Hunting Etiquette on Public Land

[Stephen A]

Very new to hunting and I am hunting public land in the state of Georgia for the first time ever.. It is something I have wanted to do, but the thought of it makes me nervous.. My biggest concern is I do not want to disrespect other hunters or the public land, any advice would be helpful going to hunt during archery only and gun season.. What is the easiest way to hunt it when first getting started should I use a tree harness, ground hunt? Any other tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[rwc101]

Just give people some space. Defer to those who are already in their spot. Others won't necessarily extend the same courtesy. Up in a tree or on the ground is more a matter of terrain (and regulations).

 

[SCliving Outdoors]

I hunt alot of public in SC. I very rarely bump into people in the woods. When I do I give a little wave and go the other way. If you park the truck and someone is already there ask them where they are going and go the other way. Im kind and respectful to people and I haven't had an issue. I try to get there early and I don't get beat to a spots. Usually the farther you hike the less competition there is. Honestly, 90% of the hunters aren't going over 300yds from the truck. I do always try to have 2 spots in mind though, if something crazy happens and someone is in there you have another spot.

 

[Stephen A]

I hunt alot of public in SC. I very rarely bump into people in the woods. When I do I give a little wave and go the other way. If you park the truck and someone is already there ask them where they are going and go the other way. Im kind and respectful to people and I haven't had an issue. I try to get there early and I don't get beat to a spots. Usually the farther you hike the less competition there is. Honestly, 90% of the hunters aren't going over 300yds from the truck. I do always try to have 2 spots in mind though, if something crazy happens and someone is in there you have another spot.

I hunt alot of public in SC. I very rarely bump into people in the woods. When I do I give a little wave and go the other way. If you park the truck and someone is already there ask them where they are going and go the other way. Im kind and respectful to people and I haven't had an issue. I try to get there early and I don't get beat to a spots. Usually the farther you hike the less competition there is. Honestly, 90% of the hunters aren't going over 300yds from the truck. I do always try to have 2 spots in mind though, if something crazy happens and someone is in there you have another spot.

Thank you for the help.. I do not mind going farther in the woods than everyone else, especially since my greatest concern with hunting public land is disturbing other hunters. Can't disturb them if I am the deepest one in the woods lol

 

[drexal]

Very new to hunting and I am hunting public land in the state of Georgia for the first time ever.. It is something I have wanted to do, but the thought of it makes me nervous.. My biggest concern is I do not want to disrespect other hunters or the public land, any advice would be helpful going to hunt during archery only and gun season.. What is the easiest way to hunt it when first getting started should I use a tree harness, ground hunt? Any other tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

A lot of this depends on when/where you're hunting; each WMA/national forest has their own rules and seasons so study up on where you want to go. You're not likely to run into a lot of hunters during archery season at most Georgia WMAs. Be aware that there are certain gun hunts that are limited to quota selection. Also, any gun hunt that is considered a "bonus" hunt will usually have a high number of hunters.

Deciding on whether to hunt from the ground or tree depends a lot on the area. Some places have openings and hilly terrain which makes ground or still hunting possible. In other areas you can't see 10 feet in front of you and hunting from a tree stand is best. If you are hunting from a tree, always wear a harness.

If you know where you are going, send me a message and if I've been there, I might be able to better help you.

 

[Werty]

Don't be afraid to ask people where they are going, so you can go the other way.

 

[Jeremyc_1999]

I think the sheer fact that your are asking the question will ensure that you will be fine. I would not be afraid to talk to people (quietly of course) at trailheads/parking areas, etc. Be mindful of where people are hunting. If someone beats you to a spot let them have it and get up earlier next time. Be aware of the wind. It can be very frustrating when someone blows out game in an area you are hunting because they are not aware of the wind or noisy.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Your in for a real treat in Georgia on Public Land. Best of luck in not pulling your hair out. Just saying.

 

[noharleyyet]

Ran into a group in SW CO during my first elk hunt...4 guys slaving a rubber tired game cart with a cow strapped down and 1 dude with a rifle loudly mushing the crew. I envisioned how the pyramids were built and Deliverance simultaneously. Two way radio traffic that made ya cringe. Etiquette was nowhere in sight. Good on you OP, for asking.

 

[geetar]

As a general rule of thumb if you are taking the time to consider what might be improper etiquette you probably aren’t gonna be a problem. It’s those who never consider others have to worry about. I second what one other poster said. Find a couple spots and if you walk into an area and bump into a hunter just back out and go to another area. That happened to me last year. Seems to happen a lot on smaller tracts in the south. Roads come in form different sides so it’s tough to know for sure that no one is there just because there isn’t a truck where you parked.

 

[3855WIN]

I’d hunt from the ground in the NW Georgia mountains, especially during rifle season. Good luck and report back.
Way back in isn’t always best. I’ve heard car horns honking at deer in the road. Picked up bow and killed that deer shortly thereafter.

 

[FLS]

Im in SC and will second, most folks arent far from the truck. If you have to cross some watwr, youll probably have the place to yourself.

 

[noharleyyet]

Hunted out of Platoro, CO....the washboard road from the asphalt to the small cluster of homes, the Lodge, and the Platoro Reservoir is about 25 or so miles off Hwy 285. Maybe a mile or so from the community (back toward 285) I counted 20 vehicles parked and probably 40 hunters standing in the slopeside ditch, rifles slung, glassing the mountain.

 

[Boarmaster]

I hunt private primarily but I go to a hunt in Ohio every year on federal forest land. It not as crowded as when I started up there 30 years ago. Back in the day you just tried your best to get in the woods early and get a spot where you didnt see any orange hats. On the first day that was tough but by the third day hunters thinned out. I learned when hunting there to accept that I was going to get walked over by other hunters. I did well hunting escape routes and in places that other guys didnt really hunt. The first year I hunted a spot I thought was a natural funnel. Everyone sort of scoffed at the spot as it was a place above where three roads came together. I killed 3 deer in three days. I did the same thing for the next five years.
I learned deer didnt mind running across them roads to get to the thickets when they was getting shot at by 300 hunters from daylight to dusk. The added plus was it was short downhill drag to the road for an easy deer retrieval.

 

[RobertD]

Where you going? North GA? I'll be up that way in a week or two around Helen to do some fishing and goofing off

 

[Pucky Freak]

I wasted a lot of time sitting in trees before I understood deer behavior well enough to know where the productive spots were. I encourage you to be mobile during bow season with the goal of identifying feeding and bedding areas. When you think you have a good ambush spot, try hunting it from the ground in the evening. If it doesn’t pan out, pick another likely location the next day, and keep moving until you hit pay dirt. Hanging a stand is the last step - giving you an advantage at a known productive location.

When you bump into another hunter, back up and make a very wide detour around them, like a good 200 yards or more if you can still see them from that distance.

 

[np307]

In deer season, avoiding being disrespectful is as simple as not hunting right on top of someone. Conversations in the parking lot can help with that, as well as just moving on quickly and quietly if you run across another hunter.

Farther from the truck isn't always better. The most important thing is always being where the deer are. That might be 500 yards from the parking lot, that might be a couple miles back. It all depends. My experience is that finding deer in the Southeast isn't that tough. Finding big, mature bucks is difficult, but deer in general are all over. Killing them is different than finding them, but habitat tends to support a lot of deer.

Don't be afraid to hunt from the ground and try a lot of different spots. I've got a couple stands put up this year but it will be the first in several years that I've been elevated on game lands. There are some spots where it doesn't work, but I prefer being mobile and bouncing around. I also have implemented a rule in the past that I wouldn't hunt the same place more than twice in a row. Helps a lot at maintaining an accurate picture of all of your spots.

Remember that the way deer will use the terrain you're hunting will change drastically from the beginning of the season to the end. If you're sitting the same area from September to December, you're probably wasting time.

 

[shannerdrake]

Don't overthink it too much. You have a right to be there too. If you see someone where you are going, go somewhere else. If someone is walking in on you, make your presence known and they will likely go somewhere else. If they don't, move on, you don't want to be there any more any way. Anyone who set's up on someone frankly isn't a good enough hunter to hunt around. I doubt they are playing the wind or being aware of their surroundings.

Wear lots of hunter orange, particularly when walking. I like to carry an extra vest too that I put on the animal when I am packing out. Also, get a headlamp that has a red/green light and when moving through the dark or low light, have the red or green light on. Nothing to be afraid of, but a little extra precaution is pretty cheap and a good idea.

I doubt I will be able to find it, but there was an article I read a few years back that did a study of several public land spots in the East. Utilizing GPS tracking, the study concluded something like 90% of all hunter movement was within .5 miles of a road.

In short, you don't have to be 5 miles deep (maybe not possible in GA public land) to get away from everyone and just because there are vehicles in the lot doesn't mean you are going to bump into them if you are putting in some boot work.

Good luck and go hunting!

 

[WATERMAG]

Can't disturb them if I am the deepest one in the woods lol

Not necessary true, you have to get back there somehow, and there is a possibility that the path you take brings you right past other hunters. As others have said a little respect and small conversation (at the trail head) go a long way. If you run into some one while they are set up already don't walk over to them just to ask where they are hunting because it is where they are sitting.

You should be fine, don't be nervous, you pay taxes on the land just like everyone else.

 

[Harrier]

Several years ago I found these suggestions on another forum:

1. Whoever gets to the spot first gets to claim it. There are no "reserving" spots. If someone else gets a spot you wanted, move on quietly.

2. If someone comes into an area where you're set up, quietly let him/her/them know you're already there BEFORE they unload their gear and get set up.

3. Entering, exiting, moving around, building blinds etc. should be done before shooting hours, after shooting hours or in the middle of the day. Try not to disturb other hunters in the hours just after sunrise or just before sunset.

4. Set up well away from walking paths and entry points.

5. I don't ask anyone else where they're planning to hunt, and I don't expect to reveal to anyone else where I'm planning to hunt.

6. That said, if I see you around and you need a hand, I'm willing to help you track, field dress and/or drag out your deer.