Your spot, my spot, who's spot?

[Bambistew]

Would you hunt in an area that someone else hunts, if you don't know those people, but know they hunt there at times? Would you go when they are not in there? Who has first dibs? Is it the guy who sets up his tent first and leaves it for 2 months, or the guy that shows up first to hunt it? Miles and miles of public land.

I've had some weird interactions with guides up here in the past, 4- 5 times now. They act like the own the mountain and animals living there even when they are not hunting it. Apparently a guide camp means they own everything within about a 10 mile radius.

I've had them set up "decoy" camps/tents to discourage others from hunting the general area. Literally just an empty tent, usually an old one, not worth a crap... they will claim its for sheltering a storm if one were to roll in... because walking/riding another 3-4 miles to your main camp is too much trouble. I've seen them set up tents/tarps on landing strips to make them look occupied as well.

I've had them tell me that others in their party were hunting an area, when they were not.

I've had them tell me they have multiple clients hunting an area, when they did not... etc etc.

Frankly I'm done pussy-footing around with outfitters here. I'm tired of the lies and deceptive practices... I don't care about you or your clients... If they booked with a POS, that's on them.

I've been far more cordial to them than they have ever been to me. Finding out where they go, and avoiding them, walking away if I see them as to not spoil their clients hunt. Wish I could say they did the same for me. Clients being in on the charade, and lying is always a nice touch to help with the BS story.

Just curious what you guys would do. I plan to show up the day before their clients get in and head out. No more coordination... Hope plan B works out for you.

 

[brymoore]

I wouldn't try to ruin some clients hunt but I wouldn't let them ruin mine either. I'd be sceptical of anything a guide told me without verification. Tents and guides spotting an area wouldn't stop me unless I saw the client.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

I'm only cordial to folks I run into out hunting if they are the same to me. Sounds like you should thank your outfitter pals for the nice outhouses they leave you in the hills.

 

[TheTone]

An area I like to hunt up here is pretty notorious for the empty/decoy camp thing. I've had the offenders tell me flat out they do it just to discourage others from setting a camp. They are also really bad about exceeding FS camp limits by 2-3 times what the limit is. Luckily for me they are lazy clowns and would probably struggle to kill an elk if it walked through their camp. The only thought I've put into how or where they hunt is hoping they don't screw up what I'm doing while they are busy riding ATV's around and calling from them.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Sounds like you've tried your best to be respectful and accommodating, and have been met with the opposite. I'd say go hunt. Good luck.

 

[BlakeA]

You are too nice of a guy. They are outfitting on public land and acting like they own the place. B.S. Go hunt and don't think twice about it. Good luck!

 

[Addicting]

I'm only cordial to folks I run into out hunting if they are the same to me. Sounds like you should thank your outfitter pals for the nice outhouses they leave you in the hills.

That's some funny Chit right there!

In all seriousness, one of the areas we talked about has an outfitter in close proximity. I contacted them to be courteous and not walk thru where they were going to be if I came in from the west verses the main trail. He spun a tall tale of needed permissions and access issues using that trail trying his best to make it seem impossible and discourage me. Thanks to this forum and your help I knew he was full of it. I decided that if I do go there it is public land and that is a risk he is willing to take by outfitting there, I just wont make his Christmas card list.

 

[fwagner]

Screw the outfitter.....you hunt where you want, when you want, with no apologizes!!

 

[MN Public Hunter]

I would tell them to kiss my ...well....you know. If they don't like it I would say let's call the local game and fish or sheriff to get it all straight that this is pubic land.

 

[JosephBrown]

If someone is respectful with me, I'll be respectful back. But in your case, I would tell them to kiss my you know what like MN said. It is public land by the way.

 

[Bambistew]

The best part of the last interaction, is I was offered a job to guide for them... with opportunity to be part of the business. You know, take a couple clients around the hills the first 3 weeks, then, I could hunt the spot once they were all tagged out. You would have thought, my mouth hanging open would have been an indication of how stupid the proposition sounded. But hey, they were running out of options.

If you can't contain the situation, offer them a job and control the outcome. Haha. I'm thinking seriously about rolling 4 deep next year, and take up two spots. These guys are not even residents, which makes it that much funnier of a situation.

 

[noharleyyet]

I'm only cordial to folks I run into out hunting if they are the same to me. Sounds like you should thank your outfitter pals for the nice outhouses they leave you in the hills.

I'll second the simple joy of finding even the most rudimentary privy...

 

[MN Public Hunter]

The best part of the last interaction, is I was offered a job to guide for them... with opportunity to be part of the business. You know, take a couple clients around the hills the first 3 weeks, then, I could hunt the spot once they were all tagged out. You would have thought, my mouth hanging open would have been an indication of how stupid the proposition sounded. But hey, they were running out of options.

If you can't contain the situation, offer them a job and control the outcome. Haha. I'm thinking seriously about rolling 4 deep next year, and take up two spots. These guys are not even residents, which makes it that much funnier of a situation.

Now that is hilarious ! They really think they own public land don't they....Maybe invite a few HT people to come out and hunt

 

[choc dogs]

I still have a problem with outfitters making a private living on a public resource. Fishing, hunting, even the rafting concessions seem a bit of an overreach.

 

[Irrelevant]

The areas I hunt are too crappy to have guides so I've never had to deal with it. My guess is that I would be cordial but just do my thing and try to ignore them.

 

[cgarner]

Sorry to hear about your experiences. Too bad they don't realize we are all on the same side and a little coordination can go along way in their clients being successful and other public land hunters being successful.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Ran into alot of that in Colorado, tents and rock fire rings. Just no people! First warm body. John

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Bambistew,

During my sheep hunt in AK, the guide was very open about he and the Outfitter spending time before the season scouting from the air and putting empty tents at air strips to deter others. Irony at its best but when I got to camp I had a cold brewing. I mentioned to the guide that I should pack a second tent so that I would not spread my cold to him. He said they didn't have anymore tents, all the spares were decoys at other airstrips.

Where I do most of my elk hunting in Wyo, there are two Outfitters that work out of that trailhead. Guides seem to have a good attitude about others hunting public land but the Outfitter is a different story. I have run into him a dozen times at the trailhead and I don't think he has ever said one word to me. Just glares at me when I say hi.