Dear Lazy Hunters - setting up your blinds/stands - SCOUT YOUR AREA FIRST!

[FeniQuest217]

I needed an attention grabber. Listen - we get it, its an understanding all hunters can hunt anywhere -first come first serve. But- dont be a complete moron. This advice can save your life.

The present situation - I've posted numerous times about a spot i was invited to put a stand up near a friend of mine and his fathers stand, NEVER GIVING AWAY AOBVIOUSLY EXACTLY WHERE IT IS.  They have been hunting this area for over 15 years and have moved stands around and rarely seen anyone ever. We are positioned well , we have 4 stands covering approximately 500 yards or area. We have 3 stands stretched out along a row that are about 100 yards  from each other. A ground blind and a trail cam popped up near the 1st and second stand within 50 yards or less of these stands.

DO YOU EVEN SCOUT THE LAND YOU ARE HUNTING? if you see 3 stands in an area - thats a key to NOT PLANT YOUR FLAG IN THE MIDDLE!  If these weren't seasoned hunters with itchy trigger fingers, impatience and it was 6day you want to risk that?  

I've got to say, i see more posts about stuff like this and its so aggravating. IF you find an area, scout the whole thing. IF you see a stand up, be courteous to that area and search elsewhere. Obviously if you're a scumbag piece of garbage you won't care and youll probably steal the equpiment or  something. But there's enough information out there that will tell you about hunting and HOW TO SCOUT! Now - we now know why our area that started with 2 bucks and a few does is now dead on the cam. Its more infuriating that "oh theres a stand nearby, i'll just walk away from it and put up a ground blind without checking the rest of the area"  The worst part is - there's so much other area to cover to hunt and this guy is smack in the middle of it all. I'm not out there today, but my friend and his father are and they saw you walk-in in your black hoody like a complete clutz. Pay attention.

[Nomad]

Why don't you just post your land to keep the others out?

[FeniQuest217]

1 minute ago, Nomad said:

Why don't you just post your land to keep the others out?

Thats just as inviting honestly in my opinion. The disregard. I hunt public lands and some of the WMA. for the brave souls that leave their equipment up - i stay respectful and keep it moving onward bc thats the right thing to do.

[Slayer1962]

I have done it by accident . I hunt many areas each year i like to change it up so no spot gets burnt out. I set up and hunted about 4 times . I took a doe the week before . 

New season ( permit and i sit over a small bait pile. )  About the fifth time i hunt i see a stick in te middle of my bait pile with a note . It was another hunter that had an old stand in the swamp ( i was just outside the swamp because i try to stay out of the thick stiff and wait. Maybe i should have scouted more but i did not want to disturb the deer just jack up a tree and hunt. Anyhow whomever it was left a nice note something along the lines of you probably did not see my stand its about 100 yards in this direction. I pulled the note and left the area since he said he had been hunting there for years . Plenty of room in the pinelands 

[KBfishing]

Hunting on New Jersey stateland is not Your typical hunting experience. Many times during shotgun I will try to go mobile and hunt Off the beaten path. Unfortunately guys find you and set up directly underneath you thinking that there must be deer here since you put the work in to climb the tree. The world is made up of many different types of people . Nothing you can do about it

Edited November 17, 2021 by KBfishing

[electricstart]

Been in same situation many times hunting county land and state and local land. put a stand even put orange marking tape and here comes fellow hunter with climber and starts climbing 50 yards from you . Usually whistle to let guy know i am there and he moves . I don't even know if he knows you are there . Then you got guys put up stands mark out there spot  and never hunt them . Public land always going to be issues. Just got respect each other  . I try catch guys in lot to get an idea where they are going to be . Now you got walkers ,mountain bikes  , a lot of dogs off leash  to contend with . Winter Bow is nice less hunters and people.

Edited November 17, 2021 by electricstart

[FeniQuest217]

Public land is public lands so i understand it.

Mobile hunting is really being marketed well and is becoming very common, and i also want to get into it but i know to be a successful hunter you familiarize yourself with the area you're hunting. And if you see MULTIPLE stands you don't plop in between them, thats an indication if the area is good, you're going to pressure the deer more and keep them away or your plopping in the middle of what is now a dead zone pending on the year.  if you saw one stand  the way they're positioned its not to hard to miss.

My buddy texted me and he was in his stand a little after 5. This guy walked in at 715 today - no camo either. I think itll get sorted out i think hopefully reasonably.

[deadonshot2]

Put a note on the guys set up and find out if he is a decent guy. I had someone put a stand 40 yds from mine a couple weeks ago. Left note with phone number and it was gone next time I went there. 

I have been scouting a new area this year and found a a nice trail to an area along a swamp/stream. I have been watching it all season. Checking the trail/roadway for any foot prints/ parked vehicles. I have not found any sign of someone actively hunting this area. I set up a camera last saturday. I did not go scout the entire area in case someone was in there so I did not muck up the place on them. I will let my camera take inventory and if I should pursue more scouting and/or setting up a stand.

[Haskell_Hunter]

Leave a nice note.  That will probably resolve the issue.

[MGHunter66]

2 minutes ago, Haskell_Hunter said:

Leave a nice note.  That will probably resolve the issue.

Screw that, leave a nasty note and tell him an ass kicking is on the way

[Woodsman416]

I put up a least a dozen stands on every piece I hunt. No one else hunts there...it's too crowded!

[Haskell_Hunter]

1 hour ago, MGHunter66 said:

Screw that, leave a nasty note and tell him an ass kicking is on the way

Violence only justifies violence.  I am a man of peace and non-violence.

Quote

It would be both cowardly and immoral for you patiently to accept injustice…. But as you continue your righteous protest … be sure that the means you employ are as pure as the end you seek. Never succumb to the temptation of becoming bitter. As you press on for justice, be sure to move with dignity and discipline, using love as your chief weapon. Let no man pull you so low that you hate him. Always avoid violence. If you sow the seeds of violence in your struggle, unborn generations will reap the whirlwind of social disintegration.

--Martin Luther King

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Haskell_Hunter

[Lunatic]

The Problem with multiple stands is you are eliminating areas others could hunt while you can not hunt them all a once. So empty stands are simply place holders while they could be hunted when you are not there. It can get ridiculous, I know a guy with 20 stands on public land. Even in your example, 3 guys took over a stretch of some 500 yards. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Lunatic

[Greybeard]

Leaving stands up doesn't make the land yours.  I don't have a black hoody, but I'm setting up to hunt if I find a good spot and not walking 500yds all around looking for stands.  There are stands left up all over the place where I hunt, never see anybody in them.  Stands get put up in places I've hunted for decades.  I move on if someone else is there in person.  I don't plant a flag in any one spot, and if you want to call me the moron that's fine with me.  

[Slayer1962]

I ALWAYS TRY TO BE NICE FIRST . If that does not work I will put some effort in to ruing the spot by parking myself next to them 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Slayer1962