parking behind someone at a gate

[Wigsplitter]

X2 but most times I move on- that's what I want them to do for me

[WV Flopper]

 I am not getting into the gate conversation, just to many variables.

I will say...if I am parked and a gate and someone comes up and asks....where you planning on going? My answer is simple and true, "Where the turkey gobbles."

Same thing goes if there isn't a gate there and someone decides to park beside me. I am there to hunt.

[callmakerman]

I am not going in unless they are there at the time and I can have a conversation with them!

THIS. Why because it works.

[nativeks]

All this boils down to sportsman ethics, overall human morals. Public land, public body's of water are all open to all persons properly incensed to utilize these resources. It reminds me of trout fishing in public stocked waters. I would get up early with a group of fisherman and get to the stream to get a spot to fish. We would have coffee on the stream bank getting ready for the season opener to kick off. Other fisher-persons would walk by and say "Hello" and move on to another part of the stream to fish. Turkey hunting requires more "room" to work a perspective bird, but the same ethics apply. Not everyone understands the ethics of hunting public areas, thus conflicts occur. I was a hunter-education instructor for many years and look back on the curriculum and realize that this topic did not get enough attention. Bringing an over-all ethics awareness to our new hunters might help in the future.

Look at waterfowl hunting. Fist fights occur between people more than folks will admit. Ive witnessed it myself. Heck when those folks got shot on Reelfoot everybody just assumed it was over swing ducks. Hunting is a giant competition anymore and it gets worse every year.

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[Cowboy]

Tom007 is correct. Mostly lack of respect and lack of human morals.

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[JohnSouth22]

i didn't realize sleeping in your vehicle at an entrance gave you dibs to the place

Over someone that woke up 30 mins before daylight and hit Waffle House before? 100%. And OP is a lot kinder attempting to exchange words with people than most people from the south would be. There will be 0 air in tires as soon as it happens to me

[deerhunt1988]

Might as well get used to it, its becoming the new normal. I travel all over and its happening to me in places where I thought people didn't give a flip about a turkey. With all the new hunters we've recruited to "save the sport", there simply isn't enough of the resource to go around anymore on many public lands. Maybe the imminent public land changes such as non-rez restrictions, reduced seasons and bag limits, more quota hunts will help alleviate some of this as public land pressure will be reduced some. But it comes at a massive cost: loss of opportunity we will likely never get back. Turkey hunters brought it upon themselves, now we all must deal with the consequences.

[Number17]

But that's actually not the point at all. They didn't know I was sleeping. They were slipping in behind me very-well knowing where I was. If they knew what they were doing wasn't wrong, they would've parked behind. Not a mile down the road and walked up. I do think they were trying to rob my truck because they didn't have their guns with them. Probably should've mentioned that

Is a mile down the road a bit of an exaggeration?
There are State forest around here where if you aren't walking back the timber spur roads you are fighting 100s of yards of impenetrable slashings to find open huntable timber. It's not uncommon to find several vehicles at parking areas on public.
Did you talk to the guys when you opened your truck door or was it just an awkward stare down?
You never asked them why they were standing around your truck in the dark if they weren't hunting? Did they have camo on......without weapons? Did they have other hunting equipment? Vest, camera gear, decoys?

This just sounds like a we're not hearing the real story here.

[turkeyfool]

^To answer your question, they parked about 1/4-1/3rd mile down the road and walked past 5 gates to walk in behind my truck. I did talk to them, I began getting dressed and they awkwardly told me they were coming up close to my truck to "put my boots away" (that were on the ground outside of the truck). They had camo on, left their guns at the truck. So i'm not entirely sure what they were trying to do.

The point is, this isn't a giant piece where you could go in a bunch of directions. It's a single lane to get down to a single nook and cranny. It's very obvious where I was. Let's put it this way, not only would I have not gone in behind someone at this gate because of potentially ruining their hunt, but it's also very dangerous

[Number17]

Well that's strange alright. Walking a 1/4 mile there and a 1/4 mile back just to put your boots away for you is not the truth of what they were up to.
I used to leave a note on my truck.
"Smile, you're on Camera." and  "Does not hunt well with others."

[dzsmith]

I would learn to get used to it, because it's not going to improve. Recruitment has to stop .... And I mean dead in the water . Many lands have become over encumbered with hunters at this point.

[deerhunt1988]

5 gates within 1/4 to 1/3 mile?! wow. thats a tough spot to hunt without interference!

[turkey_slayer]

Might as well get used to it, its becoming the new normal. I travel all over and its happening to me in places where I thought people didn't give a flip about a turkey. With all the new hunters we've recruited to "save the sport", there simply isn't enough of the resource to go around anymore on many public lands. Maybe the imminent public land changes such as non-rez restrictions, reduced seasons and bag limits, more quota hunts will help alleviate some of this as public land pressure will be reduced some. But it comes at a massive cost: loss of opportunity we will likely never get back. Turkey hunters brought it upon themselves, now we all must deal with the consequences.

Nailed it

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[Cowboy]

^To answer your question, they parked about 1/4-1/3rd mile down the road and walked past 5 gates to walk in behind my truck. I did talk to them, I began getting dressed and they awkwardly told me they were coming up close to my truck to "put my boots away" (that were on the ground outside of the truck). They had camo on, left their guns at the truck. So i'm not entirely sure what they were trying to do.

The point is, this isn't a giant piece where you could go in a bunch of directions. It's a single lane to get down to a single nook and cranny. It's very obvious where I was. Let's put it this way, not only would I have not gone in behind someone at this gate because of potentially ruining their hunt, but it's also very dangerous

Was one of the guys barefoot with same size foot as yours?? Jokin I'd say going to pillage.

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[Cowboy]

My brother and cousin hunted in a state this year and they were first at the gate. Before sunup there were SEVEN  vehicles parked all around them! Brother said load up and lets get the H***out of here. We ain't staying in here.

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