Taking a friend to a prime spot

[Mt Al]

Now you know his ethics and character - act accordingly.

Every time I've brought someone to a prime spot with a handshake and agreement, they find a way to get back with others. My bad. I like hunting alone, so I just changed my ways.

Hunting brings out the worst is most people because so much of it deals with insecurity - being a "guide" to others, badass, bring home the biggest rack, etc.. I think it was Duncan Gilgrist, may God rest his soul, who wrote "don't bring friends, because friends have friends"

 

[Newtosavage]

Man that sucks. I've had that happen a time or two, and then learned my lesson.

I found a honey hole in Illinois when I lived there that was so good I would hide my truck and walk a long way just to make people think I was fishing at a nearby lake. Saw several P&Y class bucks and lots of gobblers in there. Several of my friends knew I had a honey hole and would constantly ask me to take them there. I never would. But I did take them to several good spots I used to hunt before I found that one. It wasn't until I moved away from Illinois that I picked one guy that I thought could keep his mouth shut, and took him in to that spot. I made him swear he wouldn't tell a soul about it because I might want to come back and hunt it someday. He never did. Neither of us live in IL anymore but we often talk about going back just to hunt that spot.

This is a live and learn kind of deal I guess. It's a shame you can't trust everyone. I don't take anyone but my kids to a great hunting spot these days. If a friend wants me to take them, I'll always take them somewhere I wouldn't mind if they later brought a friend.

 

[Sako76]

He would be an ex-friend!

 

[Keepkickin_19]

I have been there and the situation sucks! I pull in to my camp of 20+ years and 20+ more of my fathers to find a tent setup exactly where I did! Not knowing who it was I made the most of it moved up the canyon and woke up early to hit my spot 30 min before sunrise here my old partner comes walking up to the blind! He gets all the way to the door! And I scare the hell out of him! I ask him what he’s doing! He promised not to go in there! That afternoon I go back to my old camp and yep it’s him! Totally disappointed I make plans to out hunt him filled three tags that year

 

[ricknmontana]

Pull the plug on the friendship and move on. WTF, sniping a friend's honey hole that's a mortal sin in my hunting circles. The guy is a dishonest and untrustworthy dirt bag.

Exactly

 

[Shackdaddy]

I base it on "my bubble" theory. Yes sounds ridiculous but stay with me. I think most will agree it is far worse finding a good hunting partner or buddy that carries the same level of passion and secret nature than finding a wife. My rules are if you are not in my bubble then you do not exist come "my hunting spots." If you are in "my bubble" then I am more than willing to help but you do not get the honey holes. When you reach the top of my list/bubble, which means you have proven yourself, only then will you be apart of my official were all on the same page and will make it happen. Most of us put to much time, money and effort into our hunts to have solid spots ruined by that one friend/mistake. In saying all of that there is a time and place to help people out but that is a case by case basis.

This guy isn't worth your time. Kill a big bull this year and rub it in when his "buddies" ruin the hunt and they do not kill anything...

 

[Ross]

No more time with that dude you trusted him he broke the trust find another friend because he isn’t a friend any longer

 

[Mike Islander]

I've never met a man that would break his word like that. Ex friend.

 

[orionsbrother]

You had an agreement.

He knew that discretion was important to you. You had expressed that you wanted that location to remain confidential.

He disregarded your wishes, betrayed the confidence and displayed that he values his other buddies more than you, your friendship and your trust.

And he displayed that his word is worthless.

Move forward accordingly.

It's unfortunate.

I can not understand how guys can break their word and destroy their credibility like this. Douchebags. If you can't trust them with remaining quiet about a simple location, what can you trust them with?

 

[Bowman1989]

I wouldn’t be friends with him anymore after he broke his word. With that being said, I’m sure this will be an unpopular opinion, but I would not be friends with someone that told me I couldn’t go to “their” spot on public land. Now I personally would Not go into their spot but for someone to tell me I can’t is unacceptable.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Once I took a friend to a difficult access stretch of river that takes serious route finding but has great fishing. My feelings were a little hurt when I found out he took someone else there several weeks later and I didn't even get an invite. We are still lifelong friends.

That's fishing. I keep my top hunting spots in a vault. . .

 

[cmahoney]

Post the latlong on here and every other forum.


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[Bowman1989]

So screw any other guy that worked hard to find that area? That’s a childish response, I’m sure that the OP is not the only one who hunted that area.

 

[E in CO]

Has happened to me 2 times. That’s enough education for me.

 

[cmahoney]

So screw any other guy that worked hard to find that area? That’s a childish response, I’m sure that the OP is not the only one who hunted that area.

Your right, I will work on being more adultish


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[sneaky]

I think there's a lot of glass houses getting cracked over this. I didn't realize there were so many perfect hunters in the world. The main reason I have backup plans to backup plans, not gonna get wound up over someone else hunting public land. If that was the case I would end up staying home. Better just enjoy the time you have left on public ground before it all gets sold off.

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[ramont]

I had a neighbor spoil one of my best elk spots, not only did he show up with some other guy but he never even said hi, drop dead, or anything when walked in, he treated me like some stranger that he never met before. I know it was guilt on his part but the damage was done to our relationship. I understand who he is and treat him accordingly.

I still talk with the guy but I don't hunt with him any more and I wont help him with anything now that I know the nature of his character.

 

[LongWayAround]

I

So screw any other guy that worked hard to find that area? That’s a childish response, I’m sure that the OP is not the only one who hunted that area.

I believe the negative feelings come from the fact that the other guy did not in fact "find" the area. He was taken there.

I tend to feel like a deserve a notice if a friend is going to an area I've shown them. I do not feel that way about others who find a spot by boot leather and determination.

I ran into this a lot in waterfowl hunting. You get permission for a great field and bring friends to enjoy the birds. Maybe some other guys have permission too... No big deal, you don't own the field so move on to plan B. But when it's your friend who goes and asks permission behind your back, that muddies the waters as to who is making the plans and sending the invitations, when to hunt it and when to let it rest, etc.

Drama between grown men is stupid. It's best to just keep walking.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

I’ve had this ruin a couple friendships over the years, I brought a dude I was fairly good friends with to a water fowl spot told him not to go back without me, I was in there with my old man and he shows up with 3 buddy’s asking if he can squeeze in, said he didn’t see my truck so he thought it was ok , ended up being a huge altercation. Deer hunting from a stand I only hunt solo and lie about where I go, some marsh spots I take a canoe and stalk which is better with two people and I’ve only take the one guy I know I can trust

 

[IdahoElk]

Wow,thanks for all the responses!
Seems quite a few of us have had the same experience.
so as they say every story has two sides,his story was that we hunted this together about 5yrs ago,since then I have moved on to other areas,he knows this but due to the insane hunting pressure in my neck of the woods(unit 48) I have been revisiting all my spots to see how the Elk activity is so that I have a mental note on potential spots for this season.
He like other "locals" are stressed trying to find spots that non res may not know about,he said he hasn't hunted the area since we last did,was doing a walk through and will honor our agreement. I told him he can do whatever he wants,I have a lot of other spots and don't need drama,we won't be hunting together again.

The one thing I have notice in 30yrs of Elk hunting is you never know the true character of a person until a 6x is in range, some people really do lose it.