Is this my spot or theirs???

[Thwacker]

I just got back from out of state deer hunting and have been there a few times before season and hung stands a month before season, opening morning there was a ground blind 50 yards from my stand and another less then 300 yards from me, oh well whatever. Then that evening hunt a couple of forkies got within 90 yards of me and road hunters saw them and one of the guys took off after the forks, I flashed my light at him but he didn't respond so I flashed my light at his buddies on the road so when the guy was done chasing the forks into the next zone and got back to his buddies they said did you see that guy in the tree(oh they were that loud I could hear them) and he said f... That guy and as they left there were more choice words towards me.
So yesterday morning same spot no other hunters but on the way out for evening hunt there was a ground blind close to the road but 300 yards from my tree so I kept going then as I got closer to my stand I noticed another ground blind 60 yards from My stand at this point I was a little irritated so I kept going to my stand so they would see that I had a stand there.
My question is did I act right or should I have turned and left?

 

[jlroberts100]

I think you are good here. You put in the time and scouted and placed your stand. They probably didn't notice yours either. It's classic public land hunting. I think the ground blind people should wise up and leave the area though, after they realize you were there first. Common decency.


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[Aeon]

Ya did what you could, I might have been way more pissed

 

[Lungpopper]

Public land is open to everyone so not much you can do. I would agree with the earlier post that once they realized you had a stand already hanging that they should pick up and leave.
That's also a good reason to have multiple locations set up so you can go to plan B or C without much time lost.

 

[Bonejour]

Public land close enough to see from the road is going to get lots of traffic.

 

[ilovesprig]

This is public land hunting.....Unfortunately, you probably haven't seen anything yet....There are a lot of inconsiderate guys and some are real jerks, especially when they're with other guys. Their hunts are more of a social event than a true hunting experience.

 

[TRICER]

I have hunted a few units in AZ where no matter how far you hike there is access by car to glass the area you hiked into. It was very frustrating but that was one of the negatives of having so much access out there. It was frustrating I would hike like 3 miles just to find another road or see someone up on a road glassing me. We had to look hard for an area where there wasn't vehicle access. I would say if there is that much activity and cars that close you are not hiking far enough or you need to find an area that is not so easily accessed. I don't know if you are in AZ BTW.

 

[nicapopolis]

It is a tough call. I think you are just hunting a frustrating area plain and simple. If your scouting trips determined this to be a potential productive area then stick it out. Good bucks die in pressured areas as well.

The tree stand really doesn't mean anything unless people saw it. In most public areas you shouldn't have a semi-permanent stand anyway... I know this is a grey area though. Climbing stands removed daily are preferred and in some places the letter of the law.

These ground blind hunters could have also scouted this spot and determined it to be a productive area. They also maybe didn't see your stand, who knows.

The road hunters are just jerks and that just happens.

I always go by who got there first for that day. Camping in a spot to save it is just ridiculous unless it is legal in that area. So if it was me and there were ground blind hunters there before I got to my stand I would move to plan B.

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[MJB]

Some people will put up multiple stands so they can move around if another hunter is in the same area they wanted to hunt. As long as your the only one in the area I see no problem having other stands near by.

Now road hunters well they come in all shapes and attitudes don't sweat it......

I've had deer come 15min behind a hunter that passed by still hunting. It can work to your advantage.
One time on Tejon a group were glassing a far ridge when 100 yds behind them was a group of pigs. We had safe shots and took 2 pigs from that group. The other hunters were suprise by the shots but they were glad we got two. We tried to get their attention by tossing rocks their way but no luck. They helped us load them up and back at camp we gave them a beer for the help. All good

 

[ilovesprig]

As far as getting animals near public land roads.....It can happen and it does.....This buck was no more than a 150 yds off one of the busiest roads in Julian.....What it had going for it was a good fire edge and the rut......

ps.....Before the rifle season, I had seen a number of does on this mountain side & great deer trail.....

.

 

[baboltin]

I don't think you were at all in the wrong but I think I would focus on s different area to get away from the crowd and the pressure ... But that's my personal opinion .

 

[Thwacker]

Thanks guys for all of your replays I appreciate them all and agree with them all!!!
I do have a back up stand however this particular day it was greeting too late to go to that stand since its 2 miles away.
I am going back this weekend so hopefully my next post is of a successful hunt

 

[TonyS]

As a suggestion, give up on the tree stands and try spot and stalk. That way you are not sitting in the new guys shooting zone. No need for a war.

 

[Thwacker]

Well I kept at it and got one, not the biggest but I'm definitely not a trophy hunter look at me I like to eat haha

 

[Lungpopper]

Congrats. That doesn't look like a SoCal deer.

 

[Aeon]

You are a public land deer killing machine bro!!!

 

[Bonejour]

Great job. Is this your out of state spot?

 

[Thwacker]

Not Cali for sure. It's out of state but not for mentioned "spot" but a few miles away. However there were still people hunting where my stand is, oh well I'll cry over back straps and beer

 

[NBK]

What state?

 

[Thwacker]

The always very beautiful and sometimes frustrating state (hunters and dnr) of utah