Territorial Hunters

[Singing Bridge]

I'm sure many of you have ran across other hunters who were aggressive on public land. One of my favorites... last season on three different afternoon hunts I parked my truck and readied my gear. Here comes a truck with a couple of guys, that pull up and ask,"Where you huntin!?" I'm curious to hear how a "Beast" would respond!

[Zap]

50 yards downwind of you!


marty

[Singing Bridge]

Great response, Marty!

[Zap]

[magicman54494]

In a ground blind with yo mama!

Seriously, If someone else is in the area I want to hunt I just go somewhere else. They most likely have stunk up the area and ruined it anyway. Public land hunters tend to be very nomadic and the spot will be available again soon enough.

[huntinnurse]

Zap really is a BEAST!!!!!!!
Somehow I can hear Magic saying that!!!!!

[Singing Bridge]

In a ground blind with yo mama!

I won't ruin someone else's set up either, magic. In my case these Bozo's were driving up and down the road asking everyone where they're hunting. They're too afraid to hunt where I go.

[Uncle Lou]

zap and magic really deserve a Hunting Beast medal for those responses. I really dont want to hunt around others on public - I want away from them.

[Zap]

These are all permenant stands, on public.
I know where they are, and how the deer avoid them.







I only use that knowledge when I see the stand owners vehicles.

marty

[Singing Bridge]

Right on Lou- you definitely don't want to hunt around others.

Zap- I thought only Michigan had stands everywhere like that on public!

Continuing on, remember these guys are stopped and hollering at you, "Where you Huntin!!" What are you going to say or what actions would you take?

[Spysar]

50 yards downwind of you!


marty

Maybe I'm confused but....

Wouldn't you want to hunt 50 yards upwind of someone?

[dan]

I am usually nice and give a vague answer. If that don't work, I flat out lie. Its just not right to tell a stranger where the beast is hanging out...
But... that has come back to bite me when I run into the same guys in my real destination and they say we just asked to make sure we didn't tep on toes and we went here, cause you said you were over there...
I think most hunters want to know where your hunting so that they can avoid you... But there are some, that if they know your knocking down a big one every now and then think you have some magic spot.
Loose lips, sink ships.

[Singing Bridge]

Here comes a truck with a couple of guys, that pull up and ask,"Where you huntin!?" I always laugh at them, which makes them uneasy. I'll reply with, "back in the swamp. Where are you guys hunting?" They'll come back with something like, "we just don't want to be tripping over each other" or something similar. I'll come back with, "let me know where you're hunting and I'll make sure to give you guys a wide berth." This isn't going nearly as well as they'd hoped, and I'll get a "we've been hunting here for the past nine years". I'll respond back, "my family and I've been hunting here since the 1840's, can't say I remember ever seeing you before." Then they'll give me a, "well, good luck." Or if they're really persistent, I'll get a, "you guys must have taken some big bucks around here over the years?” I finish with, "we've gotten a few small bucks over the last ten years or so, but it's so thick back there now it's really hard to see anything." Off they go and off I go.

Last year I finished an evening hunt, and was less than 50 yards from my truck in a public parking area, and in a tree above me, I hear in a shaky voice, “Sam, is that you??” I replied, “No, it’s not Sam. Are you okay?” and he said yes. I loaded my gear and turned on my truck (its over an hour after dark now) and my headlights lit up the guy in his portable treestand 8 feet off the ground. It was one of the guys that asked where I was hunting!

[Singing Bridge]

Maybe I'm confused but....

Wouldn't you want to hunt 50 yards upwind of someone?

I think it depends on the situation. On heavy pressure public the deer (bucks included) like to swing downwind to see if the hunter is where they thought he'd be, to confirm what they've encountered scent wise previously. Because they've identified danger there they like to deploy their number one defense mechanism- their nose. The mature bucks will often times wait until after dark to check downwind of the stand. But they don't always do this, especially if there is some type of barrier downwind of the stand.

[Zap]

50 yards downwind of you!


marty

Maybe I'm confused but....

Wouldn't you want to hunt 50 yards upwind of someone?

IMO.
Heavily used stands produce deer activity downwind of them.
Especially in early season when there is alot of cover.

marty