Hunting partner etiquette

owlman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
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125
Location
Midwest
Just wondering what qualities you fellows look for in a hunting partner. More specifically, do you trust your buddies enough to take them to your honey holes or do you hold out on them. I know from past experience of having some of my best spots burnt out by guys I took who then told somebody else who also told somebody else that I'm pretty discriminating now. If I take you to one of my hot spots, I expect to be with you the next time you go. If you take me to yours, I'm not going back there without you along. How big is your circle of trust?
 
Nobody owns knowledge which can be gained by simple observation nor does anyone own some section of public land just because they saw it before some other person. If you think of some section of the outdoors as "yours" in that way, you'll never hunt with someone like me and I feel sorry for you. Public land is public. Knowledge of the observable is un-ownable.

What I see in y'all that say junk like that is nothing but a foot stomping temper tantrum at not owning something you want to own. It's best to stop that kind of behavior as a child where it belongs.

If I take you to a spot I know of with good game populations, you've thence forward been taken to that spot and now you know about it. I'm not remotely naive or childish enough to think that the shared knowledge won't ever be re-shared or re-used without my expressed consent. Those that do, man do I feel sorry for you. Your life must be such a series of frustrations what with people breathing up your air without asking and all. I mean, exactly where does that sort of mindset find its boundary?

I don't know about you jokers but I've never been in the woods so deep that I see no signs of human presence other than my own. If you think that's how the world works, I got some news for you. Your spot is not a secret. It never was.
 
That wild eyed "me too" weekend warrior bs above ... is why I NEVER ever take anyone other than close family to my hunting areas, and even they don't get the full tour

Have been burned by "buddies" multiple times who later screeched "it's not your land" ... and commenced to bring 40 other guys into a hunting spot for two, trails all torn up, beer cans and trash everywhere, birds and other small game carcasses rotting along trails, live trees chopped and chainsawed down for no real reason, gunfire throughout the day, loud drinking and hellraising parties late into the night

A secret hunting spot is and should be just that .... a secret

I have zero regard to the Socialist mindset of "me too"

Get your own spot
 
Nobody owns knowledge which can be gained by simple observation nor does anyone own some section of public land just because they saw it before some other person. If you think of some section of the outdoors as "yours" in that way, you'll never hunt with someone like me and I feel sorry for you. Public land is public. Knowledge of the observable is un-ownable.

What I see in y'all that say junk like that is nothing but a foot stomping temper tantrum at not owning something you want to own. It's best to stop that kind of behavior as a child where it belongs.

If I take you to a spot I know of with good game populations, you've thence forward been taken to that spot and now you know about it. I'm not remotely naive or childish enough to think that the shared knowledge won't ever be re-shared or re-used without my expressed consent. Those that do, man do I feel sorry for you. Your life must be such a series of frustrations what with people breathing up your air without asking and all. I mean, exactly where does that sort of mindset find its boundary?

I don't know about you jokers but I've never been in the woods so deep that I see no signs of human presence other than my own. If you think that's how the world works, I got some news for you. Your spot is not a secret. It never was.


Couldn't disagree more. I understand that other people can hunt where I hunt but finding these places is the trick and taking the wrong person to "my spot" that I don't own and everyone who wants can hunt there can be disastrous. The wrong person will recruit 10 buddies to scour a previously productive hunting area and absolutely ruin it. I've seen it happen.

Yes, I'm very covetous of those few areas I know that tend to have fewer people and I often find game in. I don't share them with anyone but people I trust completely. Sometimes others find them on their own and they'll ruin it. That's life, I move on and look elsewhere but I try to keep it as good as possible for as long as possible.
 
Only a couple people I will hunt with. Not because I don't want my "spots" taken over but because there is a way I enjoy hunting and those people I hunt with also enjoy to hunt that way.
 
Some times it's not just the spot but how you hunt it to I'm very selective on who I take to certain spots if I show show some one I expect them not to share with anyone I do the same if shown a spot it's no different than having a girl freind and you take her to meet your freind and he try's to make moves on her you would kick his *** some times spots are more precious than your woman don't let my wife know I said that I might be sleeping on the couch lol
 
Not only applies to up on the mountains....
I had a small pond(maybe 35 yard circle) i used to duck hunt while growing up....
I always went by myself..packed a couple decoys and handful of shells...only got birds after someone shot at town pond...always good for two or three birds....
Took two guys(for lack of better names for them) and told them i have had permission to hunt this spot for 15 years..even after the ranch changed hands...and i don't want you coming back here...
Well a couple years down the road the wife of the ranch gave me a bunch of crap in the grocery store about trespassing on her property without asking permission(which the guy said for me to hunt anytime I wanted)also helped I went to same church)...well I waited til she was finished with her rant..and stood right there in front of every person that heard her 'speech' calling me a trespasser and such...i then told her 'Joan..i will let you know a little something... I do know whom has been trespassing on your property..as well as you should'..so you need to shut your mouth until you have enough information and the correct trespassers names....and I haven't hunted that pond in five years'....
And as I originally talked with you and your husband about hunting there I would always call before I went just to let you know I would be there.........she got all red at the collar and face...for she knew without my saying a name whom it was trespassing.....as they did on lots of other people's places.....
 
I have shown up in someone's "secret hunting spot" while hunting, not knowing it's "theirs". This has led to nasty looks, middle fingers thrown and threats of violence etc. This type of behavior is the worst part of hunting and gives hunters a bad reputation. In fact the worst thing I've ever seen hunting was by an outfitter in my area who would place a sign in the middle of the road that read "road closed name of outfitter hunting down this road".
Personally I choose not to share most of the info I garner from scouting and finding spots and like many of you I expect that info to be kept secret if I share it. But if someone else happens upon where I am hunting I see no need to be nasty. JMHO
 
My hunting buddy's include my Brothers and a cousin. That about all I go hunting with. We get along and enjoy the same things. We even go out hunting together even when just one of us has a tag. We help each other pack out the game. Why? Its part of the hunt and its fun to help each other. There can be three to five of us on the hunt But only one tag. The rest are there for the fun of it and to help pack. We view it as a good accuse to get out and camp and enjoy the time together. We have our spots we like. But have found that the spots we like are now getting crowded. That's life. We move on and try to work around it. i have no problems taking others along. Even if they have never hunted. There's only one way to pass the art or sport along and that's to show it. AS far as Honey holes. Like I said we have are spots. But they seem to have been found out by others out hunting as well. I loose no sleep over it. But neither will I go out of my way to invade a spot somebody else is in. Public land is public land. BMA and BLM is just that for the hunter. Public land.

I feel this can also depend on the type of country you live and hunt in. Out here you can see for miles. And the only true honey holes is the posted land. TO many hunter pickup hunt and chase game. I cant stand it. I have had places i could hunt that were posted get un-posted by hunters then they ran through it with pickups. Bad news my friend.
 
That wild eyed "me too" weekend warrior bs above ... is why I NEVER ever take anyone other than close family to my hunting areas, and even they don't get the full tour

Have been burned by "buddies" multiple times who later screeched "it's not your land" ... and commenced to bring 40 other guys into a hunting spot for two, trails all torn up, beer cans and trash everywhere, birds and other small game carcasses rotting along trails, live trees chopped and chainsawed down for no real reason, gunfire throughout the day, loud drinking and hellraising parties late into the night

A secret hunting spot is and should be just that .... a secret

I have zero regard to the Socialist mindset of "me too"

Get your own spot
That's an example of using poor judgement and suffering the consequences. Not an example of any kind of justification for that attitude. Just like the kid that loans out his toys but the lendee is only allowed to play with them the way specified by the lender.
 
I have a group of guys all military that invited me along 2 years ago. This group is unbelievable. Everyone helps set up break down pack out game you name it. We hunt BLM but I would never think of inviting anyone or telling anyone exact locations. I wouldn't even ask them if I could bring someone. We all get along very well but there's one rat we shoot with that keeps wanting to get in our group. I had a problem with him on a hunt & he is no longer in my circle of friends. I let it be known how he was but they were already onto him. Spent a couple weeks this season just helping everyone who had tags. I had none. But what a great time we had!

BW

PS: 4 antelope, 3 muleys, 1 muzzy elk(7x7) & 3 cow elk.
 
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Just wondering what qualities you fellows look for in a hunting partner. More specifically, do you trust your buddies enough to take them to your honey holes or do you hold out on them. I know from past experience of having some of my best spots burnt out by guys I took who then told somebody else who also told somebody else that I'm pretty discriminating now. If I take you to one of my hot spots, I expect to be with you the next time you go. If you take me to yours, I'm not going back there without you along. How big is your circle of trust?
Aside from my immediate family I have 1 friend that is in my circle of trust. Even had to kick some inlaws out of it:)

I started a thread last fall after my elk hunt with some old high school buddies - it was chaos...the details are in the thread, but there was more than one "can I shoot over top of your head" directed towards me from one buddy. I felt like I was in a war zone. You can imagine my response...
 
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