Flagging and how I hate it

[blackpowderscout]

Grrr. I hate flagging tape.

I took my boy out to Jennnings Forest for the youth hunt after work yesterday. Went back to one of my favorite areas to just do some walking for a couple hours before dark. I was appalled at what I saw. some jerk-off had flagged an entire area! I mean long strips of orange tape flapping in the breeze every 30 yards in every direction for the better part of a mile! I mean every direction! There was no rhyme or reason to it. You could do a complete circle and see flagging. Big trees, little trees, dead trees, palmetto bushes, branches, everything! What the hell! I was going to start removing them at first but quickly realized that was fruitless. I would need a garbage bag. My pockets weren't going to hold it all.

Personally, I think they should outlaw the stuff on Public lands. If you are that scared of getting lost, get a gps or a compass and map. Too many people don't take theirs out with them. Besides, you can't get LOST here. There's well maintained roads all over the place. Hell, you could hear the dogs barking at the houses on the fenceline. There is NO REASON for using that stuff in that quantity.

[sam03]

It should be considered littering and they should be fined. Spend time in the woods or get a gps and learn to use it.

[Triple Creek Reaper]

You know its getting close to gun season when the tape comes out in full force.

[trouttouter]

Don't get me started on this. My dad used to be bad at flagging. I threw his tape out and bought him a GPS. People go completely nuts. I think there should be a forum contest for the craziest flagging caught on camera.

[ArcheoGator]

I saw the same while I was out the last couple days. I was on a trail on public land, and saw flags about every 20 feet. The area I was in had an established trail in a big circle, with several sub-circles. Now, I am horrible finding my way driving unless directions are specific. However, I'm not sure who needs a flag every 20 feet when walking in a circle.

[Bossman]

Oh don't even get me started, I never use any flag tape for one reason I don't want anyone knowing what and where I am hunting. I might be gifted or something because I can walk through the woods for hours and always find my way back to the begining point. I have hunted the woods for so long that I walk out at night without a light. I've hunted for over 35 years and NEVER been lost. I just can't understand why people have to use ribbon, once I found somone's ribbon going in on my trail, all the way into my stand location. I took every piece of tape down and restrung it through the woods in another direction. All that I could hope for is that bozo followed the tape deep into nowhere. Like I said I've NEVER been lost! Although there was this one time that I didn't know where I was for about three days, but I still wasn't lost.

[heritage14]

I go out of my way to remove every piece of flagging tape I see. That should sum up how I feel about it.

[treefarmer]

Hey Bossman, you just not knowin' where you were for 3 days is about like me bein' bogged down in the truck, I wasn't stuck , I just couldn't go! . Only 2 good places for tape in the woods, one is where the log trucks know where to get in the woods and the other is flagging a property corner!
Treefarmer

[born2hunt]

What about when they wright their hunt date and number of hunters on the tape and mark a trail . Like everyone should just move on since they scouted it first.

[Bossman]

That will just give everyone before you the right to hunt your spot. There is just a few folks that will honor the found it first thing.

[Ironcat]

Everyone already HAS the right to hunt "your" spot on public land. Calling it "your" spot is as worthless as tape...

[Cr0ck1]

Everyone already HAS the right to hunt "your" spot on public land. Calling it "your" spot is as worthless as tape...

What he said.

[born2hunt]

The funny thing, is that as bad as I hate seeing the tape in the woods it has probably caused me to kill more deer. Because all it does is make me go deeper and scout harder to try to avoid the idiots that hung it.

[treefarmer]

That's any interesting response, born2hunt! Has anyone every seen a person actually putting out flagging? I'm sure there would be some interesting explanations as to what they were doing.
Treefarmer

[born2hunt]

That's any interesting response, born2hunt! Has anyone every seen a person actually putting out flagging? I'm sure there would be some interesting explanations as to what they were doing.
Treefarmer

Ive seen guys hang a piece to mark where they turn off which ain't so bad but I'm mainly referring to the ones that hang the crap every few feet to their stand because they're scared of getting lost . But I try to get away from as many people as possible so when I see the tape I keep going and looking for somewhere less disturbed and I'm sure alot of guys do the same.