Hunter ethics on the mountain.

Hot_Rod51

FNG
Joined
Jan 18, 2020
Messages
41
Location
Missouri
Food for thought a month before season. Should make for interesting conversing.

What's the general consensus on hunting an area where there's another camp setup?

Do you hike through and go deeper? If so, how far is far enough to not feel like you're screwing the other guy?

Is moving over one ridge enough? Two ridges?

Would you hunt the opposite end of a large meadow and not feel bad about it?

We're talking public ground. Ground that we share equal rights to. However, we want to do right by our fellow hunters as well.

Do onto others..... I get it, but what, specifically, is considered ethical and unethical in your mind?




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Poser

WKR
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
5,033
Location
Durango CO
Well, one problem is that people often setup camp next to a trail. If I’m going A to B and I happen to pass by a camp that’s along the way, so be it. I often hit a 13er to glass a very large area in Sept and pass by a outfitters camp just off the trail on the way there. Anyone who is camping along the trail is almost certainly not hunting where I’m hunting, so I don’t worry about it. Now, if I get to an off trail drainage and find a hunters camp, I’ll move on. With that in mind, a camp along a trail system is just a camp along a trail system.
 

Wapiti1

WKR
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Messages
3,569
Location
Indiana
If they got there first, I talk with them and find out their plans. At that point, I adjust. First come first served, so I go to plan B if that is needed.

If you don't have plan B, you should.

Jeremy
 

87TT

WKR
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Messages
3,431
Location
Idaho
I don't like to hunt near others. That said, some people set up camp in a prime spot and try to lay claim to it. Around here, they aren't even staying there the whole season. I am going to hunt where the elk are. If I see or hear people, I will move off. Otherwise I hunt.
 

nphunter

WKR
Joined
Jul 27, 2016
Messages
1,699
Location
Oregon
I’m planning on going and setting up my camp in a draw unit a week before the season starts and leaving it up even though it will be 5 days into the season before I go. The reason is because I want to access the area around there and have been running cams and scouting it since June. If I show up and someone’s there before me I would feel uncomfortable going through their camp. If someone sets up a tent next to mine I have zero issue with that and feel less uncomfortable and am happy to share the area. I just don’t want to be the one to set up camp next to someone else, this particular spot is several miles from an open road on a single track motorcycle trail.

I actually plan on having 3 camps setup in this particular unit. We are hunting on motorcycles and I will setup camp where my pickup will be. One about 6 miles out on the ridge top and one in the bottom (the one mentioned above). I plan on camping at all three camps throughout the season depending on where the elk are, it’s nasty country and difficult to get around in at night so I want a camp near by.

I know dozens of places people set up camps way before season to only use them a few days here and there or on weekends. The unit i mentioned above has had a wall tent setup on a major trailhead since before I hung my first cam mid June. I’m assuming it’s an outfitter camp, I guess to me camping in a spot or setting up an early camp just ensures you get that particular camp spot and should in no way be associated with claiming an area.

Some of the more crowded units we hunt you wouldn’t be able to go anywhere if you avoided every camp you see.
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
2,591
Location
Tijeras NM
finding out im within 5 miles of anyone can be demoralizing for sure. similar to Paul, im looking for the overlooked areas if some other joeblow is in "my spots". i already have those areas picked out ;)
 

Gerbdog

WKR
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
816
Location
CO Springs
Last year i was doing a muley hunt and got to my location at around... 10 pm at night after a brutal hike in, and in the spot I always camp with a spring for drinking water was a group of hunters, surprised the heck out of me, had never seen another soul there. It was the only decent water for miles around I knew so I discussed with them and talked what their hunting strategies were and where they were hunting. Lucked out, perhaps, they were hunting elk and I was the only one with a muley tag. Moral of the story though was communication was key and they were totally cool with me camping there with them. They ended up helping me quarter out the muley for packing out the next day! Still in touch with a couple of them and talk hunts
 
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