Scenario question...

[sharpstick]

...and I'm strictly looking for opinions here, not looking to stir any pot...

Let's say that you share a hunting property with several other hunters (or public land, for that matter), and you are aware of the general areas where the other guys hunt. You show up one morning/evening, and see that their truck is not in their typical parking spot... is it ethical to hunt their "area"?

[turk2di]

I would discuss that before hand & get it settled right off the bat.

[sharpstick]

If you are leasing a farm together and the other people are not there to hunt, you should be able to hunt wherever you want. Just MHO.

What about public land?

[River Rat]

Here's the way our lease works, every member pays the same money for the same acres, if you are not in your stand anyone else can hunt it. If a member don't want anyone using thier stand they pack it in and out. Everyone has accces to all stands and every inch of the property. This keeps it's fair to everyone and you don't have to listen to the hunter ethics crap about someone hunting thier area. The best thing i found to do is put it in a contract for each member to sign when they join the lease so there are no questions later.

[Fat Tony]

To follow up River Rats advice, always communicate ahead of time so everyone knows where everyone else is....for safety and you don;t want to walk in on somone's set up.

[Bows over Guns]

def discuss it with the others first so it dont turn bad later in the season.

[Multidigits]

As long as everyone is equal on the lease, then yes, you can hunt the spot....or any other spot. You can't have a equal share lease and have honey holes reserved for certain members. If you do, you create a lot of problems with members withholding info on your deer herd and it will be impossible to manage with any success. You really have to eliminate the competive hunters to be fair to the others. I'd open all stands that aren't being used to any other member.

As for public land, you can hunt every acre, even if someone is already on one of them.

[slickhead slayer]

What about public land?

There is no such thing as someones "spot" on public property.

[sharpstick]

When I originally posed the question, I didn't take a lease into consideration (probably because I've never been a part of one). Being part of a hunt club, one would probably know the other hunters on the property, and have a defined set of rules to live by, in which case, everyone's statements would be applicable.

The scenarios that prompted the question:

1- Private land where the owner is very liberal with hunting permission; so much so that I frequently don't know others that are hunting there.

2- Public land where individuals are known to hunt a specific "patch of woods", points, etc.

Personally, in either case, I've shyed away from moving in too close to another's "area", strictly out of courtesy (the whole "do unto others" thing)... which has kept me from hunting in a few good spots over the years. Conversely, I have found others who obviously don't mind putting up stands within bowrange of my own, which turns into a "who can get to the stand the earliest".

Anyway, I understand that public land is just that, and that those who have permission to hunt private land have just that, but I was just curious as to what you fine folks thought about it...

[wademup]

To follow up River Rats advice, always communicate ahead of time so everyone knows where everyone else is....for safety and you don;t want to walk in on somone's set up.


On our lease we have a pin in board,that way if someone is running late you simply check the board to see what stands are taken,though we all have our "own" stands,an empty stand is available to anyone who wants it,can be a bit tricky so you really need a lot of cooperation.FYI There are 10 of us on 800 acres.

[sirgiovanni]

If I was on a lease with you, you would only know about the trees I hunt that I wouldn't mind sharing. :D

[ky_hunter72]

On our lease, when gun season rolls around everyone has their own little spot that they like to go to, but while bowhunting we all share each others. It works out pretty good, plus the core group of us have been leasing together for years and were good friends anyway. Never been a problem yet. As for public land I would think its fair game for anyone, thats why its public.

[Pollcat]

I hunt some private land which the owner lets several prople hunt. Enough prople that many of the folks who hunt don't know the other folks hunting. I've hunted the land for 15yrs and have had other hunters on the property ask me who I was and if I had permission. They even told me they thought they were the only ones who were supposed to be hunting. I just laughed and said, "y'all just wait until opening day." I don't even rifle hunt the property anymore. Fact is, the owner doesn't know how many prople hunt the property. Many have trespassed for so many years that they think they have the right to run someone else off. As far as who's spot is who's, I found out very quick that anyone will hunt where they want with total disreguard for other stands in the area or who's truck is parked where. One year I parked my truck and walked 3/4 mile to my stand 1hr before first light just to get there good and early to let everything settle down before daybreak only to have three 4 wheelers with hunters come into the same 60 acre corn field from different locations. Two of them came into the field when it was light enough I could see deer in the field. All this on opening day no less. I hunt where I want to on the property......when they aren't there. They show no respect for others as they will drive a 4 wheeler past my truck and drive through the middle of a corn field only 200yds away from me 1 hour before dark, park the 4 wheeler and walk 50yds to a ground blind and expect to see deer. Drives me nuts!!!

[Xi Bowhunter]

There is no such thing as someones "spot" on public property.
There is such a thing as being nice and not hunting another persons area that they have scouted out if you KNOW they hunt there on a regular basis.


Back to the original question, I would just simply ask them if they minded if I hunted there when they weren't around. If they say yes, then move on and find another spot. No reason to be an a-hole about it, there are plenty of deer in most parts of KY to go around.

[2 Poppa]

Communication prior to huntin' is key.
One doesn't want to discuss anything the day of the hunt, with maybe the exception of friendly, casual conversation, especially with weapons in hand.

Anyone can be a jerk and a lot of people don't mind being one. What it all boils down to is, if you don't communicate prior to the hunt, just how much tresspassing are you willing to tolerate before you move on?

Good thread which provokes good thinking and proper response... a Big Thumbs Up!

[Xi Bowhunter]

Anyone can be a jerk and a lot of people don't mind being one.

You are 100% right, I don't know why people have to act that way.

[etownhunter]

You are 100% right, I don't know why people have to act that way.

Probably because there are a lot of idiots out there that dont have a lick of commen sense, they dont know sh** about deer hunting. Why would i want some idiot hunting in my spot if i scouted it out, hung the stand, and only hunted it when the wind was right. But yet he comes along, doesnt pay any attn to the wind, scares all the deer off, and i have to start all back over. You guys see where im coming from? My farm, no one gets in another stand without permission.

If i had thousands of acre's to hunt on like some people (dont worry redlined, i wont bust you out:D) then I would want an area system, that you sign an area out for that weekend. No confusion, everyone knows where everyone is hunting.........

[GSPonGrouse]

With me and my hunting buddies no one has "his spot" we all talk about where we want to go and then go. some one could be in one of my stands and i could end up in someone elses. We do understand that say I scout out a area and put up a stand then I do have first pick on it but if i go some where else then it is up for grabs.