sportsmanship

[bustedknuckleinc]

I have recently found a honeyhole (salt lick) for deer. The problem is that I am not responsable for making it a honeyhole. However i have hunted this area since a was ten with my father (13 years). I was planning on hunting this area this archery season then made contact with the individual who started the honeyhole. He gives me the impresssion that he wont hunt the intire three weeks but feels that it is his spot since he started the lick and doesnt't want anyone to ruin is future chances. The lick is less than a 100 yards off of a hiking trail. Do I have a right to hunt there as long as no one is there first. what would you do.

 

 

P.s. I could start a new lick in the area but that would give the deer more choices and wouldn't make sense.

[elmergoo]

Hate to tell you this,but I wouldn't mess with it. The other feller set it up . It would for sure start bad blood, unless you are up for that kind of thing.

[TwoGuns]

I agree with elmergoo, would stay away from the salt spot. However, I dont think there would be anything wrong with hunting a trail that leads to the salt. You should not sit his salt, but since it is there, it can still work to your advantage.

[bustedknuckleinc]

Hate to tell you this,but I wouldn't mess with it. The other feller set it up . It would for sure start bad blood, unless you are up for that kind of thing.

 

Yea thats the last thing I want

[GreyGhost85]

i have a real good feeling that i know whos "spot" this is...anything to do with a business card inside your trail camera?? but anyways, if he made the salt lick, i would agree that it is calaimed territory

[COOSEFAN]

This is very touchy ground here.......In this certain scenario, I would not hunt this other guys' salt! He put the work into getting it there and scouting the spot, I would respect that and not hunt it. Now if it is a waterhole..........that is different. Waterholes are first come first served.......if someone beats me to a waterhole.......it's theirs. If I beat them.....I only hope they have the same respect, which is unfortunately rarely ever the case! If I know someone is scouting it very seriously and I have the same intentions for the same spot, I will try and contact them and work out an agreement with them to share it.....if they don't want to share, I ususally will back off.....it's not worth the headache or the fighting! In your case, I would set up my own salt in a different spot........the deer will be happier about the extra salt and you won't have to compete with that certain individual........in essence you are sharing the deer by doing this, not the spot itself. Good luck, JIM>

[bustedknuckleinc]

i have a real good feeling that i know whos "spot" this is...anything to do with a business card inside your trail camera?? but anyways, if he made the salt lick, i would agree that it is calaimed territory

 

 

Dont want to be a jerk but I have hunted this trail for thirteen years have probabley seen my different vehicles over the years while I was backpacking to hunt, this is very difficult and was looking for a spot to camp and hunt. Whitetails have a small territory and making a different lick would give them a choice. But repectfully there is no such thing as claimed territory on public land.

[GreyGhost85]

This is very touchy ground here.......In this certain scenario, I would not hunt this other guys' salt! He put the work into getting it there and scouting the spot, I would respect that and not hunt it. Now if it is a waterhole..........that is different. Waterholes are first come first served.......if someone beats me to a waterhole.......it's theirs. If I beat them.....I only hope they have the same respect, which is unfortunately rarely ever the case! If I know someone is scouting it very seriously and I have the same intentions for the same spot, I will try and contact them and work out an agreement with them to share it.....if they don't want to share, I ususally will back off.....it's not worth the headache or the fighting! In your case, I would set up my own salt in a different spot........the deer will be happier about the extra salt and you won't have to compete with that certain individual........in essence you are sharing the deer by doing this, not the spot itself. Good luck, JIM>

 

i agree 100% with you here...salt licks are man made and i believe that the person that has put in the time and effort of building/maintaining them has the right to hunt them...water holes are a different story because they are naturally occurring therefore noboady has so called "rights" to hunt them...and fourpoint, maybe i shouldnt have added the phrase "claimed territory" because you are right, there is no such thing as that on public land, but put yourself in the other man's shoes and i think you would feel the same way

[bustedknuckleinc]

I don’t know about water tanks being naturally occurring and not man made but my feelings are that if I want to hunt a certain area (AKA water hole or Salt lick) and I go there and someone has a fresh blind or tree stand up assuming that it is not left there year round I would never barge in and set up on top of them that would be WRONG. But if it is left there year round you are essentially saying that every season this is my spot which is fine if you (the one who puts down the salt) are going to personally be there all 3 weeks(21 days). If not then you should not be against anyone else hunting there. After all its public land.

 

 

You know where this salt lick is obviously.

 

Trip on trail with salt 1/4 mile

Trip off trail with salt 100 yds

Distance back to truck 1/4 mile on well groomed hiking trail

 

Not a whole lot of work for someone who is going to probably scout up there anyways. So please don’t make it sound like it’s hard to do. I just did not want to add more salt to the area if possible.

The last thing that I want to do is piss anyone off its not why we hunt. I can assure you that the spot is yours and I will hunt where I always have.

[GreyGhost85]

this spot is not mine, dont get that mixed up, i dont know where or even what unit it is...i know a guy who was explaining a similar situation and i put two and two together....for all i know this salt lick could be anywhere in the state... i dont even know if we are talking about the same place...whether i know who put this salt there or not, does not change the way i would feel about this instance, i wasnt trying to start an argument over this, just giving my two cents...

[105Coues]

I hate to burst your bubble but it is quite a bit of work to keep them active. It involves a number of trips and the gas , salt and stuff of that nature builds up a bill.

I would say respect the other person and back off. How would you like it if you did the homework and put in the time to make it active and keep it that way. I agree that if it were a water hole that it is fair game and legally you can go anywhere you want but I believe we as hunters and brothers in the woods need to respect each other and part of that is giving each other space.

My .02

[Grey Hawk]

Fourpoint ,you must not have started and maintained a saltlick before . It is hard work ,Takes time , and money so if you did'nt make it show some respect and hunters ethics and stay away from it.And if you hunt the trail leeding to it you might as well sit on it . Do not do it ,it's not right start your own ..........

[azryan]

treat others how you want to be treated...thats what i go by....I would leave the spot alone. there is so much more opportunity then that one spot...its not going to make or break your season...good luck

[wklman]

if you've been hunting there for so long and its public land i don't see anything wrong with hunting it. we all have areas that we call our honey holes but their is so many hunters out there now doing so many different things with water,salt licks, scouting cameras and such that i don't believe there is a spot that hasn't been supposedly claimed by somebody. just don't get mad when somebody comes and hunts a spot you've worked on.

[bobbyo]

Fourpoint,

There is a difference between legal and ethical. Contrary to what I have read many times on this sight( if it is legal than it is ok). just because it is legal dosen't make it ethical.True sportsmen are ethical. If you have to ask, then it is probably not ethical. Why is this spot special. There must be a big buck in that area. If this place is as easy to access as you say, then I perdict you, your salt buddy and about eight other people will be there on opening day. I say do yourself a favor and find another more remote honeyhole and bring the salt if you think that is ethical.

Bob