The Ethics and issues of Hotspotting in Hunting

[idgobble]

Very good article on hotspotting.  https://projectupland.com/bird-hunting-articles/the-ethics-and-issues-of-hotspotting-in-hunting-2/?fbclid=IwAR0zY_HS24A7PAhqFgo9axxRXoDlnKmH4p_zu7oo36O7vNudV0zmWkFWbOU

[GobbleNut]

Sharing information on a hunting spot with trusted friends is one thing.  Sharing that information with anybody else is a sure way to have your favorite hunting location ruined at some point down the road.  Having said that, sharing general information about hunting for a particular species of game in a general region or state really doesn't bother me. 

Personally, part of the enjoyment of the hunting experience is learning my quarry, its habitats, and its habits to the degree that I can go to an unfamiliar place and find that quarry without having someone tell me where to go.  I probably take that to the extreme in that, even if someone tells me where they hunt, I will generally not go there under any circumstances if a) I know they plan to hunt there and b) without their explicit invitation to go there and hunt. I expect no less than that from anybody I divulge information to.

In (spring) turkey hunting in particular, a great deal of the satisfaction I get from the hunt is using the methodology I have developed over the years to travel to an area I have never hunted and find gobblers to hunt without having to be led by the hand to those birds.  That also eliminates the a)/b) concerns listed above. 

[PalmettoRon]

You have to be extremely careful who you share turkey hunting information with. It's a surefire way to ruin what you found. I've done a lot of hunting turkeys out west on public land. That information stays with me, my family and one friend who often hunts with me. He is even more circumspect than me. Letting out your info spreads worse than Covid.

[Tom007]

Good thread. Great turkey spots are sacred finds. I share almost no info with anyone. I am mostly a solo hunter. The only person that knows exactly where I park and hunt is my wife. I leave her a detailed note every time I go out so she knows where I am in case of emergency. I have shared a small bit of info with a close friend with whom I team up with in the latter part of the season. So far he has kept his word not to share this spot with anyone. Until he shows me he can't honor our word, he will remain my friend. If he breaks that bond, he broke my trust and no longer will be in my social circle. Broken trust no matter what the subject is a barometer of friendship that I expect my friends to adhere to. Be safe, be well.....

[ChiefBubba]

I hunt deer and Turkey in South Florida and there is no secret spots on public land. Even if you've told no one, if there's game there someone always finds it. Really down here the first major hunting skill is how to out hunt the other googans. I'm never surprised if I see spots outed. Besides there's so few great public hunting here that everyone already knows where to go. Bubba

[idratherb]

Back when I use to have the time to hunt all the time my dad was pretty much the only person to know my honey holes...

[deerhunt1988]

Been a whole lot of public hunting areas getting bombarded in recent springs thanks to social media and YouTubers. It has affected my hunting, and I selfishly don't like it one bit. But it really sucks for the locals who live close to these areas.

I've watched it snowball over the past decade. The first victim was Kansas. All you read about on turkey hunting forums back in the late 2000s and early 2010s was Kansas, Kansas, Kansas! Sure was sad seeing some former honey holes shot out before May even arrived due to the influx of hunting pressure thanks to social media.

Nebraska was soon after. The Pine Ridge really started getting hammered mid 2010s.

One interesting mention is Iowa. A certain group of hunters single handedly changed the non-resident draw demographics of Iowa in just a couple years. Pretty amusing.

This spring it is was Wisconsin. Oh my, what a crap show it was!

Heck, even northeast Alabama now gets bombarded unlike ever before. And a lot of us know why.



What bothers me the most is the new 'industry' now surrounding hunting public lands. And profiting off of it. Some public lands require a film permit, many do not. If filming is for commercial purposes, I believe all public lands should require a film permit. Because in certain areas, it is definitively affecting the quality of hunting.


I'll end my rant there for now and wait patiently for any defendants.

[Crghss]

I have no problem sharing information on states or regions I've hunted. Am I going to share trails or exact locations? No.

True be told, on public land, there are no secrets anymore with all the apps and articles now days.

Comes down to you'll just have out work the other hunters.

[AppalachianHollers]

One can only hope with the surge in revenues and demand for public land hunting, that states will make new acquisitions a priority. Lots of farmsteads and adjacent timberland whose owners or inheritors are looking to cash in on. Even having a large number of small WMAs helps diffuse hunting pressure and is probably better than having only one or 2 large ones within a 1-hour radius (if that).


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[eggshell]

Again, I agree with gobblenut. I like to go into an area and figure it out and the birds in it. Here's how I figure it, the first trip I don't expect a lot and consider it a scouting year and any success is a bonus, the second trip I expect more success and my early day focus is on what I already know, then I spend time finding more land and birds, all subsequent trips I expect to be on birds, but I am always scouting more. If three trips don't get me success I am not returning. If I am only doing a one time in and out trip I try and make local connections or even pay a guide. I have run into locals who were less than happy to find an out-of-state truck parked in a spot and asked, "how in the H did you find this spot?". I tell them a lot of homework and experience. I will always share any intel I have discovered in these instances and if A guy tells me he has been on a specific bird for days before I got there, I offer to back off. I have actually made some good friends and hunting buddies in a couple areas. People respect you when you work hard and respect them. There are ways to find new areas if you just do the work and are friendly, respectful and honest.

I am rather proud of my track record going into new areas

[Turkeytider]

Pretty sure that if/when ( hopefully never ) the sun comes up on the day that I can no longer hunt turkeys on private land, that`ll be it for me. I just don`t think I could enjoy having to worry about Lord knows who in the woods. Too many fools.

[AppalachianHollers]

Pretty sure that if/when ( hopefully never ) the sun comes up on the day that I can no longer hunt turkeys on private land, that`ll be it for me. I just don`t think I could enjoy having to worry about Lord knows who in the woods. Too many fools.

You'd be surprised how little pressure there is in the late season, when the hunting gets good again. April lull drives hunters to fishing instead. But yeah, the first couple weeks after opening day are busy.


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[Turkeytider]

Pretty sure that if/when ( hopefully never ) the sun comes up on the day that I can no longer hunt turkeys on private land, that`ll be it for me. I just don`t think I could enjoy having to worry about Lord knows who in the woods. Too many fools.

You'd be surprised how little pressure there is in the late season, when the hunting gets good again. April lull drives hunters to fishing instead. But yeah, the first couple weeks after opening day are busy.


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I suppose that makes sense. Might be tolerable the last 2-3 weeks of the season.

[fmf]

Been a whole lot of public hunting areas getting bombarded in recent springs thanks to social media and YouTubers. It has affected my hunting, and I selfishly don't like it one bit. But it really sucks for the locals who live close to these areas.

I've watched it snowball over the past decade. The first victim was Kansas. All you read about on turkey hunting forums back in the late 2000s and early 2010s was Kansas, Kansas, Kansas! Sure was sad seeing some former honey holes shot out before May even arrived due to the influx of hunting pressure thanks to social media.

Nebraska was soon after. The Pine Ridge really started getting hammered mid 2010s.

One interesting mention is Iowa. A certain group of hunters single handedly changed the non-resident draw demographics of Iowa in just a couple years. Pretty amusing.

This spring it is was Wisconsin. Oh my, what a crap show it was!

Heck, even northeast Alabama now gets bombarded unlike ever before. And a lot of us know why.



What bothers me the most is the new 'industry' now surrounding hunting public lands. And profiting off of it. Some public lands require a film permit, many do not. If filming is for commercial purposes, I believe all public lands should require a film permit. Because in certain areas, it is definitively affecting the quality of hunting.


I'll end my rant there for now and wait patiently for any defendants.

naw brah, you're dead on balls accurate with your assessment

[idgobble]

Every year when the hunting/fishing seasons start these boards and FB groups get bombarded with requests from guys who want to know where to hunt or fish. Sometimes it's a place they can take their young, first time hunter kid or a new puppy that needs exposure to upland birds, etc. My usual answer is, "Start scouting right now and scout all year and by next hunting season you'll be off to a good start with good places to hunt." I actually enjoy scouting all year long and finding new areas for all the game I hunt but it seems that I'm one of a very small minority. I'm very selective about who I take hunting.  Been burned enough times to know better now.