Public land Turkey hunting paranoia

[bornagain64]

Any body else experience these symptoms?

I have been scouting some public land and found some birds. Now as opening day approaches, everything seems like another hunter found the same birds. Every crow and owl sounds like another hunter. I went scouting last weekend and heard a crow go off 20 minutes before day light, I would have sworn it was a hunter. No new ribbon or tape in the area, but am always concerned about old tape. I never like to use it to mark my spots, I always felt like I was just giving someone else my locations.
So now I am flip flopping back between a couple of spots, where to park, Do I go to my blind or sit on the trail in case I have to shine other hunters off. I hate when the bird keeps gobbling and assume someone else is going to hear him to.

Anybody else? Do you guys like to use ribbon or tape to let others know you might be there? 1 of my pet peaves is when someone writes there name and what hunt they have, like they are calling that spot. I HATE that. Usually find there tape for a mile square with several hunts in the area.

[Fieldturkey]

I'm always paranoid on public land. It's hard for me to get comfortable

[KYFrid]

I can definitely relate. Even some of our private land, others have permission so I'm always worried that they'll find the same spots I have. It's excited and nerve racking at the same time.


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[paboxcall]

Cool topic, I only suffer this paranoia bad after I put one to bed.  Thinking about getting back there in the morning before anyone else does keeps me awake!

Other than that, I don't sweat it.

[Greg Massey]

I say go early and get in your blind ready for the morning hunt...you can always work the area from your blind.

[fallhnt]

I have had hunts where I'm there 1st and people have backed out when I shined my flash light at them. I have extended this same courtesy to others when I walked in and saw there flash light. I have also had people walk past me and set up. Always have a plan B....

[Gooserbat]

Your first mistake is your assumption that scouting public land turkeys puts some kind of possion on said birds.  The hunting there is public and thus competition from other hunters.  Secondly I'll never marry myself to a blind.  I'm personally going to be prepared to move into a bird, set up and kill him.  Assuming that the patterns of  preseason public birds will stay consistent more than a day or two is a sure way to chase your tail all season.

[Happy]

Never worry about it myself. I don't mark any of my turkey spots. I can get within earshot of em in the dark and then when they start to sound of I take it from there. Being mobile is key as is getting in where others don't want to go. Everyone wants to hunt the bird that has been gobbling within earshot of the parking lot.

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[Spurs Up]

Yep. I'm paranoid when hunting public lands but for entirely different reasons.  Unless it's a limited entry hunt that tightly controls numbers of hunters and their distribution, safety is a big concern of mine.  You don't always know when other hunters are converging on a gobbler from different directions.  With widespread and growing use of HTL, it's not enough any longer to simply positively ID your target. You need to have a safe backdrop behind your target. Of course that true anywhere but paramount on public lands. 

[Izzyjoe]

I don't worry about it to much, I try to get in early and work a bird. If someone is there before me, I'll back off. But if I'm in first, and someone else comes in on me, and don't back out, I'll try to out hunt them. And if they come in real close to me, I'll just get up and leave, of course I'll make a little noise while leaving. I try and respect other hunters, but I've had them mess things up more than once. Public land is becoming more and more crowded, and that's why a lot of guys hunt on leases, or private land! I feel you're pain.

[Marc]

I do not get the ribbon or tape thing...   Putting out a ribbon does not give someone rights to hunt a particular bird, being out in the field first does though (at least in my opinion).  Unfortunately, a good percentage of hunters will not respect either (the ribbon or being there first).

If I am hunting public birds, I will look for birds in areas that would not be appealing to other hunters...  Whether that means lower bird density or a further walk...  This year, I found a 30 acre parcel of public land right below a "scenic lookout," that will almost certainly get overlooked by the majority of hunters...  It is on the side of a steep hill, with very little acreage...  There are actually no birds on the property itself, but there are a bunch of birds within 200 yards of the property line, so it would be up to me to call them in.

Being such a small piece of property, if someone else is parked there, I would immediately move on...  Being such a small piece of land, even the turds with no sense of respect would probably not want to deal with another hunter on such a small piece.  Perfect public opening spot...

[paboxcall]

.....I have also had people walk past me and set up. Always have a plan B....

This happened to me two springs ago out of state, I was in the parking area along the public land border and getting my gear together.  In pulled a car and that guy literally ran past me in the dark.  Ran - I mean full out sprint!  Then, not a full minute later a second vehicle pulled in, at least this guy said 'hello' as he too literally ran past me up the trail.  So, I'm leaving.

Going to "PLAN B" when then a third truck pulled in and two more guys got out.  There isn't but couple hundred acres at most on this part of that public ground, one side bordered by a very steep ridge, the other three sides bordered by private land and a river.  No room for two let alone four.  You could hear a tree yelp one end to the other on a quiet morning.

I told the two guys in the last truck to pull in what happened, they didn't seen to care and up the trail they went.  Came by that little parking spot couple hours later, and it was empty...

[bornagain64]

All good replies. The blind I was speaking of is just some brush I marked and set up to put my pole blind behind.
I always get to the gate an hour before it opens, to try and get in the woods 1st.

If someone beats me to a spot or is already working a bird, I will leave and let them have it.

I am forced to hunt WMAs, I can not afford a lease and have no family with property. Some years I do not get drawn for a hunt and have to hunt areas that are open to over 100 hunters.

Yes safety is always a huge concern. I NEVER use a jake decoy and pay attention to sounds and movements around me. Am always ready to yell out if needed. Not always easy to tell the difference between a hen and another hunter: if I think it could be a hunter coming into an area I have been, I will blow a crow call a few times and maybe even an owl hooter.
Would be gteat if there was an " international call or sound" that would let other hunters know you are there without alerting the birds.

[LaLongbeard]

I Don't own or use a blind.But I do consider removing every piece of flagging tape water bottle/coke can stuck on branches etc. as part of the game same goes for glow in the dark tacks. You'd have to spend the night in your truck to beat me to my spot lol.There's nothing that can be done with mouth breathers its genetic but you can make it a little harder for them.

[Turkeyfever]

 All you can do on public land is get there first and hope for the best. If you beat me to a spot turkey hunting I'm moving on . To me if a bird gobbles that's where we all are going so I do not want to make a dangerous situation for anyone. I can't tell you what others will do , I have been first several times to spots on public land only to leave as others pull in and start telling me where they are going. It's frustrating but it's public land and no bird is worth hunting around guys like that to me. I always tell them the same thing when they ask where are you going to hunt"wherever one gobbles" then I will leave because they do not. I can think of at least 4 times I have been first and left that I have killed birds that morning, one of them being last year .So like someone said always have a plan B!