Trailhead Etiquette

[Treefrog18]

My dad’s rifle elk tag starts in a few days and I have been scouting a spot all summer that I archery hunted last year with good success. It’s a very small basin accessible via a run down/overgrown trail on national forest land. It would be REALLY cramped in that basin with even 2 hunters. The trailhead for this trail is also really small, maybe big enough for 2 vehicles total, and it is an official trailhead with signage. I drove up there yesterday for one last evening scouting trip before the hunt starts and found a wall tent camp taking up the whole trailhead and essentially cutting off access to the trail and basin. The camp was vacant, I assume it was set up early for use once the season opens.

I know it is not legal to camp at trailheads on national forest but I can not get in contact with anyone at the forest service during the government shut down. What would you do? Should I park along the side of the road and still hunt it or completely abandon my plans because of this camp?

Edit:

I understand that the rules regarding camping at trailheads may vary depending on your specific region or forest. Thank you to the people who have pointed out that it is allowed where you hunt. I should have worded it differently. The fact of the matter is, camping at trailheads is not allowed in the specific area in question and arguing about it is pointless.

 

[voltage]

"A man is only as faithful as his options" -Chris Rock

Do you have a plan B?

 

[KyleR1985]

I hunted from a trailhead with no one accessing area from there for a week. I came back a few days later there was a new camp there. I came back a few days later camp still there. I came back a few days later still, camp still there. I shot a 350” bull. I ran into the people whose camp it was two days later. They set up the camp and never went back.

If I had left because I saw another tent, I would not have killed that bull. And they wouldn’t have been hunting. Everyone loses.

Not sure if this is helpful or not. I’m allergic to people pressure given my background of hunting public land for whitetail(small spaces). It’s been useful for me to realize how big mountain country is, and how bad most people are at hunting it(myself included)

 

[rogerdoger]

Get to trailhead super early and walk in past the camp before the other guys leave. Or go in the day before and spike camp.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Hunt it. This “spot saving” thing people are doing by setting their camps before season is BS. Guys are setting camps up to 2 weeks ahead of season in some places. Sorry guys but it’s public ground. There’s no “reservations” for a hunting area. Want it all to yourself ? Go hunt with an outfitter on a private ranch. Dont try to roadblock everyone else out of the drainage just by putting a bunch of crap in front of the trail.

 

[Poser]

Option 1. Just go anyway, at least for a morning and see what happens. As posted above, get there extra early or backpack in.

Option 2: Slightly nefarious. Use AI to generate a fake warning from the FS ordering the tent taken down by X date or subject to citation. Make it appear official. Drive back up there and post it asap.

 

[Treefrog18]

"A man is only as faithful as his options" -Chris Rock

Do you have a plan B?

I do have other spots we could go, I just haven’t put much time into scouting them this past year. No clue how they would be. I spent most of my time at this spot running cameras and glassing this year. I kind of put all of my eggs in one basket with this one after not seeing anyone out there last year and getting excited by the bulls I was seeing during scouting trips

 

[Treefrog18]

Hunt it. This “spot saving” thing people are doing by setting their camps before season is BS. Guys are setting camps up to 2 weeks ahead of season in some places. Sorry guys but it’s public ground. There’s no “reservations” for a hunting area. Want it all to yourself ? Go hunt with an outfitter on a private ranch. Dont try to roadblock everyone else out of the drainage just by putting a bunch of crap in front of the trail.

As of right now my plan is to just get there early and hunt it anyway. I’m just worried about having some crazy pissed off guy that thought he was going to have the spot to himself after blocking off the trailhead. The thought of an altercation of some type with a bunch of people with guns in the middle of nowhere with no cell service is a bit nerve wracking

 

[Packer9037]

Since you asked...IMO, if the land is public, I'm going to make a plan to beat that camp onto the mountain to hunt the spot I want to hunt. I had a couple guys pass by me while quartering a bull a couple years ago telling me they wanted to hunt the spot where I shot my bull...it was 11:00 in the morning and I'd been there since nearly 6 AM. They would have never seen the elk by the time they arrived. Those guys might not be there...they might get a little toasted on campfire whiskey and sleep in...quite a few situations where you never see them after the trailhead, if at all.

That said, if I see other hunters in my area, I try to stay aware of where they are and if they are making a play on animals they saw first I will defer to them.

Whatever you decide, best of luck with your dad and making memories!

 

[LongWayAround]

I wouldn't change my plans based on someone being camped at a trailhead.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Hunt it. If you’ve scouted it as much as you say and never saw anyone else up there, that’s valuable information...use it. If those other guys do show up, their pressure might actually work in your favor by pushing elk toward escape routes you "should" already know from previous hunts or your scouting trips. Don’t give up on your plan just because somebody else set up a camp.

 

[mntnguide]

I know it is not legal to camp at trailheads on national forest but I can not get in contact with anyone at the forest service during the government shut down. What would you do? Should I park along the side of the road and still hunt it or completely abandon my plans because of this camp?

Since when is it illegal to camp at a forest service trailhead? Its public land...and every trailhead Ive ever used in my life you can camp at if you want. The only regulation would be if you overstay 16 days, which gets pretty much overlooked everywhere unless you have a very popular area.

 

[Treefrog18]

Since when is it illegal to camp at a forest service trailhead? Its public land...and every trailhead Ive ever used in my life you can camp at if you want. The only regulation would be if you overstay 16 days, which gets pretty much overlooked everywhere unless you have a very popular area.

From the Forest Service website. Rules could
be different in your area idk. I have hunted national forest in Montana, Idaho, and Utah and it was not allowed on any of those forests

 

[Dos Perros]

The vast majority of my interactions with other hunters in the field has been positive. I think if you go into it with a positive attitude you'll have a good outcome, might even make a friend.

 

[180ls1]

The vast majority of my interactions with other hunters in the field has been positive. I think if you go into it with a positive attitude you'll have a good outcome, might even make a friend.

Agreed.

The only two bad interactions I have had is when they saw my plate before meeting me and had already made up their mind.

 

[Dos Perros]

The only two bad interactions I have had is when they saw my plate before meeting me and had already made up their mind.

California or Texas?

 

[mntnguide]

View attachment 946352View attachment 946354
From the Forest Service website. Rules could
be different in your area idk. I have hunted national forest in Montana, Idaho, and Utah and it was not allowed on any of those forests

gotcha. i see people camped at trailheads all the time not in campsites. So, just not something ive ever thought different of. I guess if the guy is parked right in the middle of the only turn around, that would be pretty blatant. . In your situation, Id go hunting where you have planned to and get there early and beat em up the trail. Early bird gets the worm on public land

 

[sndmn11]

The vast majority of my interactions with other hunters in the field has been positive. I think if you go into it with a positive attitude you'll have a good outcome, might even make a friend.

This is my perspective, I'd even leave a note saying what I am hunting and potentially what size of animal I am looking for. You might find a helpful set of extra eyes, very likely an extra set of legs.

 

[oldhornhunter]

How does everyone feel about camping at trailheads or hunting from a trailhead where someone is camping?

My dad’s rifle elk tag starts in a few days and I have been scouting a spot all summer that I archery hunted last year with good success. It’s a very small basin accessible via a run down/overgrown trail on national forest land. It would be REALLY cramped in that basin with even 2 hunters. The trailhead for this trail is also really small, maybe big enough for 2 vehicles total, and it is an official trailhead with signage. I drove up there yesterday for one last evening scouting trip before the hunt starts and found a wall tent camp taking up the whole trailhead and essentially cutting off access to the trail and basin. The camp was vacant, I assume it was set up early for use once the season opens.

I know it is not legal to camp at trailheads on national forest but I can not get in contact with anyone at the forest service during the government shut down. What would you do? Should I park along the side of the road and still hunt it or completely abandon my plans because of this camp?

I am not sure what state you are in, but that Crap happens ALL the time in Idaho.. There are so many people that completely disregard the posted 14 day MAX camping signs, people setup tents or drop campers in spots 3 to 5 weeks before a hunt opens. If the basin or canyon is accessible only at that trailhead & this Jack Wagons tent is blocking it walk around it & hunt where you want. He does NOT own or regulate who goes up the trail

 

[Matt5266]

I am not sure what state you are in, but that Crap happens ALL the time in Idaho.. There are so many people that completely disregard the posted 14 day MAX camping signs, people setup tents or drop campers in spots 3 to 5 weeks before a hunt opens. If the basin or canyon is accessible only at that trailhead & this Jack Wagons tent is blocking it walk around it & hunt where you want. He does NOT own or regulate who goes up the trail

As I another fellow idaho resident. I can confirm and approve this message.