Yeah for me and screw you...

[cnelk]

With the archery elk season fresh off the books, I would like to start a conversation about the 'CODE'

This refers to hunters getting the 'inside track', using information gathered and 'horning in' on someone's campsite, elk spots, any information that would pertain to 'Yeah for me and screw you..'

Instead of respecting the 'CODE'...

Is there a 'CODE'?

Has the CODE been broken by anyone you know of?

Or are all bets off when it comes to elk hunting?

[JoeH2o]

There should be a "CODE". It takes a long time to find and figure out a good elk spot. People that weasel in on your hunting grounds just because they know you have a good honey hole, aren't true hunters. They are lazy wannabes. Respect other peoples spots. If they found it on they're own, fine. We all have the right to hunt public land, but don't be a spot poacher.

[Vanish]

I don't know, but there was a personal plane flying over me constantly last week...

[Washington Wapiti]

I believe there is a code, unspoken or not. Unless someone is THAT cluless, you would hope that a hunter just instinctively knows that horning in on someone's site is a major faux pas. Especially, if its a situation where they've been invited and then they return the following year with other friends . . . you know . . . THAT situation. I'd be livid. There's a couple guys that hunt the bench about a mile directly uphill from my site, and have hunted that area for several years now. I know they are usually up to there elbows in elk, cuz we shoot the breeze when we run into each other. Sure, it is public land, but I would never dream of venturing into their area unless I were invited. I found spots of my own that produce and that I believe in. I don't understand lazy people, and I don't understand how a hunter could even feel good about not doing for themselves. I've never done that to anyone, and have yet to have it done to me. 2 years ago, I had someone give up a pretty darn good elk site because he felt bad about blowing my stalk on a big, BIG 'ol fatty blacktail doe the very last day of the season. She's the biggest BT I've ever seen. The site was a small field encircled by trees, and was just a tenth of a mile down the hill from where I was setting up to shoot that doe. That was a very cool gesture and did not expect it. The thing I worry about is someone new finding my area because of having cams or a treestand set up, that sort of thing. If I run into someone in the field and they ask, I will intentionally tell them I'm a mile or more away from where I'm actually at. Or I will just flat-out say, "I'm not going to give up my site, but this and this general direction."

[Trophyhill]

I've been given some great info on certain areas (voluntarily) that I found myself and have killed elk in these areas. did I break some "code"? I think not. In turn I've given information on areas that I've found and guys have killed elk in these areas. I couldn't be happier for them. it works both ways. if a guy doesn't want anyone to go into an area they are hunting then mum is the word. if a guy does his homework and happens to end up in an area you are hunting, that's why we have plan a, b, c, d etc.

[Swede]

I have hundreds and maybe even thousands of hours just scouting the area I hunt. I have hunted that part of the forest every year for over 20 years. You bet I value my tree stand locations. This year I had one individual, who located his stands on several, of the places where I would have set up. There are probably over 100 good locations in that general vicinity where he could have located his stand. He just had a knack for getting to the places I hunt, before me. How he found those spots, and set up at just the places where I usually go, I can't be sure. I do have his picture on anther camera where I currently had a stand. I sure hope he is not planning on placing his stand there next season.
People have a right to hunt where they want on public land, but we all need to respect each other. I believe in "the code" as I understand it. I know of good stand locations that I leave alone as I know someone has been hunting there. I found the location where they place their stand on my own, and could place my stand there before them, but I know it is where they hunt. I suppose that is nuf said on my part for the time being.

[cj5280]

Well Brad...it would be easier if you just invited me along so I don't have to stalk your digital trail...

Seriously though, that's pretty shady.

[Trophyhill]

I have hundreds and maybe even thousands of hours just scouting the area I hunt. I have hunted that part of the forest every year for over 20 years. You bet I value my tree stand locations. This year I had one individual, who located his stands on several, of the places where I would have set up. There are probably over 100 good locations in that general vicinity where he could have located his stand. He just had a knack for getting to the places I hunt, before me. How he found those spots, and set up at just the places where I usually go, I can't be sure. I do have his picture on anther camera where I currently had a stand. I sure hope he is not planning on placing his stand there next season.
People have a right to hunt where they want on public land, but we all need to respect each other. I believe in "the code" as I understand it. I know of good stand locations that I leave alone as I know someone has been hunting there. I found the location where they place their stand on my own, and could place my stand there before them, but I know it is where they hunt. I suppose that is nuf said on my part for the time being.

well said. I can say this. I don't like hunting pressure. if I see or know someone else is hunting an area or will be hunting an area, I go to another area to hunt. it all goes back to the golden rule. do unto others as you would have them do unto you. not do unto others before they do unto you. I don't know if i'd call it a code as much as i'd call it respect.

[cnelk]

There is a difference of someone doing their homework and ending up near or at one of your spots and someone either following you or tracking you to your spots and using them.

Im not talking about just one spot, Im referring to 3 or 4 of your spots - specific spots, like wallows - that are very well hidden

Wouldnt that make you wonder a bit?

[Indian Summer]

Don't get me started Brad.

YES there's a code. Sometimes spoken... sometimes just an understanding. I've been screwed. Now I am pickier than ever about who goes with me and I lay it on the line: If I ever see your vehicle here it will be a long walk home.

Hunting spots are sacred. They represent a lifetime of hard work. To have no respect for that is something that really pushes my buttons. Thanks cnelk... raised my blood pressure!

[ORelksniper]

I believe there is a CODE and for the most part goes unspoken because most hunters don't need to have it spelled out for them. I also feel, from my observations, that elk hunting is getting very competitive. The need to succeed and collect your "man card" is trumping common sense and respect for some people. Just my opinion.

With the CODE in mind, is it right or ethical to leave tree stands up year round as a means of posting a "spot taken" sign at your water hole? Is it also appropriate for me to hunt that water hole if no one is ever in the stand? I won't sit in their stand (not the way I roll) but I will hunt it from the ground. Just wondering what you guys think cuz I'm faced with this situation every year.

[Jaquomo]

I have been followed in the dark, lied to by good "friends" who promised not to disclose spots to others, all the usual slob crap. Last year I told three trusted longtime friends exactly where I was hunting and what I was seeing (they were hunting in the same vicinity, except on private land). Morning after that they came marching up the ridgeline, skylined, in the wrong wind, and I didn't see another elk there after that. They justified it by saying there weren't any elk on their private land anymore, and they used to hunt there many years ago. Ok, but what about honor?

A couple years ago I showed two other good friends a new spot to try after their spot became overrun. One of my backup spots. They promised not to tell anyone. Except their other buddies from work, their son-in-law, all of his friends. One of them smokes cigs in the woods while hiding behind a decoy and calling - because it helps him with wind direction.

I could go on and on, as could most of you. These days I'm REALLY careful about telling anyone where I'm hunting, or even suggesting a spot where I may want to hunt. Mostly I'm very vague. Occasionally I flat-out lie if pinned-down (then ask the Lord to forgive me - I think He understands..)

Honor and trust seem to be relics of a bygone era. Now it's "whatever it takes to kill something". Sad.

To you Elknutters and other friends who've suggested spots to scout, rest assured the only other person who will know is my lifelong hunting partner, and he's more paranoid than I am.

[Swede]

Sniper: It is illegal to leave stands up all year or to place a sign on federal land claiming any superior rights. There is no unwritten code or matter of etiquette that supersedes the law. Over the years I have found hunters in my stands. Never have I asked or even agreed anyone should leave. Several years ago I went into one of my stands and found a hunter sitting there. I talked with him, insisted he stay, and ended up lending him the stand until he left for home several days later. I know the "CODE" runs a fine line here. The hunter I refer to volunteered to leave. I do not own that site, and he did not damage my stand. I had no problem with what he did. I place the line where someone knowingly takes advantage of another hunter, uses their work without permission, and appropriate it for your own benefit. I also draw the line where you know or should know someone has historically used a particular spot and you just take over. I draw the line at following a hunter or getting inside information from others who know someone is using a water hole, etc. That is what I think cnelk is referring to as "yeah for me and screw you...". I also think permanent stands are a form of "yeah for me....
There are many reasons hunters don't come back to the same place or even hunt the same season. I don't think you should have to walk away from a site you discover on your own, just because someone "may" come back. I also do not think you will just scout, entirely on your own, and find several of my best sites and beat me to them legitimately. If I am not around by the time the season starts, go ahead and hunt there, good luck to you.
As you know some hunters have also built permanent stands in the National Forest. That too is illegal. If I find one during the middle of the season and it appears safe and unused for that year, I may chose to sit in it. That has been rare. I was once chewed out for placing a stand at a water hole what had gone unused for most of the season. The formerly absent hunter came in and cleaned up his permanent stand. I had taken out my stand after one day's use. My son and I came back later to see if there was any new sign of elk activity. The hunter sitting in the permanent stand asked if I had set up there earlier. I admitted I had. He went ballistic. I still feel he had no right to complain. He was also on the wrong side of the law. I do not remember how the law is worded, but it is prohibiting the taking of Federal land. If anyone is interested in the wording of the law, I believe you can find it under a 36 CFR.

[elkflunky]

I think I have run into this situation in MT but not sure about it. Just pretty odd of how certain things happened. I do know for a fact that I have lost a lot of property to hunt in MI due to "helping" some people only to have them undermine me with the landowners and have permission the following year to hunt these areas. I have hunted with people in their spots and respected them and their spots. I never disrespected them period. I have also on the other side of the coin helped "friends" which I love to do but it seems like I always get boned. I appreciate peoples help and I love helping others but it can be a cut throat deal. If a friend tells me to zip it I do, if a friend tells me I can only shoot does and spike horns that's what I do even if a big buck walks in front of me. I hate cut-throat hunters and I stay away from the selfish "all about me" attitudes. I don't have time for people like this in my life...life is too short to deal with assholes like that!

[ORelksniper]

Thanks Swede. You're a nice guy to let a stranger take over your tree stand. I'm afraid I don't know any hunters that would do that. I guess I should have crossed the road and hunted with you this year but I was determined to find a new spot on my own and not ride in on someone's coat tails. Didn't work out as well as I'd planned. Such is life.

[cnelk]

I appreciate all of the replies.

Now, what if a so-called good friend betrays the 'CODE', is the friendship lost?
What if he made a mistake, wants to make up and hunt together again - is a good elk hunting area really worth a friendship?
Or are the 'true colors' of the friend revealed, and now you know the truth?

[Trophyhill]

I appreciate all of the replies.

Now, what if a so-called good friend betrays the 'CODE', is the friendship lost?
What if he made a mistake, wants to make up and hunt together again - is a good elk hunting area really worth a friendship?
Or are the 'true colors' of the friend revealed, and now you know the truth?

true colors and hunt over

[Buglemaster]

Can relate entirely to what has been said above. Anytime you share a tidbit of info, you stand a very good chance of a complete wreck of what was once a great spot. This year, a couple guys from out of state pulled in & asked if it would be ok with us if they set up camp just below our camp. They had been hunting farther north & had abandoned the area as it was extremely overcrowded this year. New to the area, they asked if we had any ideas as to where they might at least see an elk. I gave them a couple spots that we had hunted in the past, but were not going to pursue & they got their wish. Almost closed the deal on a nice bull as well as some cows. Real nice guys & I hope they got to take something home with them. I don't mind sharing if I'm not going to be in there & have had info given to me that was solid gold. I've been told of spots by friends right here & really do appreciate it & like Lou said, it won't go any farther. Definitely is a code, & should never be abused, but sadly is much too often.

[ORelksniper]

If the guy is a good friend you should know if it was an honest mistake or malicious. If it was a stupid mistake give the man a break...we're all guilty. Good friends are hard to come by. Elk are easy to find if you're cnelk.

[Buglemaster]

The friendship isn't lost, but it was the last hunt together. Once bitten & the gigs over.

[JoeH2o]

What the "Code" really comes down to is, DON'T SHOW ANYBODY YOU'RE SPOTS. Doesn't matter how many times someone will tell you "I'd never hunt your spot". They'll find their way in when desperation is running high.

[Indian Summer]

That's right Clayton... elk can be like ghosts to some people... I guess all of us sometimes, and desperate people do desperate things. Silence is golden.

I never even considered going to those waypoints on Seminoles GPS! lol

[GetemDuck]

ouch, touchy situation, I hope it is all hypothetical and not a real situation.

First off, not sure if there is a code out there, but I live by my own.....if it does not belong to me it is not mine and permission is needed to use it. doesn't matter if it is a material item I can hold in my hand or a place on the map. If it was not my hard work that found it then it is not mine. Good elk country can really test ones friendship....it is like a true gold mine, if you had one would you take anyone there to help you mine it? I bet even those who would, would keep the list very very small.

On the friendship side....good friends are hard to find this one would not be lost but he would be at the bottom of the ladder and have to earn his way back up.....if those are his true colors showing through then I have no use for him. I only surround myself with people I can trust.

I would hope everyone would be considerate of each other but if that were the case we would not have the fights and the murders and the theft that we do. I mean common I had a trail cam stolen 70 yards from camp, the guy who stole it parked 15 yards from my camp did he really think someone just left it out there for him to take home?

[pikemaster]

I think it all comes down to just plan ol respect, which now a days not a lot of people have. We had a rookie come in to camp this last week and spilled the beans about the elk they had gotten into that morning told us right where they were at. And you bet we went into that area but what we didnt do was go enven close to where we knew the guy was going to be. He had his young son with him and the last thing we wanted to do was spoil there hunt. Me and cnelk didn't chase a couple bugles because we new they might be close to where the guy and his kid might be. It's not always about killing something I would rather go home with tag soup then know that I went screwed someone elses hunt up buy honing in on there spots.

[BRazz]

What the "Code" really comes down to is, DON'T SHOW ANYBODY YOU'RE SPOTS. Doesn't matter how many times someone will tell you "I'd never hunt your spot". They'll find their way in when desperation is running high.

The etiquette should be respected, but this is my tactic also.

[bnsafe]

i think there is def a code. i have had a lot of help since i came out here. if one of those guys called me an said im goin back to spot x i told you about next yr i would find another spot. period. i found a great water spot with tons of tracks around it this yr, was looking forward to hunting it. come opening morning a couple guys pulled into the lot 45 minutes after i got there, stood around there car til i got (i thought they would ask me where i was going beings i got there first) out of mine then they took off like they were shot out of a cannon to get up the trail before me. when i went in later that day (i hunted another direction) they had a blind over the spot. i turned around an walked out, didn't go back til last week of season and the blind was gone so i hunted the area.
personally i think hunting someones elses spot is about as wrong as dating his wife.
i really wanted to see someone dress an elk out in person an was totally prepared to help pack it out just for the experience of seeing one dressed, but i didn't ask to help pack out, lol, just because of this. i didn't want anybody thinking i was spot hunting by offering help.
there is a code, an would quit hunting before i knowingly took another guys spot.
i agree finding it on your own is a completely different story.
as far as the friendship i gotta think a real friend and hunter would never do that. i would still be socialable an friendly, but wouldn't be hanging out.

[bnsafe]

i just thought of this, how far away do you have to hunt to not be in someone elses spot.
if you are with a friend in his spot i wouldn't even go back to the parking lot, but like the waterhole i found, is 200 yds up the mnt exceptable, or a entirely different mnt, etc. just wondering what your thoughts are.
and is bowhunting a different distance than rifle.
i want to take my son to a spot first rifle but im sure there will be other guys in the area so just curious as i don't want to violate the code.
sorry if i hijacked, carry on

[>>>---WW---->]

I come from the school of hard knocks. Almost everything I know about elk hunting came the hard way. Good old trial and error! There were no books, how to DVDs, or TV shows about elk hunting. Heck! The diaphragm elk call hadn't even been invented! But the so called CODE was always there. It also had to be learned from the school of hard knocks.

If there is such a thing as the CODE, here is the definition of it. When you find a good hunting spot, ("Keep your mouth shut and you won't have near as many problems")!!!

Sometimes it is just a hard lesson to learn.

Example: I had a good friend from out of state come for a hunt. We were successful and saw lots of elk. The following year he came again. But this time he brought his Dad and four brothers. They even took over my camp site. I didn't like it but tried to be nice about it. Then, the following year the whole crew returned again. But this time one of the brothers brought along two more of his buddies.

To make a long story short, I explained to my friend that when I showed him where to hunt, I didn't intend for him to invite the whole state Michigan to come along with him. That was probably 15 years ago. Haven't seen or heard from any of them since!

Guess he wasn't all that good of a friend in the first place. Hard lesson learned. But I have learned to keep my trap shut! LOL!

[cnelk]

Bnsafe
There is always a risk in bumping into someone when hunting public lands.
In some cases, some hunting pressure is needed
As far a spot goes, if you know there is someone hunting it, that's different than hunting an 'area'

[cj5280]

The death of common courtesy in this country spills over to elk hunting as well. Unfortunately, by offering information up online to help others puts you at risk to be taken advantage of.

Brad-you've been great about sharing all kinds of tips and tactics in various forums and I for one appreciate the information very much.

[diggerson]

Interesting discussion. I definitely think there is a code, and completely understand and respect it. Over the years, I myself have become much more guarded about giving specifics about where I hunt to all but my closest hunting buds (I'm willing to tell them because they have their own areas they are hunting that is nowhere close, and mine quite frankly, ain't that great ). Even if you say something to someone that has no intention of hunting where you do, they may turn around and tell someone else what they heard. That brings up another point... Is using second or third hand information breaking the "code"?

[Trophyhill]

I appreciate all of the replies.

Now, what if a so-called good friend betrays the 'CODE', is the friendship lost?
What if he made a mistake, wants to make up and hunt together again - is a good elk hunting area really worth a friendship?
Or are the 'true colors' of the friend revealed, and now you know the truth?

true colors and hunt over

I want to clarify this. if I show or tell a friend about a spot it's for a reason and he is welcome to hunt it with or without me. i'd congradulate him on a kill. where it goes overboard is when he tells 2 friends and they tell 2 friends so on and so forth. then we may have an issue.

[cnelk]

Ive had exactly what happened to WW, except they were from Minnesota

I've had a guy that was a 'so-called' friend take others into some of my best spots when I was not hunting.

I have rebounded by adjusting to other areas/spots.
And I also adjusted by not associating with those type of guys again.

I am hoping to get some replies from people that have been on the other side andtaken advantage of certain sacred info and benefited

Any takers that want to fess up?

[MontBison]

I've had some legit spots that I've shared with friends who subsequently brought there friends to that spot. To be honest it really didn't piss me off that much. At the end of the day they don't know how to hunt the area as good as I do AND if they blow the elk out ill know where to find them. To me it's similar to walleye fishing back home. I could tell you the exact location of where I'm catching the fish but there's still other information that's going to keep you from catching as many as I do. Now if someone else brought me to their spot I would no doubt keep my mouth shut but for my spots personally I have no problem with what other people do with the information I provided them with. It's not like that's the only place that holds elk in that mountain range

[GetemDuck]

I owe my dad's success in killing his first elk to a guy who last year gave me some great information about a location, he didn't have to do that. Dad and I got there early, scouted hard to try to learn the area 3 days before season. we hung some stands and learned a lot. Dad managed to kill a nice bull and I was grateful to the guy who helped us out. So for now on I'll drop him a line and see if he is hunting that area before i make plans to go back there and if we go back it is just me and my dad I know i can trust him.

There are a lot of great guys on this board who risk a lot by sharing the information they do, I think this is a great group of guys and would like to think that no one here would abuse the information or the friendships gained on here......be respectful of each other.

[mtelkkiller]

I'll be honest

I lie majorly whenever someone asks me where I hunt. Usually most who ask would never put the effort in to go there. But I worry more about who they will tell to make themselves feel like a hero

[under H2O hunter]

If you're hunting public land then it's simple first come first serve. If you goto an area and there is someone on your spot move on.. There is NO CODE. If you want an area I suggest you get up earlier or hike back in deeper or something. But bitching and complaining because someone is in "Your" area to me is guys just wanting to complaine about something... I hunt public land all the time and I know most of the guys that hunt the general area that I hunt. I try and talk with them to find out where they are going and I let them know where I am heading. When it comes to bow hunting the elk are gonna move around and I don't like stepping on the other guys is toes. Bow hunting is hard enough and I think it benefits everyone when guys share info. I don't give up my honey holes but I have shown guys them knowing that I run the risk of lossing that spot in the future if they decide to come back and hunt it. I think I am able to get elk regaurdless of who is hunting my area based on the fact that I will hike more hunt longer work harder and generally know more about elk then the average hunter in my area. If someone comes in cold without knowing much about the area and gets one. Well great I am happy for them.. Odds are they won't be as successfull as me because I put more time in to learning the area more and patterning elk is better then guessing any day of the week. Just my 2 cents...

[Jaquomo]

under H20, how would you feel if some guy who you'd been friendly with in the area, who seemed like an ok guy and shared a beer in your camp over several campfires, secretly followed you into your honeyhole to find out where it is, then the next morning took his two buddies back in there and wrecked it?

So you move to a different spot. And he does it again.

Happened to me. There is a code of honor and trust among hunters. Some a-h's don't honor it.

[cnelk]

I consider 'my areas' areas that I know very well after hunting them for the past 24 years.
Ar they mine? NO
But they are near and dear to me
And to have someone I have mentored undercut my years of sweat and knowledge does not sit lightly

My areas consist of over 100 sq miles - maybe more

I know them so well the local rancher asks me where I have seen his cattle on the national forest for gathering purposes.
I know them so well I have found hunters before they even realized they were lost
I love to see guys packing out an elk because I know they put in the effort that is required.

Is there a 'CODE'?
Damn right there is.

[GetemDuck]

Any one who says there is no code and that it is public ground....we are not talking about a stranger parked on your spot or hunting past you. we are talking about a friend your took to an area to help them learn to hunt and then he just takes over that area. I had a good friend show me a mountain when i first started elk hunting, but his hunting style and mine didn't mesh well he was a fast pace hunter I was slow and thoughtful so at the end of that hunting season I decided that was enough and next year i would do it myself. so he showed me a mountain and I could have took to hunting right where he showed me but that just didn't feel right so I found a whole new draw beyond anywhere he and I hunted and I started building my own data bank. He still had all of his spots and I found my own places to hunt and we would run into each other from time to time as he would drive by my camp in the evening but that was all. We are still friends and still talk alot no hard feelings.

Hunting etiquette is not rock science.

[under H2O hunter]

under H20, how would you feel if some guy who you'd been friendly with in the area, who seemed like an ok guy and shared a beer in your camp over several campfires, secretly followed you into your honeyhole to find out where it is, then the next morning took his two buddies back in there and wrecked it?

So you move to a different spot. And he does it again.

Happened to me. There is a code of honor and trust among hunters. Some a-h's don't honor it.

Fallowing me to an area is different then showing someone an area... If you fallow me to find my spot your most likely gonna get an ass chewing if you are still standing. I don't stand for that crap. But showing someone an area and then complaining because they hunt that area is different. I can't understand why guys complain when their hunting area gets crowded by guys they have shown the area to? It doesn't make sense.. It's like they want to show off "Their" area to stroke their ego but expect the guy or guys they are showing to not hunt there. If you show an area to someone you better expect to see them or feel their presents. That's all I am saying.

[klean1]

The problem with people is it is about them first. I know where guys successfully harvest elk yearly and I never have ever told a soul. Why? Because my friendship with them is more important than feeling good about "having elk info". See, when will people learn to say "the elk have moved out, didn't see a thing"?

[MontBison]

There are soooo many other things in life to worry about/get angry about than a hunting spot.

[cnelk]

If you fallow me to find my spot your most likely gonna get an ass chewing if you are still standing. I don't stand for that crap.

Wow.
And you hunt public land in GMU 14 by Steamboat Springs
You defend public land like this? On what grounds?
Do you practice this behavior when your son is with you?

Following someone doesnt necessarily mean keeping them within sight.
It can be knowing the general area where they hunt, starting by seeing where you camp/park your truck.
Then start piecing your area together.

[Swede]

Thanks Brad for your comment. Assault and battery is no way to show your displeasure for being followed. I have no problem with saying something, but even that has its limits.

[under H2O hunter]

If you fallow me to find my spot your most likely gonna get an ass chewing if you are still standing. I don't stand for that crap.

Wow.
And you hunt public land in GMU 14 by Steamboat Springs
You defend public land like this? On what grounds?
Do you practice this behavior when your son is with you?

Following someone doesnt necessarily mean keeping them within sight.
It can be knowing the general area where they hunt, starting by seeing where you camp/park your truck.
Then start piecing your area together.

I think you need to re-read ALL of my comments not just take a snip it and twist it. I am not talking about physical violence if you fallow me out of camp to find my honey hole. I am talking about the fact that you better be in top physical shape because by the end of the day you will be dead on your feet if you try and fallow me to my honey hole as I cover lots of miles and have elevation changes of several thousand feet going and coming back to camp. My son and I train our bodies most of the year in the gym to strictly handle the hard hiking, tracking, and chasing that our little bit of GMU14 out of Steamboat springs troughs our way. So Yes I would expect my son to ASS chew you if you sneak around behind us trying to find our honey hole.
GMU 14 out our of Steamboat springs is one of the heaviest hunted areas around and I know that there are gonna be people who stumble on to us. But it does have plenty of Hell holes that hold elk that most people would never go into and have no pressure. That's not what I was talking about... I am talking about the A holes who wait for you to leave then fallow you to see where you go. You talk about piecing together where someone goes because of where they camp or park their truck. Well I say that you pretty much earned your spot by "Piecing" it together. Because if you piece something together you usually have to have knowledge of elk and specifically the movement of elk in that general area, you have to put some miles on your boots to know the lay of the land. You have to talk to other hunters or ranchers in the area. So you're earning it by doing all of this. I have stated that public land is just that "PUBLIC" and everyone is entitled to hunted it. Just don't be an A hole and steal the hard work of others by fallowing them. Put your time in to learn it and enjoy it. If you can't well then yes you should get an ass chewing and Yes I raise my son to speak his mind and stand up against things he doesn't agree with. I don't advocate violence especially over something like public land hunting areas. And you would never see either one of us become violent. But you might get a lesson in physical education. As we will hike your ass so far back into an area and then double time it back you most likely will be calling the local SAR team to come rescue you out of the hell hole we put you in because you were to lazy to find your own little hunting area on PUBLIC LAND and decided it would be EASY to fallow us. That's what I am saying. I hope I have made my stance much more clearer for you now.

[ctdad]

A friend of a friend offered to take me hunting with him in his honey hole this fall. While on a scouting trip to the area, he showed me the trail head and pointed out some areas on a map to check out. I spent a full day in there in late June and then studied maps for a month. On a follow up phone call, he informed me that work wouldn't allow him to hunt when I was going to be in there. I told him I was not going to hunt "his" spot and I'd just find another place. He was so persistent that I hunt it, that I went ahead and hunted there this year. Great guy who will be thanked persistently! However, I was of the opinion that I shouldn't hunt it since he couldn't join me. If he hadn't been so adamant that I hunt it, I'd have never gone in there. Took an elk and a mule deer out of there. Best western hunt I've ever had. If he says its ok, I'll go back next year, but only if he gives me strong encouragement.

[cnelk]

underH2ohunter

Im not sure if the term 'you' in your above post was directed toward me or if it was to be taken in a 'general' term for forum users.

If it was directed toward me, the effort was lost because it doesnt affect me at all
What you mentioned regarding preparing for the hunt, hiking way back, up or down isnt really out of the ordinary for most elk hunters.

But Im sure there may be some that may be impressed

I believe that most people have had some sort of displeasure about people who benefit from their hard work, as it has been mentioned here.
Hence the caution.

It is great to see the morals and integrity of most on this forum - see ctdad's above post for clarification about morals/integrity

[twinkieman]

Yes, the CODE is very real to me, and once broken all bonds are broken as well. In my hunting career I have been burned twice, without boring you with all the details, I totally severed the relationship with the first person by mutual agreement, we went our separate ways. Other special locations were never revealed to others by my former partner, no malicious intent towards one another, by either one of us. A mutual agreement between two grown men, who agreed to disagree. Number two, on the other hand, all I can say is I can not grasp in any way the thought process of the second individual. I can only surmise that #2 has a different value system of what the CODE actually is, and the CODE only exists in his mind to suit his own needs. There is no room for an intelligent discussion with #2, or any room to agree to disagree. The bottom line is , if someone does not value the CODE, or understand it to have the same meaning as you do, you will probably not be compatible hunting partners in the long run, and I would not give info on ANY SPECIAL SPOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Swede]

In hunting as well as all of life, I can chose to be cynical or naïve. With some caution, I generally prefer to be naïve. Cynical just never suits me. I prefer to believe the best in people until they prove otherwise. Ya, I get burned every once in awhile. Many people know I am a tree stand hunter. I often leave a wooden latter leaning into the tree, I set a stand in. It is easy to spot, and I am pretty easy to follow.
I am not going to beat you up if I find you in one of my stands. I am not going to chew you out, slash your tires, or anything else. I will say up front though, it would be better for anyone wanting an elk, to come visit rather than follow me. I can advise you on some good places to hunt that I never reach. I can only cover so much. I go where I meet with friends. It is not because I have a great honey hole nearby.
I believe in the code, but I do not believe in enforcing it. We will all be better off going on the honor system.
I have very little knowledge I am not willing to share. If I have an advantage over any other hunter it is not that I am faster, stronger, or smarter that the next person. I just know my hunting areas, and I can hunt for days and weeks without getting discouraged and giving up. I will arrive at camp and set things up. I will be there long after all others are gone, and will take the camp down. I can sit 300 hours in a stand within a 30 day season, and wish I could go for just one more.
Not everyone can hunt even ten days. That is ok. The people I hunt with are gentlemen and hunters. They respect, and we will all move on together before it becomes a matter of having to do combat to keep our spots. Yes, you can take advantage of me, but you can do better. If we all live by the code there is room for all and enough elk for everyone to have a fair chance at them. I did not get an elk this year, but it was no one else's fault. I had my opportunities, but the elk I wanted was just too ornery and uncooperative. I think I will blame them and promise my revenge.

[ColoStateHunter]

You better believe there is a code, however hunting has been exploited to be who's wang is bigger than the next guy and who can kill more, bigger, etc. therefore this code no longer matters to most. It kills me to see this happening, but with the current generation of hunters that is how they are compared.

In terms of friendships lost, you burn my spot its over. I had a good buddy that I waterfowled with a lot. He had never been into big game or turkeys so I invited him along on a mountain turkey hunt in the famed high pressure area west of Denver (many will know the general area). I had hunted it a couple years and found a couple drainages that held birds and I just couldn't get it to come together. The next year he calls me on opening day telling me he took his dad and a buddy back there and they had a strutter come running to the call. No heads up or invite that he was planning to hunt. I was FURIOUS!!! What burns me is I had let him in on another spot that I ended up killing a bird in the prior year as well. I found out that he and 3 other buddies went in there and took 2 toms. I am/was pissed and haven't spoken to him since.

Next wonderful display of CODE happened this year archery elk to a good friend of mine. He planned a trip and drew a tag to come out and elk hunt in CO. I have been watching this particular herd and knew where we could find them (its a low point unit and I'm in no mans land chasing 61). I took 3 days off to help him hunt. Well we were into elk from the first moments we arrived and with his recurve we just couldnt get one close enough. Then the snow came and we decided to pack out and regroup and work another area for a day. I had to head home and he decided to head back up to that previous spot now that the weather cleared. He was worried about packing one out solo but I told him not to worry I would be back if he killed one and we would get it out. Well on his way in he had to turn around in a camp which happened to be two other guys from Michigan, he struck up a conversation and these two guys hadn't seen an elk in 1.5 weeks of hunting. The one guy takes the month of September off and this was his 4th elk hunt of the year. Since he was concerned about being solo he invited the two guys to come hunt the gulch we were finding some elk two days prior (while I wasnt thrilled about this I could certainly understand). The guys talked him up saying if they just saw an elk they would be happy. So the three of them pack in and rounding the bend out steps a 5x5 bull. The drop their packs and the guy whos 4th elk hunt this was heads back into the trees. My buddy thinks awesome he is going to head up there and call for me. Well low and behold a couple minutes later he see the guy pop out of the trees closer to the bull, arrow knocked and stalking him! My buddy is like no way he is going to shoot this bull from underneath me. Long story short at full draw and 20 yards the bull winds him and escapes safely into the trees. The guy comes back apologetic but the damage has been done, WHATA PRICK!!!

I don't know what hunting will become but there are lots of things about it that sicken me right now (at the ripe age of 23) and I have even contemplating giving it all up for awhile, even though I live to hunt 8 months out of the year.

[mjblowers]

This is a sore subject for me because the "CODE" and hunting, for me anyways, go HAND IN HAND. I go hunting because it's "back to the basics", a simpler time, where it's just the man with nature and you are purely out to enjoy life. Breaking the "CODE" seems counter-intuitive... NOT KNOWING the "CODE" seems like you are in the wrong "hobby" all together.

Last year, I had my mom buy a rifle elk tag to take her elk hunting and had my wife tag along for a day hunt. My 54 year old mother LOVESSSSSSSSS the outdoors and literally cries when she sees animals like a Moose or a Bull elk she thinks it's so majestic.

Keeping it brief, my mom wounded a bull elk and it bedded down. She shot 4 times at about 300 yards and no more than 5 minutes later, some <insert rude name> guy and a woman walk in between where we were shooting and where the elk was. They knew we were there. I threw on my pack and hiked down the side of the mountain and then began climbing back up to find the bedded elk. Bear in mind, I'm wearing BRIGHT HUNTER ORANGE, and yes, I had a cow call. I had these elk bugling like no other early November. As I start to scale the mountain back up, I see this couple about 200 yards away, and I make absurd noises with the cow call to get their attention. I wave and I wave and I wave and I wave and they finally acknowledge me and I motion up the mountain as to where I'm going.

For me, at this point, if it were ME in their position and I for whatever reason was so oblivious to life that I had no idea anyone was there until that point, I would have turned around and left the area out of respect to the people already there. That's my "CODE". But what did they do? They shot my moms elk that limped out of it's bedding area and stopped, 20 yards up the hill above me. Yes, above me. They shot over my head, IN THE TREES, and I watched as the elk rolled down the hill, past my feet, and stopped 20 yards below me.

First words out of the guys mouth after I watched him pack his gun away "Wow... this was my wifes first elk!"..........

I almost gave up hunting on the spot.

Almost.

[cnelk]

To the Top

[Stateline]

Once in a while I'm dissappointed in us. This year added an experience to the list. I took my son (10) up on a mountain near my home to look for a deer. I lucked into a nice bull earlier with my bow so I wasn't feeling any pressure to fill the freezer. Therefore this should have been a relaxing ride and a short hike. There is a very well used 4-wheeler trail that takes you past a local radio tower on top of some great mulie habitat. As we crested over a ridge (10:30 or so in the morning) I could see 4 4-wheelers, 3 tents, and some gear spread throughout the landscape. The trail closed just past them to motorized vehicles. Quickly approaching was a man frantically waving his arms at us. I thought he might have trouble so I slowed down to a stop. He then turned back and made his way to the top of a small saddle above him where he pulled up his bino's. We sat patiently until the shot sounded. We watched them high-five, hoop and holler, etc. Thinking this would be fun for my son, we dismounted and began to WALK their direction so he could see what they had accomplished. As we neared them, they split and went their seperate directions. I changed our course so they didn't have to wait for us to catch up, we'd just meet them. They sped up and tried very hard to ignore us. Not too impressed, I finally asked them how it went. They ignored us and kept walking. "Is it a good one" I asked. Finally a very disinterested " 21, 22, 23, 24"....nice buck..............thanks for stopping." Never once did they look back us or show any respect to us. We proceeded back to our wheeler and drove 30 or 40 more yards to get past the final member of their gang's tent thinking I would at least not park right in front of his door before we set out on our little hike. #3 popped his head out so we gave him a smile and a wave (as we pulled just past his wheeler). "The trails closed boys'"was all we got. I guess I didn't realize we were on their mountain. So much for a good experience for my son. I just hope they found their way back home safely.........AND QUICKLY!!! With any luck they left their map up there and forget how to get here next year. Pretty sure they left their code book home this time.

[easeup]

I guess I was out hunting when this thread originated, ‘cause somehow I missed it. But I just have to throw a little more out there for my friends as we all live by the CODE.
There are a lot of very good observations about the perceived CODE and the human condition here. One of the things that come out in the lines above is how we share or give. We can see that many of you will share with others, but at the same time do not want to give to others. Meaning, I will share with you my information to use it as I want you to use it, not as they would want to use it. And I will not give it to you as a gift.

It is a difficult decision to give something away that means a lot to you. It is not near as difficult to share your toy and also take it back home at the end of the day. Along that same line of thought for example;....if you give a gift at Christmas and you find out later that the recipient “re-gifted” your gift to someone else; are you offended?

Since I also fish a lot, the same problem applies to various bodies of water. In a lifetime, we obviously have met lots of fishermen. Very few will give up their secrets. Other will empty their brains and pockets for you with only the prompt of a question or a simple statement of desire to catch some fish.
We are all in agreement which type of fishermen we always remember .......the guy that showed me everything I needed!

I guess there are not enough of those type guys around anymore. I wish there were.

[Elkduds]

In 1990 I was hunting CO unit 50 on public land during 2nd (busiest) season, by myself as usual. I had seen no other hunters, though there was a camp @ the end of the road, 1/2 mile away @ the bottom of the ridge. I heard one shot several hundred yards to my right. 30 min. later, 3 cows trotted past me, coming down from the ridge above me and to my left. None appeared wounded, possibly they were spooked. I dropped one w one shot, about 100 yards uphill from me in aspens. Within 5 min of my shot, 2 hunters marched up from downhill and to my right. They confronted me, claiming I had shot the elk one of them wounded earlier with the shot I had heard. Very belligerent. I told them bluntly this elk has one hole in it and I had just put it there, offered to show them the carcass. They left in a huff, casting aspersions on me. I even volunteered information about where the 2 unwounded elk went, and off these gomers went in pursuit. I finished gutting the cow and dragged the halves downhill in the snow to my truck, watching my back the whole day.

Which gave me lots of time to think. I suppose these guys thought they wounded an elk, but instead of pursuing that elk, they chased after the sound of my shot. So they were not following up their shot. The elk I saw, came from the opposite direction. The "hunters" tried to intimidate me to give up the elk, and had me outnumbered. For a minute I wondered if I would have a shootout over a cow elk. Glad they saw my holstered S&W model 29, since my rifle was against a tree, out of reach. It was intense, I had some adrenaline pumping!

It reminded me of the only elk my dad ever killed, in 1970 after 10 years of elk hunting. He shot a spike on top of Dunckley Flat Tops, public land in CO. It was dusk. He and his brother dressed it and hung quarters in trees, hiked back to camp in the dark. Next morning they were back at 1st light and the elk was gone, the could see where it had been hauled off by a snow machine. Long story short, it pissed him off so much he stopped hunting big game. And I missed out on many years of joining him in elk camp.

So here is a tip I learned from my dad, though it did not get his elk back: If you have to leave game unattended, hide a small object in the quarters, where it will only be found when butchering. A coin is good, because you can keep track of the date on the coin. Then if a warden or processor finds it, they can ask the hunter about it, and possibly bust a game thief.