Lesson learned.

[BlakeA]

I have also received some great information over the years on places to hunt from others, I'll never share that information with anyone else, period. I'll never go back to those spots without being invited back or at least giving the person that showed me the spots a call first. Just seems like common courtesy.

I also would have confronted the person in question...for the final time I ever talked to them again.

Just a total lack of respect move and ridiculous.

^^^^This 100%

The sad part is that it gets worse every year. "What unit?" , "Where did you get him?" , "Where are you hunting?". I have met some AWESOME like minded guys on here over the years and information exchanged is considered sacred to me and I know they feel the same. It truly is extremely difficult finding like minded people that you can trust.

 

[huntin24/7]

I definitely have trust issues when it comes to hunting anymore. Lol. Between the difficulty of finding good public land spots that hold good deer and having been burned by the guys that either 1) take other guys to a spot you took them or 2) they themselves hunt the crap out of an area after you show them a good hunt. I found a good new spot this year, and I doubt the CIA is any more paranoid about keeping a secret than I am lately with this chunk of land.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

^^^^This 100%

The sad part is that it gets worse every year. "What unit?" , "Where did you get him?" , "Where are you hunting?". I have met some AWESOME like minded guys on here over the years and information exchanged is considered sacred to me and I know they feel the same. It truly is extremely difficult finding like minded people that you can trust.

I think what's really tough is the fact that you have two kinds of hunters asking those questions. On one side you have those guys who are obsessed with inches and are literally just trying to steal spots, on the other hand you have new hunters who literally don't know what they don't know.

Typically the new guys ask for spots because that's the only question they can think of to ask, they don't realize that even if you gave them GPS coordinates they probably wouldn't get anything because they wouldn't be able to put the pieces together.

The give me your spot guys, know what they are doing and are more than happy at blowing up spots in their pursuit for an instagram photo.

It's hard to tell the difference and the first guy can become the second after two seasons.

I think the best thing to do is if you really like hunting your one spot every year keep that to yourself and just try to "teach a man to fish" and help the new folks to understand that giving them tips about how to kill an elk is way more valuable than spots that you have killed elk in.

 

[mtmuley]

I got a tearful letter of apology from the guy today. Snail mail no less. Said he knew the area well before I showed it to him for his mule deer hunt. Interesting. In almost 40 years of hunting it, never saw him. Funny. Be careful guys. mtmuley

 

[teej89]

I live and hunt in one of Montana's premier mule deer units. Over the years I have helped a handful of guys out that held the mule deer permit. I asked of all of these guys, just leave my elk spot alone. No problems, except for one. Today that became readily apparent. And he brought a buddy. I am DONE helping anybody as far as hunting areas. Shame on me. mtmuley

And here I just stalk you, kinda hard to miss a Bigfoot walking thru the breaks, Steve’s truck is a dead giveaway too

Damn sorry to hear that man! Hope it works out for you! Heard you couldn’t make the cow hunt either.

 

[ismith]

You let another man see your buck hole.....

 

[mtmuley]

And here I just stalk you, kinda hard to miss a Bigfoot walking thru the breaks, Steve’s truck is a dead giveaway too

Damn sorry to hear that man! Hope it works out for you! Heard you couldn’t make the cow hunt either.

I shoulda headed for the Breaks and Steve's loud truck. Then I would have missed all the BS I ran into. mtmuley

 

[Mtnhunter1]

mtmuley.....and that is why I hunt solo and keep a tight lip!

I've done what BUZZ stated but have been burned for the last time.

I wrote, on this site, about the trip that I arrowed my first Mtn Goat. The two friends that accompanied me on that trip? Yup, they arrowed a bull in there the very next year while I was hunting in Oregon! I was upset!

Took my wife's brother from Minnesota hunting one fall. Two years pass and I am stunned to find three Minnesota hunters deep in the same basin that "THE BROTHER" killed his bull. That brother is banned from my house!

When my daughter was young, she begged me to take her friend along on our annual late November cow hunt. The next year we run into the dad, the uncle and the uncle's two sons hunting elk in there.

Wife's female single friend wanted to experience deer hunting. Had some great laughs in camp and she shot her first deer. The next year, my wife and I are upset that our usual camp spot is taken. Yup, the wife's friend, her boyfriend and ALL his buddies! The wife doesn't talk to that friend anymore!

My BEST FRIEND from childhood calls me up one mid-November, "Hey Buddy, I've got an itch to kill a good Muley! Got any ideas?" He tags a nice buck the very next day and sends me pics of the deer and then of his loaded pack. Five years later I run into my buddy's brother and cousin in that very same basin! A few beers and bragging after shooting trap one night and the info slipped out!!! He's still my best friend, but he knows that I was not a happy camper.

So, find that spot, learn it and keep it tight to the vest.......after all, Public Lands are for the Public and all spots will be found out by others eventually!

Mtnhunter

 

[teej89]

mtmuley.....and that is why I hunt solo and keep a tight lip!

I've done what BUZZ stated but have been burned for the last time.

I wrote, on this site, about the trip that I arrowed my first Mtn Goat. The two friends that accompanied me on that trip? Yup, they arrowed a bull in there the very next year while I was hunting in Oregon! I was upset!

Took my wife's brother from Minnesota hunting one fall. Two years pass and I am stunned to find three Minnesota hunters deep in the same basin that "THE BROTHER" killed his bull. That brother is banned from my house!

When my daughter was young, she begged me to take her friend along on our annual late November cow hunt. The next year we run into the dad, the uncle and the uncle's two sons hunting elk in there.

Wife's female single friend wanted to experience deer hunting. Had some great laughs in camp and she shot her first deer. The next year, my wife and I are upset that our usual camp spot is taken. Yup, the wife's friend, her boyfriend and ALL his buddies! The wife doesn't talk to that friend anymore!

My BEST FRIEND from childhood calls me up one mid-November, "Hey Buddy, I've got an itch to kill a good Muley! Got any ideas?" He tags a nice buck the very next day and sends me pics of the deer and then of his loaded pack. Five years later I run into my buddy's brother and cousin in that very same basin! A few beers and bragging after shooting trap one night and the info slipped out!!! He's still my best friend, but he knows that I was not a happy camper.

So, find that spot, learn it and keep it tight to the vest.......after all, Public Lands are for the Public and all spots will be found out by others eventually!

Mtnhunter

Fool me once shame on you, fool me 5 times... yikes!

 

[devon deer]

I got a tearful letter of apology from the guy today. Snail mail no less. Said he knew the area well before I showed it to him for his mule deer hunt. Interesting. In almost 40 years of hunting it, never saw him. Funny. Be careful guys. mtmuley

A phone call would have been better, but an actual letter is better than an email/text.

We have a similar situation in the UK, no public land (sorry I know I'm repeating myself!) all private, so the land I hunt over I only take people I have 100% trust in, because money talks over here, when I guided hunters I saw a guy fiddling with his phone, he was entering GPS markers!
They will hunt with you then go behind your back with wads of cash and false promises, thankfully I have not had it happen to me, but I have lost farms by strangers just rocking up with cash.
The first time it happened a hunter on a neighbouring farm contacted the farm I was hunting over, they came to an agreement, I was kicked off, the new hunter found out another farm where I hunted, where @Sawtooth got his 2nd Roe Buck with me, but the lady owner, in her 80's told him to 'piss off!'
But Karma is a bitch, I drove past the hunters house one morning (I had a nice buck in the back!) and saw EMS outside, I later learnt he was having an anaphylactic episode, he didn't make it, I would not have wished that on the guy, but whilst I am not really religious, you can't stop Karma, good or bad.

Sorry for the long reply!

Cheers

Richard

 

[mtmuley]

I'm not accepting any apology. Letter, email and not even if he begged on his knees. mtmuley

 

[Hunt West]

Mtmuley, I don’t know you but I’d still buy you a beer and expect nothing in return. You seem like a pretty decent guy, but you definitely reminded me of why I hunt alone most of the time. At least until the kids get a bit older. I have a deer spot in a good WY elk unit and I always turn up some good bulls. I have considered sharing them with a tag holder but then come to my senses and shut my mouth.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I'm not accepting any apology. Letter, email and not even if he begged on his knees. mtmuley

You and my wife would get along great.

 

[rwc101]

 

[westbranch]

I have met a few other guys that are fairly new to hunting the same general areas I hunt. At least within 50-100 miles or so. We swap some info, sometimes detailed, sometimes not. But so far most of the info fits with rwc101's post above . I do think I found my first honey hole this past September in archery season, so better be careful with that one.

 

[Chad Gus]

I took 3 guys bowhunting mule deer last year, ( there first time hunting out west) two of the guys were making plans to bring there buddies out later that fall and next year before we even left for home. The 3rd guy asked for my permission to come back to this area this year. He ended up going to a different state with some friends, he didn't feel right about taking other people ti this spot. My phone a friend list now has two less people on it.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I learned many years ago when you "share" your favorite hunting places, they become other's favorite places and you've got nobody to blame but yourself. You gotta be mindful of who you share with as seriously well over 90% of people truly suck when it comes to that ..

 

[idahofishnhunt]

I keep my circle small. I believe it's a give and take even with those guys. You want to share something, then I don't feel bad sharing something with you. I would still always check about going into a place I've been with that person though...even if it was more of a general area, and I would never take anyone else there...that's just being a tool bag.

 

[Bambistew]

Never give away a spot you like...

 

[teej89]

Mtmuley, I don’t know you but I’d still buy you a beer and expect nothing in return. You seem like a pretty decent guy, but you definitely reminded me of why I hunt alone most of the time. At least until the kids get a bit older. I have a deer spot in a good WY elk unit and I always turn up some good bulls. I have considered sharing them with a tag holder but then come to my senses and shut my mouth.

He’s a giant fan of Busch light, ain’t that right @mtmuley