Big area - one road.

[chiledog]

How do you feel about this situation.

I go to an area that I have hunted many times here in Oregon, and had hunted 4 times already this year, entering where I usually (but not always) enter. It's a closed gate on a road. No motorized vehicles permitted.
Behind this gate the road follows up a long drainage for about 8+ miles. Then the road ends but the drainage continues.
There is another road that forks off this one and then parallels it but only higher on the ridge by about 1/2 mile to 1 mile.
There are also several minor roads leading up and down secondary drainages.
The happening --
We (3 of us) come to the gate behind another vehicle. As we pull up, out come 3 guys to hunt this area. That is, go out this closed road.
As we get out of our rig, one guy says 'you're not going to follow us up there are you?'
I said 'it's a big area'. (Several miles of northeast facing slopes, timbered and with streams, wallows, meadows, etc.)
Then another guy from the other rig says 'seriously, you're not going to follow us up there' (it was a question, not a command)
I asked them which way they were planning to go. They said lower road. So I said, fine, we'll take the higher road.
One of them says 'this is BS.'
We took off hiking the upper road while they were still putting on their boots.

Just wanted to know what your thoughts would be on this encounter. It really is a big area and I didn't think it 'fair' that they had exclusivity to it.
BTW - We could hear them for about 2 miles bugling on the lower road until there was too much terrain between them and us.

[powderhogg01]

some people. I would have felt weird.. simply because I would not trust them not to damage my rig or follow me in and start something in the woods. I am not sure why people get so vulgar.. I mean im no peace and love hippie but dang it if being out in the woods is not supposed to be a good time.. without all the negativity.

[Lefty]

Big areas have plenty of room to "share"
Some guys dont get what public land is,..
Ive always tried to hunt away from others when ever possible.

My theory use to be ,.. get there first and let them make their move.
I often slept near hunt locations

[mjblowers]

I would have to see the area and know more context but I know me personally have shown up to a spot where someone was waiting to get out of truck and I approached and said "where do you intend on hunting" and informed him I'd give him 30 min and said I'd go a different path. It was FAR to accessible and busy of a spot to warrant me turning around. Had it been where I currently hunt, I would have turned around as I have many times and gone elsewhere. I hate it when people do that to me in rural spots but that's just me. Public land or not I do believe there's a sportsman element to this aspect of hunting. Some of the stories I've read on here about people competing for a wallow and multiple people setting up on tree stands in the same area blows my mind. That doesn't sound fun to me at all. But also... why would you want to hunt areas others are if you can avoid it? My two cents.

[Lefty]

mj
I believe in an area as big as described there should not be a problem. In reality once they were into an area there was plenty of room and different directions to hunt .
The pinch point was the trail-head and first part of the trail heading in.

Currently Im sharing a pasture that is 2 x 2 1/2 miles.
Of course I would rather hunt the area alone. The other fellows seem to be good guys and ethical . We mentioned where we were going to hunt and never crossed paths all day.

Now if the Other groups plans was to hunt the road going in that could be an issue

[Kleinpm]

simply because I would not trust them not to damage my rig or follow me in and start something in the woods. I am not sure why people get so vulgar...

The only time I have ever felt uncomfortable leaving my rig at the trailhead because someone was acting like a jerk I openly and noticeably took a picture of their license plate. They didn't like it but I felt better.


Patrick