Hunter Harassment on public lands

[BigD_625]

There was a spot on public land we hunted for years on with no competition. It didn't really look like a good spot, so we pretty much had it to our own. We took a good family friend in there a couple of times. Next thing we know, there's someone there every time we tried it. We had to abandon the spot to avoid this type of confrontation. Admittedly, I felt like someone took "our spot" even though it wasn't on private property.

 

[MUP]

Heck I have been harassed on my PRIVATE land for years by trespassers.

 

[BigD_625]

And there's not much you can do to retaliate. It's like a football game. They always see the second guy.

Heck I have been harassed on my PRIVATE land for years by trespassers.

 

[nate17]

i learned the hard way to keep ur mouth shut about ur public land spots.

 

[m411b]

What I hate is when you get to your stand location before anyone else is in the woods, and you sit there for hours. Then someone else shows up, doesn't see you but knows you're there, and sets up facing you 200yds away!

I was on 33 Sat. when some FNG showed up and got in a tree 250ft from the trucks. Between myself and the trucks. I saw him the whole time, and used bino's to keep an eye on him. He saw a deer, and started unloading his pump shotgun. The first shot was a loud "BOOM", the second, third, and fourth were all "CRACK". You know what that means right? The third shot hit my tree 10 or 12 inches behind my chest!!! Well, he missed the deer with all 4 shots, and the deer ended up right behind my tree scared as all get out.

Needless to say, I was pretty unhappy, to says the least. I wanted to get down, and go speak my mind. But I had multiple deer right in front of me, and didn't want to completely ruin my hunt, or get into a shoot out in the woods with another hunter. I didn't do anything about it. Basically because I have learned the hard way that in reality there is nothing the GW is going to do about it. They never do anything!

Last year, I had a similar event happen. I was in a tree in 34, and another hunter was in a tree 300yds to my right. About an hour before dark, a young buck, 2 doe, and 2 fawn stepped out right in front of me about 150yds. To my left about 20yds, 2 doe came up behind me. I was watching the deer in front of me with my bino's, and all in a sudden the guy 300yds to my right shot. I literally watched his bullet fly through the air and land right on the other side of the young buck in front of me.

I mean, really? The dude tried to shoot a buck 300yds away with a friggin muzzle loader on PUBLIC land! Right in front of me! Later he claimed he didn't know I was there. Which was BS because when I got there, I walked all way to where the deer came out in front of me, and the guy waved to me! The GW did nothing...........

I know this is more in the line of idiot hunters that don't have consideration for other hunters, or that don't belong in the woods in the first place, and not harassment. But it goes along with the whole public land thing.

As far as hunter harassment. It's something that is VERY hard to prove no matter the circumstances. One would have to spend a large amount of time in the woods to catch the harassers rather than spending that time in the woods actually hunting.

 

[WRbowhunter]

There was a spot on public land we hunted for years on with no competition. It didn't really look like a good spot, so we pretty much had it to our own. We took a good family friend in there a couple of times. Next thing we know, there's someone there every time we tried it. We had to abandon the spot to avoid this type of confrontation. Admittedly, I felt like someone took "our spot" even though it wasn't on private property.

I have one of those spots but I know someday a new crowd will come in and that will be the end my Buddies and I little piece of paradise. Never invite anyone outside the circle.

 

[Crosshairy]

Yeah...I hate telling my hunting stories lately, because they all involve an almost-unknown piece of public land that I've only seen one person on EVER. It's got such limited access that I have to keep it to myself 100%, or I'll be sorry. My dad is the only person I've ever brought there to hunt.

It's a bit frustrating, because I like to be able to share stories with folks. Instead, I feel like I work for the KGB.

At the end of the day, I spent a LOT of effort to find places like that, so it's worthwhile to keep it under my hat and enjoy it while I can.

 

[HenryCohunter]

Yeah we had a honey hole down in the white river bottoms for years. Only way in was across a cypress break that stayed about 2 foot deep in water unless the river was way up. Five of us knew the way in .. One of us carried another "good buddy" down there and the next year there were 20 people trying to hunt it. Never again . I find a spot I don't say a word to anyone but my kid.

 

[BigD_625]

There was a spot on public land we hunted for years on with no competition. It didn't really look like a good spot, so we pretty much had it to our own. We took a good family friend in there a couple of times. Next thing we know, there's someone there every time we tried it. We had to abandon the spot to avoid this type of confrontation. Admittedly, I felt like someone took "our spot" even though it wasn't on private property.

I have one of those spots but I know someday a new crowd will come in and that will be the end my Buddies and I little piece of paradise. Never invite anyone outside the circle.

He was in the circle. We've been hunting with him for years. Couldn't imagine that he would tell. He just let it slip in passing to a neighbor. His neighbor started the snowball.

 

[TNGunhunter]

I don't have private land to hunt, so I'm out in the public domain every season. I try to be respectful of other people's hunts, so, if I cross paths or see another hunter...I quietly back out and find another path to my location...thinking maybe if I jump a deer, it'll run right to the other guy...wish everyone thought like this...on two seperate occasions last year, I ran into non-respectful hunters. We get out to the woods before daylight, set up our blind and sit quietly...this guy drives his atv within 10 feet of my blind!! I know he saw us, he waved on his way by!! Another guy was walking through the woods and didn't see us. I gave a little bob white whistle to quietly announce our presence. You think he quietly backed out? Nope. He waved and walked right through all our shooting lanes, posted up about 150 yards away, and lit up a friggin' cigarette!!! Now, I smoke, and was jonesin' pretty bad, because, again, we got out before daylight, and had not had a smoke all morning!! Talk about P.O.'d!!

Moral of the story? Please be respectful of your fellow hunters!! (climbing off soapbox now)

 

[yamaha200]

I got on a lease one time in Giles county. There were 6 of us. For 2 days we scouted and hung stands. After everyone found the spot they wanted, I hung my stand last after everyone had thier place picked up. I was seeing deer every morning, and evening. They were crossing to me from one direction in the morning, and from the oppisite direction in the evening. Well I made the mistake telling them. The next trip down, one person hung a stand one direction from me, and another person did the same in the other direction. Needless to say, the cut the deer off from me. Needless to say, I learned the hard way to keep quite !

 

[Rackseeker]

I always hear the same story, its my spot. On public land, it is what it is, public. The problem I have is someone putting up 2 or 3 stands and then calling all spots theirs. Thats the reason I carry my stand in and out every time I do. One, so nobody can find my location on public land. Second, so nobody steals it. I had a spot I hunted alot on public land. It was a pretty good walk back in there and I never seen anyone back there in this spot. I climbed this one poplar tree over about a three year period so much the bark was worn off one side. I named the tree the "killin tree". One morning I had a fella walk in on me and seen me perched 30' up the poplar tree. After I left that day I had a bad feeling someone found the spot I had hunted alone for the last few years. Well I went back in there the next Saturday morning and someone had a climber locked to the bottom of the killin tree. I haven't hunted it since, maybe I will hunt it some this year.

 

[348Winchester]

I was hunting Chuck Swan about 15 years ago. This dude came in on me and set up about 50 yards away. I waved my orange hat and he waved back! After about an hour a spike came up behind me. I had to lean out from the tree and twist around to shoot it. My old .348 rolled him over. I drug it right past him and he looked pissed! He made some smart a$$ comment but I just ignored it. When I got to my truck, the Rosie O'Donnell had parked right on top of me where it made it very difficult for me to maneuver my truck out. I got out and took a dump by his truck door where it was highly likely he'd step in it. That'll learn him!

 

[TNGunhunter]

^^^hahaha...good for you!! I hope he DID step in it!!

 

[rem270]

I was hunting Chuck Swan about 15 years ago. This dude came in on me and set up about 50 yards away. I waved my orange hat and he waved back! After about an hour a spike came up behind me. I had to lean out from the tree and twist around to shoot it. My old .348 rolled him over. I drug it right past him and he looked pissed! He made some smart a$$ comment but I just ignored it. When I got to my truck, the Rosie O'Donnell had parked right on top of me where it made it very difficult for me to maneuver my truck out. I got out and took a dump by his truck door where it was highly likely he'd step in it. That'll learn him!

Thats the funniest story of this thread :D

 

[smokepolemonky]

348 Winchester that story is the best i ever heard. Glad you did what you did.I would of done the same thing plus took the valve cores out of his tires and screwed the caps back on real loose LOL. Im so glad and appreciate that i have private land to hunt on.

 

[AndyW]

I was hunting Chuck Swan about 15 years ago. This dude came in on me and set up about 50 yards away. I waved my orange hat and he waved back! After about an hour a spike came up behind me. I had to lean out from the tree and twist around to shoot it. My old .348 rolled him over. I drug it right past him and he looked pissed! He made some smart a$$ comment but I just ignored it. When I got to my truck, the Rosie O'Donnell had parked right on top of me where it made it very difficult for me to maneuver my truck out. I got out and took a dump by his truck door where it was highly likely he'd step in it. That'll learn him!

OUTSTANDING!!!

 

[348Winchester]

Boys, your bowels are a weapon! Nothing, I mean nothing, shows someone your distaste for them more than sh!tting on them. I have a couple of instances where I have "learnt" tresspassers with the fragrant produce of my innards.