Baiting on Public Land (RANT)

[B-man715]

Well the plan was to get my bait stations set up yesterday, but I had to go into work for a last minute thing.

This morning I loaded the truck up with signs, cameras, a cart and bait then hit the road.

As I pull up to my first spot (where I killed a bear last year) there is already a pick-up there. I was a little worried he may be putting a bait in the general area of where I hunted last year, but my site was over a half mile walk from the parking spot.

I waited around a little bit to see if I could catch him and talk to him so we wouldn't be on top of eachother. 20 minutes passed and I had other baits to set.

A couple hours later I returned to see his truck gone. I walked in the half mile to place my bait and as I get close it is obvious somebody has been there. Soon I see a treestand and camera along with a bait- WITHIN 50 FEET of where I hunted last year He even used some of my logs from last year..........

The odds of him "accidentally" baiting my exact spot have to be pretty dang low........ Thousands and thousands of acres but he is magically within 50' a 1/2 mile off the road???

I resisted the urge to kick his camera to pieces and krap on his bait, but I wasn't happy.........

Since I had all of my stuff with I set up a new station a couple hundred yards away.

May the best baiter win

[schmoe147]

Public land for you. It does suck but no reason to get worked up when it's on state land. He probably stumbled upon it and thought well nobody's using it. 1st come 1st serve

[fishadb]

You really have nothing to complain about, it's public land. Can't really treat it any different than a lake it's for everyone.

[Jameson]

Just so much wrong here.

[Random guy]

Sadly I see something along these lines every year. Last year I had a guy find two of my baits along a two mile stretch. His trick was set up a bait 60 yards away then split the difference with his stand. 30 yard shot to his bait and a thirty yard shot to my bait.

Public land opens you up to these jokers. Normally I know everybody in my area and we all have good respect for each other and even try not to stack on top of each other although we have accidentally done it and had a good laugh when we figured it out. We even share bait and help eachtother drag and track. And if somebody starts acting like a jerk all of us know about it and do what we can.

[jentz]

Might we prey (bear Prey) Father son and holy ghost,Whoever gets there first gets the most.Amen

[protrapper]

Your spot? Your logs? Get over it it's public.

[PurpleFloyd]

The early bird catches the worm.

[CANOPY SAM]

One of the many reasons why I try to hunt bear without setting up bait stations. I know, I know. Pretty tough not too. But I did it for many years, and I know your frustrations all too well.

The woes of public land hunting.

Keep in mind, it's entirely, and completely possible that he didn't know you'd previously hunted there. Reasonably good hunters are getting better every year, and finding good spots, that are within a reasonable walk, is getting easier all the time.

Modern hunting techniques, and "smarter" approaches are at virtually everyone's fingertips these days.

A cyber-celebrity hunter can even find a good place to hunt with a little good intell.

[B-man715]

Public land is public land. I've hunted it my whole life, and will continue to do so. I've learned to roll with the punches.

Sometimes getting crowded will lead to success in another location

I just really hope this guy didn't do this on purpose.... If I know another hunter is going to hunt an area I look elsewhere...... plain and simple.

But I get the feeling this guy is the same type of person that would fish next to a boat that tossed out a marker buoy in the middle of a giant lake......... there are more than a handful of guys that do it, but I just cannot.....

By reading some of the replies, I see there are a few guys here that cannot venture on their own and find a spot for themselves.......

Good luck this upcoming bear season to you all. And I hope for those who put an honest effort in do better than a guy chasing others

[Col. Hoggiebun]

I hear ya clucking big chicken, ran into on friday as well he got ther first an made an effort to cut a trail 200 yards futher away from me so I just bowed out an let uim have it. Even tho its a for o spot an took one of my biggest from that piece. Good luck bman hope for a repeat

[Jameson]

[protrapper]

Venturing out? On my own? Ha! You don't need to tell me about crowding an stealing public land bait sites. I run a guide service, I had pits passed onto me that are 25 plus years old. I know what it's like to have some slicker set 50 yards away even 100 is to close. Your competing for the same bear. Hardly sportsman like on my book.

Thats why we are out at midnight every year, hanging signs an tossing bait down.

[RumRiverRat]

Your spot? Your logs? Get over it it's public.

+ a bazillion

[Random guy]

I actually gave up a bait today. I pulled out on the main road and go 50 yards around the corner and here is an elderly guy limping along with a hatchet and his wife with some type of garden shears trying to cut into a bait. Typical old 2 wheel drive Chevy, patched up jeans and old milk jugs full of water. Long story short they got beat out on his spot from three years ago and were trying to open up a new one alongside a brushed in logging road. I traded him my set up bait right along side the road I call "easy" for his logging road to run my ATV on.

Only deal is his wife owes me a pint of blueberry jam...good deal I thought.

Public land and bear baiting is a sh show no matter how you look at it. All you can do is roll with it best you can. I could have stayed put and got into a baiting war wit the guy over the local bear; sitting on 6,000lbs of bear bait I'm sure I could have won that fight. Instead I said screw it and put my efforts in elswhere.

[Living_The_Dream]

Good man Jonny, just make sure that you share that blueberry jam when I come up.

[LindellProStaf]

Hey well done Jonny! We will all be like that someday and hopefully a younger guy gives us a break too. Very admirable of you! As I see your posts I have told my wife that someday I might contact that guy (you) and just do a hunt with you. Even though I live in a good area it takes a lot of time, gas, bait, etc to take a bear. Sometimes a guide is the cheapest, easiest, low stress way to go. Kudos to you and hope you have a good season. If I don't I might contact you for a late season hunt if you have an active bait.

[Col. Hoggiebun]

Ditto on the respectful move. Well played jonny

[Random guy]

It can go the other way just as easily. This guy made me realize someday I won't be able to knock a bait out in 1/2 hour then jump on the wheeler 40 mph to the next prospect. I hope some punk comes along and offers me a hand.

It can go the other way, few years ago I had a guy tell me where to shove my bear bait. He was suddenly the center piece of a bait octagon.

[mntatonka]

I resisted the urge to kick his camera to pieces and krap on his bait, but I wasn't happy.........

Since I had all of my stuff with I set up a new station a couple hundred yards away.

May the best baiter win

Seriously dude? Because he beat you to a spot on public land, you get mad? Even if you've been hunting that same spot for decades, it's still public and means if someone wants to hunt there they can. No reason to get [PoorWordUsage] about it. Move to a different place and don't be a Dick about it like the guy farther down talking about surrounding a guys bait.

People need to grow up and be adults. It's hunting, it's supposed to be fun for everyone, no reason to get [PoorWordUsage] off because someone baits in a spot you wanted to bait in.

[Kyle]

By reading some of the replies, I see there are a few guys here that cannot venture on their own and find a spot for themselves.......

I agree with this statement. Before setting up a bait station you sit there and ponder the area for at least a little while. There is no way that guy didn't see a previous bait station. It does suck that he got there first, but as "Sportsman" I think a little respect for another person's setup is a least necessary. Obviously nothing you can do, but I sympathize with your scenario...Your right, just like the guy that pulls up to you in the middle of the lake. It's frustrating.

[jjz]

Nice perspective Jonny. One day we all might be in that situation, in many scenarios. 1st class move.

[BoxMN]

I agree with this statement. Before setting up a bait station you sit there and ponder the area for at least a little while. There is no way that guy didn't see a previous bait station. It does suck that he got there first, but as "Sportsman" I think a little respect for another person's setup is a least necessary.

Not a bear hunter here, but seriously, because it "looks like a guy was here last year" is reason for me NOT to set my stuff up there? Holy cow, glad I don't bear hunt, and hope some of the bear hunters here don't duck hunt Good luck to you regardless...

[Wanderer]

I was thinking the same thing Box...

Last I heard permits were awarded through a lottery which generally means <100% chance of being drawn. How does one know if the guy that baited there last year will even be around this year?

[hunter76]

Well we were on public ground, never saw a person, then caught a guy peeing on our bait, one throwing our site, and even had one of the same guys drive by one of our guys while in the stand on a 3 wheeler yelling "bear, bear" as he drove 10 yards away from him. This was by Deer River. In total between 8 of us we spent at a minimum of $5000. We had several bears on several of our sights until we figured out what was going on. No one even saw a bear while on stand. Hmm, I wonder why? It's because the locals, although not hunting think that the public land is theres, and they don't want anyone coming up there on "there land" Pretty sad