Flagging Tape and other things...

[Deadeye]

First off Hello to you all. Visit several forums and found this one, which I like, so I joined.

I have been scouting for several weeks in a WMA that I have not hunted before. Found a couple spots that are OK and one that I really like. Anyway, I am driving down the main road in this part of this WMA and a truck coming towards me stops and waits for me to get to where he is. He waves for me to stop. I do and first thing he asks is if I have seen anything, which I told him no. The conversation then went like this:

(him) You planning on hunting here? (me) Yes. (him) For bowhunting? (me) Yes (him) You got your spots set up? (me) Well not yet, your not allowed to yet. (him) Um, ah, um, ah (I that it from this that he has already set his stands) well I meant have you found your spots yet? (me) Yeah I found a few spots I like. (him) Well my son is hunting here, probably the same spots, so I just wanted to let you know so you know out of courtisey you guys don't shoot at each other. (me) Ok.

This conversation got me to thinking, do some people think that if they have found a spot to hunt that everyone else has found that exact same spot to? And really, shoot at each other while bowhunting? Geeze never know who you might run into out there.

As I continued down the road I noticed that almost every road/trail that comes off the main road now has Flagging Tape hanging on it. Several of these trails I have already scouted down, so the tape has been hung in the last week or two. Do people think that if you hang a piece of Flag Tape at the enterence of a trail that you now have laid claim to that area and no no one else can scout/hunt there? One tape stated that they were hunting there in archery and there would be three hunters.

My question is: Do you Flag your intent to hunt and label it as so, or do you just hunt? I just hunt and do not like to flag my way as I feel it just leads lazy hunters to my area that I have scouted out.

Also If there is tape hanging do you still hunt the area if you had planned to?

In other words, what good does the flagging tape really do.

[Iluv2hunt]

Welcome to the forums. I do not use tape. I mark specific spots on GPS and use brite eyes sparingly

[lonehunter]

Welcome aboard Deadeye!
Its sad to say that, Yes, Some people do feel that if they flag a area "its theirs" to hunt and nobody else should be in there.
I will (out of respect) go to another area if I see a vehicle parked where I want to go, but Tape means nothing to me. I pay the same money to hunt public land as they do and it is open to everybody with a permit.

[pandaxmx]

welcome deadeye +2 I tape also , what gets me is some folks pull the tape down, or worst they move it, so i use the gps a lot

[Deadeye]

I don't own a GPS (yet), but I did find a good app for my I-Phone that offers Topo and GPS points. So I use that to mark trails and where I find sign or see deer. I often place a point for a parking area, a spot where I plan to turn off the main trail, and where I plan to place a stand. Works for me.

I know of several guys that remove any flagging they find. Don't know for sure what good that does. I do wish that folks that use flagging would remove it after the end of their hunting. I do not like to see flagging that has been hanging there for so long that it has faded to almost no color (seen one today that was almost white it had been there for so long).

Talked to some guys last year that had flagged, as well as 3-4 others on the enterance of a trail. Another group came in and tore down their flags and hung their own stating "group of 6 hunters using this area".

[blackpowderscout]

This spot is still my personal favorite example of flagging gone wild.....

It was a pretty oak hammock but I never could figure out why on earth all this was necessary.

[30.06]

I used flagging tape my first season hunting as i was worried about not being able to find a spot that i wanted to go to. Even then i used it sparingly. now i realize that my memory is good enough for the most part to get me back where i am want to go, and i bought a gps to use when i am in a big wma.

[Skunk Ape]

I get lost very easy,I use tape,tacks,gps,and my treestand starts flashing when I get within 75 yards of it. The more tape the better imo.

[JBUG308]

I'll be honest, if I find old, faded tape hanging in a WMA I pull it off and put it in my pocket. There's been times where I would shy away from an area when I saw the faded tape only to learn later that nobody was ever in there. I use it sparingly, usually only at the road or trailhead to give others a head's up. Glow tacks and landmarks from there. When I'm done for the season it comes out with me. Its a catch 22 to me: You don't use it, someone can come in on you. You use it, someone will follow it in to see if you're there.

[HCON3]

If you see tape someone has dibs on the area (the entire area) so you have to go in pitch black you can't see the tape. Tape means someone else has done all the scouting for you!! Most people hunt maybe weekends so the rest of the week is yours (hint hint). All tape will be found at the entrance to the WMA after I go through (sorry Pandaxmx) as you can tell tape is a red flag to me. I hate sitting in stand watching flagging tape blow in the breeze takes the joy out it.

[Reaper]

There is a spot in Green Swamp with a gigantic Oak tree right of the side of the main road with nothing but palmettos around it for half a mile and there is a piece of flagging on it.
If you are so stupid that you need to flag the only tree for a mile that is next to the road GO TO THE BEACH Stay out of the woods

I pull that trash down when ever I come across it

I understand flagging a palmetto to turn left in an area where you might miss a turn in the dark but most of these flags I see are in obvious places and I would be embarrassed as an outdoors man to hang them in some of these spots.

Ever walk a trail through the woods and have a flag every 20 ft??? HELLLLOOOOOO your on a TRAIL!!! Your TRUCK is 200 yards behind you.

I understand you directional challenged but maybe if you really KNOW an area you do not need to flag

Flag your spot to hunt??? I do not care..I know the area thoroughly, I know where your stand is, where you park, where your camera and corn are. Going to be in my stand way before you finish your coffee.

[gargoyle725]

I tried tape once but I could not tell mine from the rest so I just use gps or memory.

[treefarmer]

I read a story about using bread crumbs. Have any y'all tried it yet? Treefarmer

[lamehawk]

Just take it down and move it 50 to 75 yards away so they get screwed up!

[Iluv2hunt]

Move tape and make a fake scrape and rub at end of tape line

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