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"Man Laws" of hunting

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Mind is wondering today...what kind of things do you do to other hunters for common courtesy? On the other side of that, what gets your goat going?

Trying to learn something here to make me a better person in the woods. I also lead a few guys and would like to bring this up to them in a group.

To start, I will NOT park next to another truck and go into the woods.

I know this one gets some folks, but I will coordinate with my fellow hunters and hunt their stands. I feel this is better then having multiple stands covering a small area.
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
Communication is my biggest thing. Without that shit can get ugly, fast. Mind you this is only for people who hunt properties with other hunters but landowners should also know what's going on.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I get pissed off with trespassers. Some wave at me from the next property and when they see me setting on my property they walk off with their kids.
Have a guy who has permission to hunt the next property and he walks right through my permitted hunting area. He walks through there on purpose as it has to be the far way around.
Then there was a neighbor who drive through is property shooting a shotgun up in the air to drive off neighbor deer hunters. I mentioned it to the GW and never heard him again.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
We have a group text that works pretty good. It is 6 guys hunting 220 acres...safety comes into play.

I also won't hunt an area I know someone else is hunting the following 2 days.
 

OO2

Well-Known Member
2,566
111
In the Uplands
I will also say communication w/ other guys. I've known of some pretty ugly stuff that has happened (stands being cut down) that has almost shut hunting down on a property for everyone. Also had a guy drive his big, lifted, tow mirror deployed dodge straight through the field a few years ago to go set-up a blind on the neighbors property line. This is after I told him my buddy was tracking a deer that he shot that morning. Guy ended up bumping it out of its bed never to be seen again.

I'm counting on having the piece I hunt to myself again and hope that's how it goes so it doesn't get over pressured.
 

OO2

Well-Known Member
2,566
111
In the Uplands
I think it'd be pretty common sense/practice not to hang up a set in someone else's lap. I've never done public so i don't know. I'd assume the same unwritten rules would apply.
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
You're fortunate. No end to the dumbassery that occurs on public. No common sense or courtesy. Bunch of people raised by wolves, apparently
The few times I've hunted public in the last 5 years I've never ran into too many people, but I'm not there in November either so that could be why. If I see someone's truck parked at a spot I would move on. I have several public spots picked out on my Onx map so it's not like I don't have other choices should I choose to hunt public. I always hunted public when I was a kid and my dad and I never ran into anyone, times have changed.
 
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Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
They certainly have. I try to stay as far away from people as I can and be respectful but it never fails that you think you're alone and here comes someone walking in on you. Just a reflection of society, I guess. It's only very recently that I've had access to semi-private land and the difference is huge
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
And that's the point of this thread. To try and point those things out. Maybe I do some things wrong and just don't know it.

How is someone to know they are walking in on you? What do you do to prevent that?
 

Dustinb80

#FACKCANCER
Supporting Member
18,172
187
S.W. Ohio
The few times I hunted public, once I was set up if someone was walking in, I would flash my light a few times to let them know someone was already in that area. Worked fine.
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
That's the biggest problem with public is that a lot of times they don't know they are and there's nothing you can do about except apologize and move on. It's the ass hats that don't apologize and make and just barge on through after clearly seeing you're there that make it hard. I've certainly unintentionally walked in on people but made every effort to apologize and quickly and quietly move on to another area. The flashlight trick works well before daylight but it's a little trickier once the sun is up. I just try to treat people the way I want to be treated
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I've reduced my hunting down to the 2.5 acres at my house, the 11 behind my parent's house and our 80 acre farm, so my list is short: Trespassers and people who have more than enough room to hunt, but want to crowd the property line, as in sit virtually on top of it. Or when a guy hangs a stand within pissing distance of yours without reaching out to you first. I've gotten know the guys leasing north of us and we communicate regularly. But when that farm went from open to all, to leased, no one bothered to contact us and we are the second largest landowner to border that farm. The guy that sublet it to the guys I talk to, posted our shared lined without truly knowing where that line was. Now I know that line pretty well because my dad, a surveyor, established that line when he sold that portion of our farm to the dairy farmer that now leases it. So the take way is this: If you buy or lease new land, make an effort to know your neighbors. If the guys from NC hadn't done so, Marshall law might cause me to behave ungentlemanly like in the absence...
 

OhioWhiteTails

Senior Member
Supporting Member
8,482
191
Flatlands
When I hunt public I learned where majority of the guys hunted and found escape routes for deer elsewhere. If someone was parked at my initial stand site, I would pick another stand that would work for the wind direction. Having a plan B,C,D is essential. This is where a climber becomes very handy. Have numerous trees picked out and if possible, saved on a GPS. I would use a flashlight to alert others if they were entering an area I was in. During the daylight I always had my orange gun hunting vest in my pack to alert other hunters. I would also use my rattling horns if it appeared the visual indicators were not picked up. Most were courteous enough to about face and leave. Very few would ignore my signals and that's simply something you can't do anything about.
 

bigten05

*Supporting Member*
3,675
151
knox county ohio
like everyone else said communication. ive even seen family that share the land have problems because of lack of communication. another thing i do if i know someone is hunting or running a camera in an area i wont walk near that area or walk around their cameras, ive had pics of people standing in front of my cams multiple times and it irritates me. 90% of the property i hunt i share with people i dont know but when i meet them i always try to introduce myself and help them out if i can, the helping part has bit me in the ass a few times since they started hanging stands within 60 yards of mine or they come in like they own the place and try to take over. so i dont tell anyone much anymore.
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
like everyone else said communication. ive even seen family that share the land have problems because of lack of communication. another thing i do if i know someone is hunting or running a camera in an area i wont walk near that area or walk around their cameras, ive had pics of people standing in front of my cams multiple times and it irritates me. 90% of the property i hunt i share with people i dont know but when i meet them i always try to introduce myself and help them out if i can, the helping part has bit me in the ass a few times since they started hanging stands within 60 yards of mine or they come in like they own the place and try to take over. so i dont tell anyone much anymore.
Totally agree with everything you just said. It's bit me in the ass on the best property I have, therefore I keep my mouth shut other than communicating when I'll be hunting.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
I hunt public land in WV. Our farm is completely surrounded by public. During bow season it is not crowded at all around our 23 acres as we are at the end of a dead end road and allow no parking so the public is a rough walk to get to on that ridge. Rifle season is a different beast. Opening morning isn't bad because the guys in the local cabins communicate and sit the first morning. But by 10:00am the walkers start making their way to that ridge. Most won't even give a wave as they walk within 20 yards. If I happen upon someone I will make every effort to give them room or get completely out of their area.