Elk etiquette in wilderness area

[Maidenfan539]

I am planning my first elk hunt for next year and have read these posts/forums, other sites, e-scouting, ect. I have a few spots narrowed down one being a wilderness area with outfitter camps.

What do you all say about running into outfitter camps/hunters, ect?

Thanks

 

[Gerbdog]

Your allowed to hunt the land as much as they are.... If your all right on top of each other your just hurting each others odds.... outfitters don't have anymore right to hunt an area then you do so if that area is looking good and you think it will produce an elk i'd get in there and hunt an elk. Heck, maybe you could pay an outfitter there to help pack it out! Hopefully they are kind and respectful and could gain a potential customer in the future

 

[WCB]

We ran into general public hunters a bit while I was guiding. Never was a problem either you'd see eachother and go opposite ways or we would chat with them and most time share a little intel and plan on how to avoid each other. We had a few guys we saw every year and one group always camped with their horses and wall tents a couple hundred yards from us...unless a horse got loose or we ran into them on the trail you would never know they were there.

Just treat them like every other hunter on the mountain and like most every other hunter they will do the same...IMO outfitters and guides are no different than the general public. Yeah you get the @$$hole "this is my lively hood" or "my clients pay big money" guys but you also get the general hunter "i was here first/ I've hunted here for 20 years" jokers.

 

[Ross]

Most of the ones I’ve met have been good guys even had one pack out a bull for free in Montana that I shot 20 minutes ahead of them....talk with them and try to stay out of each other’s way But no one owns the land and you are free to roam...good luck

 

[CAElkhunter]

The thing you don't want to do is if you are hiking into an area and someone has gotten to the area first you don't want to screw their hunt up but continuing into the area they are hunting. If you see them at camp try to find out where everyone is going and stay out of each others way.

 

[nphunter]

I have mixed feelings. I defiently don’t want to mess up their or their clients hunts but a lot of times they setup and try to claim areas which is frustrating.
I drew a limited tag this year that takes 17 years to draw. I’ve been scouting and setting cams since early June when there was still snow up in the unit. One of the main drainages has only one small access point from the road/trail up top. There has been an outfitter tent setup right in the middle of that ridge top since I’ve been going in. It not only blocks access to the draw but is spread out so that you essentially have to walk through their camp just to go glass the drainage.
I’m sure they have been setting up their for years but it sure feels like they are trying to claim the spot to me. So far I haven’t dropped into that drainage to hang a cam but if I hear elk or at having troubles locating them during season I won’t hesitate to drop into the canyon below their camp. It’s a 7 mile long camp and the only other access point is 14 miles up a hiking trail in the bottom.

I’ve ran into similar situations in other units, one place in ID I’ve hunted near the frank church you have to walk right through an outfitter camp to access a huge area, they have another camp set up 4 miles out right in the middle of the same trail.

I know anytime someone asks about claiming spots with campers hauled in early or tents setup weeks in advance from regular hunters people come unglued. Not sure why outfitters get a pass in that regard. I do think in some wilderness areas they actually have to have a permit for a particular camp spot which in that case is totally understandable. IDK defiantly feels like they get some special treatment to me, not saying a bunch aren’t great guys and I really don’t know much about outfitting and the rules. That’s just my observations.

 

[Still Hunter]

The Golden Rule , seems to be forgotten in today's Society. It certainly is not being taught in most households today.

"Always treat others the way you would like to be treated..." simple words to live by.

 

[Overdrive]

I guide for an Outfitter and we've had a few public land hunters it's not that big of a deal to us, we'll always try and talk with the group hunting to see how their doing and where they kind of hunt so we stay out of each others way. We have mostly drop camps up in the wilderness and sometimes depending on what the elk are doing we may take our guided clients up to these camps as well to hunt out of.

Just don't be like the guy we had come thru base camp a few years ago, it was him and 8 kids (not all hunting age) he really had a chip on his shoulder even though we were just trying to let him know our travel routes with our clients and horses every morning and evening. He got really mad and just sad well "I'm hunting here cause if your here there must be elk." Well that's true enough but if you camp in the wrong area it will mess up the hunt for everyone including his hunt. He went on his way and we ran into him the first morning camped right on the trail where we told him we use to travel, so it was like he wanted to be confrontational. But we just let it be and did our thing and he did his. He moved after the second day off the trail, I'm sure he didn't like the early and late night horse traffic.

But for the most part we rarely see other hunters where we are at just because of access, it's all private where we come in and if the public comes from the North or South of us they have a long, rough 10 mile hike to get anywhere close to our base camp. We know it's Public Land and Yes we pay permitting fee's so we feel more responsible how the land gets treated, we've cleaned up may camps in the wilderness where people just leave their trash, and we don't feel it's hunters but weekend backpackers more than anything. We sure don't want to get blamed for other people litter on land we're permitted to operate a business. Just hunt where your planning and talk with the guides if you see them and I'd say just treat them how you'd want to be treated.

 

[justin davis]

Heads up on outfitters. A lot of encounters I’ve had they think they own the public land. They will be dicks sometimes. I was sheep hunting once and setup my tent in a basin. No one was around. I was gone all day and came back to a couple Tents. That were setup less than 20 yards from my tent. They had the whole
Basin and camped that close to me. Wtf. It was an outfitter with client

 

[Maidenfan539]

I'm glad to have view points from both sides.

I haven't hunted vast amounts of land but I have been duck hunting and let me tell you....there are a few bad apples in that arena, as with anything.

I figured most hunters, guides and outfitters will be approachable and willing to entertain conversations about strategy and where everyone will be hunting for success for all.

I'm trying to add to this site instead of being a lurker and haven't seen a recent post about etiquette so thought I'd put it out there.

 

[ClearCreek]

Heads up on outfitters. A lot of encounters I’ve had they think they own the public land. They will be dicks sometimes. I was sheep hunting once and setup my tent in a basin. No one was around. I was gone all day and came back to a couple Tents. That were setup less than 20 yards from my tent. They had the whole
Basin and camped that close to me. Wtf. It was an outfitter with client

I know that can be frustrating as hell, but one positive thing about the situation with both camps in one spot rather than being spaced apart could cause less disturbance to the animals in the basin.

ClearCreek

 

[eyeguy]

Clearcreek, I thought the same but if I was going to camp that close and that was the reason I would ask if its ok and explain why i was that close... I would move a bit if it bothered the first guy.

 

[trophyhill]

Good etiquette for me means I don't want to be within 5 miles of another human. That's my kind of anti social distancing

 

[Deplorable77]

This has been my experience as well. It leaves me a little biased towards outfitters even though I honestly know most of them are good people. One bad apple , something, something....

Heads up on outfitters. A lot of encounters I’ve had they think they own the public land. They will be dicks sometimes. I was sheep hunting once and setup my tent in a basin. No one was around. I was gone all day and came back to a couple Tents. That were setup less than 20 yards from my tent. They had the whole
Basin and camped that close to me. Wtf. It was an outfitter with client

 

[J86Warren]

No problem hunting an area because you know there’ll be outfitters there. Just try to stay off each other and if you can figure out where they and their clients will be bumping the elk to that can (and has for me in the past) be an advantage.