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The UNWRITTEN RULES of Hunting Public Land That No One Talks About

Cliff Gray

120,441 views

Here are a few unwritten rules that will help any backcountry elk hunter or deer hunter get more out of their hunts on public land without disrupting hunts of other public land hunters.

I also touch on some tips that will help public land hunters when they are hunting areas with commercial wilderness outfitter activity.

I understand that some of you disagree with these so feel free to leave your perspective in the comments.

00:00 - Intro
01:10 - First Blood
03:10 - Glassing Spots Priority
04:05 - Other Hunters on Stalks
05:30 - Long Range Shooting
06:35 - Calling Setups
08:10 - Camp Locations
09:45 - Prime Hunting Hours
10:40 - Who Cares?
12:35 - Getting Outfitters on Your Side
14:40 - Dealing with Horses/Mules on the Trail

#hunting #elkhunting #muledeerhunting #backpackhunting #adventure #selfreliance #pursuitwithcliff

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20 Comments

@Oldrush 2 years ago

I was pushed out of my camp this year by an outfitter. No words exchanged, started unloading their shit right in front of my tent. Horses walking up to my tent. I packed out back to my truck to find they blocked me in with their trailers. I took pics of their plates. I hope their out of state customers noticed their conduct. I hunt solo so I suppose I was easy to bully.

@anthonygendron9737 3 years ago

I love the guy that comes up to me and say “Your in my spot and I’ve been hunting here for 20 years”.

@sandygap1 3 years ago

Cliff, I agree with you. But, it has been my experience few if any other hunters understand, let alone abide by these rules. Society, in general, has lost all sense of decorum. People are a selfish lot, and when you add into the mix time (time off work, to get ready, etc), money (cost of licenses, equipment, etc) and emotion (ego trip to get an animal, reputation, etc) it becomes an aggressive mad house where they feel entitled to ruined all other hunters experience. In all due respect, your rules were the standards 40 years ago. Now, it's dog eat dog.

@user-mh5qg5jb7d 2 years ago (edited)

Although I do partially agree with you, outfitters all too often have a sense of entitlement when sharing public land with public hunters. Too many outfitters have a false sense of ownership over hunting areas and camping spots. Your comment that "you don't want to even see another camp within sight of your own" because "it will affect your client's experience" is indicative of this. Like it or not, you ARE sharing the land, and if your client wanted a place all to themselves, they should have booked a private land hunt.

@DeRocco21 2 years ago

ive run into a few other hunters out in the woods and they've been cordial, i even helped them pull thier kill back to thier truck, you help one another

@jamesjahoda1613 3 years ago

My cousin recently shot an animal that had a wound. A family with a kid came up later looking for it. Everyone was happy when my cousin gracefully handed over the kids animal. "Thanks mister!" It was great.

@SilverGrizzly 3 years ago

Killed a bull on a public ridge in 2019. Opening Day 2020 I went back on that ridge and heard a shot. Half an hour later I walked up on an orange clad hunter hunched over a nice bull. I offered to help and he told me he knew this was a good spot because he saw a carcass “right over there” last season. I said yeah, that was my bull. He told me not to get discouraged that he killed a bull because he saw elk all over the ridge the previous season even after seeing my carcass. I helped him out and he cooked up a mountain house (thanksgiving dinner) for me, and a week later I went back up that ridge and killed a bull. You can draw a triangle between his bull and my bulls from that year and the year before and not one side of the triangle is more than 200 yds.

@arch0044 3 years ago

Cliff nice video. One thing I would add is just because you’ve hunted the same spot for the last 20 years does not mean you are entitled to that spot this year. In my opinion the first person there gets the spot.

@DarmacQ 3 years ago

A rule I’ve been taught from my Dad on our recent hunts as we very frequently ran into others; be kind and help people out as they may be your only option if you need help Ex they got their truck stuck, we helped the, out then they told us where they saw game, as well as many unspoken in your video too.

@jimtebelskis5437 3 years ago

That was great - thanks Cliff. I'm a lone public-lands hunter - avoiding others is my magnet. I don't talk to others much, so good for me to hear and consider these points clearly (I didn't know some of them prior). I'm definitely on-board with all this - thanks so much.

@All_JAGUAR_all_day 2 years ago

Thank you cliff for putting this out, : public land turkey hunter here in the south and I wish there were more of these type videos out there , the young / new / Naïve hunters need to hear this thank you

@Alberta_MTN_Bear 3 years ago

Agreed to everything you brought up. I think one category that could be covered in this or even separately is, Ego.
I don’t care who anyone is but there is so much damn ego regarding hunting. This arrogant, egotistic attitude is detrimental to the positive outlook we as true genuine hunters and outdoorsman try to retain.

Gear is often a topic of discussion and for some reason so many people believe that being an expert in “gear” makes you some sort of professional. Hunt because you love it. Not because you want people to love you. That’s my motto. Egos ruin a lot of experiences. And most of the time. Those egos are checked on the mountain.

Great video Cliff!

@chrisgulbrandson9839 3 years ago

You’re spot on, call it what it is!

@deanlee8851 3 years ago

Great tips! Thank you for the straight up information. On the first blood tip though, game wardens do the opposite... the kill shot gets the animal.

@albertlemont5471 3 years ago

Most folks in Maine go by a rule who puts it down gets the animal.

@rogerramjet7567 3 years ago

Great segment Cliff. Just wish all public land hunters would listen to this and follow it, but sadly, today, I don’t think so.

@johnkillian5232 3 years ago

Many of these rules are totally trampled on my outfitters and guides. In my short time hunting, I've seen the precedent sent by guides. Diy hunters then react accordingly. Now we have several generations of unethical hunters in the field.

@Chet-k7e 3 years ago

I wish more people showed common courtesy. So far this year three times people have worked in on me while turkey hunting. One shot the bird I was working, one missed, and one managed to chase it away. They all parked right next to me in the parking lot and walked down the same muddy road in my tracks. Last fall I had an outfitter let his bear dogs go right next to my car and they treed a bear a hundred yards from me. I had an outfitter walk up behind me while elk hunting in Colorado, he told me to move along and that he was hunting there after he and client walked two miles in my tracks, in the snow. I asked him why didn’t you see my tracks and he said he thought they were from the other day and told me move along. It was opening morning. I’ve ran into a handful of people that a courteous but it’s the minority it seems. Typically 50% of my days are lost to interference. Not complaining but I don’t think the “unwritten rules” are reaching the right audience.

@M.H357 3 years ago

Thanks Cliff, as others stated earlier, lots of people disregard these rules, I had encountered both faces - sort of speak. What I can say is: treat people by who you are not by what they are even if they don't abide by these rules, at least you won't lose interest in the hunt and ruin your day. Best of luck everyone

@benjaminbenedict7779 3 years ago

Great advise.

Matthew (7:12): “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you

We actually had a very nice guys help my son and I look for a deer for a couple hrs on my sons first mule deer hunt. My some was 10yrs old and it was a great example of being kind and helpful to others hunters.