WTF

Went out local today, I love getting out close to home after that first snow! I hit this one spot after the first snow every year and have told a friend of mine about it and the good luck I have had. I drive the half hr to the spot to find this buddy of mine sitting in the lot with 3 of his buddys, wtf. No phone call either? I know it is public and I understand that, but how about give me a call to join you in the spot I have filled you in on. I got there at 830 to make sure I was first one, but on my advice he beat me to it. I never stopped to chat with him or called him, I was just upset! I ended up hitting a smaller area and flushed one hen and the dog caught the only rooster I saw (in his mouth). I let it go and shot at as it flew away and missed. Birds just don’t know what to do in that first snow, kinda funny! Anyway, I had to vent… I know, I know its public land!

Good luck all!

Even my closest friends and hunting buddies i dont tell about my hottest spots. Either go by myself or i like to take people that dont get to hunt often to those places.

That sucks ! I would call him to see how it has been going and snoop. If he lies to you than friend is the wrong word to label your relationship. Some people just don’t get it

Bummer man ….. I can about imagine the shock and betrayed feeling you must have had considering its a friend you trusted and shared with. I know its public land, I know its public water, I know its every ones fair game. But thats the glory of the challenge. When you can figure out a niche hunting on public land, its awesome (regardless of game). It means you got it figured out. Bringing friends with to share in it is awesome; being juked by someone you consider a friend is disheartening….

I had a somewhat similar experience earlier this fall while fishing a lake I’ve fished since I was 12 or so: Worked, shared an office, and fished with an out-of-state guy (3hrs away) for a year and a half. He got a job (out of state 2 hrs away) and we keep in touch on what we are up to. Come fall I’m at the boat landing and run into a stranger. Small talk turns into him telling me “Yeah, my buddy (my friend) told me his good friend has been nailing the muskies and big crappies out here in the fall for years.” He then drives around the lake and pulls right up to a spot I had caught a ski and sent a pic to that friend (has land marker in background) just a few days earlier. I was just in awe that a guy 2 hrs away could exploit my niche….. When I called him out he just went wheeling in studders; guess who no longer gets fishing talk .

I talk hunting in generalities only. I have some private land to hunt where I grew up, and will only bring 3 guys out there. Family only.

I am not interested in having this problem.

Sorry it came up to bite ya. It is a real slap in the face when stuff like this happens. It goes to show that there are very few guys who will put in the time to find a reliable pattern, and the rest of them just mooch off of us

I know exactly what you are feeling…. ….had the same thing happen to me with a couple fishing spots. Needless to say, I don’t fish with them anymore.

I called him this morning to chat.. He did tell me he went hunting yesterday, but told me he went out near benson for the day . He also told me they did not shoot at a bird but who knows if that was the truth or not. I do put a lot of time into my hunting due to hunting all public land and take pride in finding places like that. Guess it is time to start blindfolding the dog so he don’t spill the beans .

I am done with that friend

Very sad to hear that your friend treated you that way. A true friend would have never done that and I guess you could say it’s “his loss”.

Doesnt sound like a friend to me. Betrayal is not what friends do. My close friends and I share all info.

My dad has told me numerous stories about how he has taken buddies hunting to only come back and find they are there with other friends. Needless to say my dad doesn’t take friends or even his own brother to hot spots anymore lol.

I had one buddy who I thought would never go back to an area we went grouse hunting but sure enough he took a buddy of his. He will never see anymore of my spots! They only friends I take out to my areas now are ones who are only up north because they are staying with me.

Its sad that people are like this and their are many friendships ruined over hunting and fishing when it should be the other way around. My dad and I now hunt together 90% of the time.

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Went out local today, I love getting out close to home after that first snow! I hit this one spot after the first snow every year and have told a friend of mine about it and the good luck I have had. I drive the half hr to the spot to find this buddy of mine sitting in the lot with 3 of his buddys, wtf. No phone call either? I know it is public and I understand that, but how about give me a call to join you in the spot I have filled you in on. I got there at 830 to make sure I was first one, but on my advice he beat me to it. I never stopped to chat with him or called him, I was just upset! I ended up hitting a smaller area and flushed one hen and the dog caught the only rooster I saw (in his mouth). I let it go and shot at as it flew away and missed. Birds just don’t know what to do in that first snow, kinda funny! Anyway, I had to vent… I know, I know its public land!

Good luck all!

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Boy could I tell you some stories about public land bear hunting and “Friends”

It just really sucks. Today I drove 2hrs sw and got my birds 35 minutes into it.. Would have been nice to have another guy to make the day a little longer. However, I think I am going to stick with solo hunts for the rest of the year except for the few times I take guys that only get out once or twice a year. On a side note, the dog was a rockstar today. What a feeling when you can’t take the smile off of your face because you can’t believe he just did that.

Still very frustrated about the situation the other day.

Sad to hear that it happens all too often

are you kidding me?
obviously you valued this guys friendship to confide in him about your “SECRET SPOT” and then when you go to hunt it you see him there and you get all POed and act like a 12 year old school girl and don’t even stop. and now you are willing to through this friendship out the window over some stupid public hunting spot. then state you went hunting by yourself, shot a limit right away and wish you had a friend along?????
hunting shouldn’t just be about how many pheasants,ducks,deer, or what ever you shoot, it should include memories shared with friends or family.

P.S. there is no such thing as a secret spot, some buddy else does know about it

Had it happen to me. I was hitting my closest grouse spot one weekend. Out come my buddy that I showed the spot to and his Lt. Col from Reserves! I immediately started laughing and started giving him [censored]. I mean I really gave him [censored] but mostly we all just laughed. I still laugh about it today, what else can you do. It is what is, Now it’s time for him to give you one of “his” spots.

Laugh it off and get over it, It’s not your land or your birds.

Ferny