7 Worst Offenses in Hunting Etiquette

by Steven Rinella • December 27, 2011 • 19 comments

We define a break in hunting etiquette as “an action by one male to another male friend which violates understood social expectations, especially where the transgressor obtains a slight advantage in comparison with a relatively large inconvenience imposed upon the aggrieved party.”

The world of hunting is full of them. Here are some of the most egregious examples.

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Stealing Spots

Stealing Spots

This one is best explained through a short story. A buddy of mine from Fairbanks has a great story about an acquaintance asking to be taken along on a grouse hunt. The acquaintance insisted on driving separately, and followed my buddy to his secret grouse area along an obscure 4x4 trail just outside of town. As they geared up to head into the woods, the acquaintance got a text message announcing some “emergency” that had summoned him back to town. The next day, my buddy drove out to hunt a nearby area before work and noticed that the acquaintance’s vehicle was in the exact spot that he’d shown him the day before.

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19 Responses

  1. good neighbor

    its time for a flat tire

    On December 28, 2011 at 3:56 pm • Reply
  2. Karl Wendtland

    He never hunts with me again. Period!

    On December 28, 2011 at 4:05 pm • Reply
  3. Andrew

    Seems like this article was written by a big city hunter with little idea of what egregious hunting ettiquette violations truly are. Stealing other hunters equipment left in the field, blinds, stands & decoys is a "dick" move. Taking "sound" shots and shooting at ranges you have not sited your fireaam or bow in for is a "dick" move.

    Articles like this are the reason I will never subscribe to this magazine

    On December 28, 2011 at 4:11 pm • Reply
  4. M. Scanlon

    Andrew sounds like he lives and hunts in western PA

    On December 28, 2011 at 4:23 pm • Reply
  5. desert shellback

    We all know the pitfalls of outdoor sports and drinking. This example has a broader context. Getting "lit" inspires the event. The woozy gathering of gear,a few winks of "sleep",getting behind the wheel of a vehicle and driving on public hiways,launching a boat or float tube into freezing waters with loaded or soon to be loaded firearms…..puts everyone at risk……you,your hunt partner,innocent travelers,the rescue….sorry,the recovery team that is called out.

    My dad got "inspired" many times this way. Luckily no tragedies but it made for lousy memories.

    On December 28, 2011 at 4:41 pm • Reply
  6. Mike

    Full agreement Andrew…

    On December 28, 2011 at 4:54 pm • Reply
  7. Nancy

    Just a side note, good manners, and poor etiquette, not just for men…we women hunters have put up with a lot of that stuff, too……….if we respect ourselves fully, those good manners and respecting other hunters would be a lot more commonplace

    On December 28, 2011 at 5:36 pm • Reply
  8. Sherrill Philip Neese

    This is an excellent article and a good starting point for discussions on etiquette issues. I can think of a few more to add…. :-) Most of these are "deer/elk camp" issues.
    - Being a jerk around others
    - Not paying your fair share of the costs
    - Getting drunk at camp
    - Whining
    - Complaining (There is a difference)
    - Steeling gear/tree stands
    - Talking over everybody
    - Wounding deer and not wanting to spend a lot of time looking for them
    - Killing a deer and then not wanting it. Always trying to give it someone else. Now wanting to do the work to take care of it or just don't want the meat.
    - Not wanting to share in the driving
    - Not doing the fair share of the work
    - Showing up late and walking through/by people's deer stands as you get to your own
    - Constantly gossiping or spreading rumors about other hunters
    - Stirring up trouble in camp
    - Being bossy
    - Being a pig in or around other people's stands (littering, defecating, urinating, spitting tobacco juice, busting items, etc)

    I could add a few more, but I think that is enough for now. ;-)

    On December 28, 2011 at 10:54 pm • Reply
    • Ron

      WOW!

      On December 29, 2011 at 2:04 pm • Reply
  9. david johnston

    knowing someone has a NICE buck pinpointed,and moving in on them just about time deer are due to move!!! now thats a DICK MOVE!!!!!

    On December 28, 2011 at 11:53 pm • Reply
  10. Ron Boehme

    Those are frustrating but not the 7 worse. being asked to take someones friend, brother, or other person you dont know on a trip. especially a morning in a duck blind

    On December 29, 2011 at 5:19 pm • Reply
  11. jhjimbo2000

    don't ever take someone to 'your spot' if you don't want them going there on their own.

    On December 29, 2011 at 6:12 pm • Reply
  12. Diane Baxter Hassinger

    I agree with most of your offenses, but I would not call most of them Hunting Etiquette. Not breaking is the boots is just plain stupidity, sleeping in-leave them behind. Tagging a deer that you did not shoot is more a breach of hunting etiquette, as is walking in on a hunter that was in position before daylight..

    On December 30, 2011 at 4:32 pm • Reply
  13. Zombie Sniper

    My favorite was the puke from the west side who didn't have permission. His son shot directly in my brother-in-laws direction. The bro-in-law was right out in the open with his orange vest on. He was so P.O.'ed he just headed for the truck. I went over and asked the guy what in tarnation they were thinking. His reply = "My son has a doe tag. Didn't you see that doe run across the field?"

    On December 31, 2011 at 7:54 am • Reply
  14. Wes

    Just of curiosity, What brings you to that conclusion?

    On January 17, 2012 at 6:55 pm • Reply
  15. MadDog2047

    The worse that I have seen is when I showed a "FRIEND" one of my favorite deer hunting location during a pre-season scout. Then the day before opening day, my "FRIEND" showed up uninvited or announced with five of his friends. Then all of these noobs decided to sight in their rifles in camp!! However, I had no one to blame but myself for trusting this "FRIEND". I was so angry that I had to leave and go to another location. Needless to say, I never showed him another good location or hunted with him again.

    On January 23, 2012 at 11:30 pm • Reply
  16. Jerry allen, AL

    Not a big problem where i hunt, becaue if you don't own or lease land you don't have no place to hunt. This area in alabama has no public land with in a decent drive.

    On February 2, 2012 at 9:21 pm • Reply
  17. @dkmvs_com

    Copying the Urban Dictionary's definition of "dick move" is itself a dick move. Nevertheless, in our quest to be the #1 dick move site on the internet, we've added this post to our extensive collection. http://dkmvs.com/posts/653

    On March 13, 2012 at 11:48 am • Reply
  18. Gene Harrison

    Why would you hang out with someone that would even consider any of these habits to begin with?

    On March 16, 2012 at 8:54 pm • Reply