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How crowded?

I saw a video recently of some guy in Illinois on public land, big buck comes in, then the next guy over gives a grunt, buck runs over there and gets shot. Guy #1 films the whole thing. Crazy. So my question is—what’s the most-crowded situation you’ve experienced?

Hunting pheasant with my dog at a wma and walking through a field I turn around and a line of 6-8 guys and 6 dogs like 50 yards behind me. I stopped turned around and walked back behind them the other direction. F that!

Didn't hunt it but scouted it, Boxford state forest. At least 30+ stands, between both sides. Same place had 4 guys give me ration of crap so I created all my own trails with every single "Cateye" I found and even added a bunch !

like this Jeb:

Hunted a couple of those "controlled hunts" . Guys walking in after daylight and moving out last hour. Setting up within sight of me. Told myself then and there the day I'm restricted to hunting public land I quit.

Proline, those controlled hunts sound like a circus. I have no desire to have to go somewhere to register and then be told where to hunt. Seems like it would ruin the whole experience. I've never experienced any crowding on MA public. I think I ran into 2-3 guys all season, although I work every saturday so my hunting is mid week.

One of my public land spots :(

Each red dot represents a hang on stand from a different hunter some of them have been there for 2,3,5 years. I used to have this spot entirely to myself.

I started hunting across from gate 9 of Quabbin Reservoir (Central MA). Place was a friggin zoo back in the late 70's ;-)

This goes back to the 70's and is across Rt. 32 adjacent the Quabbin. As dawn broke I was literally surrounded by blaze orange;so, I moved a little and came upon someone taking a dump. Seeing this as a bad omen I went into Barre, had breakfast, made the long ride home and never returned.

Hunting the suburbs we only see the occasional dog walk or home owner. Never see another hunter except once in awhile if hunting the wildlife refuge. Once the real cold sets in they’re gone too.

Same here, BC. Come to think of it I don’t remember ever seeing another hunter in the woods on my tiny spots in recent years. There is a guy who hunts across the road from one of my spots, I’ve talked to him out on the road a couple times. Actually kind of nice to see someone else, in that circumstance. I do remember a time in gun season in NY many years ago, I went in, set up at the base of a big tree, and then guys started to filter in around me to the point that I was surrounded and wondering how I was going to get out. Clearly I made it out alive, though. Probably just me being hysterical.

For me, it was about 15 years ago in central New Jersey. It was our first time there, and we were hunting a WMA on the opening morning of their archery deer season. We had scouted it a month prior and had picked out the trees we would climb and made "limb light" trails to them. We got there really early and were all set up a full hour before first light. The next thing I know, I'm seeing more flashlights than you'd see in a residential development on Halloween evening. I saw at least a dozen other guys go by me. Then, one guy set up about 50 yards from me. The real pisser was still seeing guys walking in well after it was already light. One of my buddies said he was listening to two guys argue in the dark over a particular tree.

The women’s federation in New Salem was always know to have a bunch of city guys hunting in there years ago. We never hunted it. In Suburbia I rarely see other hunters during bow. During Gun there are crews that do drives in certain areas. We stay out of. Few years back with my two sons had just finished a mini push and son shot a nice 8. We were taking a break before loading it up in truck when 20 plus gun hunters all piled out of woods at same time . They were a shabby crew from out of town. One of them was raggin on the size of the deer we had. I looked at my sons and we made our move to go. I told them that that EPO was hot on the spot for someone shot a dog. Haha . They were all rippin butts and a bunch of hacks. Not sportsman at all. This spot was very narrow and no way big enough for all those men. That’s how guys get shot. We don’t hunt power lines ether, usually more crowded as well.

Have to admit, I love power lines.

Jeb, I agree , especially if you take the time to walk the power line and find good runs . It's a great tactic in Aroostook county Maine. It becomes perfect when a space is clipped into a dense evergreen big enough for a folding seat and Bog Pod. If an estrus doe comes through , then I'd try to sit all day.

+1 on power lines. Served me well day after Thanksgiving last season with 2 days remaining before start of shotgun to take my first trophy buck. A 7 pointer I named Big Red. A 3+4 dice roll in craps is a big red. I felt it was fitting for the gamble I make in packed to the gills WMA with stands everywhere. I don’t mind the company of ladder and hangons though as I’m mobile with the saddle and can play off these guys.

I’m sure the power lines are good to hunt, I just don’t prefer to. Up north plenty of room to rifle hunt so not as crowded. Down on the south coast the power lines tend to be hunted heavier in my area so I tend to pass. If it works for you that’s great.

Yes deerdawg. The ground is littered with empty shotshells where I hunt public wma. Your trepidation during gun season is understandable and respected. It’s important that we all know our own level of risk tolerance and respect that of others. That way we are all having our happy hunts. :)

Dale I've hunted that swamp and scouted it quite a bit. Moved away and don't get out there anymore, let me know if you want to compare notes.

Cougar...sent you a PM. Heading out there to tomorrow with my nephew for some post season scouting and hopefully some shed finds. He's shown an interest, and purchased his first bow last week. Recruiting!

Xi I hunted in there a few times, that place is packed to the gills with stands. There is one spot on a ridge over a swamp where there are five stands within 100yards. I dont hunt weekends very much so its pretty empty in bow season weekdays with hunters, but there are a ton of dogwalkers too. There are also a lot of deer in there! I was scouting a new area after a morning hunt that got ruined by a lady walking her dog and ran into another guy walking his dog. He had no idea you could hunt in there. Was absolutely gobsmacked when I explained about bow season and shotgun season. Having said that I only ran into one other hunter there and he was super nice and we agreed on zones if we saw each other's vehicles in the lot. I think that morning with the dogs might have been my last hunt in there. Nothing worse than to get up pre-dawn get to your spot wait an hour for shooting light and someones dog comes crashing through your shooting lanes.

I have done that myself to many times,set up late winter in a great public spot . Cut great lanes at my 12 ,3 ,and 9 oclock thru the thick only to find they would become major people trails

It can be useful, when possible, to have a second “bail-out” spot not too far away. So if on a particular day Spot #1 isn’t workable, your day isn’t shot, you can just hop over to the bailout spot.

I have opted for the unposted private spots ,but those also come with uncertainty as I found out last year when I got chased out of 3 great spots during season !

Dale my suggestion is scout it good before the deer flies show up. Miserable in the summer!

Don’t use a scent drag if you don’t want dogs circling your tree.

Snake I've had dogs come into a shooting lane, sled dogs pulling a sled. It was January in R.I. and the guy driving looked up at me in disbelief.( Arcadia WMA.) From the noise they made I was expecting multiple deer not sled dogs and a red faced driver. One for the books.

Loner, that I would not mind! Sled dogs in RI!

Right on Jeb. Always have a backup in mind.

Snake ,If you got up 3:30am in Jan. and drove to R.I. only to have a team of sled dogs stink up your spot. Are you sure you wouldn't mind it ?

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