Scenario on the Mountain ... What do you do?

Founder · Mar 30, 2017

For those of you who scout for deer, how do you deal with cases in-which someone else also locates and is planning to, or already, hunting the same buck?

A friend last year showed up on the archery hunt to get after a big buck he knew of. He ran into another guy who also knew of the big buck. The guy he ran into of course was trying to drive my buddy off by mentioning "other big bucks" across the canyon in another area. You all know what I mean.

My buddy actually backed off during the archery hunt. He saw the buck, but never even made a play on it. He wasn't sure how to deal with having another person hunting the same deer.

So the question is, how would you all deal with such an issue? What do you do? For this question, let's say were talking about a once-in-a-lifetime type buck for 90% of people.

(not the buck(s) in question, just some pics)

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
LIKE MonsterMuleys.com
on Facebook!

mntman · Mar 30, 2017

its all public land/animals. I'd go after it too, however I wouldn't cut in front if he is already stalking him. When I found him and first guy of course I'm going after him. With that said if I had another buck/bull that was nearly equal, I'd try for him first just to get away from other hunters if possible.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

jm77 · Mar 30, 2017

I agree with mntman. Unless of course an agreement between two hunters could be reached somehow.

On a similar note, this is a true story, but with a moose. My wife was trying to kill a moose in archery last year. We had already had an unsuccessful stalk and were trying to relocate him the next day. Another hunter received a tip about the bull and showed up there looking for him too. We relayed our hunt to that point and he graciously offered to move on to look for another bull. A half hour later, he was back in there looking for that bull, must have changed his mind. We moved on to find another bull. I wasn't about to get into a competition involving my wife.

Karma is bad stuff, he ended up with a dink. The wife killed a beaut in rifle. He was the Trifecta winner in Wyoming last year and did kill a great ram and bull elk. Heard he was from Utah...

Soj51hopeful · Mar 30, 2017

Fight

HiMtnHntr · Mar 30, 2017

I would move on and/or wait for the other guy to leave, simply because having other people in the area after the same critters has a big impact on the fun factor for me.

wstrntines · Mar 30, 2017

If it looks like he's stalking it I'd back off I would like to give him the highest chance of success like I'd hope he'd do for me. You could set down and try to agree on setting up ambushes on his travel routes. Maybe one day you hunt him the next day he does. But if the guy acts like a doosh let the best man win I'll hunt the deer to if he acts all entitled and thinks he owns the Basin. I ran into a guy back in 2011 he had a henry's archery tag so did one of my buddies buddies. So we were both glassing the same deer & there was two more bucks with the giant. The hunter in our party would have been happy with any of the three. One morning both of us watched the buck. We chatted about it and he knew we were interested in the larger buck as he was #1 on our hitlist. So he said how bout you guys hunt him the first week and after that I'm going to try to kill him. We both agreed it seemed like it was a fair deal on both ends. We never killed the buck nor did he. He ended up taking a giant buck in the hardhorn and we killed a different buck the 2nd or 3rd day of the hunt. The giant buck was killed the following year. I think there is ways to come to an agreement in the field with fellow hunters. I believe a good majority of guys in the field are great people that you can make great friendships with in the highcountry and maybe if we become friends that guy can teach me something to be a more effective hunter.

fullthrottle · Mar 30, 2017

I would hunt him, unless there were other bucks I knew of that were very similar in areas that I thought would have less pressure. If I did stay and hunt the buck I would be respectful to the other hunter and if they had the better position I would back off, if I had the better play I would expect the same in return. I would also say there has been very few times if ever that I have found a huge beasty and someone else doesn't have there eye on him too.

Downrange · Mar 30, 2017

You hunt him, end of story, its not their buck and its not your buck, both hunters should get after it.

yak4fish · Mar 30, 2017

A big old buck like that is smart,the other guy is likely to blow the stalk so I would hunt the escape route.

Tristate · Mar 30, 2017

I'd let the other guy have his space and wish him best luck. Go find some different area with a little more elbow room. Who knows maybe I find something better maybe I don't. Either way I win.

SDBugler · Mar 30, 2017

Who was there first has always been my deciding factor. Whether it is first to get to a prime glassing spot, first to initiate a stalk, etc.

A couple true stories:

Last year I was helping my son on his whitetail deer hunt. We hiked into a spot we had scouted several days ahead of time. Got set up long before daylight. About 2 hours after sunrise I got up to relieve myself. From a standing position I noticed an orange hat just out of site 60 yards below us. ended up there was two other hunters posted just below us looking for the same deer we had scouted. After talking to them I realized that they had gotten into the area before we did and so we pulled out.

Sometimes it just comes down to a coin flip........
Several years ago my 15 year old son was hunting on the other side of the ridge from me on opening morning. I heard A shot come from my son's direction. A couple minutes later my cell phone rings and my son says "dad, you better come over here. Me and another guy just shot the same buck". When I arrived I tried to stay as impartial as possible and asked what happened. neither of them knew that the other hunter was in the same draw because of where they were sitting. the both had shot simultaneously when the buck paused to feed. Both shots were kill shots - one in the heart from my son's broadside shot and the other a quartering shot into the front opposite shoulder/lungs. neither hunter even heard the other hunters shot to know who may have shot first. Also, from my location it sounded like a single shot. At first I thought the other gentleman should do the right thing and let a 15 year old kid keep the buck (that's what I would have done) but it was the other guy's biggest buck he had ever shot and was going to be deployed in a few months. Since there was no clear evidence to decide they both agreed to a coin flip. the other gentleman had some type of military coin with him and we used that flip. my son won the flip and the other gentleman let him keep the coin. He now has the buck mounted on the wall and the coin placed in a wooden plaque next to the mount.

ridgetops · Mar 30, 2017

I know how jray and hilltophunter has handled things like that in the past.
Well, not very well!
I heard a story this year about a hunter mad about another hunter shooting a buck and he went and cut the ears off the other hunters buck. I'm guessing when the other hunter wasn't around and a way to destroy the cape, so it couldn't be mounted.
Hard to believe someone would actually do something like that.

Proud member of the Wolfpack!

ridgetops · Mar 31, 2017

Very interesting..........

Actually, in almost all cases it just takes communicating with the other hunter or hunters and try to work with each other. I've ran into other guys hunting the same canyon or buck before and after talking things out. We end up giving each other a little space and all is good.
As for the guys I hunt with, we will scout different areas and what ever buck anyone in the group finds, it's fair game for the rest of the group and no matter who kills which ever buck. The rest of the group is happy for them and will usually be there to help them pack it out.

Proud member of the Wolfpack!

treedagain · Apr 1, 2017

It would just make me get up a few min earlier....glass a little harder and make the best of any chances i would have. He or she is welcome to do the same.

Castnshoot · Apr 1, 2017

I would shoot it right out from under him,, then have it mounted so he could hang it in his garage.

bowhunt · Apr 1, 2017

I would propose a series of possible solutions and see if any could be agreed on:
1: Let me go hunt it
2: Please let me go hunt it
3: Propose a fist fight, winner gets to hunt it
4: Propose an arm wrestle match, winner gets to hunt it
5: As he walks away try to sneak around and ahead of him.

If all of that fails, I just let him hunt it and wish him luck.

pookiebar · Apr 1, 2017

Draw a broad head right then and there!! Give him a tracheautomy that he won't ever forget!!!

In all seriousness. It's public land. Wish him luck and keep pushing up the hill. I like the idea of setting up on the bucks exit if you know it. I had a 5x6 bull shot out from under me on public land about 10 years ago just like that. I helped the guy pack it out.

gasman · Apr 1, 2017

Id sell GPS coordinates on the web.

muley210 · Apr 2, 2017

After 16 years I finally drew the strip. 13A archery. I planned on taking the whole 3 weeks off. I scouted one weekend, but planned on the first few days just learning. The second day I found the buck I wanted to hunt, but someone else had found them also. The first few days I spent watching them and learning, but did not make a play, because the wind was awful. I talked to the guy (Brian) that had found the same bucks. He had his father and friend watching the bucks from another hill. He had to go back to town thurs thru sunday for his sons football game, which gave me four days to hunt the bucks. On Saturday I finally had my chance, and went after the bucks. There were 3 big bucks that I thought were 180, 190, 200. The smallest one came out right next to me, and I had several chances to shoot him, but I was waiting for the big one, which never showed. Brian came back Sunday afternoon, and we talked. They were really great people, and we worked together. The big buck disappeared, and I spent 3 days helping Brian to kill a Buck which he did. The same one that I had passed on. He ended up being 30" 3x4 with 40"of mass and grossed over 190" I do not know how to upload the picture.
At first I was pissed that someone else was hunting the same buck that I was (at least he was on his own, and not part of the outfitter mess) I decided to work with him. I met some great people, that Have the same love that I do, and we got a great buck on the ground. Try to make the best of the situation. It might work out great for the both of you.

ridgetops · Apr 2, 2017

>After 16 years I finally drew
>the strip. 13A archery.
> I planned on taking
>the whole 3 weeks off.
> I scouted one weekend,
>but planned on the first
>few days just learning.
>The second day I found
>the buck I wanted to
>hunt, but someone else had
>found them also. The first
>few days I spent watching
>them and learning, but did
>not make a play, because
>the wind was awful.
>I talked to the guy
>(Brian) that had found the
>same bucks. He had
>his father and friend watching
>the bucks from another hill.
> He had to go
>back to town thurs thru
>sunday for his sons football
>game, which gave me four
>days to hunt the bucks.
> On Saturday I finally
>had my chance, and went
>after the bucks. There were
>3 big bucks that I
>thought were 180, 190, 200.
>The smallest one came out
>right next to me, and
>I had several chances to
>shoot him, but I was
>waiting for the big one,
>which never showed. Brian came
>back Sunday afternoon, and we
>talked. They were really
>great people, and we worked
>together. The big buck
>disappeared, and I spent 3
>days helping Brian to kill
>a Buck which he did.
> The same one that
>I had passed on.
>He ended up being 30"
>3x4 with 40"of mass and
>grossed over 190" I
>do not know how to
>upload the picture.
>At first I was pissed that
>someone else was hunting the
>same buck that I was
>(at least he was on
>his own, and not part
>of the outfitter mess)
>I decided to work with
>him. I met some
>great people, that Have the
>same love that I do,
>and we got a great
>buck on the ground. Try
>to make the best of
>the situation. It might
>work out great for the
>both of you.

I wished everyone had your attitude.
What a class act!

Proud member of the Wolfpack!

mtAl · Apr 4, 2017

No one owns the buck, hunt him, they both have the same right as does someone who stumbles on the buck by accident. If someone pulls up to a small-ish public land area earlier than me, I stay out of their way or leave. I'm rarely afforded the same courtesy. Crazy to think anyone owns a particular buck.

Deerlove · Apr 4, 2017

One year in Id I was sitting in a bowl, and a non hunter helping his buddies comes over and sits by me and starts barking on his radio. Some people?

Chesterwyo · Apr 4, 2017

LAST EDITED ON Apr-04-17 AT 10:58PM (MST)[p]If you and the other hunter happen to speak to eachother. Be cordial, but let it be known you intend to hunt that buck. If he gives you attitude, tip your hat like a gentlemen and let the best hunter win. More often than not the buck is going to get away anyways. So put all your effort into getting it done. In the event the other guy kills the buck. Shake his hand and walk away knowing you did everything you could. It's public land and nobody owns that deer.

muleywhisperer · Apr 4, 2017

I had that same thing happen to me this year,except I was the guy that had done no scouting, had never hunted the area but found some terrain that looked like it would hold big deer on a topo map and found a 200+ inch deer 5 minutes into opening day at 3 yards! After a bone head mistake I was backing out of the area and found a hunter that had been dropped off to prevent any one from knowing he was hunting this area. He asked if I had seeing anything and I owned my stupidity and told him about the buck. He then showed me pictures of the buck from trail cameras and scope pics on his phone and said he had been hunting this buck for two years and he had 3 years of his sheds at home. He even had pictures of the buck from the day before the opener at 10 yards! I felt that I needed to get out of his way and let him try and take this deer and told him I would be more than happy to find another spot. He then showed me a picture of a monster 3x3 in the same area that was even more impressive. We actually agreed to and ended up hunting together and had multiple opportunities on both bucks but never made it happen. Truthfully I gave him 7 straight days out of a 15 day hunt to try and make it happen solo and during those 7 days he never saw the buck. Out of respect and with the hope he can finally get his buck,I did not apply for this area this year even though tags are easy to draw there. Someone with that much history with one animal deserves the opportunity to try and make it happen!
What was my boneheaded mistake that prevented me from killing the deer at 3 yards you ask? Simple, I did not expect to find a deer that quickly and that close and I had not got my release out of my backpack not to mention that I still had my quiver mounted on my backpack as well!

2lumpy · Apr 4, 2017

A few years ago, a older MM from another State came to Utah to hunt LE elk. He was head up the rather steep face of a ridge, toward a bull that had been bugling aggressively since well before day light. As it started to get light, I could see him getting closer but he was still not close enough to see the bull, due to the slope of the hill.

Another group of hunters arrived, after this gentleman was part way up the face of the hill, they watched for a few minutes, then, in their pick-up, went by my truck, up the road and up on to an adjacent ridge, and killed the bull at over a 1000 yards.

Did they know we were after the bull, yes.

Were we disappointed, yes.

How big was the bull, 400" plus a few.

Did we complain to the other hunter, no.

Oh well, it's public land. We kicked a couple a few rocks and went to look for another one.

It happens. You can get your nose broke or get over it.

DC

ridgetops · Apr 6, 2017

>
>It happens. You can get
>your nose broke or get
>over it.
>
>DC

Hey 2lumpy,
a broken nose might be getting off easy. One of these days, one of these clowns that thinks they own the mountain and the deer on it, is going to threaten or damage property towards the wrong person and they will be carried off the mountain in a body bag.

Proud member of the Wolfpack!

bullskin · Apr 6, 2017

I agree that you must work an arrangement with the other hunter. Not only does it spoil my frame of mind, knowing that someone else is hunting "my" buck, it also forces hasty decisions and mistakes. I think most guys realize this and are willing to come to fair resolution rather than risk blowing what remains a great opportunity--the chance to hunt, if not kill, a nice buck.