DON'T PARK HERE!!

[quavers59]

    Anyone here ever arrive at a Public Hunting Area Parking Area just a bit after the first 1 or 2 Vehicles and more or less- just get a Look that says- Don't  Park Here. And some  will be more vocal.
   Now we are talking Woodsroads and Trails that can lead  up to 1 1/2 miles in to the center of the Public Land from the large parking area.
    I remember one Morning a Vehicle pulled in right before me literally.  Both Sides of this Road could be hunted. So,I said - Which side of the Road do you want? I will take the other side. 
  Another time,I asked how far in are you hunting. A good 1/2 mile. Ok,I will walk in a mile.  Usually  this works out.  But sometimes, I won't  get an answer.  In that case,I will just walk in a good 1 1/4 miles in as quick as ,I can before they start Gobbling.
    About 95% of the time,I am parked first anyway and willing to work something out with another Turkey Hunter who pulls up before,I walk in. Never a problem.
     

[ruffbritt4]

If I'm beat, I'm gone to the next spot. I hate when people step on my toes, even if they only plan on going in a 1/2 mile and I plan on going in 1+. There's likely a reason they were giving you those looks you talked about, especially when you're going past them. What if they went in that half mile then heard a bird the direction you just went? I doubt that, had you not been there, they would say "eh, I don't want to go that far anyways." Always have a plan B or don't sleep in

[Turkeyfever]

If you beat me it's yours, I am not pulling in on a man. People do it to me all the time , sometimes they just start telling me.where they are going, others will ask where are you hunting. I always have the same answer , " wherever one gobbles". That's the reason I never pull in on anyone , a bird gobbles you can hear them for quite a ways. Just proper hunting etiquette to me, you beat me, I am moving on.

[deerhunt1988]

If you beat me it's yours, I am not pulling in on a man. People do it to me all the time , sometimes they just start telling me.where they are going, others will ask where are you hunting. I always have the same answer , " wherever one gobbles". That's the reason I never pull in on anyone , a bird gobbles you can hear them for quite a ways. Just proper hunting etiquette to me, you beat me, I am moving on.

This. And i've had several folks get angry when I give the answer "wherever one gobbles". If they want to be a butt and come in on me and the bird i'm on anyways, I make sure they don't kill the turkey.

[jb1069]

So if you guys arrive 1st to a 1000 acre piece of public land with only one access then you consider it yours for the day? Asking for a friend

[ruffbritt4]

So if you guys arrive 1st to a 1000 acre piece of public land with only one access then you consider it yours for the day? Asking for a friend

I don't consider it mine, but just as I would drive away if someone was already parked there, I hope they do the same for me. Safety aside, if a bird fires up, I don't know where the other hunter is and I run the risk of ruining it for the both of us.

It has nothing to do with thinking you own the piece of ground and everything to do with respect. If you want to hunt there so bad, get up earlier and be the first one there.

[ScottTaulbee]

If there is a truck there first, I'm not pulling in. I don't care if it's 100 acres or 1,000 acres. They beat me today, I'll be earlier tomorrow. It's all about courtesy. Opening day here last year, I took my dad on his farm that morning, I left there around 9 or so and decided to hit some public I typically hunt. Long story short, I made a 400 mile round trip across several counties and several WMA's and national forest land and only found one spot that didn't have a truck parked there, I went in to hunt and about an hour in, a couple guys walked in on me. I went home. Sadly, it's becoming an ever increasing part of the game here.


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[Greg Massey]

If it's a 1000 ac or more and one person is parked before me, I'm going hunting...  Sorry ... I didn't drive all that way just to keep driving around.

[TrackeySauresRex]

   
    I remember one Morning a Vehicle pulled in right before me literally.  Both Sides of this Road could be hunted. So,I said - Which side of the Road do you want? I will take the other side. 
 

  I would respectfully approach if this was the case... and let them pick as you did. I would hope we can all get along and share 5k acres to hunt.
If I did get some push back, I'd move along and go with plan B.. or C.

[Turkeyfever]

I never said that I expect the land to myself it's public land, I never argue with anyone. I am  just telling what I do in those situations, I move on. I am not getting on the same gobbler with another person nor putting myself or someone else at risk that I don't even know. Again that's just me , I usually also leave if I am there first unless I get a really good feeling about someone. I am real easy to get along with in other words!

[Dtrkyman]

I always try and talk to anyone I see entering a property where I intend to hunt, if they beat me there it is their spot for the day.

However often times we are able to hunt from the same parking area and not interfere with one another, happens more often than not on many places, now some spots are obviously limited and I would simply move on.

I killed a bird in Missouri a couple years ago, got to the paring spot and there was a car there, property is either side of the road, chatted with the young man for a few minutes and he said he was just sitting there trying to decide where to go, he asked if I had hunted there before and I said I was on birds the day before, he said it's all yours and went to another spot.

I told him it was his call as he was there first but he insisted and moved on.

It is pretty simple, don't be a D--K!

[Kylongspur88]

The public land here generally has a limited number of parking and access points and not many people want to mess with the places I usually go anyway. If someone is there before me or pulls up after me I'll be polite and ask which way they're headed. If they want to play coy that's fine. I'll just proceed as usual. I've found only a very small percentage of hunters go as far in as I do anyways. Most go a about a quarter mile in and sit down. I'm also surprised at how many grown men are afraid of the dark and will hang around the the parking area until day starts breaking.

[Leadchunker]

If it's a 1000 ac or more and one person is parked before me, I'm going hunting...  Sorry ... I didn't drive all that way just to keep driving around.

.      ^ THIS

[ScottTaulbee]

The public land here generally has a limited number of parking and access points and not many people want to mess with the places I usually go anyway. If someone is there before me or pulls up after me I'll be polite and ask which way they're headed. If they want to play coy that's fine. I'll just proceed as usual. I've found only a very small percentage of hunters go as far in as I do anyways. Most go a about a quarter mile in and sit down. I'm also surprised at how many grown men are afraid of the dark and will hang around the the parking area until day starts breaking.

The boys in my neck of the woods that come from out of state must be track stars or better at reading maps than me because I run in to tracks and trash 4 or 5 miles from the only parking spot I know of on some national forest I run around on. I've got a little something for them boys this year though, every other morning I get up at 4 am and strap 35 to 55 pounds on my back and go hike anywhere from 5 to 12 miles. Come turkey season, ain't nobody out walking me for a bird.


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[Turkeybutt]

If it's a 1000 ac or more and one person is parked before me, I'm going hunting...  Sorry ... I didn't drive all that way just to keep driving around.

I'll hunt in that situation. I guess this goes back to the Rangefinder/Binocular thread. I always have a pair of binoculars with me so I can check out any movement in the distance just to be sure somebody isn't moving in on me so I am on the safe side.