How many trucks?

[owlhoot]

I'd never be able to hunt if I passed on spots with more than 2 trucks.

I'm usually one of the first to where I hunt. I know there will be 4 - 5 trucks parked while I'm hunting. Most come and go while I'm in the woods.

I've have done that too. Plenty of times. Parking lots full all over Missouri.

[Kygobblergetter]

I hunted a decent sized in Indiana last year. We were the second truck to a small parking lot that gave access to two long ridges. Talked to the guys in the first truck and they were going one way so we decided we'd go the other. There are at least 15 parking areas on this piece. Not too long later another truck pulled in. After talking to us they decided to move to another area because they knew there would be hunters on each ridge. Soon after that two more trucks pulled in. They asked where we were going and then told us that's where they were going too. We didn't like it but nothing you can do. We walked back early to get to the area we wanted to listen from. About gobbling time we saw a head light coming our way and it was a completely different guy that walked right past us. A bird gobbled close then he came back and set up on that bird knowing we were hunting it. I did end up calling a bird in for my dad and he killed it but when we got back to the parking lot there were 5 trucks that had parked after us and the original truck that was there. I've hunted pressured public for years but I was prettt surprised that many people would willingly park and go hunt an area they already knew others were in. Came back the second day of the season and never saw another truck until the gobbling had already started. I killed a bird that morning. I think a lot of it is just guys that don't have a clue. I'll probably skip opening day on the smaller wmas like that from now on

[owlhoot]

I hunted a decent sized in Indiana last year. We were the second truck to a small parking lot that gave access to two long ridges. Talked to the guys in the first truck and they were going one way so we decided we'd go the other. There are at least 15 parking areas on this piece. Not too long later another truck pulled in. After talking to us they decided to move to another area because they knew there would be hunters on each ridge. Soon after that two more trucks pulled in. They asked where we were going and then told us that's where they were going too. We didn't like it but nothing you can do. We walked back early to get to the area we wanted to listen from. About gobbling time we saw a head light coming our way and it was a completely different guy that walked right past us. A bird gobbled close then he came back and set up on that bird knowing we were hunting it. I did end up calling a bird in for my dad and he killed it but when we got back to the parking lot there were 5 trucks that had parked after us and the original truck that was there. I've hunted pressured public for years but I was prettt surprised that many people would willingly park and go hunt an area they already knew others were in. Came back the second day of the season and never saw another truck until the gobbling had already started. I killed a bird that morning. I think a lot of it is just guys that don't have a clue. I'll probably skip opening day on the smaller wmas like that from now on

You have to wonder how many guys pull in after seeing 2 trucks already there that at least one of them guys there knows where the gobblers are? Especially when other parking lots are empty. Those 5 guys had some easy scouting done for them. Kind of like those that drive across multiple states after seeing parking lot signs or landmarks on You tube.

[quavers59]

    I am 1st to park 95% of the Time. If,I come out early at 9.30am or so there could be between 2 +6 or so other Trucks . Most with Buck,Gobbler, NRA, or Gun Club Decals.

[slave601]

I've been hunting out of state for probably 12 years or so now. I've always had people park next to me on small blocks where I wouldn't ever see someone in my home state of Mississippi do. I'd never park next to someone if they were parked on a small block of property or even a large block. They beat me there so I'll carry my butt on someone else. It's just an etiquette I was taught growing up. I've had quite a few cuss outs, heated discussions and made a lot of friends in those situations. Nowadays I can pull down a road as far as possible get there at 3 a.m. to secure a spot and someone pull in at daylight and just take off walking like they don't even see me. That used to be unheard of in Mississippi but not anymore. It's sad the disrespect people have for other hunters to just suck it up and move on and not take the chance of messing up another man's hunt.

[deathfoot]

I have just sat here and shook my head on a lot of these responses. Not at anyone here but to the fact that others would be totally okay with just piling in on others. I'll go home before I would intrude on someone else. True story.

Reminds me of a few years ago, I went to a WMA I grew up hunting just for old times sake. I parked at a spot I had hunted many years ago. Slipped up in the woods, listened didn't hear anything. Walked about a half mile, still didn't hear anything. Went back to my truck to go to another area. Got to the gate and there was a truck there so I turned around to go to another place. As I was driving past my original first spot there was another guy getting out of the truck so I pulled in to let him know I had just came out and didn't hear anything. I pulled up, he saw me roll my window down and immediately turned his back to me with his head down. I said "hey". He stood so still. Didn't budge like he figured if he didn't move I wouldn't see him..lol. Anyway, I started to pull away and I just said, good luck sir.

Now don't get me wrong..I'm an introvert but I wouldn't flat out ignore another hunter. I said all that to say that people never cease to amaze me. It's called respect. And day by day we are losing more and more of that as the human race.

I've hunted plenty of public in other states and I never stop if a vehicle is parked there. Even if I don't know the area...I'll move on to the next spot even if I've never set foot on it. But again, introvert here.

There's absolutely no way I would park at a spot with other trucks there and just blindly go walking in not knowing where they are. And IF I did and I saw them, I would turn and go a complete other way.

[northms]

I've been hunting out of state for probably 12 years or so now. I've always had people park next to me on small blocks where I wouldn't ever see someone in my home state of Mississippi do. I'd never park next to someone if they were parked on a small block of property or even a large block. They beat me there so I'll carry my butt on someone else. It's just an etiquette I was taught growing up. I've had quite a few cuss outs, heated discussions and made a lot of friends in those situations. Nowadays I can pull down a road as far as possible get there at 3 a.m. to secure a spot and someone pull in at daylight and just take off walking like they don't even see me. That used to be unheard of in Mississippi but not anymore. It's sad the disrespect people have for other hunters to just suck it up and move on and not take the chance of messing up another man's hunt.

Same here. If I see a truck at a small block or trail I keep going. I walked in unknowingly on a pair of guys last year as we came from different directions in the dark. They flashed a red light as I got very close to them. I walked over, shook their hands, told them I was turning around and headed out and wished them luck. De-escalates any potential situation and it was the right thing to do.

And you're right about folks having no cares about pulling up and heading in right past you. That's why I head in real early and sit in the woods until listening time if feasible. If you're already gone from the truck I think it gives some guys pause to head in but that could just be my wishful thinking. At the very least it stops a potential situation at the trail head by idiots who pull up later and act like it's the only gate in the county to hunt.

[vt35mag]

2 or 3, majority of the time they are hunting together or have coordinated who is going where, and I know who they are.
I move on because they know my truck and would do the same, if they rolled up with me parked there already.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[WildTigerTrout]

Depends on the size of the property I am going to hunt.  One spot I hunt every year is public land and if I see more than two trucks there I move on and go somewhere else.  I guess I must be the only turkey hunter around that  does not drive a truck.  I have been driving some sort of Jeep(Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Compass) for nearly thirty years.

[Bowguy]

I'd have gone somewhere else or home. I hunt what I consider heavy use areas but if I see one truck there I won't go. I don't like when one guy even hunts the areas I go that week and prefer to rest areas for the week if possible. Sounds like you drove to a nightmare id have avoided.
Now I never hunt the low hanging fruit. Easy birds everyone sees. I was just telling a fellow Sat the year I had surgery I still wanted to hunt the mountain top spots away from everyone. I had no balance and couldn't walk up so I honestly crawled through the steep spots. I hunt some other guys use areas but they typically use one farm side, me the other. Split by a road. Not many birds around to fight over it seems lately anyhow but I'd never crawl into a spot with others. Always ways to make distance.

[springtime_overland]

I witnessed 4 trucks at a gate at 2pm on a Tuesday in central TN last season.. It got to the point at daylight, that there wasn't room to park at gates, so people were parked between every gate.. I moved across the state after seeing all of that.. It wasn't much better, but I could walk and get away from a few hunters..

[grayfox]

On the public land where I hunt there are many places to pull off to the side of the road to park. If there's a vehicle already there where I'm going I go somewhere else. No turkey in the world worth risking getting my head blown off by some inexperienced trigger happy idiot.