PUBLIC LAND CODE of ETHICS - Don’t be that Guy!

[joey46]

Too many variables in this topic.  Many of the public land parking areas will have a main trail that branches into several other trails that may branch into other trails etc etc.  Saw this often in LBL Kentucky and most all National Forest anywhere that I've hunted. One guy that sleeps in his truck all night at a trail head doesn't get to call "dibs" on the entire woods.  Starting to hear some local grumbling about getting passed on foot trails by the new breed of electric biker but that can be another subject.

[Howie g]

Too many variables in this topic.  Many of the public land parking areas will have a main trail that branches into several other trails that may branch into other trails etc etc.  Saw this often in LBL Kentucky and most all National Forest anywhere that I've hunted. One guy that sleeps in his truck all night at a trail head doesn't get to call "dibs" on the entire woods.  Starting to hear some local grumbling about getting passed on foot trails by the new breed of electric biker but that can be another subject.

Agreed , it depends on what's beyond said gate . If the area behind gate is one big ridge or holler , be responsible and move to next spot . But if there miles of huntable ground ? It would be best to come to a agreement that I'll stay east you stay south etc . So , IMO , don't be a gate snob,and think because u got there lst you own a 1000 acre square .  and also use some common sense and sportsmanship.

[Tom007]

This subject can be looked at in so many ways, but IMO, it boils down to one thing, human decency and respect for your fellow hunters. I enjoy Turkey hunting for the one-on-one challenge, beautiful woods, and overall solitude. I get to the spots I hunt early because that's how I hunt, sometimes walking an hour to set up in the dark. Like I said earlier, if a vehicle is where I park, I simply move on. If I have to start worrying about other hunters and it affects my enjoyment, I'm in the wrong spot. Yes, even though Turkey hunting is a solo sport there will be times when you will be sharing an area with another hunter. Hopefully this interaction will be handled morally and ethically so both parties involved can enjoy their experience. I hunt both public and private, I expect pressure on the public, thus I strategize around this. In my 37 years of Turkey hunting, I have had very little interaction with other hunters. The few times I did, I went the other way or left the area. The few times we actually stopped and talked was a pleasurable experience. This to me is what it's all about. If this ever changes for me, it will be time to hang up my calls and call it a day. But until that happens, I be out there every minute that I can, that you can be sure of. Be safe

[CALLM2U]

If I pull up to a gate and there are 1,000s of acres beyond it, I'll talk the person parked there and 9 times out of 10 can find a place for us both to hunt safely and effectively. 

If that gate only has one area to hunt, then that guy beat me.  I move on. 

[GobbleNut]

If I pull up to a gate and there are 1,000s of acres beyond it, I'll talk the person parked there and 9 times out of 10 can find a place for us both to hunt safely and effectively. 
If that gate only has one area to hunt, then that guy beat me.  I move on.

Yup,...This ^.  Things only get complicated when the area in question is so small that there is not room for multiple hunters,...and in situations where the tracts of public land are so limited that there are not alternatives.  Not sure how people that are in that sort of situation deal with that circumstance, but I am glad I don't have to make those decisions where I hunt. 

When dealing with folks with limited time and opportunity to hunt, making the decision to blow-off hunting for a day because somebody else beat you to the small area you have available to hunt has got to be a tough call.  Not sure how often that might happen, but I suspect it does on occasion for some folks.

[g8rvet]

I hunt public in a very large area that is often bordered by river or creek. If you park in a spot, it is obvious where you are hunting.  There is tons of open land - that for sure is a move on spot. 

I hunt two other places that are quota and while you can park anywhere, it is also pretty obvious where you will be hunting.  A little less space, but lots more than what some folks describe.

In almost every case of rudeness, while they may claim they did not know, they almost always do know they are deliberately trying to cut you off.  One time I parked 100 yards from a dead end on a river.  The river makes a big bend around that area and I had been tracking a bird from the river side.  I was alone and decided to walk in instead of traveling by boat.  I was there crazy early.  Just at daylight a truck drives right by me and I am standing beside my truck. They park and get out.  I walked down and told them I was going to the first bird that gobbled and if another bird gobbled, then that should be the one they headed to.  Probably 500 acres in a 500,000 acre forest. One gobbled and I headed off towards it.  I got as close as I dared and started calling when it hit the ground.  Sure enough, they were about 100 yards away set up and calling. 

Sometimes that happens when someone comes in on the river side and most folks just use sense.  If you hear someone calling and you know they were there first, just back out and look for another one.