Hunter Etiquette

[WyoNewk]

If you have a dog with you on the hunt, keep it under control and on leash if you approach another hunter. Failure to do this led to a problem just last week. This was a near altercation between campers, not hunters, but it's still worth mentioning.

[hidigger]

I know what you are asking, be prepared [not that it will happen] for drunk idiots who should not be allowed to own a spoon Little own a gun. I have ran into idiots who are in a natural blind and walked up on them and out they pop drunk cussing you like you kidnapped their first born. Its best to just apologize and walk away and call the DNR or police, never get into a argument with these types. Its not likely to happen as most hunters are good people who want to enjoy the outdoors, but I have ran into a couple of the fools who make it bad for everyone and if you are mentally prepared for this unlikely possibility than you can know to just apologize for intruding and walk away out of danger and call the police or DNR. Not every gun owner or hunter is a good guy. I have had doe deer shot off of my bait pile and left for dead just to be a monkeys butt. I waited over an hour and no one even walked up to it. I had one guy go ape crazy and shoot all 5 rounds of his Remington 7400 about 4 feet away from my feet. Just be prepared, expect the worst and hope for the best.

[ElkHunter]

I don't know if anybody has mentioned this, but I always make sure a couple packs of steaks and a good roast make it's way back to the land owner.

One ranch I hunt on for Muley's is excellent. I always stop and have coffee and he tells me where he has seen what. I can usually get 6 additional tags (doe only) for that area and when I still had 5 kids at home, I needed all of them filled. When I do fill all of them, as soon as I cut up the deer (7-10 days later), I take a couple of backstraps down to his place and we bar-b-q on his deck.

I've hunted his place many years and have never been turned down. I think this year will be a little different. You folks have heard of all the fires we've been having up here, well, the Cado fire took out is hay fields and pasture land. 17,000 acres and he doesn't have enough hay to feed a horse for a week. The fire did miss his house and outbuilding though. He's very optimistic and even joked about the fire cut back on the sage brush and weed problem. If I hunt this year, even if it's not on his land, we'll be having a bar-b-q anyhow.

[iknowftbll]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

I don't know if anybody has mentioned this, but I always make sure a couple packs of steaks and a good roast make it's way back to the land owner.

One ranch I hunt on for Muley's is excellent. I always stop and have coffee and he tells me where he has seen what. I can usually get 6 additional tags (doe only) for that area and when I still had 5 kids at home, I needed all of them filled. When I do fill all of them, as soon as I cut up the deer (7-10 days later), I take a couple of backstraps down to his place and we bar-b-q on his deck.

I've hunted his place many years and have never been turned down. I think this year will be a little different. You folks have heard of all the fires we've been having up here, well, the Cado fire took out is hay fields and pasture land. 17,000 acres and he doesn't have enough hay to feed a horse for a week. The fire did miss his house and outbuilding though. He's very optimistic and even joked about the fire cut back on the sage brush and weed problem. If I hunt this year, even if it's not on his land, we'll be having a bar-b-q anyhow.

I've read that both here and on other hunting related forums on which I ask these questions. Of course, since I'm a beginner, it would be my pleasure to bring back a cut of meat to the land owner, because that would mean I've had a successful hunt! There will no doubt be some trial and error in these first few seasons, though.

A class act, Elk Hunter. I am glad that your friend has been spared any significant property loss. I hope that he is able to recover from the damage that he has suffered.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by SuperSparkle928

Not to digress too badly (I must have Aspergers):
IIRC (this was years ago), in NH you could hunt on private land, if it was not properly posted. So I put up the proper signs, (properly labeled and spaced), and they did it anyway. This was on 41 acres.
So to expand on the question of 'proper etiquette', and not to hijack this thread, in any way, an addition to behaviors of approaching other hunters in the woods, should also be behaviors on posted private land. I have had to ask more than a few to leave....

I don't hunt, nor ever will, but when out in the woods I both wear the red/orange vest, and have a CCW to keep a S&W 4506 concealed. If I see hunters and I have a rifle on me, I open the action, and put a ball-point pen sticking out of the action.

I have found hunters to be both friendly and amicable. Clearly if they have lined up a shot, or are attracting or have spotted prey, you don't walk up say in a loud voice "Hey! How are are doing?" Just common sense.

Alaska allows hunting on private land, but only with the permission of the owner. This was no different from other States where I have hunted. I will always ask the property owner if I want to hunt on, or even just cross, their land. If the owner is not available, I go someplace else. Anything less would be trespassing.

When the owner is at home, only very rarely have I been asked not to hunt on their land. At least 8 out of 10 property owner's that I have asked have given me their permission to hunt on, or cross, their land.