NDR--Deer Etiquette

Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon

Well-known member
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So I'm chasing deer this year, as there really aren't any ducks around. (Normally at this time of year I am happily enjoying how my duck spots don't have any hunters, but it's harder to enjoy when the ducks are absent, too.)

So I took part of the afternoon off, walked in to a saddle between two ridges on the way to some standing corn, and settled in to wait for dusk. After I'd been sitting for 20 minutes or so, another hunter comes along, and sits on the same saddle, about 75 yards below me. He was literally on the line of fire where I expected the deer to pass.

It seemed incredible that he didn't see me, as I was all decked out in orange. What could he possibly have been thinking?

I walked down the ridge and set up on the edge of a swamp down in the valley, but never saw a deer.
 
You can never get away from them. I would have whistled to let him know I was there, if he didn't wave, say sorry, and leave; I would have started squirrel blasting.

We are building duck #'s and we get skim ice every morning. Good thing Im driving ~500 miles a day for work scouting along the way......
 
Sounds like anything I hunt in Ohio.

However, is it possible he just didn't see you?

I am colorblind and have a really hard time seeing someone in hunter orange myself.
 
That was my question, did he see you?
Did you go ask? I would have. May have been an honest mistake.
I am guessing this is public land??
 
I would have whistled to let him know I was there
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This.
On our waterfowl opener, I set up 30 yards from a bow-hunter, he was already in his stand & never made a sound nor flashed his light at me. I didn't see him until 20 or so minutes after sunrise, and got the heck out of there. I felt terrible as I probably ruined his hunt, but if he would have let me know he was there as I was walking in it could have been avoided.
 
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I think I would have walk down and spoken to him. Might not have seen you, might have been someone that I would not want to hunt near. A couple minutes of talking would likely revealed what was what.


If you want I will ask Phil to set you up in his stand. That is on my land and I can run off any competition.
 
So I'm chasing deer this year, as there really aren't any ducks around. (Normally at this time of year I am happily enjoying how my duck spots don't have any hunters, but it's harder to enjoy when the ducks are absent, too.)

So I took part of the afternoon off, walked in to a saddle between two ridges on the way to some standing corn, and settled in to wait for dusk. After I'd been sitting for 20 minutes or so, another hunter comes along, and sits on the same saddle, about 75 yards below me. He was literally on the line of fire where I expected the deer to pass.

It seemed incredible that he didn't see me, as I was all decked out in orange. What could he possibly have been thinking?

I walked down the ridge and set up on the edge of a swamp down in the valley, but never saw a deer.
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I always make sure to be seen, I also always look to make sure I'm not screwing someone else up. Whistle, wave your hat, whatever. People can be such dipshits about stuff. Since I always make sure I "talk" to people who do stuff like that, it seems like many of them are pretty clueless. They almost always say that they didn't see you (don't believe it). I think they just had it in their head where to go and can't do anything else (being generous) or are selfish and lazy.
 
I think I would have walk down and spoken to him. Might not have seen you, might have been someone that I would not want to hunt near. A couple minutes of talking would likely revealed what was what.


If you want I will ask Phil to set you up in his stand. That is on my land and I can run off any competition.
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Thanks for the offer Dave. To be honest, I only deer hunt close to home, for short periods of time, when I figure it's not worth duck hunting. Not that your place is that far from me, but the drive there and back is more time than I put in on most of my "deer hunting" days. I'm pretty much resigned to either take a deer behind the house here or go deerless.

This is actually he first time this year I've run into anyone else deer hunting except right at the trailhead--all on public land right around my house. So I can't complain. Pressure here seems down this year from normal.

Once I saw him, I tried to get his attention, but his back was to me. He may simply not have seen me. But there is no way in hell he didn't hear me when I stood up and started walking down the hill through the powder-dry leaves. I figured as soon as I did that he'd know I was there and acknowledge me.

I walked about half the distance between us, and when he never turned to face me, I finally called out, "Hey there." He turned towards me and I said--"Just wanted to make sure you knew I was here."

"Yup," he said, and then turned back away from me. So I walked around him and went elsewhere.

It just seemed a little odd that once he knew how close we were, he still ignored me. It's not like any deer were going to be coming up the ravine with me shuffling through the dry leaves.

I've definitely been "that guy" who set up too close to someone in the dark without realizing it. In fact, you, Phillip and I did that last year--or else that other guy did it to us. I never figured it out which it was that day, but we had a discussion with him as soon as we both realized it to make sure we were all being safe.
 
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