“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Those were the first words that came to mind, when I heard the first “hoot flute” pop off back up the trail near my truck. I had arrived an extra hour early to beat any other hunters to this little slice of public land. I assumed my truck parked at the gate would be enough to ward off any other hunters.
It was not. Another hunter showed up late, and was now going through every locator call in his vest, doing his best to elicit a response from the birds that had been gobbling well before daylight.
If he would have slowed down and paid attention, he would have heard the birds gobbling. I assume he was too busy shuffling through his calls to hear the birds sounding off. Regardless, here he came down the trail, hootin’ and crowin’ nearly every step of the way.
With binos in hand, I looked back to see that the hunter seemed to be following my boot tracks down the muddy trail, right to my location. The idea of walking up on another hunter, or spooking a turkey off the roost as the day was breaking never seemed to cross his mind. That is, until he finally closed in and sent birds scattering from the roost in every direction.
A few moments later, we met up on the trail. “Did you see all those turkeys?” he said with great excitement. His ignorance confirmed his newness to the game. Despite being considerably older than me, I knew he was a rookie to the turkey woods.
I did my best to stay calm and help him better understand why the birds were now scattered out across the neighboring farms. The guy simply didn’t know what he was doing. There are countless hunters that’ll behave the same way each spring on public land.
Some out of ignorance, and others because they just don’t care. Regardless of which side you’re on, here’s a look at some choices to make when you find yourself hunting on crowded public land.
Were You the First One There?
Public land is just that – public. It’s open to everyone. But that doesn’t mean that everyone should hunt it. The unwritten rule for hunting public land is that the first hunter to arrive typically gets to call the shots on where he or she will be hunting.
A wise man once said, “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” Keep that in mind when you roll up to a parking lot and find that another hunter beat you to the spot.
At this point, your Plan A takes a back seat to the plans of the first hunter to arrive. It doesn’t matter what you did last year, heard last week, or even planned out yesterday.
Today is a new day. You’re hunting public land. And if you’re not the first one to the property, you need not plan on calling the shots, or attempting to “guide” the hunter that beat you to the spot. If you can’t work together, then move along to the next spot.
How Big is the Property?
Another item to consider is the size of the property. How big is it?
If you pull up to a 100-acre chunk of public land and there’s another truck already there, you need to move on and find another tract of land with more opportunity.
A hundred acres is enough ground to handle several deer hunters at one time, but it’s not enough room to roam when it comes to chasing turkeys.
Small tracts with 500 acres or less are easily covered by one hunter. Multiple hunters on the same ground will find all the hunters hearing and moving on the same birds.
It’s incredibly frustrating, and it’s not very safe. If there’s already another hunter on a small property, keep moving and find another opportunity.
Do You Know Where the Hunter is Headed?
If you’re hunting a spot with thousands of acres that can easily handle several hunters, you may have the chance to make a play. But you still need to know where the other hunter is headed. Again, they beat you to the spot.
If the other hunter is still in the parking lot when you pull up, talk with them about their plans. Let them know you want to make all efforts to avoid anything that would interfere with their hunt. Work together as hunters. Unfortunately, we tend to have the mindset of other hunters being the enemy when we pull up to a crowded parking lot. Remember, we’re on the same team.
Do you know where the other hunter will be? Your job is to ensure that you don’t blow up their hunt. If you can’t confirm where that hunter is, or will be, your best move is to get back in the truck and head elsewhere. You don’t want to be the guy that walks in on another hunter and jeopardizes their opportunity.
Remember, at the end of the day, it’s just a bird. It’s not worth making stupid decisions, blowing your character, or acting foolish toward another hunter. Work together. When possible, consider hunting together. We’re on the same team – even when it comes to hunting on public land.
