a high hunter density, Huge non resident draw, not much public ground compared to other states. Low deer density on our public as well.Also alot of bikers, hikers, joggers, squirrel hunters, coon hunters, duck hunters u name it. But knowing this upfront its easier to know what to expect and to choose your attitude. Also that being said you can still find success here on public ground if you work at it. I will say ive seen buck bedding areas as close as 200 yards from illegal permanent stands on public. The bucks are content to lay there watch there access and they consistenly use the bedding area. Im convinced as long as a bucks safe zone is not being tampered with on a constant basis he wont flee the area. Also convinced that hunter will never see those bucks if he stays put. I agree with whats been said try not to hunt spots where other people will. But also remember they could just be hunting it wrong with access, distance ect so scouting will help dictate if you should move on. Id even say timing can help as well. Hunt the not so popular times to hunt. The rut gets most attention but then woods can have little pressure other times early, late, post rut, rainy days ect.Typically ill see vehicles in the parking lots but have never really ran into or had people run into me while hunting just due to the areas i choose to hunt. Sometimes that can be overlooked spots that people wouldnt think about going. Bedding area monitoring access, inbetween parking lots so on.Sometimes 900 yards up a steep bluff, somtimes 1/2 mile in. Sometimes crossing a significant deep creek or river. Its hard to get deep on our public with easy access and that secrets been out of the bag awhile now people will walk as far as u can. I will say sometimes there may only be a handful of spots that interest me on a piece of public when evaluating pressure, bedding, access ect . But if your in the right spot at the right time thats all it takes and somtetimes that pressure helps those spots get better! Scout alot, stay mobile, keep a positive attitude ,have options and try to find those pockets around the pressure. Good luck you will find how rewarding it can be to kill a good buck on a highly pressured piece of public !
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby Rich M » Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:16 am

Guys will set up a tree or two over if they think it will produce a deer for them before you shoot it.

Public land is just that.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:41 am

Rich M wrote:Guys will set up a tree or two over if they think it will produce a deer for them before you shoot it.

Public land is just that.


Yeah, I saw two lock-ons (that I should probably report) a couple weeks ago that were literally 20 yards from each other. They could have been from the same guy just trying to cover different winds on this particular terrain feature, but it was a classic example of what you mentioned.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby 218er » Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:48 am

If you have what appears to be a good spot but there are other hunters around, stands, and or sign of them i’d move on. When I encounter other hunters in the woods if I think we’re headed to the same spot i’ll ask where their headed. It has never happened that we were headed to the same area. So no conflicts as of yet. Pure hassle of getting to a spot can decrease hunting pressure dramatically.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Wed Mar 13, 2019 9:47 pm

I can count on one hand the number of hunters I walked up on. I have never been beat in the woods in the AM as I get there way before others, I sit longer in the Morning and I am set upearlier and back later than most in the PM. typically when I leave in the AM I'm out all day in areas where most just dont go, and I'm usually the last one back to the truck/camp.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby dan » Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:14 pm

If someone walks up on me, Im in the wrong spot... If I walk up on someone else, Im scouting the wrong area... The bucks im after are where no one goes
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:29 pm

It's a non-issue. Part of learning to hunt public land is learning how to slip around other hunters.

Even though the areas I hunt are pretty small and get pounded by other hunters , I seldom walk by anyone in a stand or have anyone pass by me. The reason being is I am always focused on areas where others are not.

When it does happen , which is usually during our gun season, it's because I am pushing the envelope in an area I would expect it to happen.
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Mar 14, 2019 12:08 am

dan wrote:If someone walks up on me, Im in the wrong spot... If I walk up on someone else, Im scouting the wrong area... The bucks im after are where no one goes


I like that rule of thumb. That’s sort of the sneaking suspicion I get when I see a promising aerial and then go find a stand there. “Ok, where are they really at?” is what goes through my mind.

Yet one more Infalt-ism to file away in the cranial database, right up there with “You hunting deer, or are you hunting big bucks?”

I might start compiling a list... could probably write a small book of just those quotes! :D
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Re: Ticking off other hunters

Unread postby alleyyooper » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:30 am

I am sure we have really ticked some bow hunter off here in Michigan, season opens Oct. 1st.
Small game season opens Sept 15th and we do some times take a trip to hunt some state land for squirrels where there is a large track of mature oaks.

But come late Oct weekend nearest the 20th we take a week long trip to hunt partridge's leaf off. There is normally 4 some times 5 with 4 to 6 dogs. We work heavy brushy areas that were clear cut from a year ago to about 10 years ago. But we also work thru those same mature oak areas to other cut over areas in the vinicity, some times coming back for a early morning squirrel hunt.

We have incountered bow hunters many times seems like most are with in 50 feet of a old logging roads, places where the pat's like to come to and dust off in sandy areas. Normally we just finish walking thru the area to another clear cut area the bow hunters never seem to mark a area where they will be set up any more than we mark an area we are going to hunt.

Only once did the bow hunter get verbal with us. Told him the way it is, Public land open to several types of hunting at the same time. Needs to learn to live with it or go south of town and there is a high fence deer farm that only allows deer hunters on the place.There is even anothe high fence place at the next town north even.

Just the nature of the thing.

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