Public land unspoken rules

[tha bugman]

Also, realize that just because you get to the gate first doesnt mean someone else won't park right beside you...had that happen more times than I can count.

For me, this is the hardest one to stomach but it's spot on.   I will park at the same pace as someone else IF, and only if, I have an opportunity to talk to them before we leave the vehicles and can determine which way they are going so we don't hunt over each other.    Other people rarely take that approach.

So true, my son and I were parked at a gate last year.  We were the first one's there and it was pitch dark. A truck pulls up behind us.  He proceeds to get out and start walking in.  I stopped him just to let him know that we were just listening and not planning on hunting....otherwise he would have been under the assumption that I was in the same location.  His light did not get out of sight and another truck pulled up and did the same thing....and what is scary is that it was not some mass expansive block of woods....folks just don't think

[ddturkeyhunter]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.  No decoys on public land for me.  Only time I use decoys is when dealing with hard headed field birds on private.  Pretty sure I would've been in need for drawer changing after that experience dd
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The first day had someone shoot a bird few hundred yards from me and that was loud. So when this blast went it was louder, but I could see my decoy rocking. I yelled and stood up, the guy said i didn't just shoot your decoy, what you think. It was raining out and was crappy weather, but I was laughing. The guy came over and felt so bad he wouldn't take down his face mask. So I have no Idea who did it to this day anymore. But I should have asked to take his picture because he was the biggerst turkey I ever fooled with my decoy set up. Beside It was my brothers decoy, he back out of the trip at the last minute, so I had a doubble laugh.

[paboxcall]

So true, my son and I were parked at a gate last year.  We were the first one's there and it was pitch dark. A truck pulls up behind us.  He proceeds to get out and start walking in.  I stopped him just to let him know that we were just listening and not planning on hunting....otherwise he would have been under the assumption that I was in the same location.  His light did not get out of sight and another truck pulled up and did the same thing....and what is scary is that it was not some mass expansive block of woods....folks just don't think

I hunt public ground exclusively, so similar experience - several years ago, opening day shortly after 4am, I passed a gate I intended to hunt and seeing another truck I continued on to the next gate a half mile away. No one there I pulled in. Putting on my camo and vest, a small compact car pulls in. The driver literally jumps out, sprints to the back of the car opening the hatch grabbing his vest and gun, and as fast as he could he runs past me and up the trail never saying a word.

Within a minute, a second vehicle does the slow drive by seeing our two vehicles there. He turns and pulls in too. Gets out, grabs his vest and gun and walks up past me - I said - hey there's another guy up there, and obviously I'm going myself, to which he responded 'plenty of room.' Up the trail he goes.

I start putting my stuff away and thinking of all the other areas I can go and a third truck pulls in and two guys get out. I tell them 'hey - there are two other guys already up the trail...' and the one guy says exactly the same thing, 'plenty of room,' and away they go, making four hunters behind the same gate.

This corner chunk of public ground is small, on a steep side ridge surrounded by private land with just one way in and out. I left.

Morale of the story: Don't be like them. Be the courteous one, and hunt defensively. It will happen to you so don't let it ruin your day. Scout and listen preseason, and have plan B and C and D in your hip pocket.

[LaLongbeard]

Also, realize that just because you get to the gate first doesnt mean someone else won't park right beside you...had that happen more times than I can count.

For me, this is the hardest one to stomach but it's spot on.   I will park at the same pace as someone else IF, and only if, I have an opportunity to talk to them before we leave the vehicles and can determine which way they are going so we don't hunt over each other.    Other people rarely take that approach.

So true, my son and I were parked at a gate last year.  We were the first one's there and it was pitch dark. A truck pulls up behind us.  He proceeds to get out and start walking in.  I stopped him just to let him know that we were just listening and not planning on hunting....otherwise he would have been under the assumption that I was in the same location.  His light did not get out of sight and another truck pulled up and did the same thing....and what is scary is that it was not some mass expansive block of woods....folks just don't think

I wonder what if anything people are thinking when they park right next to someone and try to hunt 100 yards from them. 99.999% of the time IF a Gobbler is located and two or three people are trying to call to him no one ends up killing. Makes no sense. At least the NF in most states have gates, #1 tactic here is to drive up and down every trail a truck will fit down and call from the truck lol, gets the Gobblers good and stirred up in about two days. Makes for some quiet mornings.

[Spurs]

1. Don't park next to someone...have plan A-Z.15
2. Pick your battles.  If you think someone may already be on a bird...follow your gut.
3. Know your plan.  If someone come in behind you before daylight, be the first one to say what you are planning to do.  Don't give them a chance to "pick" your spot if you were there first.
4. If you have a parking spot where there are several trail heads, park with the front of your truck pointing towards the direction you are going.  Seems to work well for deterring people and gives them an idea of which way you went.
5. You don't need a Q-Beam to walk.

All in all, I'd almost rather hunt public for the feeling of accomplishment. 

[MK M GOBL]

Just so you know it's not only public land... I hunt more private than public (public ground now is only my Run & Gun hunts), The only hunters ethics you can count on are your own. I have had numerous run-ins with "hunters" on private ground that they have no access to but still trespass...

This one still gets to me, opening of WI Youth Weekend, I am the only one with permission to be here, and granted the violator did have an easement across the property I hunt. We get in an hour early of hunt time and walk the mile back in only to find a truck parked right in front of our set, he had to walk right past the blind to get where he was going. Well I have a father and son out for a first ever turkey hunt for the both of them and this is what we walk in to. We decided to stay, see where we heard birds and go from there. Well a couple of hours in and here he comes walking out... I could hear him coming and was out of the blind to greet him, I explained a few things to him. And not to say I have bumped into other hunters and I will make the choice to go to a different spot (lucky to have that option) and go from there, I always have another plan!

In the end we did have success on a Run & Gun and father and son had a great hunt and time!


MK M GOBL

[tha bugman]

Another time I had a gobbler roosted...I had walked in well before daylight and sat down waiting on him to gobble....as soon as he does this guy comes up from behind me.  I whistle at him and he stops.  He comes over to me and asks "How did you get in here?"  I told him "I walked".  He kinda stood there a minute and then kept on walking past me toward the turkey....I finally figured out he was a weekend warrior, so I just hunted in that particular area during the week instead....

[Gobble!]

One time on a piece of easy access public I had a group of 4 jakes come up on me and decided to play with then for awhile in hopes I'd hear another bird in the distance. 10 minutes into it and who knows how many gobbles later I had dudes closing in from two different angles. I got out of there fast. I always get nervous when I setup on a super hot bird on the limb too.

But to the original question, I will park beside someone if its a large piece of public that gives you opportunities to go multiple ways. Now if i walk up on someone or hear what is clearly someone else on a call I will go the other way. If they are just standing around and I've not heard a bird I'll talk to them to see what they are planning and go from their.

[Harty]

If I know/think someone is working a bird I stay out.
If I know where someone is or going I keep more then fair distance away.
If I am first on the scene I ease back in as far as possible.
If there are a a few trucks in the lot ahead of me I go elsewhere.
To minimize hassles:
I don't hunt public land on weekends.
I usually hunt the afternoons. Most of the crazies have left.

[longspur]

I always leave other hunters alone when on public property. They don't return the favor. Someone parked beside me one morning and heard the bird I was working. They just came on in and started calling. Never heard the bird again. I got up and headed to another spot I had heard a bird earlier in the week. Someone was parked there standing with gun in hand. I walked up quietly and ask if he had heard anything. He said no that he had been there since daylight. I put my call in my mouth and cackled loudly. Bahahahaha off in the distance. I said there you go wished him luck and left.
Slipped in on a bird I thought I knew where he was roosted. When he gobbled he was in a tree about 30 yds. Nothing I could do but listen to him gobble his head off. After a few minutes someone started calling up the ridge. He had walked in from another direction and had no idea I was there. The bird flew down in the other direction then walked up the ridge about 20 yds from me. Probably the most I've ever heard a bird gobble. I let him walk by to the other hunter and he shot it. He was amazed that I was there the whole time and didn't shoot it. He was a really nice guy and that was one of my favorite hunts. There must be something wrong with me. LOL

[M,Yingling]

lots good info here  All my hunting is all public land
3 rules for me is
always have back up
i dont hunt birds i can hear from the road or parking lot
if someone jumps in and cuts a bird off from me guess what neither of us will get that bird guaranteed
This past season i delt with some real dirt bags  that have no respect for other hunters 

[Kylongspur88]

From my experience here there are no rules. I literally had a bird shot out from under me while hunting with a kid on a youth hunt that could have turned out badly but luckily no one was hurt. I'd say I hunt 50/50 public private. Three things I'll tell you about public land.

1. Go early and stay late. Most guys pack it in mid morning after the birds get quiet, but that's a great time to kill a bird.

2. Hills/mountains separate the the men from the boys. If you can climb them put as many between you and parking areas as you can. If I see another guy back where I hunt (only twice in 10 years) I'll give him props for putting in the leg work.

3. If your into birds don't tell a soul. Loose lips sink ships. Keep your trap shut at the gate if you see other folks. If they ask if you've seen anything, lie.

Good luck

[appalachianstruttstopper]

I respect others to the point I would give them as much space as needed. Once I called on a bird and didn't know another hunter was calling on the bird until I heard them calling from above me. I stopped calling on the bird and watched it walk past me and up toward the other hunter. After it got outta sight, I backed out and let them be.

I had an incident once on public property that I made another hunter mad I guess. It was unintentional, but here's what happened. I parked at a place where fishermen normally park and seen a vehicle there. I had heard a gobbler on the hill on the roost and proceeded to go set up on him. As I walked in, I saw a hunter leaned up against a tree standing and I stopped. I backed up and went the opposite direction around the ridge and sat down wanting to hear him work and kill the bird.  I guess he thought I was circling him and he creeped up the steep hill and shot it off the roost.

[TRG3]

While I haven't hunted public land for several years, when I did it was necessary to have maps of the area since some of the public ground had been posted by those who wanted to keep other hunters out of their "private" ground.

[Double B]

Talk to others if you encounter them in parking areas going in so you can discuss general hunting location/direction of travel, and be able to stay away from each other.  Have alternative plans if your first choice gets boogered up. Respect other hunters if they are on a bird, hunt a different gobbler. "Do unto others as you would have done to you."   No room for competitive turkey calling on public. I'd rather hunt one hot gobbler by myself than have 8 sounding off with 3 truckloads of hunters in there with me. Hunt during the week when possible and enjoy our public lands.