Rude Hunters

[P6smSKC]

Went to the Paulding Forest hunt this week…

We’ve probably all walked up on someone before and been shined off and had to go find another spot, that’s part of hunting WMA’s….but seems like shining off someone with a flashlight in the dark when they walk in on you, or whistling them off during daylight hours no longer works anymore.

Opening day PF I had a guy walk in on me in the dark, shined him and he turned and set up camp approx 100 yards still within sight. Now thankfully I was successful that morning but I mean, PF is a huge WMA, if someone is already hunting where you were planning on going back all the way out, find another spot, and get there earlier next time.

Same morning my brother had a guy walk in on him and ignore him whistling and set up within sight, and my uncle same morning same thing except the guy set up just over the ridge, not within sight but could still hear him. Next day same area dad had a guy sit on the ground within sight after whistling him off.

I guess my new tactic will be to just get down if I get a rude hunter set up shop within sight distance since it makes both sits pointless and then just start blaring music from my phone loudly as I walk all up and down the ravine while I sing along all morning.

So if you hear music with my awful singing next week at Pinelog, or during the Dec. PF hunt, it’s probably from me and you’re too close

 

[sleepr71]

Turn on Pandora. Crank up the Queen…followed by George Micheal…then go sit close to the offender. Ask if his favorite movie is Brokeback Mountain..??

 

[NCHillbilly]

Don't hunt in the same place as everybody else. I hunt public land a lot. I usually never see another person, because I don't hunt the obvious places.

 

[turkeykirk]

Turn on Pandora. Crank up the Queen…followed by George Micheal…then go sit close to the offender. Ask if his favorite movie is Brokeback Moungain..

Rapp would probably be more effective.

 

[shootemall]

I had a guy on Alatoona once pull up as we were walking into the woods, ask where we were going, and tell my son who was probably about ten at the time and I that we couldn't hunt there because he claimed it with his climber. I told him I was not going to look for a climber, just other hunters who woke up and got there before us. Told him at best if he comes in, we might move 50 yards. He didn't like that response. He didn't come in, but I didn't see a climber either. I agree with OP, first in gets to hunt the area.

 

[rugerfan]

First come first hunts, that is the way it should be. If someone walks in on me, it is public land, and they have a right to be there as much as I do. However, I will make it as annoying as possible for them. Blowing in a grunt call like it is a gazzoo. Turning up the volume and playing songs. Playing the air drums while in the stand! Just the normal hunting activities

 

[spencer12]

If I see someone at the gate I go somewhere else, I’ve been walked in on a couple times but fortunately they either saw me and left, or set up far enough away it didn’t bother me.

 

[tree cutter 08]

I've had a few bad encounters last few years. I think the new YouTube public land hunting shows can be to blame.

 

[bfriendly]

When gates are closed it’s expected that multiple vehicles will be there. Walking in they all should be mindful of each other and move on to another spot. Ive seen many folks at the gate and simply ask where are they going and proceed to let them know my plan of attack! I have only run into folks in the woods a few times. Crazy how y’all ran into so many folks in similar areas. Paulding is a huge place! Y’all must have found the sweet spot and Courtesy has unfortunately gone out the window with a bunch of folks.
Y’all see or kill anything?

 

[spencer12]

If I see someone at the gate I go somewhere else, I’ve been walked in on a couple times but fortunately they either saw me and left, or set up far enough away it didn’t bother me.

 

[P6smSKC]

It’s been a good spot for years and I hike quite a long way from the road to get there. I don’t much like pulling into a place that everyone hunts and then walking 100 yards from the road to be part of the orange connect the dots game…so I find spots that are hard to get to or that you have to hike forever to get to (made for a brutal drag with my buck back to the truck the other day but worth it). I go in much earlier than is needed with the idea that if I’m still and quiet by the time the rest of the hunters show up they push the deer into my area. The last couple years though seems like guys just don’t care about sportsmanship anymore and instead of backing out quietly they think “this is where I was wanting to hunt this morning so I’m staying put.” That’s ok, like stated above it’s public land and I guess if they want to hunt right next to me it’s their right, but instead of seeing deer they’re going to get to see a pretty annoying and pathetic karaoke concert in the woods.

 

[JustUs4All]

I appreciate and empathize with you but is compounding the problem really a good idea?

Ga. Code Ann. § 27-3-151.

 

[dixiecutter]

Went to the Paulding Forest hunt this week…

We’ve probably all walked up on someone before and been shined off and had to go find another spot, that’s part of hunting WMA’s….but seems like shining off someone with a flashlight in the dark when they walk in on you, or whistling them off during daylight hours no longer works anymore.

Opening day PF I had a guy walk in on me in the dark, shined him and he turned and set up camp approx 100 yards still within sight. Now thankfully I was successful that morning but I mean, PF is a huge WMA, if someone is already hunting where you were planning on going back all the way out, find another spot, and get there earlier next time.

Same morning my brother had a guy walk in on him and ignore him whistling and set up within sight, and my uncle same morning same thing except the guy set up just over the ridge, not within sight but could still hear him. Next day same area dad had a guy sit on the ground within sight after whistling him off.

I guess my new tactic will be to just get down if I get a rude hunter set up shop within sight distance since it makes both sits pointless and then just start blaring music from my phone loudly as I walk all up and down the ravine while I sing along all morning.

So if you hear music with my awful singing next week at Pinelog, or during the Dec. PF hunt, it’s probably from me and you’re too close

Whats a ravine?

 

[BeerThirty]

It's the nature of the beast. And it baffles me that some hunters don't care one bit about their mannerisms in the woods.

However, pause to consider there could be a possible reason why the other hunter didn't go far after you shined them...

Could be a kid. Was told to go to spot and stay there by father or mentor.

Could be hunter didn't prepare to run into anyone. Wasn't prepared to find a new spot at risk of getting lost or not know where to adjust to/didn't know lay of the land.

Could be hunter with health issue. Doesn't have the energy to make an adjustment, etc..

Yeah the situation is never fun and it can ruin a hunt but at the end of the day try to treat people with respect and be more understanding.

 

[Glynr]

Beven there before

 

[DAVE]

Whats a ravine?

Drain, ditch, wash, gorge, canyon, holler, etc.

 

[greg j]

I used to hunt Paulding forest when I lived in Hiram. I gave up after a few years because of folks walking in on me. I used to hunt Squirrel a lot and scout for good deer hunting locations at the same time just like everybody else. The gates were always closed for small game. I'd walks as far in as I could during small game, find a good spot and return for deer season. Of course the gates were opened then and every mothers son would drive as far back as they could and walk in on me while deer hunting. I know it's public land but it still gets frustrating.
Finally joined a lease and haven't set foot on public since.
As long as I can afford dues I'll hunt on a lease.

 

[Long Cut]

Youre going to experience it the most during gun hunts.

In my experience the rifle hunters could care less, they found one specific spot and that’s where they’re going regardless.

I hunted the Kurz quota rifle hunt and had a guy setup so close my light on the high beam lit him up. He still proceeded to climb the tree. That happened in 2016, before the YouTube hunters guys like to blame

 

[Jonboater]

Heard some guys got into it with each other on trout stocking road this same hunt. Then two other guys got out of truck one of them fooling around with a pistol and it accidentally went off. Lucky no one hit .

 

[BigBass123]

Same morning my brother had a guy walk in on him and ignore him whistling and set up within sight, and my uncle same morning same thing except the guy set up just over the ridge, not within sight but could still hear him. Next day same area dad had a guy sit on the ground within sight after whistling him off.

Giving the guy the benefit of the doubt on this one, I’d rather be shined at than whistled to. Probably from being around heavy equipment all day, I don’t typically pick up whistling until I’m within 30 yards of someone. The light I know a good ways away to move.

Different story if after he heard the whistle, saw your dad or brother then continued to setup anyways.

When gates are closed it’s expected that multiple vehicles will be there. Walking in they all should be mindful of each other and move on to another spot. Ive seen many folks at the gate and simply ask where are they going and proceed to let them know my plan of attack! I have only run into folks in the woods a few times.

This is the way to do it in my opinion. I hunted one wma in tensenesse that was only a couple hundred of acres with 20 cars in the parking lot, everyone discussed where they were going openly and I believe everyone got to hunt uninterrupted.

In some cases it may have even been beneficial, I.e. 2 guys wanting to hunt the same drainage so they setup on either end. If one guy bumped a deer it likely pushed it to the other guy and vice versa.

I’ve also had a situation where I shined a guy, he proceeded to continue walking down the drainage directly under my stand right on prime time. Whisper to him if he’s going to keep going could he at least swing wide because he was about to walk past a trail connecting a major bedding area to acorns, and was pretty much told sorry but my ladder stand is over there. Didn’t appreciate it but it’s public land so no reason to let it ruin my day.

My worst transgression was accidentally climb a tree directly next to another guy, not even 10’ away in the dark. He didn’t shine me or make any noise at all. I got about 10’ up my tree before realizing there was another hunter staring down at me.

Gave him a wave, climbed down and moved somewhere else.