“My” Spots

On a recent JRE podcast, there was a pretty interesting conversation between Joe Rogan and John Dudley about the sacred nature of hunters’ well guarded public land hunting spots. Rogan argued that it’s BS for any public land hunter to be protective of a sweet spot they found, because it’s public land and belongs to us all. The example he gave is that if a friend brought him to his secret honey hole, Rogan sees no issue with going back without checking with his friend first, nor with bringing other hunters there. He believes that the priority of the hunting community should be to include and recruit new hunters, especially on land that we all own, which—in his mind—makes the idea of us being protective of spots we’ve discovered on our own sort of ridiculous. Dudley disagreed, but I felt his reasoning was somewhat weak.

I of course, also disagree, but I’m also having a hard time forming an argument that I’m 100% satisfied with. None of us own these public land spots, but the few spots I do have sure feel like mine. They live in my heart. And the idea of them being overrun by 100 other dudes makes my stomach turn. I guess those spots are like my cathedral, and I’ve seen plenty of folks pissing in cathedrals. So some stuff I keep to myself. Other stuff I’m more than willing to be helpful about.

That’s about the best I could come up with. That, and I suppose if there were no spots like that left many public land hunter advocates likely wouldn’t feel as passionate about protecting public land.

Given all the new folks that come onto HT and ask about places, and some of the responses they get, it seemed relevant to bring it up.

Hunting is a personal thing.
Who cares what a JRE podcast has to say about this (or any) topic. Reality TV star becomes hunting commentator......................................
Maybe everybody on here should get their own "podcast", hell I think we all have hunted at least once.
Maybe I'm just getting old - or at least to old for what a lotta' this %$&@.
Kinda' makes me want to throw my OnX enabled Garmin Map 62 - now a dinosaur already - in the Judith. Oops, sorry- different topic.............

my useless blah blah blah:W:

It takes a special kind of special to crap on a "friend" that helped you out with hunting spots. Rogan doesn't surprise me, he's never found a hunting location on his own and I doubt he ever will.

WapitiBob said:

It takes a special kind of special to crap on a "friend" that helped you out with hunting spots.

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This ^^^^^^

If he'd spent his own time say 10-20 years figuring out an area He'd be singing a different tune but since he's hunting private he has no clue. It's not about someone thinking they own a spot. There are no more secret spots all to yourselves but we surely don't need to add more fuel to the fire by telling everyone. It will eventually get figured out in the end.....they always do.

The good “my” spots I know about on public land are accessible to anyone who cares to go there. If some other dudes show up in there, yah I’d be disappointed, and it has happened. But it IS public land. However, this doesn’t mean these spots are public knowledge. Nor am I going to share these specific spots with just anyone who might ask. Some of these places have been discovered over years of exploring, hundreds miles on the ground, and tons of failure. I hold these spots as sacred and keep them tucked away in my head and GPS. I don’t consider this selfish. Hunting on public land is challenging enough as it is. It’s easy for someone who hasn’t put in the time to call BS on this.

I like Rogan ok enough but have to smile a little when he self promotes as a hunting guru. No, I wouldn't betray 'friend or associate' confidence.

A lack of honor is a real character flaw.

I dont begrudge anyone who finds their own way and meets me in the woods on publoc land. But if you are unwilling to find special spots on your own, then do you really belong out there and are you really part f the brotherhood? BigFin doesnt give out his spots on public land, and I dont see him as any lesser of a hunter.

Frankly, any fool with a microphone can say what he wants. I wont give him an audience.

I listen to Rogan & enjoy some podcasts.
I doubt I would take any hunting advice seriously from him tho....

I have "my" spots and always see bootprints there..(Our spot)...a lot of "my" spots have pottery shards and arrow heads,"MY"spot,MY AZZ!!
Public land is "OUR SPOT"

Sounds about right.

MTTW said:

"Real" hunters have secret spots. Just the way it is. Anyone who doesn't believe in them is naïve, or arrogant. Or possibly very inexperienced.

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'Real hunters' would be a whole 'nuther pee pee measuring contest.

24/7 now you have to dig a hole.Lessn' you live in Az."The coyotes and buzzards have to eat too"

Just because Rogan has a platform doesn’t mean he knows what he is talking about. He is entertaining, though.

I love listening to his podcast, but I bet Rogan hasn’t ever spent 20 years learning a spot. If he had, his perspectives would be different. Seems like Rinella is usually holding his hand.

Perhaps Rogan should give out specific information on the spots Rinella took him to as a way of helping new hunters be successful at filling a tag. I'm guessing phase two of the hunter's education would begin with Rinella explaining in his eloquent way that public lands are public, but the information gained by experience and shared with other is privileged and not for public exploitation. I don't know any other topic that has caused the loss of friendships among hunters than a "friend" abusing that privileged information shared with him by going back on his own or taking others without express permission from the one who originally shared the spot.

Rogan is clueless, he's looking at hunting and public lands from a real lack of experience. Plus, he hasn't been doing it long enough to even understand many of the issues he likes to sound like an expert on.

I remember when I was very young, a good family friend spent a lot of time finding us places to hunt pronghorn, deer, and elk on private. I also remember the conversations between all of us, that we flat didn't take anyone back to these places or even invite others to hunt the spots we found. We also hunted a lot of public land spots and the same rules applied. The areas we spent a lot of time figuring out and finding, you told nobody and you didn't take others there...period.

If you were invited to another persons spot, it went without saying, you never went back unless invited back or at the very least asked the person who showed you the spot.

Those early rules, ethics, whatever you want to call them have stayed with me my whole life and I still wont hunt a spot others have shared with me without getting in touch with them. I find a lot of good spots while hunting, working, etc. and don't feel the need to horn in on somebody else's hard work.

Anyone that has hunted very long, has certainly had some "friend" pull a shit-bird stunt and either go back and hunt your spot, take a buddy, or run their pie-hole to someone else. That type of "friend" usually isn't a friend very long, and probably never was to start with.

The competitive nature of the modern day bro-type hunter, has also made this much worse. There are people, including a few on this site, that are nothing but vultures...low-life, opportunistic, piles of chit, and I can name names. If they spent as much time finding their own spots, as they did trying to figure out where others hunt, they'd be better off. Plus, even when they use their low-life, scum-bag "skills" to figure out where others hunt, they still fail. Mainly because they don't realize that good hunters still do well in marginal areas, and crap hunters (like them) still don't do well in the best areas.

There's areas that I hunt, and do very well, that others hunt and simply wont go back because its not easy. It has taken decades for me to figure out some of my best spots and without that knowledge, I could tell people exactly where I hunt, and they wouldn't do well. Its not just the where, but the how, when, and a thorough understanding of the animals, the area, and the many other variables that lead the best hunters to success year after year.

Bottom line, Rogan is sounding a lot like a vulture...and has no clue.

I have a problem with Rogans thinking on this as well. Growing up hunting with my dad was an experience in and of itself. He was known as probably one of the best whitetail archery hunters in our area and has several huge bucks to prove it. We routinely had people follow us to our hunting areas, onto private land, and some actually tried to sneak in on us because they knew he was hunting a big deer when he was out. I have no sympathy for someone who tries to take advantage of someone else's hard work. Growing up, my brother, dad and I always kept our mouths shut and never took anyone. It is probably the reason I have never hunted with anyone but my dad and my brother. I know I can trust them.

The ground is public, the information is not. When it comes to "spots" the value is in the information.
If that information was learned through sacrificing ones time then they are the ones who decide how valuable it is.

Gas money, time away from family, miles hiked, Friday night parties or Sundays sleeping in next to a good woman.
What are these things worth to you?

rtraverdavis said:

I of course, also disagree, but I’m also having a hard time forming an argument that I’m 100% satisfied with. None of us own these public land spots, but the few spots I do have sure feel like mine.

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I also disagree with Rogan. I put my time scouting, hunting, etc... Everyone has equal opportunity to put in their homework in the course of developing, "my spot" or as I refer to as my honey-holes... Now the wolves... They have been the party poopers to my tenured spots - though t'is what t'is.