Caribou Gear Tarp

Camping on Public Land in Hunting Season

Do you camp on public lands during rifle/gun season?

  • Yes

    Votes: 88 95.7%
  • No

    Votes: 3 3.3%
  • Other (share in thread)

    Votes: 1 1.1%

  • Total voters
    92

FairWeather

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
571
Location
Eugene, OR
It’s deer & elk rifle season here, and there’s plenty of public land to hunt which is also open for dispersed camping. I haven’t, because I also see lot of people out there, and really don’t want to get shot in my tent. It’s huge, and yellow, but people are careless and I don’t trust them to be aware of their backdrop. I do however, wonder if I’m missing out on part of the hunting experience by not making a weekend of camping and hunting all day, and also having assurance that I’ll be where I want to at the start of shooting hours.
Long story short, how popular is it to camp out near your hunting spot on public lands?
 
It’s deer & elk rifle season here, and there’s plenty of public land to hunt which is also open for dispersed camping. I haven’t, because I also see lot of people out there, and really don’t want to get shot in my tent. It’s huge, and yellow, but people are careless and I don’t trust them to be aware of their backdrop. I do however, wonder if I’m missing out on part of the hunting experience by not making a weekend of camping and hunting all day, and also having assurance that I’ll be where I want to at the start of shooting hours.
Long story short, how popular is it to camp out near your hunting spot on public lands?
I spend weeks camping every year during hunting season. I camp kore during hunting season than any time of year.
 
Given the past few incidences (in CO at least), I'd be more worried about hunters in the woods. People seem to be a little less trigger happy when in camp.
 
To clarify a few things.

Dispersed camping- camping near roads, in unmanaged campsites, or just wherever you can pull off. This can be anything from your backpacking tent all the way up through a fifth wheel or RV. It's free. This is what the author meant to ask about- free camping wherever you can on public lands.

Established campgrounds- fire rings, toilets, maybe even water or (God forbid) electricity. Some can be reserved. Can be public or private. But you pay for the site.

Primitive camping- You and the tent, brought in from the road on foot. I think this is the form of camping with the fewest restrictions on it.

These are the "definitions" as I learned them from the Mark Twain National Forest, and they seem to apply out here as well.
 
Given the past few incidences (in CO at least), I'd be more worried about hunters in the woods. People seem to be a little less trigger happy when in camp.
I think he means, during the day when say they are in camp, that some idiot in the woods cranks off a round or several towards their camp not knowing they are in camp and injures or kids somebody, as opposed to being in a designated campground where no hunting is permitted within say 400 yards of the camp.
 
If you're car camping, you'll be fairly close to a road or 2-track. Set up in an area that isn't going to be inundated with game and provides some relief from wind, inclement weather, etc.

If you're really worried about it, get some orange flagging to put up.
 
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I have more problems with yahoos who pack in 5-10 miles and pitch their tent RIGHT where I killed an elk last year in an open spot in a basin. Thanks for screwing up the basin Jerk.... Maybe the elk back bone and small wallow in the middle of your camp should have clued you in to the fact this was best left undisturbed.

Most folks who hunt an area a few years know where the Historical camps are. Most Western hunting areas have topography that offers solid backstops within 200-500 yards. Many animals are spooked off by the camp activity, although I have killed an elk within view of the edge of my camp on an established trail.

Your concern, while not ENTIRELY impossible, is below the 2% likelihood I use to determine if it is worth worrying about. And I sleep in a Tan tent...
 
Frankly haven' t heard of any incident you are worried about. Could it happen, yes.
 
I’m sure it’s unlikely. The only reason I’m concerned with it at all is because this year there’s been at least 3 days that I’ve been out hunting at dusk, and as soon as legal hunting hours are over I’ve heard some one relatively nearby start blasting, seemingly emptying all the rounds in their rifle, then again with what sounds like a hand gun. I assume it’s been the same person each time. Still, with that sort of behavior, especially AFTER it’s too dark to safely see your target, it has me wondering if it’s really worth the risk. On the other hand, I also can’t stop thinking about the valuable time in the woods & game habits I could learn through observation while camping out there.
 
I usually take the travel trailer out wherever we're hunting and setup just off a side road. I sometimes worry about someone messing with the trailer while we're out in the woods, which isn't unheard of in NM.
 
We stay on BLM or fishing access sites. The ladder is ideal because some have picnic tables, outhouse and designate fire rings.
 
I usually take the travel trailer out wherever we're hunting and setup just off a side road. I sometimes worry about someone messing with the trailer while we're out in the woods, which isn't unheard of in NM.
Thats what I was going to say. I more worried about someone going through my tent or truck although that has thankfully never happened. This year some bastards stole our water out of our 10L MSR bladder when we were out hunting. 800' elevation drop to the nearest water - that may have been worse than stealing our gear after we got back to our tent late and dehydrated...
 
I have more problems with yahoos who pack in 5-10 miles and pitch their tent RIGHT where I killed an elk last year in an open spot in a basin. Thanks for screwing up the basin Jerk.... Maybe the elk back bone and small wallow in the middle of your camp should have clued you in to the fact this was best left undisturbed.

Most folks who hunt an area a few years know where the Historical camps are. Most Western hunting areas have topography that offers solid backstops within 200-500 yards. Many animals are spooked off by the camp activity, although I have killed an elk within view of the edge of my camp on an established trail.

Your concern, while not ENTIRELY impossible, is below the 2% likelihood I use to determine if it is worth worrying about. And I sleep in a Tan tent...
😂 I camp 50 yards from an active wallow because it’s the flattest spot and close to the most reliable spring in the area.

Most mornings I sleep in till daylight and enjoy a couple morning coffees while glassing for elk on the mile away ridge. Then when a bull picks one of the scattered clumps of timber to bed in we walk over and kill him when he gets up to feed in the evening.

Occasionally, we get surprised by elk who walk out in our meadow while we are enjoying camp.

Mine is the orange tent.
 

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