Another "What would you do"

[Basser15]

After reading Coues'n'Sheeps post about they guy who left the note reminded me of a situation that I ran into on my elk hunt last year.

 

One afternoon my buddies and I were driving to one of our areas that we had scouted and as we drove by a tank that is right next to this two track road there was a guy in a ground blind set on the bank. We continue driving and a little ways down the road was his buddy who must have dropped him off at the tank. Next to his truck was a yellow sign the read "Hunter on Stand: Please be courteous"....or something to that effect. We wave to this other guy and keep on our way and my buddies and I started talking about the idea of these guys putting up that sign. We weren't really for or against it, we just hadn't ever seen that yet, heard of people doing it, just hadn't seen it in person.

 

Fast forward a couple mornings and as we were driving into an area we decided we wanted to chase a bull that we had seen the last two days by a different tank about a 1/2 mile from where we had seen those two hunters. It was pretty early and well before sun up when I almost ran over that dang yellow sign that was in the middle of the road a good ways from this tank. We sat there for a little bit and kind of pondered what to do but we figured that this guy had gotten up even earlier than we had so we would turn around and head to a different spot. But before I could turn around a set of headlights came up behind us and the truck pulled up next to us. We rolled down the window and the guy greeted us with "Hey, I hunted this tank last night and I'm gonna hunt this tank again today so I hope you guys don't mind." Then drove right on past us. At that point I was pretty ticked...I had a couple of ideas as to what I wanted to do but decided to hunt elk instead.

 

Later in the morning as we were glassing we saw the same guy driving around and checking out some other water holes so we figured he was done with that spot. On the map it showed that the road leading to the tank from that morning continued up onto the ridge behind it so we decided we wanted to check it out. Well wouldn't you know that by the time we got back to it around lunch time he was parked there once again with that same damned sign. At this point I didn't really care and proceeded to drive past his truck to access that road on the other side of the tank. Well once we reached the tank it became apparent that the road on the map didn't really exist and we reached a dead end at the tank with the guy sitting in his ground blind waving us to go away. As we turned around to head back I sort of felt bad but at the same time I was still pretty PO'd from that guy leaving those signs out overnight and stooping us from hunting the area that we had planned on that morning.

 

We never did see him again but the whole situation just left a bad taste in my mouth for several reasons...

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

 

Yeah.... I'd be ticked too.... that is crap....

 

I would never put out a sign but if I am hunting at the end of the road I try to park my quad/ranger in an obvious way hopping those who know the area will know that I have beaten them there and that they might stop short and turn around. The guys I hate more than anyone are the dummies driving around road hunting when people are hunting the tanks in the evening....

[minguscoues]

ran into that sign bullcrap myself in unit 8 awhile back. come to find out it was a uso guide. he had that sign up most of the season. we also saw a quad from the same camp in a wilderness area, no plates to report though, or else i would have. what ticks me off is that some guys think that they can reserve an area the whole season.

[Basser15]

Oh, and one little detail that I forgot to mention. The man who who setting up the sign when we first ran into this group was the president of the Arizona Bowhunters Association.

[Switchback]

I have also seen the same thing from a USO guide but the sign also mentioned filming is currently in progress. Needless to say I used them to my advantage!

[elkaholic]

hello - It wasn't too long ago - just a parked truck on a side road was enough of a hint that a hunter was probably in the area - now a days forget it - I don't mind the sign as long as its put up before he enters and after he leaves an area ! I actually appreciate the signs put out by out duck hunters on lakes so I know not to disturb their hunting blinds - but here agin as long as they are present !

 

I don't think a lot of hunters can accept the idea of a posted sign stating - I'm hunting here - please be courtious , i was here first and please try another spot.

I was sitting a secluded tank one evening for 3 hrs. my truck is parked on the only rd leading to the tank -1/2 mile away . I had at least a dozen people actually pull up and get out of their trucks to look for sign - right up to and including prime time shooting hrs. I don't think a sign would have made any difference - maybe but i doubt it !

 

Like I stated in a previous post - even camping spots are in demand. most of us don't get drawn every yr. but we usually camp in the exact same spot yr. in and yr. out - Now if you are smart ,you'd better reserve it by going up 1-2 weeks ahead of season and set-up camp- leave a trailer or tents a spare truck anything ! If you don't i 'll pretty much guarente it's been taken . Just like tanks/waterholes the good ones get taken first come first serve

 

I wonder how long someone's posted sign would last at my favorite camping spot before elk season - About as long as it would take to start my campfire - lol -- Gary

[RAM]

I agree with posting a sign but with some hunter ethics to go with it. If your going to put up a sign, it must be detailed as to where you are, and you must take it down after each sitting. It can't just read "Hunter in area", it should be "Hunter at water tank, 1/2 mile up road" or something. The hunter hanging the sign also must understand that if someone else beats he or she to that spot the next day, then they must respect that aswell. They also must understand that if they are hunting an area that is infected with roads and or hunters then the chances of their spot being quite is slim.

 

I think the sign is a good idea aslong as it is used the right way.

 

-Ryan

[desertdog]

I agree with posting a sign but with some hunter ethics to go with it. If your going to put up a sign, it must be detailed as to where you are, and you must take it down after each sitting. It can't just read "Hunter in area", it should be "Hunter at water tank, 1/2 mile up road" or something. The hunter hanging the sign also must understand that if someone else beats he or she to that spot the next day, then they must respect that aswell. They also must understand that if they are hunting an area that is infected with roads and or hunters then the chances of their spot being quite is slim.

 

I think the sign is a good idea aslong as it is used the right way.

 

-Ryan

 

I agree, I don't have a problem with a sign but you have to be detailed. If you just post it and expect people to stay out of the whole area then your fooling yourself. If I want to hunt an area past a water hole and I know that there is someone at the waterhole then I will find a way around his spot that wont disturb him. But its foolish to think that people will or should abandon a wide spread area just because a hunter is sitting on water.

 

Above all else I think we should use common sense and common courtesy when hunting. In short respect each other and not push your way in or think you can reserve a spot for days on end.

 

[youngbuck]

When I was younger I made a sign that said "hunter on stand". I used it one weekend archery hunting when I was on a tank that was on a 2 tracker road that went in between two more traveled roads. I took the sign down when I wasnt there. I was dropped off at the tank and only used it so I wouldnt get guys walking the tank looking for tracks. I knew guys were gonna drive by and some still walk around it. I was trying to just let people know some one was on the tank. The sign was as close to the water as it could be while still on the two tracker. I feel pretty bad when I walk up on a water hole underneath a guy in a treestand. The problem is when people abuse it, like having their sign up to "claim" his territory. Its wong to have a sign up when you aren't there. My sign worked, people drove by, but nobody with a dog came walkin around the tank or anything. My golden rule applies to all situations: Don't be a "Dipstick"

[king4wd]

I used the sign method during my pop's cow elk hunt in 10 last year. Put the sign up as we hiked in and pulled it as we went out. Only on dead end roads though. If it's a "Through Road" then all's fair. It's public land and we need to be respectful to one another. Don't even get on topic of USO.....

[johnnie blaze]

When I was younger I made a sign that said "hunter on stand". I used it one weekend archery hunting when I was on a tank that was on a 2 tracker road that went in between two more traveled roads. I took the sign down when I wasnt there. I was dropped off at the tank and only used it so I wouldnt get guys walking the tank looking for tracks. I knew guys were gonna drive by and some still walk around it. I was trying to just let people know some one was on the tank. The sign was as close to the water as it could be while still on the two tracker. I feel pretty bad when I walk up on a water hole underneath a guy in a treestand. The problem is when people abuse it, like having their sign up to "claim" his territory. Its wong to have a sign up when you aren't there. My sign worked, people drove by, but nobody with a dog came walkin around the tank or anything. My golden rule applies to all situations: Don't be a "Dipstick"

thats_think__n_with_your_dipstick_Jimmy.bmp

[narrox]

The intent of the sign is to be informative, "I'm on a stand, glassing etc. at "X" location close to here. I think it is a good idea but there are limits. The person who thinks that they can reserve an select area for five days is wrong, if they are in it first and don't leave it is still first come fist serve, but anything else is out of line. It comes back to being respectful of the other guys hunt. We all know that every tank will have hunter activity, or that the prime fly way will have hunters under it, the game passage will have hunter coverage, but in the old cliche "move your feet lose your seat"

 

Now do you see the sign and assume that the hunter is present ? Or, think some wiseguy is trying to cherry pick?

[luvin huntin]

It is my opinion that the signs "should" work in theory. The problem is that no one respects them or uses them the proper way.

I remember hunting in Kaibab years ago on an archery hunt and we were driving down this road to get to a afternoon spot and there was a quad just barely off the road with a big sign sitting on the quad "hunter in stand - slow down" after taking a 2nd look the dude was sitting in a tree stand - right on the water - oh the tank was less than 50 ft off the road - WHAT'S THE POINT!!! I had a guy 2 yrs ago in unit 8 arch elk hunt who tried to tell me to leave this tank becasue he sat last night - come to find out he had told several guys to leave.

 

Be respectful. Be courteous!(sp) First come first served. And like the previous post - "don't be a dipstick".

[Mr. Jonathan]

For a guy like me who doesn't have a clue about most of the country in AZ, I'd think a sign would be helpful. A parked vehicle could mean any number of things, especially if i didn't know that it was parked at a "dead end road" on a

"secluded waterhole." We've used signs in the past on antelope hunts where we were sitting in pit blinds at waterholes. Never had any problem and never got upset when I saw someone else using a sign. We also put empty soda bottles in the pit blinds with our information/phone number and intended hunt dates in them. Always worked fine for me.