Taping public land

[Sailfish]

So I bought a book that was recommended to me on here "Mapping Trophy Bucks"
 
I read it. Took what I already knew and what the book taught me, went online, got aerial's and topo, studied the terrain and funnels and inside corners located what I thought would be promising and then spend hours in the field.
 
I select a few real nice area's (based on my research). I go to one of my primary spots, but not a good location to set up a climber. I continue to very nearby area that was an  b/u inside corner.
 
Looks like it has all the features and qualities I need. I find the perfect (two) tree's for a climber. great shooting lanes, I clear some dead branches (since this is public land and its a special management area you cannot cut any live limbs or use a saw etc) mark out my distances etc. I am real proud of this find.
 
Packing up to leave and I see....orange tape haning off the edge of a low branch maybe 45 yards from "my" tree. I had no idea what it was, since it is a management area that used to be a very large farm I thought some caretaker uses it as a marker for whatever..
 
After some inquiries I find that this is what hunters do to claim "their" spot before opening day!
 
I thought it was first come first serve? I go out in the woods 5 am opening day and if I am there I hunt it, if you are there you hunt it. (I first must say that this is a special hunt. The state allows only 54 hunters on 34,000 acres) The gate opens at 5, we are all at a check station, check in and then go hunt.
 
Whats right? I am really torn on this. I don't want to be "that guy", but in the same turn I did my work just like the other person and neither of us are on that site yet.
 
Just curious on the whole matter, public land hunting is new to me.
 
 

[mag30079]

I thought that book was great. I hunt public land every year, mostly bow. What I've seen is most guys stay with in a quarter mile from the road. I go back as far as I can and look for spots on the topo maps. I have also been selected in a special hunt a couple of years back on a military base. My experience with the special hunt was good, it was a good bunch of people. If they saw orange they stayed out of the area and vise versa. Hopefully you will experience the same. That is a huge chunk of land 34,000 to 54 hunters. Is there a saftey briefing for this hunt? That briefing usually will weed out the hacks.
 
Congratulations on being selected and best of luck to you

[allthingshunting]

Really easy....1.) If this management area gives you written or verbal instructions that this way of "marking" is accepted and to be used, then you have no choice but to find another spot.
 
2.)  If they don't, then hunting this area will be on a first come basis.  Who's to say whoever marked this area will even be hunting the same day or choose this spot when the time comes.  He may have marked 10 spots.  Are you to avoid all these on because he might potentially show up there?  What's to stop anyone from marking 50+ sites just to try and protect certain areas that are proven?
 
3.)  You must beware, however, if you choose to hunt this site for the following... Some guys aren't very reasonable and he is liable to still climb the tree right next to yours hoping it pisses you off and you leave.  Also, even if you don't submit to this tactic, are you willing to stare at this guy for your whole hunt?  I have had this happen (slightly different, i was on my private land and this guy was on his private land.  I was in the tree since 2pm and he showed up at 4:30 (dark at about 5ish).  I whistled, he saw me, he still climed the tree a mere 60 yards away.  We basically stared at each other the whole night, and suprise i didn't see a deer.  Not because two people being close scare them away, mostly becuase he showed up when he did)  Regardless, that night hunting was no fun to me.
 
4.)  Some guys are also vindictive.  I had this happen on public land.  I was apparently where a guy wanted to hunt that night.  He came in to my area within about 100 yards.  I whistled, he saw me, and instead of walking to another spot, he walked directly to me.  If i am hunting, I DON't WANT TO SHOOT THE S++T with you, especially if i don't know you from adam.  After yelling up my tree and saying he hunts here from time to time, he walked about 150 yards out the ridge and paced back and forth the rest of the night.  He was in the direction i expected deer to come from and he clearly wasn't hunting anymore.  ugh.
 
Anyhow, i know i said a lot and some might not quite pertain to you original posting.  However, these are all possible scenarios, some of which you can't eliminate no matter how much you plan.

[Sailfish]

ORIGINAL: allthingshunting

Hunting this area will be on a first come basis. 

2.)  Who's to say whoever marked this area will even be hunting the same day or choose this spot when the time comes.  He may have marked 10 spots.  Are you to avoid all these on because he might potentially show up there?  What's to stop anyone from marking 50+ sites just to try and protect certain areas that are proven?

 
 
Never even thought about all that, great points 

[howhill1]

i know here in illinois the public ground ive hunted has rules thatr state no marking of trails or stand sights. its pretty much who shows first. most guys will keep driving if they see a vehicle in the parking area.

[dtrain56]

I hunt both public and private and in this situation, where all the hunters are starting at the same time and there are only 54 hunters for 34,000 acres(  these are the details correct) then you should find another spot
 
there should be plenty of room for everyone on that size property to get one and to have plenty of room to hunt.
 
if it was public land where eveyone has the same oppurtunity to get in the woods then it is first come first serve
 
 
when i hunt public land i wont even get out of the truck if some one is parked in "my spot", i find another spot ( one that i have scouted) to hunt , there is nothing more irritating then having a hunter stroll through "your" spot right at dawn just to have him set up 100 yards away from you or over the next rise.
 
though not to many peoople beat me in the woods it does happen once and a great while.

[JOEL]

take the tape down[:)]

[shaman]

. . . and see this is what's so frustrating about hunting on public land.  You just don't know.

1)  Does an orange tape mean anything?
2)  Does an orange tape count for anything?
3)  What IS the proper etiquette? 
4)  What happens if one of us does not follow the etiquette?

What it boils down to is that in hunting public land (or crowded private land) the  hunter interactions end up creating a whole separate level of challenge to the hunt. At some level of crowding, it overshadows the primary goal.  You go out to the woods to enjoy the hunt, nature, etc. and you end up with a face full of hunter.

I have hunted public land and uncontrolled private land on and off over the past quarter century, and I am forever confounded. 

[ul][*]What do you do when you show up to THE SPOT on opening day, the light comes up and you find a guy in a stand 50 yards away?[*]What do you do when somebody comes stomping up mid-morning and says you're in HIS spot and wants you to leave?[*]How far away IS an appropriate distance between stands?
[*]ETC.[/ul]I am sure I  have been the perpetrator in my share of situations.  For every time I've had to wave at another hunter across a creek and move on, there has been one stupid yahoo walking in on another hunter.    For every time the light has come up on a nearby bait pile or stand, there has been climbing stand marks there to meet the other guy. 

What are you going to do?

[DeerCamp]

I just bought that book as well.. Im still reading it. It seems like a very good book.