“My” Spots

[BRI]

I routinely tell people where other people hunt. Keeps them out of "My spots" Ok maybe not.

After hunting this year, a guy I've worked with for 20 years asked how the hunting was. He knows the general areas I hunt so I told him it was terrible and didn't see a thing. An hour later I hear him talking on the phone to someone telling them I said the hunting was terrible and haven't seen or heard anything. I laughed and thought....that's why I don't say anything.

 

[Gr8bawana]

My brother and i spent countless weekends over 15-20 years out in the hills just taking dirt roads to see where they went. We found many "secret" spots this way. Of course there were signs of other hunters but we rarely saw anyone. There is no way I would show others these places without a promise to keep them secret, that's just the way it is.
I've had people ask me where they should go hunting for chukar or quail or big game but I figure if they're not willing to put in the time to go do some exploring, tough tamales.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

I told him it was terrible and didn't see a thing.

This. I never see anything when folks get to chatting in a parking lot or on a trail.

 

[Jim/Wa]

I of course, also disagree....So some stuff I keep to myself.

Glad to hear that. My offer still stands for next year then

The ground is public, the information is not. When it comes to "spots" the value is in the information.
If that information was learned through sacrificing ones time then they are the ones who decide how valuable it is.

Gas money, time away from family, miles hiked, Friday night parties or Sundays sleeping in next to a good woman.
What are these things worth to you?

You stole the words right off of my keyboard. It may be public land but sharing hard learned/earned information has implications.

 

[mtmuley]

Now the wolves... They have been the party poopers to my tenured spots - though t'is what t'is.

Got wolves in my spot too. I didn't tell them about it. I just work around them. Haven't thrown an elk tag away In a long, long time. I do however, hate when someone parks in my spot. mtmuley

 

[dirtclod Az.]

My "honeyhole" burned /2yrs better than ever.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Glad to hear that. My offer still stands for next year then.

Ha! Yeah, the ‘Land of Abundant Giants’ will be safe with me. This isn’t a grey area for me. A lot of guys on here have echoed what I was thinking. I was just getting so annoyed by Rogan’s vehemence that it was selfish and silly to want to protect your spots that I couldn’t quite articulate why I disagreed with him.

I was talking with my wife (who isn’t interested in hunting) about it and I think she said it best, “Would you be breaking the law? No. Would you be a dick? Yeah.” Betraying a friend’s trust for whatever reason is plain lowdown.

 

[LCH]

Many here have already expressed how I feel on the issue. Rogan is a new hunter, he lives in the city and takes maybe 2-3 plush guided trips per year. It's not a lifestyle to him, and I doubt it means anything near to him what it does to most people on this site. I wouldn't be surprised if he's not even hunting any more a decade from now.

 

[JLS]

“Would you be breaking the law? No. Would you be a dick? Yeah.” Betraying a friend’s trust for whatever reason is plain lowdown.

Wisdom right there. Rogan would think differently if it was his ox getting gored.

 

[belly-deep]

I’d venture to guess that Rogan has never found a hunting spot on his own.

I’d also like to to see the response if he asked Rinella if he could give the GPS coordinates of Steve’s hunting spots on the podcast.

 

[Zach]

First off, Joe should stick the things he knows best, pot and setting up a cage match with Wesley Snipes....

I dont begrudge anyone who finds their own way and meets me in the woods on publoc land. But if you are unwilling to find special spots on your own, then do you really belong out there and are you really part f the brotherhood? BigFin doesnt give out his spots on public land, and I dont see him as any lesser of a hunter.

Frankly, any fool with a microphone can say what he wants. I wont give him an audience.

This isn't directly pointed at Randy, but in general several TV hosts. While they don't give out the exact spot, there are locations that will be known by several if you pay attention to the visual clues. It the modern era, it's not rocket science finding a location you just saw a 1/2 spot on.

 

[mplane72]

I heard that podcast too. It's obvious he doesn't really understand the issue and is confusing the "code" that applies when a buddy shows you a great spot he found with A holes that try to claim a piece of public as their own and run off anyone else that happens to stumble on it.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I’d venture to guess that Rogan has never found a hunting spot on his own.

I’d also like to to see the response if he asked Rinella if he could give the GPS coordinates of Steve’s hunting spots on the podcast.

Obviously I'm not aware of every single spot Rogan has hunted but just going off MeatEater and his instagram they have all been either private (Duran Farm, Steve's Friend in CA, private Ranch with Cam Hanes) or pieces of public that are so vast and inaccessible that even if you gave everyone the exact GPS coordinates it wouldn't matter (Prince of Wales island, Missouri Breaks... also was skunked on POW and got a tiny buck on the latter ...)

Rogan has never been to a public land honey hole or found one himself, so he really doesn't have any experience with a place that has great opportunity, but that would be ruined if even 3 people knew it's location. Also Rogan will likely never hunt a piece of public land twice, I can guarantee he is never going back to the breaks or to that mt of POW island.

Further, while I personally understand people's spots being sacrosanct, because my wife and I have moved a bunch and because I'm curious and find pioneering new spots to be part of the allure of hunting I have never hunted the same unit or at least the same place in a unit more than once. Therefore, as long as I didn't find the spot based on a tip from someone else I will readily share that spot with others because I never plan on going back... in this respect I understand why Rogan might feel the way he does about public land spots.

 

[Western Traveler1]

The phrase "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for life" comes to mind. I've introduced a lot of guys to hunting. I
am more than happy to share what I have learned over the years but I've also learned some hard lessons over time that not everyone honors the unwritten rules I learned in my youth. Will I take a trusted friend to a "Honey Hole?" Yes, but I am very selective based on their character. Also seldom did I ever find a place that there weren't signs of others.
I like my friends to be successful but they have to work at it as well.
When I fished commercially I had "secret spots" on the ocean that I could milk for years turned into deserts because I helped friends that were struggling.

 

[oldschool.06]

I love Rogans podcast he is good for the sport over all . I also 100% disagree with him about secret spots . His issue is he's new to hunting and has had tons of help along the way . If he grew up hunting and spending major time perfecting his own spots he would feel different . I wont hold him to the fire over his ignorance though . I knew he was wrong the minute I heard the argument with Dudley . I haven't even been hunting very long and I already have my little nooks and crannys that I have claimed as my own and I'd be bummed if I showed a friend and he took someone to my spots .

 

[Rzrbck918]

I dont even tell my wife about my preferred "cant miss" locations. If we don't work out, that vengeful heifer would probably join HT to post lat long coordinates.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I dont even tell my wife about my preferred "cant miss" locations. If we don't work out, that vengeful heifer would probably join HT to post lat long coordinates.

May I suggest a bit more work on bettering your relationship with "that vengeful heifer" ?

 

[npaden]

May I suggest a bit more work on bettering your relationship with "that vengeful heifer" ?

He's just following Samson's example in Judges Chapter 14:18.

Samson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.”

Giving up "cant miss" locations could be considered similar to giving the answer to a riddle.

 

[Gerald Martin]

That heifer of Samson's led to him getting his eyes gouged out..... but I digress.

 

[Rzrbck918]

He's just following Samson's example in Judges Chapter 14:18.



Giving up "cant miss" locations could be considered similar to giving the answer to a riddle.

^Truth.