I need to vent a little. I set up my wall tent up at elk camp and left it there for a few days before returning for the opener. Same place I alwaya set up. I come back and there is just enough room for my truck to pull in between my tent and some jack hats camper. Not to mention the 3 trucks and horse trailer, and that they had taken over the fire pit! I understand public lands are public but have aome eithics people! I know residents can ne just as bad but ive never been crowded like that from a res. Ole California plates. In all my years of hunting I have never set up camp next to someone else in the back country unless it was planned. Id never dream of going out of state and doing that to a local.
Non res hunters
- Thread starter ivorytip
- Start date
Sorry but you get no sympathy from me. How long were these other hunters supposed to wait and see if the owner of the tent would return?
It couldn't have been very much in the "back country" if there was a camper, 3 trucks and a horse trailer there. Would it have been better if they had left more room between your tent and their stuff?
Leaving a tent to try and keep people away from "your" public land spot is much like a guide setting up his camp at the bottom of a drainage to keep other hunters out of "his" spot even though it is public land.
It couldn't have been very much in the "back country" if there was a camper, 3 trucks and a horse trailer there. Would it have been better if they had left more room between your tent and their stuff?
Leaving a tent to try and keep people away from "your" public land spot is much like a guide setting up his camp at the bottom of a drainage to keep other hunters out of "his" spot even though it is public land.
you do get sympathy from me.
I don't care how long the tent was empty . nor do I care if it was in the backcountry or merely set up on the side of the road. I believe you are allowed to keep a spot in Idaho on forest land for up to two weeks.
sounds to me it was quite obvious this site was taken . ANYONE who would do this is a dirtbag.
and my guess is ,most likely also a democrat!
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I agree. Total BS
They are welcome to be there as Ivory said it’s public land but come on! The tent was there first be respectful and give the guy some room.
Instead of creating tension between camps wouldn’t it have been more civil to keep some distance between camps? Then who knows there could have been new friendships made or at least there wouldn’t have been a bunch of tension to deal with.
When I read the Ca plates I shook my head in belief. Not all Ca folks are like that but in my experience many are.
JimP
Administrator
This is a double edge sword as far as someone coming in on top of you.
I have seen where the homesteaders here in the west are getting way out of control. I have seen trailers set up at during the first hunting season and then just left there until the last one with the owners only showing up for a few days. And this is in areas that has very few camp spots in the area.
I agree that they shouldn't of camped right on top of you and perhaps they could of found another place to camp but who knows.
I have seen where the homesteaders here in the west are getting way out of control. I have seen trailers set up at during the first hunting season and then just left there until the last one with the owners only showing up for a few days. And this is in areas that has very few camp spots in the area.
I agree that they shouldn't of camped right on top of you and perhaps they could of found another place to camp but who knows.
that is why there is a two week limit on how long one can keep a campsite here.
can't speak to how it is everywhere but I have NEVER found finding a campsite to be terribly difficult.
secluded?? perhaps. but never once, in all my years hunting, have I found a reason or need to take over anothers fire pit.
dirtbag IS the very best way to describe such a one who would do so.
JimP
Administrator
It has been a while since I have been up to Idaho to see how it is up there. But here in Colorado and over in Utah it is way out of control. Even reporting them brings very little relief from them since there are so few enforcement officers in each area. Then if they do go out to check things out they have to go back when the time limit is up to see if the trailer or camp has been moved.
I reported a dozen a few years ago on BLM land in Utah and went back a month later and the same trailers were in the same locations. One group had 6 or 7 trailer around a huge fire pit that they had built. Along with the trailers were a dozen 4 wheelers/side by sides. I camped in that area for a week and never did see anyone even around that camp.
HighPlainsHunter
Active Member
By all means share pics and shame these people on social media and forums.
I get annoyed when out of state drivers ride my ass on a highway when there are miles of empty road ahead and behind but this would absolutely cross the line and make my blood boil. Maybe set up a fire pit by your tent that is extremely close to their trailer and melt the side off it. You had no choice since they took the fire pit.
I would definitely mess with these guys. Maybe follow them around one morning and say since we are going to be sharing a camp we might as well hunt together.
I get annoyed when out of state drivers ride my ass on a highway when there are miles of empty road ahead and behind but this would absolutely cross the line and make my blood boil. Maybe set up a fire pit by your tent that is extremely close to their trailer and melt the side off it. You had no choice since they took the fire pit.
I would definitely mess with these guys. Maybe follow them around one morning and say since we are going to be sharing a camp we might as well hunt together.
Slugz
Veteran member
Yeah gotta chime in on this one. Total BS. Camping on top of someone is way not cool. I would have been so loud in camp at night that they wouldn't sleep. I mean what true outdoorsman, sportsman, ethical hunter does that? Sorry for the bad experience.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Yep.....I would get a generator and run it all night, play loud music and make it just generally very unpleasant at night. I am sure it wouldn't take long for them to get the message.
Yeah, I just don't understand that mentality. Says a lot about someones character. Granted, the unit I was hunting is across the street of probably Idaho's most popular elk hunt there are literally hundreda upon hundreds of people so camp spaces get full very fast. But they had tons of room on the other side they could have occupied to at least not make me worry I was going to shoot sparks from tent stove onto their camper!
Prerylyon
Veteran member
You get sympathy from me, too.
In your situation, there's no reason folks can't move down the road a ways and find another spot aways from another camp. Its simple courtesy. Yes, its public land, yes they have a right to be there too. But still.
This past August, at a NF campground in WY, we literally watched incoming people try to remove reservation receipts from campsites that were aleady occupied, but the owner was out for the day. I couldn't believe it. The one jack wagon left after tossing the rightful owners receipt, and then someone else yet came in later, figured the site was open and occupied it.
We felt very bad seeing all this play out and the resulting arguments when the rightful owners came back. But, there was no resident camp host or deputy that could sort the mess out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk
In your situation, there's no reason folks can't move down the road a ways and find another spot aways from another camp. Its simple courtesy. Yes, its public land, yes they have a right to be there too. But still.
This past August, at a NF campground in WY, we literally watched incoming people try to remove reservation receipts from campsites that were aleady occupied, but the owner was out for the day. I couldn't believe it. The one jack wagon left after tossing the rightful owners receipt, and then someone else yet came in later, figured the site was open and occupied it.
We felt very bad seeing all this play out and the resulting arguments when the rightful owners came back. But, there was no resident camp host or deputy that could sort the mess out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk
swampokie
Veteran member
That's the special treatment that ive received by residents and especially outfitters over the years. I would never do that to anyone but have had several residents treat me with such courtesy. I don't think its just non residents that have no courtesy.
highplainsdrifter
Very Active Member
I completely agree with you ivorytip. One of my pet peeves is people camping too close. I like my elbow room. Don't crowd me!!
LCH
Very Active Member
If I take the time/money/commitment to make a hunt out west happen, the last thing I want to do is be shoehorned right in alongside a bunch of other people.
At a place I've hunted a few times in Wyoming, It's common practice for guys to come in and drop their campers/tents/etc. to claim their spot well ahead of season opener. I have had to drive the roads for a while to find a decent campsite each time, and sometimes have to drive quite a way to the area I intend to hunt, but I'd much prefer that to camping on top of someone else.
The worst I've seen of folks setting up camp to try and claim a chunk of public was right here in Indiana a couple years ago. Some people set up a campsite on an unofficial trailhead, left it up for over a month, left their trash laying everywhere, never occupied it the times I went by, and even stretched yellow tape along the road for about 100 feet on either side of the site to try and discourage people from looping around their campsite onto the trail. I didn't report it like I guess I should have, but I did take down their tape.
At a place I've hunted a few times in Wyoming, It's common practice for guys to come in and drop their campers/tents/etc. to claim their spot well ahead of season opener. I have had to drive the roads for a while to find a decent campsite each time, and sometimes have to drive quite a way to the area I intend to hunt, but I'd much prefer that to camping on top of someone else.
The worst I've seen of folks setting up camp to try and claim a chunk of public was right here in Indiana a couple years ago. Some people set up a campsite on an unofficial trailhead, left it up for over a month, left their trash laying everywhere, never occupied it the times I went by, and even stretched yellow tape along the road for about 100 feet on either side of the site to try and discourage people from looping around their campsite onto the trail. I didn't report it like I guess I should have, but I did take down their tape.
least they weren't bothering anyone.
I get that there are those that show no consideration to others , however, that does not give one the right or pass to do same to others.
you did right by reporting them.
had you moved your camp among them, that would not be the right thing to do.
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