Public Land Conundrum

[brymoore]

A not so hypothetical question.

A friend and you hunt a new public land spot together a few years ago. You help the friend kill a buck and help pack it out. Friends biggest buck so far. Neither of you have been back since.

Friend has a lot of free time and spends it scouting several locations including that particular spot. Sends you pics of the animals which is normal. He says one of the bucks at the spot is his target buck. You don’t care as you’re going to hunt another location at another date.

However, you get lucky and grab a leftover tag! Instead of a general hunt with 4k people, you have a tag a week before the general with 100 people! Hooray! Right?

Friend is pissed. The tag is for the unit with the spot. Tag holder admits he going to hunt the spot as it’s the only location he’s hunted in the unit and it’s a good location. Friend claims the spot and the target buck. Lots of you better not…. Anger going both ways.

Who’s right? Can you claim a piece of public ground as your own and specifically an animal on public ground?

 

[seeth07]

You need a new friend. A good friend would be ecstatic that you got the tag and can now join him so you both can focus on this target buck and figure out a way how between the two of you, you can position and set up for at least one of you to get the tag on the buck.

 

[ignorethefringes]

You need a new friend. A good friend would be ecstatic that you got the tag and can now join him so you both can focus on this target buck and figure out a way how between the two of you, you can position and set up for at least one of you to get the tag on the buck.

This

 

[Wyhunter]

This is why I hunt alone. Only time I ever regret it is when a bull hits the ground 4 miles deep.

 

[seeth07]

I learned not too long ago that hunting is way more enjoyable when you take in everything else about the hunt beyond the kill. Your friend is clearly at the point of his hunting career where its all about the kill and big racks. Going from doing this on your own to having a buddy to share it with should have brought you closer together, not further apart.

 

[WildWill]

I would consider myself pretty lucky to have lost such a "friend". Oh and I'd go kill that buck then send them a pic.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I’d say the original hunt is the last time I would have hunted with “friend”.

 

[mtmuley]

I’d say the original hunt is the last time I would have hunted with “friend”.

Yep. I have friends that have helped me pack elk out that that wouldn't dream of hunting the area. And I don't hunt their spots. Good friends are earned. mtmuley

 

[Nick87]

Good friends are earned

Yup. Far and few between even further when it comes to hunting.

 

[DFS]

This is why you don’t hunt with friends. Unless they are vested. Keep 1 or 2 of them let the rest struggle

 

[BuzzH]

Public land spots are sort of interesting.

The way I work it is pretty simple. If I'm shown a spot by a friend, I don't go back unless:

1. I'm invited back.
2. I call ahead of time and make sure its OK.

I expect the same from people I take to some of my public land spots. Been burned a couple times and I just don't hunt with those folks anymore. Don't hate them or anything, just know they can't be trusted.

The last thing I would ever do is hunt a place someone showed me without letting them know.

 

[HappyCamper]

I agree with what others are saying but a few important things to consider are 1) how good of a friend is this and 2) who was responsible for the location on the first hunt? If you showed him the spot and now he acts like you can’t hunt it that would rub me the wrong way. If he showed you the spot, I personally would show some deference. It’s not anyone’s spot but I only take a friend to my public spots if we have a clear understanding that I’d feel betrayed if they hunted it without me. May not be a popular opinion, but if someone doesn’t like it, I don’t hunt with them.

 

[Gellar]

I had trail cam pictures of a big whitetail buck. I already had 2 stands in place, I chose to hunt one stand and a family friend said he’d hunt the other. He shot the buck. The buck ended up being a booner. I don’t really care.

 

[perma]

I can see it both ways. He spent the time finding that buck and feels you’re just gonna take it from him.

You hunted it with him in the past and maybe felt it’s an unsaid agreement that it’s okay to go there.

I can’t relate cuz I don’t have a “spot”. But if I did, I don’t know that I’d care that someone else went in there. I don’t really want a “spot”, I feel like you’re a better hunter finding animals in different spots. Would be nice to have an “easy button” though.

Idk, don’t listen to me.

Edit: as I read what I just wrote and think a little harder, I’d probably ask if it was okay to go there. There’s a level of respect I’d have for a man that found a decent animal for me to just go hike in and tag out.

Again, don’t listen to me.

 

[DFS]

Public land spots are sort of interesting.

The way I work it is pretty simple. If I'm shown a spot by a friend, I don't go back unless:

1. I'm invited back.
2. I call ahead of time and make sure its OK.

I expect the same from people I take to some of my public land spots. Been burned a couple times and I just don't hunt with those folks anymore. Don't hate them or anything, just know they can't be trusted.

The last thing I would ever do is hunt a place someone showed me without letting them know.

The way I have seen it work they just creep on it, or treat it as their own. Unless someone has something to offer don’t take them hunting. Sucks but it’s best to tell everyone it came off of highly regulated private with no access. Or Gallatin county. I like that one.

 

[TheTone]

I’m like many others that I try not to burn my friends and vice versa on spots. One of my good friends and I hunt the same unit for elk yearly and we go out of the way to avoid each others spots and we really only know them through vague reference

I’m super protective of an area a group of friends and I hunt every year. Other people have tried to invite themselves to our camp and others have been asked to be brought in a one the answer has always been no. We worked hard to learn the area and have been super successful with a great camp dynamic that I would hate to see ruined

That said in your case I’d go hunt that buck or at least the same general area if you want; if for no other reason that his reaction to you simply having a tag for the area

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Not many, but this time I completely agree with Buzzard. It’s how I was taught and I just expect everyone is supposed to act the same way.

 

[brymoore]

As to who found the spot is up for debate. He claims he found it. I remember looking at maps together and me saying no way to several spots and saying let’s look at these spots. We agreed to one and backpacked in together, neither having been there before. I don’t think either of us can claim it and we’ve done this on several other spots in the past.

My thought on public land is if I don’t want anyone else to hunt a spot, I don’t take anyone there. I do have a few of these spots. If I take you somewhere, I’m not going to get mad if you show up there later but I might not show you anymore spots.

On the reverse. I have enough spots I don’t have to steal other people’s spots.

 

[perma]

I can see it both ways. He spent the time finding that buck and feels you’re just gonna take it from him.

You hunted it with him in the past and maybe felt it’s an unsaid agreement that it’s okay to go there.

I can’t relate cuz I don’t have a “spot”. But if I did, I don’t know that I’d care that someone else went in there. I don’t really want a “spot”, I feel like you’re a better hunter finding animals in different spots. Would be nice to have an “easy button” though.

Idk, don’t listen to me.

Edit: as I read what I just wrote and think a little harder, I’d probably ask if it was okay to go there. There’s a level of respect I’d have for a man that found a decent animal for me to just go hike in and tag out.

Again, don’t listen to me.

Ok edit again: you both now have a tag for this unit? Why don’t you both go together again and let him shoot the buck he scouted for, and go shoot a bigger one and the same spot? Or am I misunderstanding?

 

[brymoore]

Ok edit again: you both now have a tag for this unit? Why don’t you both go together again and let him shoot the buck he scouted for, and go shoot a bigger one and the same spot? Or am I misunderstanding?

No. One hunt is a controlled hunt, another is general season. Different dates.

If we had the same tag we’d go together and I’d let him shoot the buck.

I’m personally hoping I find a bigger buck before I get pissed and shoot his out of vengeance.