Public land BS what would you do?

[zelmo1]

Anybody that would shoot a bird they didn't earn knowingly is unteachable and not worth your time. The safety aspect is concerning, I got a chin/ear/ nose full of #5's pheasant hunting years ago and can attest to the feeling affecting me for years. I go further and further away from people as I get older. I ain't quite an " Old Goat" yet, but definitely getting closer to it. Good luck and be safe my brothers. Al

[guesswho]

Wow Ronnie. Really?

Jim, yes 100%.   The guy broke no laws, and killed a turkey legally!   Why not support him?  
And for tho record I don't support this guy, and I'm sure there are some other legal tactics he uses that I probably don't support.   It that's life. 

[tomstopper]

Sad part is that these people are everywhere. I have had hunters come in on my setups and spook birds I was working many times. Even had another hunter sneak in on private land and kill one that I was working down a logging road right to me. At about 100 yards from me up the hill, he shot, ran over grabbed the bird and ran up and over the hill and was gone. He %100 knew I was there and knew he wasn't supposed to be there. I really thought about sending some shot next to him but remembered I had a family at home that depended on me. Had I been just out of the Marines, I might have tried to catch him on foot lol.

At the end of the day, these types of hunters will get what's coming to them. Ex: took my nephew out when he was younger during youth season and ran into 2 full grown men that were hunting (both carrying firearms and no youths present). I did not know that the landowner had sold this small section of woods and quickly apologized and was ready to leave it at that but they became very aggressive to the point that I decided to call them out on hunting during youth season and at one point I felt like it was going to get physical and moved my nephew behind me. Thankfully it didn't and we just left. When we got to my truck, here came a game warden. They were all interested in us and after quickly checking is out, they went after the two grown men (as they were checking us out, I was telling them what just happened and they quickly hurried up with us).

Couple days later I got a call from one of them and was told that both men were cited for multiple charges with the biggest being hunting during youth season. Karma will take care of these asshole hunters that give us all bad names and we just need to keep our composure and not contribute to the stereotypes and stigmas that some people think of hunters in general.

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[Hobbes]

My son and I doubled on a couple birds a few years ago at mid-day.  We'd moved on them multiple times.  While inspecting our birds, a guy walks over the hill to us.  I had a sick feeling.  We'd not driven all the way to the back through a gate so I was immediately concerned that someone had already been on these birds and I'd called them off of them (because I definitely called them in). 

I asked the guy, We didn't call these birds off of you did we?  We had no idea you were here.  His response was "No, we drove past your truck if that red truck back there is yours, then heard them gobbling and moved over here."

For the life of me I don't know how they didn't recognize me calling because I was hammering the trio of gobblers with cuts and yelps.  I'm also not certain why only one of the three came down to talk to us.  He seemed friendly enough but I think they were hoping the birds would slide around towards them and we just got lucky that something similar to your experience didn't happen.

I think most guys back East darn well known what they are doing when they pull that crap.  I don't think the majority of locals here know crap about turkeys and they are viewed as a novelty to kill whichever way is easiest.  However, cutting a bird off that someone is working should easily enough be seen as an underhanded move.

My response would have varied in your situation based on just how pissed I was, always keeping in mind that cool heads are the best bet when everyone is carrying a loaded shotgun.

[Turkeybutt]

No matter if you hunt public or private land this type of situation happens far too often. Grant it, more so on public land.
If you spend time in the woods, you are going to run into what I call a few dickweeds or two. It happens! They are predators, bottom feeders, the lowest of the low. They know better, they are opportunistic and choose to take advantage of somebody else's hard work. Problem is they have offspring and teach a whole new generation to be dickweeds.
It happened to me last year of private land. My son and I got a bird to gobble, and we went dark allowing the bird to locate us.  Every 15 or 20 minutes or so we might call real soft or talking sexy to him as I call it or maybe just scratch some leaves. He was interested and coming.
My son noticed the guy before I did but another hunter came and sat 60 yards from us on our side of the posted signs setting up between us and that bird. Sure, I was ticked, mad, miffed and wanted a piece of this guy but at what cost? Getting into a confrontation with an armed individual in the woods isn't the smartest thing to do. Things can escalate really fast and not in a good way.
I figured if my son or I wasn't going to get a shot at this turkey neither was this dickweed! I got to my feet, started talking really loud and moving around ending his chance to even see the bird let alone get a shot at him. He got the message and moved on!
A turkey isn't worth getting yourself hurt, tossed in jail or killed! Any idiot can buy a hunting license or not, buy or borrow a firearm and go "hunting". Ya never know what the other individuals state of mind is.  Things can escalate really fast and not in a good way.
Sure, you want to confront a person like that, maybe give them a piece of your mind or dot their eyes but it's not worth it.
You are a better person then I am because I would have never taken the time to congratulate that individual. By definition congratulations is giving someone good wishes when something special or pleasant has happen to them or praise for a particular achievement. 
That dickweed might think or feel what he did or that type of cutthroat hunting is the norm and or okay. A congratulations at that point may have confirmed (in his mind) it was okay to continue to hunt this way.
At times it's best to bite your tongue, suppress that urge for a confrontation of any kind and walk away!

[Happy]

I live in the East and it is possible to accidentally call a bird off of someone else. I have done it before and i felt bad about it. Never head a hen yelp or knew anyone was in the area till  we were packing him out.They were probably 300 yards on the opposite side of the birds. We had crossed a road and scaled a pretty steep ridge to get to the turkeys so not sure when they arrived on the scene. We were moving on them as soon as they started on the roost. That being said if there is a truck parked in the area you intend to hunt then go elsewhere. Its common sense and common courtesy. Give people room to work the turkey.

[eggshell]

I was accused of cutting someone off once but it just wasn't that way. The other two guys came in late and My buddy and i had set up on these birds in the dark (had  the roost pegged) and was working them. we could actually see the guys across the ridge coming hard and I poured on the calling and we finished the bird just before they got within spooking range. They were calling and owl hooting like mad men. They had this big story about how they had been working the birds and had them coming. The conversation ended when I told them I was a supervisor with ODNR and we could proceed to my office for a legal discussion about trespassing. They boogied quick. Takes all kind.

[g8rvet]

I doubt I was have said congrats.  I probably would have said that intercepting a bird coming to another hunter's calls is unethical and best and certainly not safe.  Probably ain't gonna teach them nothing, but would make me feel better.  How old was he?

[Yoder409]

Valve-core tool

Then, there's that............   

I always have one in the truck...........along with 4 cores, Tire Slime and a 12v compressor.........just in case somebody wants to go there with ME.

[Hobbes]

I had two guys in Colorado try to slip in on a bird that I was calling to and bumped him.  I just knew that a bird that was gobbling good shut up and I may have heard wing beats.  A few minutes later I heard voices coming, "I don't know what else we could have @$_&#! done ", then they topped the ridge to find my 10 year old and I standing there.  They weren't surprised to see us and said the "#$$@! flew about a mile over the next ridge.  We were trying to sneak in on him.". (No regard for their language around my son )  I said, You know I've been calling to that bird for a while now and he appeared to be coming in.  Their response...."Yeah, we heard you, but this is public land."

I could have cracked him in the mouth with the butt of my shotgun.  I thought better of it though.  They could tell that I was pissed, so the conversation afterwards was pretty short and they went their own way not learning a dang thing.

I'll admit that, at the time, a cut valve stem or four sounded like a good plan, but I've never done the likes and didn't want to teach my son anything of the sort.

[RutnNStrutn]

Wow Ronnie. Really?

Jim, yes 100%.   The guy broke no laws, and killed a turkey legally!   Why not support him?  
And for tho record I don't support this guy, and I'm sure there are some other legal tactics he uses that I probably don't support.   It that's life.

All I'm saying Ronnie is that yes, he might not have broken the law, but that doesn't mean you or anyone else should lump me, or others in with that guy.
I support legal methods of hunting. I don't support A-hole methods of hunting whether they are legal or not. Sorry that you can't see the difference.

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[Rockhound]

My home state is MS, these encounters have all been folks from other states 90% from one state alone.

Arkansas POS if I'm guessing.

[Kylongspur88]

Valve-core tool

Man have I been tempted before!

[Dtrkyman]

I have been hunting public land for a long time, rarely have bad encounters.  First two days of this season I had other hunters ruin my hunt.

On another note, talked to and met a few others at trail heads and had pleasant conversations.  Just gotta blow off the bad ones and move on.

[Paulmyr]

I'd have to make a mental note of what the guy was driving and a plate number if possible. If I seen that truck parked again there would be special stash of regular shot shells in my truck. He'd be hearing them for sure. Not saying it would definitely spook the turkeys but I would give it a shot or 2 literally and figuratively.