Coordinate with other hunters?
Elk
I am curious how other folks handle the situation where you run into other hunters in your area?
I have had this happen many times. I make a point to visit other camps, introduce myself, and generally share basic information on what I plan to do and when. Basically I want to avoid ruining each other's hunt but stomping all over each other's plans.
Generally, my experience is folks are receptive and willing to share general information and try to coordinate. Heck some folks just spill the beans on everything they know or have seen in the area. Most often I find they are not focused on the same "spots" that I am but we at least know where one another is generally so that we can coordinate not to blow out prey in each other's area and know where help is if someone gets an animal down, gets lost, gets hurt.
What do you do?
I'm not sharing with anyone about where I intend to hunt. I don't even like the idea of someone seeing my truck parked somewhere. People see a rig and often think, "he must be hunting there for a reason"? Then the next day you got several rigs parked there when you show up.
I will only talk to people about my plans that I run into in the woods or if someone pulls in next to me at a trailhead.
I'll talk to anyone, anywhere but I'm not telling them where I intend to hunt unless I'm in there and run into someone else. I'll tell them where I plan on going and try and make something work so we're not messing each other up.
That is basically what I meant and what I do as well. When hunting unit 34 off Coffee Pot Road its not like where you are is a big secret, so I get more proactive.
In situations where I'm more remote, I am with you Mossy......don't engage unless I run into someone in the woods.
Mostly I make polite conversation while I'm feeding them misinformation, I get the feeling that's what the other hunter is usually doing as well.
All good (mis) information for us newbs!! Thx!!
I like to occasionally pull over in random areas and pull out the spotting scope and glass where I DON'T plan to hunt, you would be amazed at how many people will hunt the exact draw/mountain/ridge you glass. I've also put some people on some good animals by doing that as well.
One year I gave some guys a ride back to their truck in the dark. It was obvious to me that they had come in behind me that evening and hunted even though they knew I was there. So to be proactive I told them exactly where I would be going the next morning ( a different spot). I show up before light and they are there at the new spot ahead of me. I was pissed, but decided to hunt a few miles further away. That day I killed the big bull that they had been chasing, which I was happy to show to them. :) I won't ever try to discuss my plans and be proactive again though.
Last year
My buddy comes walking up the hill and a guy is at his quad, right where the Elk feed and frolic at night.
buddy :you rode your quad in here?
hunter: yea, I kept bumping them yesterday when I walked in, so I rode the quad in this morning"
Whenever I'm in the field and run into guys I ask them if their on Bowsite. Depending on their answer I'll either walk away or run.
LOL I wonder which results in the run..........
I like to think I read people pretty well and I try to do that when encountering other hunters. There have been occassions where I befriended people where I hunt for mutual benefit. Usually I am polite but cold. I've also resorted to misinformation without regret.
Its a dance. I try to get them to spill where they're hunting without me doing the same. Usually works of I'm crafty and use my sales skills.
If someone beats me to where I plan to hunt, I go around them and press on. If someone comes into the area I'm hunting and screws up the pooch, I'll try to make something happen before they bungle in, then I'll also press on. If someone asks me what I've seen , I'll say "Not a thing", even if I've been playing with them for the last 3hrs. If they ask if I have any recommendations, I'll point them in the exact opposite location of where I plan on hunting. As the saying goes, "Ask me no secrets and I'll tell you no lies." I'm not out there to help others, I'm out there to kill MY elk.
The most common thing I hear from others is, "Not many elk in here, sure ain't like it used to be." To a large degree, in much of CO, that is probably correct. The underlying message is they think you should look for a better (different) area.
I'm just antisocial, I don't talk to nobody if I can help it...... =D
Trying to "coordinate" normally means they have a plan to either use you as a hound dog or will try to get a jump out in front of you. You go do what you said you would, but they go about their plans to snake you.... Sad..... but about 90% true. (there is however that 10% that are on bowsite...) Most folks in high hunter density areas (with high density hunters) they treat it as a sporting event to beat YOU, not what is the best way to go about killing an elk.
If somebody is there already..... I watch them to see where they are headed, adjust my plans and move on.....
It really surprises me if I run into anyone on the mountain while bow hunting .
I am polite and hunt on.
Good luck, Robb
I'm a very private person, and hunt alone 90% of the time. I ask no one for help, and am usually not asked to help. Those that know me know I'm a very good elk caller, and I do love pulling bulls away from other hunters. Most areas I hunt I don't see other people in, and it's pretty easy to avoid people on trails. And I have no concerns about other hunters. Why would anyone stop by a camp or parked vehicle to talk to strangers?
When I talk to other hunters, I just assume that what they are telling me is complete BS. I don't need any information from them. I find it amusing how they feel the need to lie. I'll give them honest feedback on places where there are elk, just not the one that I'm planning on hunting. Most of them just want a place close to the road, or where they can drive their 4 wheeler to.
When I talk to other hunters, I just assume that what they are telling me is complete BS. I don't need any information from them. I find it amusing how they feel the need to lie. I'll give them honest feedback on places where there are elk, just not the one that I'm planning on hunting. Most of them just want a place close to the road, or where they can drive their 4 wheeler to.
Most folks I run into these days are shirt-tailing me. So unless I know them from repeated encounters I don't tell them a thing.
Too many times have I had folks beating a path to my stand area once they have seen me going in or coming out. One more reason not to leave a stand, steps, ladders or even holes in the tree from screw in steps. If they see the cuts from my leg irons maybe they think it s a bear and clear out.
Also had a few natural ground blinds that were productive. I use a tree in the middle as a back-rest. One in particular ended up having a tree stand put in it. Really??
ATVS following me in really piss me off, especially in areas where they are already prohibited. Watched a guy drive from scrape to scrape once, then parked right underneath me. Reminded him they weren't allowed, and also told him the other hunters in the area including myself didn't have an issue with reporting him.. Didn't help saw him a few more times, NO lisc. ID on the rig.. Local DNR won't do anything when we call to report poachers (deer and or fish) anyway. The 1-800 TIP number in my state is a joke.
I'm with Robb, polite, but move on. If I do visit, I try to be very quiet and quick. Have a nice day, and good luck.
In Oregon we usually hunt road closures so if a vehicle is parked at a spot we want to hunt we just go somewhere else. Otherwise if I meet another hunter in the woods I am social but then go my way
I am friendly and offer any information I think might help. If they are smart they should probably ignore my advise because my sure-fire plans rarely work. If they seem like good guys I let them know I will be happy to help them pack an elk if I'm around. Last bull I killed was after a day packing out an elk for a guy that was completely unprepared to handle having one down. He was tearing up as the last load went in his truck as he thanked me and another guy that helped. 2 hours later I killed one.
'Why would anyone want to talk to strangers?'
True, being social and courteous is an outrageous concept.
'Believe half of what you see, and nothing of what you hear'; as that Joe Stalin fella said 'Trust No-one. Suspect Everyone' Good luck and good hunting!!
Ive been known to tell others 'Ive seen nuthin' when I have blood on my hands.
In 2015 we were headed back to camp with my son's 6x6 in the back of the truck. We meet another truck on the trail and he asked if we saw anything.... 'Nope'... Then he saw the antlers in the back of the truck :)
There are two types of meetings. One is meeting at the road or trailhead. The other is meeting in the woods.
Meeting on the road means there was no work expended. When talking to hunters on the road I'll lie like it was my job and I was working overtime.
If I meet a fellow hunter in the woods (which is unusual) then we both worked to be there. This is where I will definitely try to coordinate for at least the rest of the day so that we either work together or at least don't hurt each other. I believe we should respect our fellow hunters that have put in the time and effort.
I don't necessarily coordinate with other hunters, but I'll typically talk to them when it comes to hunting public land far from home. It has certainly helped me on a few occasions, and I have tried to help others as well. Now, I don't just immediately blurt out where I've been seeing game. I generally like to have a short conversation and get a feel for the person I'm talking to. I've commented on this in the past, but I believe people are far more apt to help you out when you are solo and reside 1000+ miles away.
Actually last year I did somewhat coordinate with a group. I was hunting a small herd of elk about 3 miles up the drainage from the trailhead. I met the two guys on the trail and they were setting up a spike camp about 1.5 mi. in (I was walking from the trailhead). We had a discussion about hunting and I told them they were welcome to come up and hunt the herd with me if they liked, as I was alone and only there for a couple more days. They politely told me there was two more in the group, so they didn't want to put that many people on the one herd, which was probably a good thing. I then told them I would be outta there in a couple days, so they might as well head up there then.
Coordinating with other hunters yes; freely giving out info no. Last year a gentlemen from Arkansas walked up on us at a location we tie up our horses about six miles in. He politely introduced himself and asked if he could hunt past us and we 'coordinated' with him. It was obvious he knew the area and we told him we were hunting a ridge a ways away that afternoon. Long story short we met him again couple days later and he had got a decent 6x6 the previous evening and was packing it out. He was really excited and told us he was 67 and had bivy hunted that location for three weeks before connecting with that bull. We were happy for him. I got a shot opportunity the next day but didn't connect. There are some good people out there trying to enjoy the same sport.
I never talk, only listen.
Bowfreak... where are the Elk? Why you no tell me?
Just last night I did. I called a friend of a Bowsiter who lives in the general "area" where I'll be hunting in WY. I had some questions about resupplying in a nearby town, a packer I'd talked with, etc.. He asked where I was hunting, I gave a vague answer - a very large drainage everyone knows - and the dance began.
30 minutes later I discovered that he hunts the exact small creek drainages I've been scouting, he may base camp with me, will help pack one out if he's there since he only hunts weekends and mostly focuses on muleys. He also told me about another obscure drainage nearby that I should hunt during the week, which always holds elk. He told me a lot about how the elk behave during the rut.
In this case it was extremely valuable. Many thanks to Bowfreak for arranging this blind date!
I showed up to "my" hunting spot once ... to find to guys from IA there, older man, his son. They'd just arrived.
Decided to camp together, no reason to spread out and disturb everything ... and I told them everything I knew about the area. Told the older man about the pond on the ridge, the son about the lake up on a bench ......... next 2 days they both tagged elk after like 2-3 years hunting and never taking one.
I met two genuine men and couldn't have been better for sharing everything I knew about the area and they used my llamas to pack the meat out. Haven't talked to them in a decade, but for the 2-3 years we hunted and ran into each other ..... great camaraderie and hunting times, wouldn't change it for nothing.
Last year in Colorado my son and I pulled over to let a truck that seemed in a hurry pass us on the way to a trail head. It was well before daylight and we knew where we wanted to hunt. When we pulled up to the trail head the other hunters were getting their stuff together. They were muzzle loaders. I introduced myself and politely told them we did not want to interfere with their hunt, if they would tell me where they were going to hunt I would be sure to stay out of their way. They were quick to tell me where they were not going to hunt and where we could hunt. I told them where I had planned to hunt. Still nothing. Later in the morning when we got to our chosen area we heard a bull really tearing it up. He was on the next ridge. As we were putting together our plan of attack one of us saw an orange clad hunter between us and the bull. We went the other way. We were back that afternoon and they had gone. When we came back after dark we ran into one of the muzzle loader hunters. I told him that I had asked where they were going to hunt and even told them where we were going to hunt and they hand been not even been cordial. Now that we had heard the bull we would be back every day and might even spike camp in the area. After we got back to the truck I told my son that I had no plans for hunting the bull until after muzzle loader season was over, but that I was at least going to cost them an hour sleep every morning. I went back by the trail head a couple of times that week. They were always there. My son killed the bull 2 days after muzzy season ended.
Been burned one to many times. We keep to ourselves and just hunt around them.
depends on what she looks like... Lou, I like to dance, ha
Interesting. To each their own. Lou.....good for you!!!!
I have helped more people over the years because I was helped many years ago when I was exposed to elk hunting in 1993. I have people like BIG DAN coming over to our camp and talking about elk hunting in Arizona and inviting us over to see his bull he had killed in Nevada and his bull he had just killed in Arizona in 2005 before going up to Missouri Breaks and killing another nice bull. I thank Dan for all his help he has offered over the many past years to NEW HUNTERS and old timers like me.
Great post and really aligns to my values as a hunter. We are in need of people willing to share knowledge, grow other's competency and instill a culture of solidarity in a time where fracture lines are everywhere we turn. I recall my first few years of bow hunting, the help this forum offered me and the people I ran into while hunting. One memorable story was myself and two buddies had camped in a quasi drop camp spot afforded us by an outfitter. Towards the end of day two, a couple of MZ hunters walked into camp. They were unhappy to see us as this was their spot in years past but dealt with the situation. We offered them our fire and began to map out the best way to hunt the area without stepping on each other. They gave us some invaluable information on the area and then we went separate ways in the am. Never saw them again but they represented the right mindset, shared good information and helped us out despite the disappointment. I don't go out of my way to walk into another camp but if I run into a hunter and there is an opportunity to help him/her be successful AND they are not some jackhole (pretty good judge of character) then I want to help or be helped.
Jordan, another thing (so far) I've learned from this chance introduction is that he has a bear bait just off one of the little trails I use to access the two main benches I plan to hunt. He didn't have any idea where I was scouting, but volunteered to share where his bait was so I wouldn't blunder into it. A bear bait... In grizzly country... and I go in and out in the dark.... So now I know to find an alternate access point until he finishes up with that little program. As huge as the mountain ranges are in NW WY, and this fella has a bait right on the trail I'm using. Go figure....
:) Fun thread.
I don't mind a little cooperation. 10 Western hunts, and yet to have a bad experience. Much more bad experiences with locals here at home whether deer, turkey or duck hunting.
I always avoid giving up all the information, but sometimes you meet some really helpful people. I kept bumping into a certain pickup last year in Nevada, and finally went over to talk to the guy. Nicest guy ever. He was glassing and scouting for a family member. I tried to coordinate with him, he just said "It's all public land man. Just go where you want. You won't step on our toes."
NM in 2010, there was only 2 other camps in the whole big drainage we were camped in. Met one camp early on, and they were awesome. Only a tag or two, but at least 3 families with little kids and nice big campers. Invited us in for frijoles. Nice people. Told us to try a spot up this little subordinate drainage. . . killed a 340 bull there the next day. . .
Then there's the funny ones. Met a couple guys in CO on the trail one day. They were on horses headed in 7 total miles. They pointed out this opposite hillside, and said "Don't even bother hunting that. We just ride through, there's never elk in there." My buddy and I just nodded and acted dumb, because we'd killed 3 elk in 2 years on that mountainside :)
Bake
