Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Do you share hunting intel?

I’m trying not to be agitated about this but I shared trail camera pictures with a pretty good friend who then moved in on a neighboring property to get at some solid bucks I was hunting. As a general rule I don’t show or share pictures until I have a dead animal.

I hunt public land and it’s not hard for most people to figure out where I hunt. I also have a small tract of private land with permission to hunt and most people know I’m not there it’s just a small community and word gets around. I have learned that the only way to keep this from happening is to literally share your hunting Intel with nobody. Just show the pictures after the season of what you killed. Now I pretty much only show people pictures on my phone rather than sending them by text because once you do, they will send your pictures around to others and pretty soon everyone knows and moves in on you. I live in a small town and everyone knows everyone.

Correct me if I’m wrong am I just being too selfish or possessive? Or do any of you deal with the same frustrations?

I don’t want to be selfish but when I work all spring and summer scouting and running cameras and doing the work it’s frustrating for someone to move in and hunt at the beginning of the season, even though they haven’t done any of the legwork.

Agree and you must be young, we figured that out a long time ago. Fishing is worst.

In general? Nope. I don’t dig for information either. It seems someone is always learning that lesson the hard way.

You need new friends, a true friend wouldn't do that.

I hunted public land too and I never ever talked about my hunting spot. I had a set of guys who moved in on me after they followed my dragging trail. Didn’t last long though, Forestry Division came in and messed the whole place up the next year. Hunted that area for over 30 years and never had seen another person in it except my brother until that morning. Those were good times.

I watch where I take pictures of fish , too much scenery in the picture gives away clues to location. Hunting is the same way.....I only share with those with me. I will share generalized information and caution as to hazards. But not precise info

I have friends that have some really good hunting areas. They call me to pack out there game with my horses so I know exact location. I have never went back to there areas to hunt. Most folks don't seem respect that


Trystan

Bingo.

I'll share Intel with friends I trust and they with me because we know we'll support each other but never move in on them. Often we'll invite each other to hunt a nice one.

I've shared fishing info during a tournament with friends who I'm competing against too. Every time I've still beat them, but they increased their bag by the info. We value or friendships over a fish or animal. Never take advantage or screw someone over, even if it's public land.

Sounds like you need to raise your standard of a friend.

Hell no. My dad and son only. Dad doesn’t hunt anymore and son goes with me. I normally tell him where I’ll be just in case I don’t come home since 90% of the time I hunt/fish/landcruise solo.
You don’t share your hunting spots, fishing holes or mushroom patches.

I learned the year after I shot my largest buck. I mentioned to one guy who wasn’t a hunter where I was, and the next year there were 8 people in my general area. This was on a controlled access area of a military installation.

Old70

Even showing kills can be a bad idea. If they already know where you hunt then you show some nice kills the cat is out of the bag.

Trust no one.

Yes. I have a group of friends I share I share hunting and fishing locations with. Information flows both ways

Folks who don’t even hunt are the worse.

In the coastal deep south if you park your vehicle and head out hunting , mouth-breathers will park and hunt there too. Never park 'near' a good spot and never walk on the road, they'll track you.

Appreciate the input from everyone and agree you can’t trust anyone. At the same time I feel like there’s a balance because hunting is a community thing and my circle of people is very small. I have a brother-in-law and one close hunting buddy that I trust and I guess I will just keep it in the small circle. It’s just too bad because shared experiences are so enjoyable.

I’m in my 50s I’ve been hunting all my life.

I like to tell them boys on my deer lease I saw a big buck run by their stands, gets them all pumped up. I sometimes make a big rub on a small mesquite tree where they can see it.

Only with my kids and grand kids. I am their scout.

I was on a lease one time and you had to report your kill to the club president. You had to tell where you killed it as well. Funny thing about that, if you killed a good one, the next time you went back to your spot, the club president would be hunting very close by. Several of us would tell him that we killed in some very nasty places to get to instead of where we actually killed it.

That’s good^