I've been hunting Catoosa for a long time. Going there in the morning for the rifle hunt. Its is my favorite place of anywhere to hunt. Last year I was out of my truck, putting on coveralls at a cable gate. I had been there long before daylight and was about to walk in when 3 guys came in on two wheels, jumped out of the truck and literally ran past me like I wasn't even there. I'm talking a sprint like they were racing each other. The road bed went straight to a clear cut so it was pretty obvious where I was headed. It did make me mad but it wasn't that big deal. I have spent a lot of time there scouting so I just went down the road a bit. I have seen this so many times now that I don't really even get in a hurry to be the first guy in the woods. I like to be able to see where I'm going and just ease in quietly somewhere I don't see any trucks nearby. I use a tree summit tree seat. It really makes it comfortable for a long day sit and also makes it easy to be mobile. Archery season is the only time I'll even think about hanging a stand of the ground. I've also had a few time where a guy walking in pushed deer to me.
Wma respect
- Thread starter Mtncur76
- Start date
People use to respect one another on these wma hunts quota style or otherwise years ago. I've never once knowingly parked next to another truck and walked in. Why when there's other places to go. And if I walk in and see another hunter I'll turn around walk out and get in my truck and find another area.
I'll be leaving my stand Saturday day evening, but I'll be in it a couple hours before sunrise.
Antler Daddy
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Just ban stands and solve half the problem! Tree stands are overrated anyway.
Tennessee Lead
Well-Known Member
No stand of any kind should be left on public. It causes nothing but trouble. I absolutely despise that it's legal.
catman529
Well-Known Member
This whole discussion is why I scout and hunt so many different places 
I'm not getting into some drama over a treestand left in a spot I wanted to hunt. I've had it happen before and I moved on to the next spot. I found a honey hole last year with no sign of other hunters, killed a couple does, came back this year and there were 2 treestands in there. No worries cause I found a couple new spots nearby and killed a couple more does and found some buck sign too. That's the thing with public, gotta work around the hunters, not fight with them.
I'm not getting into some drama over a treestand left in a spot I wanted to hunt. I've had it happen before and I moved on to the next spot. I found a honey hole last year with no sign of other hunters, killed a couple does, came back this year and there were 2 treestands in there. No worries cause I found a couple new spots nearby and killed a couple more does and found some buck sign too. That's the thing with public, gotta work around the hunters, not fight with them.I don't think anyone here is talking about drama or fighting with other hunters. The title of the post is about respecting other hunters. The OP stated his dad and son where to a spot first and getting ready to walk in when two guys approached and let them know they had stands in their so they were going on in. To me the two that arrived second should have been the ones to move on if both parties planned to hunt the same spot , hung stands or not. The situation you are talking about is totally different , you found two stands in an area that you had previously seen no signs of people so you moved on elsewhere. That was respect for the other two guys on your part. I am guessing you have to move public spots constantly as you put your hunts on YouTube for all to enjoy. I would guess locals see certain terrain features , fields etc and figure out where you are pretty quick . I have no clue where you are when I watch and just enjoy your hunt. To me it would be simple as an area manager, no stands hung until the morning of the hunt, if you have physical limitations or need assistance for some reason , just give me a call and get permission. I get your name and the area the stand will be in and all is fine.This whole discussion is why I scout and hunt so many different places
catman529
Well-Known Member
Two years ago I pulled up to hunt a spot opening day of ML where I'd grunted in a good buck 2 days earlier. I was the first one there and while I was still in the truck another guy pulls up and starts getting his stuff ready. I asked where he was going, you guessed it, same spot I was and he had gone and hung a stand in there the day before. Since he went through the trouble to carry a stand all the way back there I just moved on. We exchanged numbers and he let me know when he wasn't gonna be hunting there in case I wanted to go back. No big deal...now my only complaint was that my backup spot had just been bush hogged and screwed up the bedding cover
I never liked all the bush hogging they do before ML season, but if they don't bush hog then people complain that they aren't taking care of the WMAs so it's a no win...I guess my point is that people complain too much, maybe I should have worded it differently.slicksbeagles1
Well-Known Member
I thought the regulation say you can't leave stands overnight
No more than 24 hours I believe
It's funny you say that. I was up at Foothills WMA and came across a couple of ladder stands, then I ran into the TWRA officer up on top and he told me that leaving tree stands out overnight at the Foothills is not allowed. Also, I never trusted leaving my tree stand overnight anyway lmao! I hate when folks try to claim a cut of Public Land like they own it. if you don't want someone else in your spot then beat them there lol
I always carried my climber in and out for my hunts on WMA's. I have set up intentionally and accidently within 20-60 yards or so of other stands when bow hunting but didn't see anyone during these hunts.
I had a hunter walk right past me while I was in my stand for an afternoon hunt on a Tennessee River National Wildlife Refuge rifle quota hunt. He sat a few feet up a ridge about 40-50 yards away which put him near the primary deer approach route (where they had come in the day before). I called out at him but he didn't leave; I could see his hunter orange easily in my line of sight.
When walking out I got a little testy with him. He verified that he saw me when he walked within 10-15 yards of my tree on the way to the place he settled to hunt. He said others had set up close behind me that I didn't see (so what?) so I guess he thought this was normal and good etiquette. Evidently several hunters saw our truck (3 of us) and parked nearby and came into the same area. This was really a turn off. So much so that I don't know if I could ever hunt public land again if I was to lose my current hunting setup.
This is in the TWRA Hunting Guide regarding WMA's:
I had a hunter walk right past me while I was in my stand for an afternoon hunt on a Tennessee River National Wildlife Refuge rifle quota hunt. He sat a few feet up a ridge about 40-50 yards away which put him near the primary deer approach route (where they had come in the day before). I called out at him but he didn't leave; I could see his hunter orange easily in my line of sight.
When walking out I got a little testy with him. He verified that he saw me when he walked within 10-15 yards of my tree on the way to the place he settled to hunt. He said others had set up close behind me that I didn't see (so what?) so I guess he thought this was normal and good etiquette. Evidently several hunters saw our truck (3 of us) and parked nearby and came into the same area. This was really a turn off. So much so that I don't know if I could ever hunt public land again if I was to lose my current hunting setup.
This is in the TWRA Hunting Guide regarding WMA's:
Ed Cude
Well-Known Member
I see no problem in leaving a stand over night that should show other hunters this spot taken they should be a good sportsman and go elsewhere.
So if you get there first and walk in and set up in the dark and dont see there stand when they come in 10 min before daylight your supposed to pack up and give them that spot thaey should be the ones to be good sportmans and go somewhere else but wait there stand is in a tree already and so is mine
How you supposed to see the stand in the dark? Why shouldn't the guys that got beat to the spot be good sportsman and go elsewhere? Putting a stand on public land doesn't make it yours as some would believe. However if you beat me to a spot , you don't have to worry about me. The OP said they had hunted the muzzleloader hunt two weeks before in that spot , I highly doubt they went back and scouted again and seen the guys stands they hung the day before the hunt. What if someone scouts the morning before the two guys and hung bright eyes up and no stands are there at that time? Should the guys that hung the stands see the bright eyes and not hang their stands and be good sportsman? Public land should be first come , first serve the morning of the hunt in my opinion. If you want to walk in the same area ask the person that was there first where they are going if you are going somewhere totally different then proceed.If you come in late and the hunter is gone from the truck go elsewhere.
While I might agree that if you find a stand then move on, I do believe that these boys didn't know of it until those guys came along. Also if it Ain't allowed then you kind of have to expect that no one is expecting there to be a stand left overnight. At the same time what would you have them do? trample all over the spot making all that racket tearing those stands down? not to mention they might get spiteful and spread their scent everywhere! LMAO Sometimes it is better to brush it off. you never know these days.
Who ever gets there first is who gets the spot reguardless of a hung stand.
They made the decision to leave there stand overnight you would expect them to have some respect to the other hunters also they or no better then the ones there first so instead of screwing up everyone's hunt they can hunt off the ground or leave camp earlier to get there spot first. And it's not so much as them hunting there stand it's more that if you are already in the woods somewhere before they come in they dont know were ur at and you dont know were there at l dont like the ideal of some one setting up 100yrds behind me hunting the same direction I'm watching makes me nervous when someone is watching my back with a gun pointing my way
THEdonkey0515
Well-Known Member
Me and dad was on Catoosa 3 years ago or so got to the spot way early set in truck finished up the coffee. Got out put the rest of are clothes on maybe made it 15 yards in the woods. When a truck comes flying in parks 4" away from are bumper beats & bangs around for 10 minutes two guys walk up to us with climbers on there back asking if we was gonna hunt here.. like what the heck else would we be doing? Said it's the only spot they had looked at. Walked around us down the ridge.
Every bone in my body wanted to follow right behind them and set 15 yards away.
Every bone in my body wanted to follow right behind them and set 15 yards away.
Willysman
Well-Known Member
That's Catoosa. A stand already hung does not mean you own the spot. The first person there should have the spot. They should be allowed to hang overnight but if someone is at that spot when you get there either move the stand or go someplace else. My son and I hunted there this past weekend. We were the first one at the place we wanted to hunt. Two hunters drove on down the road and tried to cut across and get in front of us. They didn't get in front but followed us to where we were going to hunt.
