The scenario goes like this. I am usually first to park at a Public Land Parking Area in the Spring. Right around 3.50am- the first of the Trucks start to pull Into the parking area. The other Spring Turkey Hunter of course sees me still in my vehicle with his headlights.
Now usually,I walk in a good 1 mile or so at around 4am. Earlier though if 1 or 2 trucks pull in within minutes of each other.
Of course,I have everything out and ready to go on my Hood. So in,I start to walk while the new arrivals start grabbing at stuff really quick.
Usually,I am no more then 40 yards into my walk with my Flashlight when,I hear some fast footfalls and then-- " The Question".
Where Are You Going? My Brother in Law and,I have a standard answer.
WHERE THE TURKEYS ARE. And keep on walking in. Now sometimes,I won't get a question- but a statement . Both of us are going to the " Field around #$%& Pond.
Now,I am parked first and walking in first!! As far as ,I am concerned if that area is the one,I have in mind- I deserve it because,I am first parked and the first to walk in.
Now- it may seem like a Safety Question when these guys who are fast grabbing things want to know where you will be set up.
But consider this- you will be giving away hard won scouting info! Info that these guys may not have. And you are being delayed in talk while the guys partner fast grabs stuff for both of them!
So my quick + Loud response to either a Question or a Statement is- I WILL BE WHERE THE TURKEYS ARE.
This usually happens to me a good 3 or 4 times each Spring. My Brother in law got the same question many times as well because like me - he made sure to Park First.
Gobblers in my area of Public Lands are getting harder to come by with so many new Spring Turkey Hunters because of the Chinese Virus. I am sure other Spring Turkey Hunters here have been asked- " The Question ".
I have had this happen before. I don't get specific but will let them know the general area I will be in. I have asked the question myself to other hunters. I asked for two reasons. One, I don't want to interfere with their hunt or visa versa and also safety. Many times if I go to pull into a spot on public land and see another vehicle or two already there I will go elsewhere as there is plenty of public land in Pa. It's tough hunting public land because the public owns it! Even if I don't like it other hunters have as much right to be there as I do.
Some years back in New York,I was all set to walk in and 2 trucks arrived. The 3 guys told me where they were going to hunt. I told them,I would be on a certain Ridge.
One of them got the Vocal Gobbler in their area. No Gobbling in my area.
Next morning,I parked first again and the same 2 Trucks pulled in behind me. The same 3 guys get out and we worked out the very same verbal contract.
I had a hot Gobbling Tom on my Ridge just above me! 5 minutes later,I heard a whistle. 2 of the 3 guys broke their verbal contract and started up the Ridge above my position. They spooked the Gobbler.
So much for verbal contracts..
Couple things come to mind. You walk a mile or so in. Ok I get that. My question is how many acres do you feel you are entitled to for being first in line? 2nd, if your not willing to tell someone the general area your headed do you really have a right to gripe if someone winds up in the same area? I agree that by being first in line you are first to choose what area. But it is public, so how big of an area are you entitled to claim. 1 mile in and 1 mile either side of that line? I always share where I'll be, and will avoid any areas that people share where they're going. Some public places only have a handful of parking areas. It's all about communication and courtesy. You tell me you're going to where the turkeys are and I'll probably tell you I'll see you there. You tell me your going to xyz field by the pond I'll wish you good luck and you won't see me for the rest of the day.
I like to ask people where they're going so we can try to stay out of each other's way. I never tell people I'm going where the turkeys are. I'll just tell em where I'm going to start out and the general area I'll be hunting.
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I hunt some public, but never run into this problem. The way I look at it, there are lots of variables here. The biggest one being how many parking/access area does the management area have? If large tracts have multiple access points, then I personally would drive to " plan B" if a car beats me to the parking area I wanted to hunt. That probably would not happen, because I get to my spots 2.5 hours minimum before daylight, just my thing. All hunters have the right to hunt public land, but courteous/ethical hunters yield to others that get to a tract first. Again, if the tract is small with limited access, it gets tougher. Me, I won't hunt or deal with a tract that has this kind of access and pressure if for nothing else, SAFETY. Here's the way it goes, always have a plan B. If you get beat to your plan A spot, make sure the next day you are the first one there. I know, but what happens if they kill that gobbler? All I can say here is "Welcome to Public Land Hunting". I myself hunt my share of public, but I have my access/out of the way entrances that keep me out of the general public's way. It definitely takes more scouting, very long walks before daylight, and patience. Most hunters quit after the first week, so the rest of the month, most of us are on our own. That's when the best hunting occurs....be safe, best of luck to all.
I hunted public land for close to 30 years and understand your scenario but never felt like not telling another hunter the general area I was going would be benificial.
I'm also a hunter that has several parking areas to start from and not the type guy who would run up a ridge above you... But, what you're dealing w is public land and the key word is public.
The last 10 years or so I only hunt private land. I enjoy it more mainly from the lack of pressure of the animals I'm after. If you're in an area that has more hunters than public land, you may want to look into finding some private.
There is no penalty for someone who walks into your spread on public. That's part of the game and if you want to continue to hunt public you should try and figure out how to use other hunters to your advantage.
Anyone who hunts public long enough can tell you a similar ruined hunt story regarding public land.
I will talk to other hunters as well. I would much rather know where everyone is or at least I should expect them to be. I will go even further if they seem like nice guys and agree to honor each persons territory for the first 2-3 hrs and tell them my area is open after that. Many of them agree to share their area as well, all they want is first crack. Like so many others have said...It's PUBLIC! Regardless I always tell other hunters if I hear them calling to a bird first I will not cut in and ask that they do the same. You can tread on my claim, but I really get antsy when I think a string of shot may be coming my way. All the turkeys in the world aren't worth getting shot, trust me. If they want to be butt holes and cut in on me working a bird, then they can have the damn bird if it's that important to them. I will still kill mine another day, time or place. Your going to find arsehole anywhere, but my experiences have been pretty positive on public lands. If I see vehicles on a spot I generally move on, unless it is a huge area. If I hear a bird gobbling I will listen for a while, I can usually get a pretty good idea if he is being worked, if so I move on. If someones sets up a 100 yards to the side of you and the bird goes to him then shake his hand and congratulate him, you have no gripe on public land. Sure it might aggravate you, but the law does not provide "dibbs" on a bird.
You answering with I'm going where the turkeys are is not a strong starting point! I would prefer to talk with any guys in a parking area, I have rarely parked where someone else already is.
However once I puled up to a gate, there was a truck there, I almost left but only knew that general area, so I went in, 100 yards into the trail the other hunter was standing off the trail seemingly waiting for gobble thirty?
I simply asked if he minded if I slipped by and told him where I was headed, he said go for it, I ain't going far.
I have turkey hunted public quite a bit and have never had a bad experience. Most times it is quite the opposite.
As stated earlier, if you are heading into thousands of acres how much are you entitled to because you were already there? I would actually prefer to hunt together but that hasn't come up.
Everywhere I hunt I have to deal with people. To be honest the public land has been actually easier to deal with others than the leases. Mainly for the fact that there aren't roads everywhere on the public but the people as a rule have been more respectful as well. Several years ago I had a non resident guy pull in behind me as I was shutting my truck door and ask where I was planning on hunting. When I told him his face fell. Turns out he had roosted a tom there the night before. I told him to have at it and I would go deeper to some other spots I knew. Just the fact that he had put in the work and was courteous was enough for me. On the few occasions that anyone that has encroached on me on public land they have backed out and most of the time I can tell a real turkey from a fake turkey on calling alone and give them a wide birth. Being crazy enough to go places most people won't is also a big help. The last couple of years I have noticed a lot of people seem scared of the dark as well as walking up these Appalachian mountains. Be smart about where and when you hunt, be respectful of others and always be careful to not make killing a turkey a must at all costs. Those couple of rules go a long ways.
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All the time. Haven't met a hunter yet that wouldn't encroach when one got hot.
I arrive and go where I planned. At least that's my plan this year. Had way to many "yeah we understand" conversations last year to last me a lifetime.
Grown men, kids, and throughout all have a hard time going to plan b.
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Generally I'm lucky enough to hunt private land. That being said I do venture onto public land from time to time if the birds on private just aren't talking.
Only once have I ever encountered anyone with this situation. It was a father and son, with the boy never having shot a Turkey. The dad said where they had a ground blind set up so I made sure to stay out of that area even though I was there first. Wasn't where I planned to hunt but would rather have seen the kid get a bird anyways.
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In response to your post, answering in such a vague way when asked where you are going, absolves them of having any ethical constraints, in my opinion.
I relay the following story with the disclaimer that I am not proud of this. Rather; it is a testimony of how pride and placing what I thought others should think of me and placing killing a turkey (well honestly not just a turkey, but more than anyone else) above my pursuit of anything else, including my walk with God.
It was in the early 90's and I had just begun my teaching career in North Central Louisiana. My father in law was a shade tree mechanic and had an endless supply of vehicles he had repaired in order to resale. On the night before the opening morning of Spring Turkey season, I would have my wife assist me as i would drive some of my father in laws vehicles to park at the gate I would be planning to hunt in the Kisatchie National Forest. I would park about three vehicles at a gate and when I actually showed up to hunt, my truck would be the fourth. As other hunters would show up and stop at the gate, I could hear them muttering to themselves and eventually drive away. That was my way of eliminating competition, as low down as it was.
i have been at a gated road at 4:00 two hours before first light and had a guy pull in a hour after i had been there with his son, they got out and he said where you going, i didn't wont to be a in front of the kid and said i will move on, the gated road was a mile long. i saw the same guy do the same thing the year before. the WMA states not to block gates and he pulled up right in front of the gate. Glad i got some private to hunt..
arkie!
The last few Springs,I just start my slow walk in when, Park. No problem at all for me to walk on in at 3.45am. I might have a Mountain to Climb- so,I walk in nice and slow.
Anyone that hunts public has this problem and I have to say I always try to talk to them about general areas to avoid hunting "too" close to each other. 99% of the time I always have a plan B, C, D, E anyways and will often concede.
The only time this has ever been limited is when hunting a state or area on a draw and you are restricted to limited size plot or dont know the plot well enought. (dang non-residents) which in this case was me. I had done days, hours, months or research on a WMA I was drawn for ... it was not small. I showed up 3 days before the season and biked in to scout it every day. Low and behold I had a turkey patterned. Had it on and off the roost Wed, Thur, and again Friday before the Saturday opener. Friday the gates are open and everyone can drive in to scout. But the didnt open until 8am... so I biked in again an hour before sunrise, found my bird again and thought I was ready to hunt Saturday. Now I did say have a plan B - E and in this case I had scouted through out the days and in the morning had heard some other birds but not like this bird. I was really confident in this bird. That Friday night I slipped in at 3pm to put the bird to bed at sunset. When I came out, two other parties had put him to bed as well. You know what the insane solution was? One party can hunt east, one south, and one west of the bird (north was the WMA boundary). Not kidding. ITS PUBLIC LAND. Despite my unquestionable "rights" to hunt this bird it meant jack squat. No one was going to budge from hunting this bird. I knew where he was headed and so I of course stood my ground on which side of the bird I was going to hunt but I wish I had another spot at that very moment.
Spoiler, the bird didn't peep that morning and slipped out quite assumingly to the north as no one came out with a dead bird and we almost had him surrounded.
This is how hunting goes on public land.
A lot of public is a ghost town after 9:00...
Personally, I try to pick areas that hold a good amount of Gobblers and at least a good 50% of the Spring Hunters will avoid especially on opening day and the first weekend. So,I do plenty of Scouting to totally learn the Wetlands + Swamps before the Skunk Cabbage pops on up.
Most of the Mountains in my area are medium height. Only about 800- 1,200 ft . Still most Spring Hunters won't climb them.
If there are a number of Prime Fields on your Public area- that is where at least 75% of your Spring Turkey Hunters will head to. Pre Dawn Question or not.
Most Spring Turkey Hunters today are drawn to Fields- " Like Bees To Honey". And most have Plan " A" only.
Good Luck to all this Spring.
My truck is the empty one at the parking lot by the time anybody gets there... I don't like talking to people about where they'll be and were I'll be because most of the time they won't pay any attention or respect what was discussed. I go in early and far especially from big multiple vehicle parking lots. If I do stay in the truck till close to listening time, it's on smaller ground with one little pull off.
I'll tell people general areas when I'm deer hunting more often than when I'm turkey hunting. It's not so much that I wouldn't tell people, I just don't put myself in the position to talk much.
My first and foremost thought after reading all of the posts is thank God I do not live in a place where i would have to deal with things like this! My second thought is that, if I did live somewhere that I had to deal with stuff like this, I would know every single public land area that held turkeys within a couple hours driving time of where I lived so that I ALWAYS had options wherein I could avoid these kinds of situations.
Finally, if there were verifiably no such places available, I would be planning more extended trips to other destinations where I could actually go hunting to hunt turkeys rather than go hunting to try to outwit other turkey hunters. There are plenty of places to hunt gobblers where you are not constantly trying to outwit the goobers! ;D :angel9:
I can't think of the last time I parked in the same parking lot where there was someone else parked, I'll move on. Its just not worth it. There's a only handful of pretty rare circumstances that could even justify it, i.e. very limited access points into very large areas. I get parked earlier than most, and I prefer to be away from my vehicle when someone pulls in.. that way I don't have to answer "the question" and without knowing exactly where I am, I hope it deters the next guy. We all know that doesn't always happen.
I have had people pull in before I got away from my truck. 2 particular instances both in Florida in the same week that I thought were just funny. 1st parking area was at a split trail head.. I could go right or left. I parked on the right side of the lot and was going right. Guy (Florida tags) pulls in as I'm getting ready to start walking and asks which trail I'm taking - I say right, going down good bit and will listen from there. He says yea I'm taking that trail too.. and he did. I eventually held up just to let him get past me so at least he knew where I was starting and would hopefully go much farther. Different parking area a couple days later - I pull in and I'm getting ready to start walking.. different guy (also Florida tags) pulls in, I go to talk to him so he knew where I was heading.. yep he's going there too.. of course. I start walking.. he unloads his bike and goes blazing past me... Went to walmart that afternoon and bought a bike. That wasn't happening again. I got the feeling that was how the local boys dealt with all the out of staters.
The last thing I want to happen is for me to interfere with someone else's hunt or have mine interfered with. It's going to happen eventually, but I'd rather avoid it if I can.
Hunting public in a lot of places meanes just that, your dodging the public, if your first or not. Have had a lot of instances through the years hunting the Black Hills of SD of people messing me up. There is a lot of room out there but when something bad dose happen it still becomes part of your hunt that day or year. In 2019 I was snowed out of the higher elavation I normally hunt. So I moved down closer to Rapid City that year to hunt some areas I had hunted years before. The place I stopped first at the night before hunting there was a truck already parked in the service road, ahead of time. It had been placed there days before because it was covered with snow. So I moved on, but I did make it back past there a day later and there still was no people tracks going in, and the truck had not moved. So lesson number one learned, lesson number two happened later at noon that day. Was having a ruff time locateing some birds to chase. I had just stopped by this one service road to park when not five minutes later a truck came up to me and stopped. A guy got out and came over to me talk. And he asked me if I was aware of the private property lines; private went back half mile and then went south another half mile. I said yes I use ONX, just then not 100 yards away over the hill a tom lets out a gobble. So now I really start grabbing my stuff and the guy say there are two guys in there hunting. The road was packed down in the snow from people coming and going so I said crap, then I am not going in there. So when I said that the guy told me of a different place I should go check out. The entire time this bird will not shut up and it is noon. Make the story shorter, turns out there had been someone in there hunting in the morning and the day before. But right at that moment the hunters were in town having lunch, and that bird won't shut up. Turns out the guy talking to me was not one of the private property owners right in that area but a Turkey Guide service. And I just said I would't go in there (Public Land) so I didn't, but I was at the gate first the next day. That afternoon I was set up in the far back corner of public when I see the guide driving on a little road with his white truck. Half hour later two people come walking across a private field going to far back corner of public where I was. Short walk for them long walk for me. I was up on a hill side I could see them comeing a long ways away, so I let out a sick crow call to let them know I was there. Some one else needed to go to plan B
This question doesn't really bother me. I too ask people this question to avoid hunting in the same area. If I see a truck i normally drive to another spot, but if it's a big enough spot I'll head in. I also don't give exact location but in the general direction.
I do go by the first come first serve rule.
I don't really fret about it I guess. Just do what I can to make sure I'm there first.
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You know what is a "breath of fresh air", this forum. As you can see by the responses here, we are the ethical group in our fraternity. If the general public of turkey hunters outside of this forum had the ethics we all live by, there would be no hassles hunting anywhere.....just an observation.....be safe, get there early....
Quote from: Tom007 on February 03, 2021, 02:15:51 PM
You know what is a "breath of fresh air", this forum. As you can see by the responses here, we are the ethical group in our fraternity. If the general public of turkey hunters outside of this forum had the ethics we all live by, there would be no hassles hunting anywhere.....just an observation.....be safe, get there early....
X2 Tom.. I agree , some really good post from a lot of guys who have lot's of experience and maturity on this answer about being first on public and parking etc. I've watched just about all of Hunting Public guys video's and they are for the most part always respectful of others and they still kill turkeys.
Gregg Massey- you might then have seen a few of my 7 Utube Turkey Hunting Educational Videos. I think,I did a good job there and my 3 Turkey Hunting Books as well.
When I get the question, my answer is simple. I'm going to the gobbling bird behind this gate.
Quote from: Greg Massey on February 03, 2021, 03:16:02 PM
Quote from: Tom007 on February 03, 2021, 02:15:51 PM
You know what is a "breath of fresh air", this forum. As you can see by the responses here, we are the ethical group in our fraternity. If the general public of turkey hunters outside of this forum had the ethics we all live by, there would be no hassles hunting anywhere.....just an observation.....be safe, get there early....
X2 Tom.. I agree , some really good post from a lot of guys who have lot's of experience and maturity on this answer about being first on public and parking etc. I've watched just about all of Hunting Public guys video's and they are for the most part always respectful of others and they still kill turkeys.
Yea, the guys that can stand the public pressure, manage to deal with it, and harvest turkeys are respectful, patient guys. Taking nothing away from private land hunters, they are respectful too, or they wouldn't secure permission on their tracts. Respect and ethics are needed no matter where we hunt. Be safe.......
Perhaps not advertising everywhere you hunt and hunting places without crowds would help. I've never ever had this problem. I also am long gone before others get there. The key though is hunting less popular spots and again not advertising them.... Idk I hunt NY and some of it public. Used to be exclusively public and I still didn't have an issue. Never once ran into anyone. Just don't advertise and if it's busy go somewhere else completely avoiding the scenario. Just because it's public doesn't mean it needs to be busy. Why would anyone wade into that mess? Turkey hunting could inherently be a dangerous sport. Fact lots of guys are around excludes spots for most guys. I know it would for me.
The same thing happens in my home state guys complain but all hop in the same tub so to speak than claim they have no leg room. People need to just stop clinging onto one little area and expand. Than keep quiet where they went. The options are to ask on forums what they could do and get no common sense solution. It'll never change. Why hunt like that?
I dont agree with everything Bowguy has written above. Often this past Spring,I walked in at 3.30am because there are plenty more Spring Hunters out due to the Chinese Virus. As the season wore on- 3.45am. Not many guys are willing to do that- but,I am coming out with my Birds.
I hunt a huge area. If you walk in a mile though, it is likely you have crossed a road or are closer to one than the one you left. There are dozens of spots that have, or do, hold birds on any given day. We always have tons of plans. I was at a road that dead ends into a non crossable river. I parked back about 40 yards from the end because it is a better place to park-but got out and walked down to make sure no one was already there.. The river makes a big U around you there and you can hunt to the north or the south of the road. Some young guys pull right past me, after I had stepped out and was headed to where they had stopped. I walked down and told them I have been parked there for an hour and a half and I was going to the first bird that gobbled on either side of the road (north or south) and they needed to go the other way. There are 15 pull offs down the main road that are all more or less about the same, but they pulled in so late I was not going to leave at that point.
I have talked to many folks and made a plan about how we will hunt. I did back out and leave once and told the guy where the bird had been gobbling the day before. He had his son with him and although I did not know the guy, I knew his kin. They killed the bird too and he ran into me later and thanked me for the info. It was his grandson's first.
I have been in leases that were worse and less courteous than public too.
I'm normally first to the park area. I sit in the truck til i see lights coming or til it's time to walk. I don't want to talk to folks cause they always got a line a mile long about how they hunted there with their grandpa 20 years ago, had one roosted the day before, on and on..... I leave my truck and get where I'm going well before light, even I time for a nap if need.
Last hunt in Missouri a couple years ago I got to a gate early, left the truck and went down the road to a fork in the road. My buddy was with me, so we had it pretty well covered one down each fork in the road from there. Fella walks up on us at 5am sweated down and toting a sack of what had to be a flock of decoys and indicated he wanted to get on past us. We'd been there an hour waiting on daylight. It was pretty obvious we had walked down the road a mile. Fella was nice enough, but he was way off base. Heck fella, we ain't walked all this way for you to tromp down right to the birds that were roosted 200 yards from us. Some people ain't got no sense. We politely told him he could hunt the mile of woods and road back between us and the truck. He told us there were other people back there.....so we weren't the obit folks he'd walked past. Not only did he park at a parking lot with one truck in it, there were multiple truck in it with only one road coming past the gate. He kicked rocks like a child back up the road towards the truck.
Another time I was in Nebraska. Me and another friend were parked at a small parking spot on some broken up Rez land. If you've ever hunted the Rez, you know that they aren't massive pieces of property usually (at least up there) but they are 40's and 80's that different families own and only some of it you can hunt. We were parked gathering our stuff and these guys wheel in and park on the side of the road not 50 yards from us. I asked them what they were doing, they said they were going to the turkeys. This little piece was only a couple hundred acres, and there was no room for multiple hunters in there. The guy I was hunting with don't get around good and that's what was taking us so long to get away from the truck. I was pissed that day, but really nothing I could do about it. Same group of hunters tried to shoot one from their truck and didn't see me in the woods watching them. I was on some private land I had permission to be on, but the little field the turkey liked to strut in was real close to a dirt public road. I killed the turkey but they ran him off first and I had to sit him out another few hours to get him on the back side of the little field.
I've had some good encounters on public land too. One time in Missouri I was in a walk in area, way back and heard some birds gobbling. I walked toward them and found out they were on private. I sat the edge of the private on the public listening to them and along came a guy hunting. We ended up hunting the rest of the morning together. We didn't get a turkey, but we had a good time.
My observations are:
In general, people are self serving, selfish, and lazy.
The more turkey hunters that try to spread out and hunt different states, the more tightly land in the states that were not traditional turkey hot spots will be controlled.
The more that states make season changes due to the pressure created by declining populations, the more pressure they can create on neighboring states as an unintended consequence and after a few years of this increased pressure, those states will have to compensate with their own changes.
Should be another interesting Spring with Covid in 2021.
OP, maybe you hunt small chunks of public, but consider this. You hunt where I do..20,000 acres public, gravel parking lot is probably 1/4 acre big and can fit at least 30 trucks. Now I believe if your first one there then by all means, pick an area you want to hunt. But if someone else comes in behind you and asks "the question", why not be kind and just say a general direction. Like someone else said above, how much area do you think your entitled to? The whole 20,000 acres because you were there first? I'd say you're crazy. Saying your going "where the turkeys are", I'd say well I might see you there then. But if you simply said a general direction or area you were headed, I'd definitely go the other way. Why not communicate with fellow turkey hunters? You don't have to give away your hard earned "scouted" spots. Just say a general direction or area.
I don't know you so I say all this with the upmost respect. But I get the impression you are angry or resent other hunters in the woods. Don't get me wrong, I love turkey hunting with a passion, but I'd give the shirt off my back for a fellow hunter. If asked, I'd almost always yield the road to a fellow turkey hunter. And if they're a newbie or novice, who better! Offer to help them! I've hunted enough and killed enough, it ain't about "gettin one" anymore. Think about it this way, who do you have more in common with or share a similar passion with, than that turkey hunter asking you "the question" in that anxious pre-dawn parking area? You are there for the same passion. Whether their an old pro, a novice, or, maybe even a goober out to steal your spot, when your kind and courtesy, you win. All of us who turkey hunt public are in this together. In my opinion, being kind and courtesy to our other brethren is what will keep this great sport alive. I wish the best for you this season!
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I've seen it. I was a WMA and was second at the parking area. Big place, lots of directions to hunt and a third truck pulled in. I had just gotten out of my truck and the first guy there was walking down a road, 100' from his truck heading to the woods. The third arrival guys jumped from their truck and literally sprinted past the guy to get ahead of him. They never said a word to him.
I've hunted mostly public land since I started turkey hunting in 2000. We don't have parking lots or areas. Theres many acres and many gravel roads all throughout the land. I guess I've about seen it all too. It can be really aggrevating for sure. I learned and was taught when you come to a spot you wanted to hunt if no one was there then it's free to hunt. If a vehicle is already there then don't hunt there or anywhere close to it. That's still how I hunt. I'm always courteous of others first and tend to view things from a safety standpoint above all else. I will drive around from spot to spot if its crowded and sometimes never get out of the vehicle before or around daylight. But what I do do is make a mental note of where people are parked and begin stopping long enough spot to spot and listen for gobbling for the first hour after daylight. Then I'll head into town and get some breakfast taking my time and thinking of a game plan. Since I only live ten miles from the WMA's I already know where several birds will be anyway plus I know where they'll move to once the crowds start pouring in. I'll head back out there around 8:30-9:00 and lots of guys will already be gone. It's crazy too because these guys will pull up and park right next to each other and try to hunt the same birds! I've seen as many as five trucks with out of state tags pulled off in a 150 yard straight away in a spot where four birds were all roosted together the days before. Instead of avoiding these places thinking they're boogered up from the intrusion of the other hunters, I'll usually slip right in there after they're all gone and many times kill one.
The bad thing is these guys don't look at things the same as me. Every year they'll park right by me and come crashing through the woods like they own the place.lol Or try to gather their gear and get gone before me. Many times I'll be there by 3:00am and within minutes they start driving by. Never fails two or three will park right by me or just up from me. If I know where the birds are then i'll often watch and make sure the guy or guys go on the other side of the road from where I want to go and then I'll go on in. If not I'll crank up and then head to plan/spot b,c,or d. Or once again eat an early breakfast!haha
Quote from: quavers59 on February 03, 2021, 06:32:48 PM
I dont agree with everything Bowguy has written above. Often this past Spring,I walked in at 3.30am because there are plenty more Spring Hunters out due to the Chinese Virus. As the season wore on- 3.45am. Not many guys are willing to do that- but,I am coming out with my Birds.
I know you never do but look back at your old posts. They evolve, change . Your time in changes. Your experiences. Number of birds, size of birds, etc . Why do that. Just speak the truth. Misinformation runs rampant. We can't help people unless we're honest.
Quote from: quavers59 on February 03, 2021, 06:32:48 PM
I dont agree with everything Bowguy has written above. Often this past Spring,I walked in at 3.30am because there are plenty more Spring Hunters out due to the Chinese Virus. As the season wore on- 3.45am. Not many guys are willing to do that- but,I am coming out with my Birds.
Maybe I'll see if I can find the post in another forum where you basically complain to the people about guys on here and Shannon in particular for I don't remember what words you used but basically said they're picking on you, bullying you, for saying exactly where you hunt. Mentioned Shannon personally. There's good guys on here. You shouldn't spread untruth about them.
Bowguy,I recently just started to post again on this site. With your 2 Posts above-- now you are coming after me on this site as well...
Bowguy/Foggy Mountain- you currently have a good 5 members pissed at you over at huntingny.com. Your replys to my Thread in the Turkey Forum-- 80 Yard Turkey Kill- What Next? -- are personal attacks.
Bowguy/ Foggy Mountain- over at njwoodsandwaters- you recently came down on a member who uploaded a Video in the " Lounge" Forum-- Bear Chases Skier.
All the information, I post has helped me Kill 121 Turkeys on Crowded Gun Club Lands + Public Lands. I helped a Female Friend Kill her first 2 Longbeards last May.
With your 2 posts above- you arendefinitely going out of your way to come after me. I might get banned here for defending myself- and if so- so be it.
There is a lot of impatience among turkey hunters for sure. Out of state hunters in particular can create issues. They usually only have 2-3 maybe 5 days to hunt and then they are gone. They don't have much if any scouting done and have spent a lot of money to be there. None of that excuses rudeness or poor ethics, but it does contribute to them doing things they shouldn't. This is problematic on public land across the country and if you travel to hunt you more than likely will suffer from the same factors. It takes discipline and patience to be a good sportsman. Remember, you are the intruder when out of your home ground and in my opinion the outsider gives way to the residents. You don't have to agree, but that is how I approach it.
I'll share one story. I drove to my neighboring state (Ky.) one opening morning and headed right to a spot I knew was good and had hunted many times. To my disappointment two vehicles were there and guys gearing up. I stopped just long enough to ask if they were going on the south side or north side and they said both. I wished them good luck and told one group were I new there were birds and then drove a mile down the road to the next spot. I did not hear a single gobble there. About 11:00 I was back at my truck and decided to drive back to where the guys were and maybe go another mile past them. When I came to the gate They were all standing there, so I stopped and asked if they killed any and they said no. They then told me they busted birds off the roost. I said, well tomorrow morning you will have another chance. One guy spoke up and said they only took opening day off and wouldn't be back. I asked if they would be offended if I parked and went back in hunting where they just came from and they all said no go for it, but we scared they hell out of them birds. One guy shared that he especially appreciated I asked. Well I went right out to the point I knew birds like to hang out on and struck a bird about an hour later and killed him. It turned out to be the heaviest bird I had killed to that point. I hunted two more days and then came back that weekend and ran into those same guys. I told them I killed the bird and they were ok with that. I then told them exactly where I had heard some other birds. The one guy who seemed to be the most experienced told me he really appreciated that I was willing to work around them. To quote him as best I can, "it's nice to see at least there is one Out-of-stater that isn't a rude arsehole". Sometime you just have to be patient and wait your turn.
Worst encounters for me have been permission private land hunters that want to ignore property lines.
As for "the question" we are blessed on public ground around here with lots of access points into big chunks of public ground. I just roll on to the next spot on my route. I don't go super early I get there in time to bounce 3-4 times but I've rarely had to go past my 2nd choice.
I find most guys 1st at a spot are going to the bird that gobbles regardless of the conversation. Also the guy that pulls up next to another vehicle is gonna do that as well. Maybe its the only spot they know maybe they have the bird pinpointed on the limb. Both guys are going to the bird. They have too much invested not to try and make a play on that bird.
I've learned to just leave them to it, I'd rather go get a biscuit and waste my morning than compete with someone over ground. I'll even leave if I was first in, too much ground elsewhere for me to get back into that competition mentality.
I used to be that guy, racing in at 3am trying to hold and block public. Now I basically let everyone declare their spots and go where they aren't. I get way more satisfaction these days from watching another sunrise in the spring. If birds gobble and I get a chance to play the game that's an amazing bonus for the day.
I can only cover about 4-5 miles in a day walking with junky knees so that probably has a lot to do with my perspective these days.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
My observations are:
In general, people are self serving, selfish, and lazy.
The more turkey hunters that try to spread out and hunt different states, the more tightly land in the states that were not traditional turkey hot spots will be controlled.
The more that states make season changes due to the pressure created by declining populations, the more pressure they can create on neighboring states as an unintended consequence and after a few years of this increased pressure, those states will have to compensate with their own changes.
Should be another interesting Spring with Covid in 2021.
[/quote]
This is pretty accurate.
Quote from: quavers59 on February 04, 2021, 07:15:34 AM
Bowguy,I recently just started to post again on this site. With your 2 Posts above-- now you are coming after me on this site as well...
Bowguy/Foggy Mountain- you currently have a good 5 members pissed at you over at huntingny.com. Your replys to my Thread in the Turkey Forum-- 80 Yard Turkey Kill- What Next? -- are personal attacks.
Bowguy/ Foggy Mountain- over at njwoodsandwaters- you recently came down on a member who uploaded a Video in the " Lounge" Forum-- Bear Chases Skier.
All the information, I post has helped me Kill 121 Turkeys on Crowded Gun Club Lands + Public Lands. I helped a Female Friend Kill her first 2 Longbeards last May.
With your 2 posts above- you arendefinitely going out of your way to come after me. I might get banned here for defending myself- and if so- so be it.
The reason I said nothing after you basically told guys how Shannon was threatening to ban you for advertising is because you stopped here. You've done nothing to get imo banned for. You can certainly say what you want , and even do it here, but don't curse guys. It kinda ticks me off and I have no respect for someone doing that. I didn't say no respect for a man but certainly an action. He's never been that way w anyone. And use proper information. It's ok not to know something. It's ok to even be wrong. Just for your knowledge I don't desire anything bad for you. You take corrections that way. Like telling a guy a longer barrel helps in not picking up your head. Not true. Only changes angle. That's just one for instance. Instead of considering that insecurity makes you defend what you said and than Metamorphosis it. We've all got to consider we could be mistaken. And if you want to know something you've got a lot more than couple guys think you're the most ridiculous guy on your sites. That's not my words. Just putting things in perspective. As I said we can't help new folks and I believe that's your intent w erroneous information. We all do make mistakes though. Sometimes you obviously don't know what you don't know and have a prob when someone questions that. Consider what someone says and decide for yourself if it could be possible as we all should
QuoteI find most guys 1st at a spot are going to the bird that gobbles regardless of the conversation.
Sadly I agree with this statement. Especially if it's the only gobbling bird. I too will no longer rush out 3 hrs before daylight. I want to be there at gobble time, but I'm ok if someone beats me there. In my home state I hunt almost exclusively private controlled ground, but out of state it's mostly public, so I play the game. I do a lot of work looking for out of the way spots. I once stopped at a yard sale and struck up a conversation with a guy. He tells me there is a piece of public ground way back this township road that no one ever goes to, but he says , "I been back there mushroom hunting and maybe once in a great while I'll hear a turkey, there is not many back there. My buddy and I went and checked it out and it was maybe 60 acres of huntable ground, but we took two birds off it in three days and never saw another hunter. We hunt it on a regular basis now. Do some home work the spots are out there.
Sleep in , show up at 9.
i think i just heard FrAnK speak
Ok, time to piss a few people off.
I have watched in participated in this and many threads related to this topic. I will categorize them as "why I didn't kill a bird excuse threads". It was partly interesting and mostly aggravating back when I was working in my career and ran the check station to hear all the excuses. The absolutely most common gripe was "another hunter messed me up". It got really old and most of my staff would just say I have to go back to work and walk away soon as someone started this routine. I know some of them were legit gripes, but what I really wanted to tell them was, "it's public ground dude deal with it or get out". If you have hunted public ground for even just a few years, you should know what comes with it, deal with it and have a plan. Most of those guys you are getting pissed at just want to hunt the same as you. Sure there are some real butt heads out there, that's true in every phase of life, again deal with. I really wonder if a lot of these gripes really are just excuses we use to prop up our egos. "I would have killed that bird but" statements are often a coping device for our own short comings. I have hunted enough on land I know I am alone on and guess what the same things happen there, somehow I mess up on a bird. Then I have to blame a deer or maybe a dog, as long as it's not me.
Here is my bottom line, and it took me a lot of years to get here. I love turkey hunting and I want to have fun doing it, why make it part of my life's misery? I used to get all moody and pissed about everything that went wrong in the woods and a ton of that was due to other people, even close friends. My poor wife should have gotten a metal in those early years. Somewhere I just decided I didn't want to be miserable anymore and decided just to hunt and have fun. The hell with getting upset over not killing a bird or what someone else done. You know what happened? I started killing birds on a level I had never done before and I was having a ball doing it. Some days when I showed up only to find another car in "my spot" I simply moved on to another. I found many new spots and it was uncanny how many times I killed birds in plan B spot. When I did run into other hunters I gave them space and often tips. I tried never to get mad at them. Foolish arguments only ruin good days. It comes down to one thing, your sport should be "an escape from life's trouble not a part of it"! So relax and find the good in this sport. Of course your going to have people problems, but the best thing is to just move on or develop another strategy. You don't need an excuse to have fun, measure your hunt by your joy not by how many you pack out.
Ol' eggshell is droppin pearls for the swine... nailed it!
:icon_thumright: to Eggshell!
I was fortunate to have been raised hunting only public land in Florida, even though it was a tad different back then. But I've always been one to find humor in my failures. As a kid I'd giggle and smile and move on when something didn't go my way, whether it was by my own doings or outside factors I couldn't control. This was true with everything from sports to hunting, and I still carry that same attitude to this day. I think it made for a much more relaxed and enjoyable life. I may would have experienced more successes in life with a different attitude, but I don't think I would have had as much fun doing so. And I've always lived life for the enjoyment. Another hunter can't mess up my hunt, all he can do is temporarily prolong my fun and give me something to chuckle about in the meantime.
Quote from: eggshell on February 05, 2021, 08:10:29 AM
Ok, time to piss a few people off.
I have watched in participated in this and many threads related to this topic. I will categorize them as "why I didn't kill a bird excuse threads". It was partly interesting and mostly aggravating back when I was working in my career and ran the check station to hear all the excuses. The absolutely most common gripe was "another hunter messed me up". It got really old and most of my staff would just say I have to go back to work and walk away soon as someone started this routine. I know some of them were legit gripes, but what I really wanted to tell them was, "it's public ground dude deal with it or get out". If you have hunted public ground for even just a few years, you should know what comes with it, deal with it and have a plan. Most of those guys you are getting pissed at just want to hunt the same as you. Sure there are some real butt heads out there, that's true in every phase of life, again deal with. I really wonder if a lot of these gripes really are just excuses we use to prop up our egos. "I would have killed that bird but" statements are often a coping device for our own short comings. I have hunted enough on land I know I am alone on and guess what the same things happen there, somehow I mess up on a bird. Then I have to blame a deer or maybe a dog, as long as it's not me.
Here is my bottom line, and it took me a lot of years to get here. I love turkey hunting and I want to have fun doing it, why make it part of my life's misery? I used to get all moody and pissed about everything that went wrong in the woods and a ton of that was due to other people, even close friends. My poor wife should have gotten a metal in those early years. Somewhere I just decided I didn't want to be miserable anymore and decided just to hunt and have fun. The hell with getting upset over not killing a bird or what someone else done. You know what happened? I started killing birds on a level I had never done before and I was having a ball doing it. Some days when I showed up only to find another car in "my spot" I simply moved on to another. I found many new spots and it was uncanny how many times I killed birds in plan B spot. When I did run into other hunters I gave them space and often tips. I tried never to get mad at them. Foolish arguments only ruin good days. It comes down to one thing, your sport should be "an escape from life's trouble not a part of it"! So relax and find the good in this sport. Of course your going to have people problems, but the best thing is to just move on or develop another strategy. You don't need an excuse to have fun, measure your hunt by your joy not by how many you pack out.
Very well said. We all have strategies on how we hunt. Adding another strategy on avoiding crowded woods is another fun way to enjoy the solitude we all aspire. Be safe, enjoy
Quote from: eggshell on February 05, 2021, 08:10:29 AM
Ok, time to piss a few people off.
I have watched in participated in this and many threads related to this topic. I will categorize them as "why I didn't kill a bird excuse threads". It was partly interesting and mostly aggravating back when I was working in my career and ran the check station to hear all the excuses. The absolutely most common gripe was "another hunter messed me up". It got really old and most of my staff would just say I have to go back to work and walk away soon as someone started this routine. I know some of them were legit gripes, but what I really wanted to tell them was, "it's public ground dude deal with it or get out". If you have hunted public ground for even just a few years, you should know what comes with it, deal with it and have a plan. Most of those guys you are getting pissed at just want to hunt the same as you. Sure there are some real butt heads out there, that's true in every phase of life, again deal with. I really wonder if a lot of these gripes really are just excuses we use to prop up our egos. "I would have killed that bird but" statements are often a coping device for our own short comings. I have hunted enough on land I know I am alone on and guess what the same things happen there, somehow I mess up on a bird. Then I have to blame a deer or maybe a dog, as long as it's not me.
Here is my bottom line, and it took me a lot of years to get here. I love turkey hunting and I want to have fun doing it, why make it part of my life's misery? I used to get all moody and pissed about everything that went wrong in the woods and a ton of that was due to other people, even close friends. My poor wife should have gotten a metal in those early years. Somewhere I just decided I didn't want to be miserable anymore and decided just to hunt and have fun. The hell with getting upset over not killing a bird or what someone else done. You know what happened? I started killing birds on a level I had never done before and I was having a ball doing it. Some days when I showed up only to find another car in "my spot" I simply moved on to another. I found many new spots and it was uncanny how many times I killed birds in plan B spot. When I did run into other hunters I gave them space and often tips. I tried never to get mad at them. Foolish arguments only ruin good days. It comes down to one thing, your sport should be "an escape from life's trouble not a part of it"! So relax and find the good in this sport. Of course your going to have people problems, but the best thing is to just move on or develop another strategy. You don't need an excuse to have fun, measure your hunt by your joy not by how many you pack out.
This is spot on. I think hopefully with time for most it does not become a numbers game or a competition with other hunters. I think there should be a point where how you do it matters as much or more than whether or not you walk out with a bird over your shoulder. I know we are all there to kill a turkey but does violating our personal ethics or treating others badly make it anything to be proud of? To me it doesn't. Not to pick on others or try to make anyone look bad but I believe social media has created a need for a lot of people to seek recognition and attention and I don't necessarily think that is a good thing. I am not trying to put people down or say that anyone doing that is a bad person but I think that it is a very slippery slope.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Didn't read 4 pages but feel compelled to respond to the op on the "question".
Not speaking for anyone but myself here and the way I operate. No turkey is worth getting shot over. If I see another truck I move on and hunt elsewhere and hope others would do the same for me. If it's a single access point to a large chunk of land I have no problem parking with other trucks and hunting but make every attempt to not crowd others. If I hear a guy working a bird I don't move in on him. I don't care how well someone calls, if you will listen for a few minutes you can identify human calling most of the time with certainty. If I'm the least bit unsure then I sit and listen longer to figure out the situation or simply move away and hunt elsewhere.
If a guy parks alongside and asks where I am planning to hunt then I tell him. I might even talk further and share something worthwhile since he was thoughtful enough to ask and my assumption is that his asking is a courtesy to avoid ruining my hunt. That is how I would perceive "the question". Or I might tell him if I think he is crowding me and that I wouldn't do same to him or anyone else. Just depends on the situation but public land is just that, public. Lots of nimrods out there and it's a seasoned hunter's duty to educate them when presented with the opportunity.
The best approach IMO is to treat others like you'd want to be treated. NO turkey is worth getting shot over.
Quote from: THattaway on February 05, 2021, 08:46:27 AM
Didn't read 4 pages but feel compelled to respond to the op on the "question".
Not speaking for anyone but myself here and the way I operate. No turkey is worth getting shot over. If I see another truck I move on and hunt elsewhere and hope others would do the same for me. If it's a single access point to a large chunk of land I have no problem parking with other trucks and hunting but make every attempt to not crowd others. If I hear a guy working a bird I don't move in on him. I don't care how well someone calls, if you will listen for a few minutes you can identify human calling most of the time with certainty. If I'm the least bit unsure then I sit and listen longer to figure out the situation or simply move away and hunt elsewhere.
If a guy parks alongside and asks where I am planning to hunt then I tell him. I might even talk further and share something worthwhile since he was thoughtful enough to ask and my assumption is that his asking is a courtesy to avoid ruining my hunt. That is how I would perceive "the question". Or I might tell him if I think he is crowding me and that I wouldn't do same to him or anyone else. Just depends on the situation but public land is just that, public. Lots of nimrods out there and it's a seasoned hunter's duty to educate them when presented with the opportunity.
The best approach IMO is to treat others like you'd want to be treated. NO turkey is worth getting shot over.
Amen my brother, amen
Eggshell,
I think what you describe is "not accepting personal responsibility" and it seems to be a malady that has effected all aspects of like. It is one of my daughters favorite themes. I recently heard a guide on a fishing site say you learn more from a fish that gets away than you do from a fish you catch. After some thought this saying seemed to ring true and it probably also applies to turkey hunting or at least it has for me. Apply this philosophy in the above situations and you turn a negative experience into a positive
I just talk to other hunters as if I already know them, and if they are not out of town, I often do - or at least we have mutual friends. Worked out something with a guy one time and after talking realized I had known his pa-in-law for 30 years.
My motto - follow the golden rule. Treat folks with respect to start. HOWEVER, I would rather be pizzed off than pizzed on. Not talking crazy fighting or nothing, but if someone is just plain rude, I may point it out to them, especially if they are younger. I look at it as an educational opportunity. We were woodie hunting in a swamp and got a little turned around coming out. We knew where the truck was, but missed the trail out, so we walked straight to the truck. Came up on some poor dude deer hunting. We apologized (quietly), told him we were very sorry multiple times and got out of his way. We had no way to know he was there, but still felt bad for walking by his climber.
If you are in the right or the wrong, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
I haven't read every single post either, but I see no reason to act like an , even if the other person does. I have had more positive interaction with others than negative.
Last year in Alabama, my buddy and I parked at the head of a road that wasn't gated. While we were puttering around, I thought I saw a light down the road a ways, so walked that way to investigate. Sure enough, I saw a guy parked a hundred yards or so down where the road y's.
I immediately turned around and told John someone else is here, we need to go somewhere else. I see a flashlight heading our way, and the guy, a young man in his 20's was trying to get my attention. I immediately apologize to him, saying we never thought about someone being parked down the road.
He tells us he roosted 3 birds in there the night before and is going to hunt the one to the south, and that we were more than welcome to go after the other two, giving us detailed information as to which road to take to get into proximity of each of the other 2.
Now, I wish I could give the fairytale ending where we all scored, but that wasn't the case. The birds were tight lipped, and none of us even heard a gobble, but that isn't the point. The young man could have simply done nothing and had the whole area to himself, but instead, he did what he felt like the right thing.
I'm guessing good karma will follow him around from time to time.
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I can't believe this is even a topic... it's PUBLIC LAND.
Quote from: eggshell on February 05, 2021, 08:10:29 AM
Ok, time to piss a few people off.
I have watched in participated in this and many threads related to this topic. I will categorize them as "why I didn't kill a bird excuse threads". It was partly interesting and mostly aggravating back when I was working in my career and ran the check station to hear all the excuses. The absolutely most common gripe was "another hunter messed me up". It got really old and most of my staff would just say I have to go back to work and walk away soon as someone started this routine. I know some of them were legit gripes, but what I really wanted to tell them was, "it's public ground dude deal with it or get out". If you have hunted public ground for even just a few years, you should know what comes with it, deal with it and have a plan. Most of those guys you are getting pissed at just want to hunt the same as you. Sure there are some real butt heads out there, that's true in every phase of life, again deal with. I really wonder if a lot of these gripes really are just excuses we use to prop up our egos. "I would have killed that bird but" statements are often a coping device for our own short comings. I have hunted enough on land I know I am alone on and guess what the same things happen there, somehow I mess up on a bird. Then I have to blame a deer or maybe a dog, as long as it's not me.
Here is my bottom line, and it took me a lot of years to get here. I love turkey hunting and I want to have fun doing it, why make it part of my life's misery? I used to get all moody and pissed about everything that went wrong in the woods and a ton of that was due to other people, even close friends. My poor wife should have gotten a metal in those early years. Somewhere I just decided I didn't want to be miserable anymore and decided just to hunt and have fun. The hell with getting upset over not killing a bird or what someone else done. You know what happened? I started killing birds on a level I had never done before and I was having a ball doing it. Some days when I showed up only to find another car in "my spot" I simply moved on to another. I found many new spots and it was uncanny how many times I killed birds in plan B spot. When I did run into other hunters I gave them space and often tips. I tried never to get mad at them. Foolish arguments only ruin good days. It comes down to one thing, your sport should be "an escape from life's trouble not a part of it"! So relax and find the good in this sport. Of course your going to have people problems, but the best thing is to just move on or develop another strategy. You don't need an excuse to have fun, measure your hunt by your joy not by how many you pack out.
Absolutely spot on!! Best response I have seen on the topic. It took me 35 years to lose the pride and ego and it took a move of God in my life to accomplish it.
thx hooksfan, committing my life to Jesus Christ played a big part in my change of attitude too, but I was figuring it out even before that.
Quote from: Gobspur on February 03, 2021, 10:26:07 PM
OP, maybe you hunt small chunks of public, but consider this. You hunt where I do..20,000 acres public, gravel parking lot is probably 1/4 acre big and can fit at least 30 trucks. Now I believe if your first one there then by all means, pick an area you want to hunt. But if someone else comes in behind you and asks "the question", why not be kind and just say a general direction. Like someone else said above, how much area do you think your entitled to? The whole 20,000 acres because you were there first? I'd say you're crazy. Saying your going "where the turkeys are", I'd say well I might see you there then. But if you simply said a general direction or area you were headed, I'd definitely go the other way. Why not communicate with fellow turkey hunters? You don't have to give away your hard earned "scouted" spots. Just say a general direction or area.
I don't know you so I say all this with the upmost respect. But I get the impression you are angry or resent other hunters in the woods. Don't get me wrong, I love turkey hunting with a passion, but I'd give the shirt off my back for a fellow hunter. If asked, I'd almost always yield the road to a fellow turkey hunter. And if they're a newbie or novice, who better! Offer to help them! I've hunted enough and killed enough, it ain't about "gettin one" anymore. Think about it this way, who do you have more in common with or share a similar passion with, than that turkey hunter asking you "the question" in that anxious pre-dawn parking area? You are there for the same passion. Whether their an old pro, a novice, or, maybe even a goober out to steal your spot, when your kind and courtesy, you win. All of us who turkey hunt public are in this together. In my opinion, being kind and courtesy to our other brethren is what will keep this great sport alive. I wish the best for you this season!
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This right here. You're welcome to share coffee in my blind anytime. Bubba
Quote from: Gooserbat on February 04, 2021, 08:07:12 PM
Sleep in , show up at 9.
:angel9: Agreed! Great advice for everybody (except for me)! ;D
For some of you to have never had any issues, count your blessings. It is a frequent problem in the southeast and becoming more and more of a problem elsewhere as the popularity of public land turkey hunting explodes.
I totally agree with Deerhunt1988 in his above post. I am seeing this on Public Ground in New York + New Jersey.
Like, I wrote above in one of my posts- it is nothing for me to walk on in at 3.45am or earlier . Just walking in 15 minutes earlier makes a big difference and arriving Spring Hunters just see my empty Vehicle as they park.
With covid , public ground areas being shown all over YouTube just to name a couple key problems .
I'm afraid public run ins etc are worse then ever . These days you just don't know who are what kind of person you sharing the timber with . I try to keep my distance and get away from folks best I can to avoid the I " been hunting here for 20 years " guy or the tv hunter wannabes and the gotta get my daily Facebook hero pic in by whatever or whomever I need to step on guy . I've found it's best just to avoid em period ...
I think it all depends on the size of the tract but first to the lot should have first choice.
If we're talking a 10,000 acre WMA, you're going to have to coordinate with some folks and that's entirely reasonable.
If we're talking about 100,000 acres, you should politely turn your truck around and find yourself another place to hunt.
Discourtesy runs rampant these days with the popularity of public land hunting and I personally have less tolerance for it than ever. It seems harder and harder for people to do the right thing.