This morning my wife, myself, and a friend decided to go squirrel hunting in an area I have been hunting in Madison County over by the Flint. I plan on taking my wife on her first deer hunt Monday morning and thought a squirrel hunt would be a good dress rehearsal. She has hunted with me before but usually late morning or early afternoon. I got her out of bed at 4, got in the car and picked my buddy up. When we pulled up there was another truck there. No big deal, it's a lot of land and where we were planning to hunt was way in the back and I had never seen anyone else hunt it. We used flashlights down the dirt road into the woods and about 100 yards from where I planned to sit we cut the lights off. At this point it was about 6 am and there was just enough light to not trip over anything. We got to the spot, and sat down.

At this point I think it's important to note that my buddy had his bucket seat and we were not 100% silent walking in to say the least. The plan was to wait until about 7:30 to start shooting. On past deer hunts I have counted as many as 12 squirrels at once on the ground around me. Even having to shoo them off!

About 7:00 I was watching a squirrel on the ground. When it ran up a tree I followed it only to see a bow hunter sitting in a stand not 40 feet away from us glaring at me. I waved, stood up and told the others we needed to back out slooowly and quietly. We did.

I felt horrible for potentially ruining this guys hunt, but at the same time I feel like some of this blunder was on his shoulders. When we walked in I didn't get a whistle, a flash with his light, not a peep. He knew we were there, could see our guns, why not say anything?

I have walked up on hunters before and when they walk up on me I whistle as soon as I confirm it's a human. I just feel like by him not telling us he was there, it ended up potentially wasting his morning as we were not terribly worried about scent or noise walking in.

How do you guys usually handle another hunter walking up on you?

If the person I walked up on today is in the forum, I do apologize. Just let me know you are there and I will gladly find another place!

he is a better man than me, I would have made my presence known in the dark, that way everybody could back up and punt!! but, if I see a vehicle I don't stop, I just keep driving to plan b.

The parking area for this spot is almost a half mile from where we decided to sit. Almost 3000 acres, it was just sheer dumb luck that we ended up so close to each other. It is not uncommon to have 3-4 vehicles parked there.

The first rule of thumb for me on public land is and always has been, if there is a truck (or car) parked where I had planned to go in, I go somewhere else.
You don't know if there is one or four people in that same spot that all rode in together.
Now, if I happen upon another hunter (it happens) I make eye contact and let them know that I am aware that they are there, and back out as quietly and quickly as possible so I don't spoil their hunt.
I have had another hunter come in where I was hunting, and I try and get his attention and let him know that I am there. I can't whistle to save my life, so I will wave my orange hat and that usually does the trick. Most of the time they acknowledge me and move out...sometimes they don't and I will leave, but not quietly. T try to be as respectful to other hunters as I want them to be to me.

This is what I would do

It's possible to climb and when the sun comes up be in sight of another hunter. I don't understand anyone squirrel hunting during deer season on public land. I know I would be angry if someone was shooting squirrels. I love to hunt and eat squirrels, but I hunt them in Feb or on private land. It's called consideration not many today use it.

This doesn't add up. Y'all are sitting there....30 minutes past daylight and a hunter is only 40' away and he doesn't say anything to y'all? That is just plain weird.

He was staring right at me when I noticed him finally. I totally understand him being mad, but some kind of sign would have been nice. About 20 minutes before we saw him my buddy racked his shotgun. He 100% knew we were there any never said/did anything.

Strange. I would have been whistling and waving my hat as soon as I saw y'all.

Not going in on somebody that's already there is public land etiquette.

That's the only option most small game hunters have 90% of small game season. So unfortunately that's something you have to put up with. I run my squirrel dogs on the forest all deer season and so do countless others.

When I hunted public land, if there was someone parked where I planned on parking, I would look for foot tracks and see if I could tell which way they went and then I would go the other. If I couldn't tell then go to plan B. He should have let you know he was there before you got sat down.

I walked up on somebody recently deer hunting while me and a buddy were squirrel hunting. He whistled and we talked and I killed a deer there the next morning.

Yep

This area has only one direction down a dirt road and then opens up about 400 yards from the parking area. It's a dirt road that is gated. Park by the gate, walk around it and then hope that you don't have the same spot picked out. There are 3000 acres and 2 legal parking areas. It is not an area you can just pull to the side of the road and walk in. Otherwise I would have moved to plan b. The dirt road cuts through someone else's land to get you to the TVA land. One way in, one way out. Us walking up on him was just a huge coincidence.

I kinda figured it was one parking spot for a big area. There are places like that.
It was very dangerous on his part not to let y'all know he was there. He coulda got a face full of 6s.
If I see someone I let them know I'm there.

There was a thread about this awhile back. It a vehicle is already there then go somewhere else.

So one person per 1000 acres of public land? I agree that would work in some or most places. This is a very large area with only one place to park.

Robby, you will NEVER convince some of these folks that more than one person parking at a gate is acceptable. I hunt cahaba a lot.... it's 30000 acres and 3000 gates. There is no reason for me to park at a gate and walk in on somebody at cahaba. Your situation sounds completely different.

Ha thanks man, I was starting to feel like a monster!