Haha! What they were doing was trying to keep you (or whoever they told that to) from horning in on their hunting spot. A fellow I hunted with a few time in a heavily hunted state forest area would tell that to anyone he saw in the woods close to his stand. He could do it with a straight face and was known to touch off a few rounds into the ground just to make it believable. I've said it a couple times but couldn't keep from laughin.