Hiding a geocache in an area that may be used by bow-hunters

[Lanni]

I love hiking around in the woods behind my neighborhood, so I thought I might hide a geocache there. The problem is that I think hunters hunt deer in the woods (although not in the spot I want to put the cache). I have never seen any hunters, but I've noticed several tree stands. I know that bow-hunting is legal, but since I feel safe in the woods, would it be okay to hide a cache in there? It would be next to the creek, right on the trail.

[+Team MonkeyLove]

If you are sure there are bowhunters in there I would recomend first wait till the season is over (almost there) If you can't wait I would only go in during mid-day no early morning or early evening. Lastly if there is any chance of someone gun hunting there I would definately wait till after season. I have a friend who was shot by an overzealous hunter. He survived but was laid up for a while. Remember those hunters are even more serious about the hunt than cachers and can be rather possessive even if they don't belong there. Hope this helps. For what it's worth I am not a hunter but, I work with hundreds of them and hear thier stories on a daily basis. (good or bad)

[+BBandD]

I am a hunter and agree what was posted earlier. However, some hunters are more over zealous than others so don't get terrified. If you do go, go mid-day, here hunting is illegal on Sundays so...

 

wear blaze orange as well

 

hope this helps

[Lanni]

Thank you both! I looked up the regulations where I live and found out that the hunting season in the area closes today (Dec. 16th), so I guess I'm all set! I think that when it reopens next year I will disable the cache to be safe. And I will still add a note on the cache page describing the situation.

Edited December 17, 2008 by Lanni

[+Manville Possum]

I also am a avid deer hunter and I have some caches in hunting areas, I just disable them during deer season. I also have been accidently shot by another hunter. Hunting is illegal on sundays in the Commonwealth of Virginia but not in Tennessee which is close. Blaze orange is required during rifle season in Virginia. We joke with our neighbors in Tennessee about UT's color being orange, so they can wear their colors to the football game saterday, hunting on sunday and picking up AL cans on the roadside the rest of the week. Rember hunters will get very upset if they hike in before daylight and climb a treestand just to have someone cache by their hunting spot, I will not risk it or put others at risk. We all love the outdoors but we all need to love and respect each other.

Edited December 17, 2008 by manville p h

[+succotash]

Is the property public or private land? We advise checking and ensuring you have permission for the cache placement. The land owner may have specific suggestions for you. We have several caches placed in areas that allow hunting. In each case we placed wording on the cache page recommended by the entity owning the land, and in some cases we have gotten excellent advice from the property managers on the best cache locations to maximize safety, minimize impact to hunters, and bring the cachers to a scenic spot. Remember there are seasons for game other than deer and it is truly best to ensure that you have permission and understand the specific rules/seasons/etc for any particular piece of property. Good luck!

[+kraushad]

Even disabling may not go far enough. The cache could still pop up on someone's PQ if they don't have "is active" checked. I would list in your cache page description that this is a hunting area during whatever the specific times are, and even suggest some blaze - just to feel that you have completely done everything you could to inform, and warn others.

 

I am not a hunter, but live around/in hunting areas, and I am own several firearms. I personally wouldn't object to hunting the cache, depending on location even during hunting season, provided it was mid-day and i was wearing blaze. You can never be too safe when dealing with firearms.

[+Team TMC]

Just another thought, You may want to disable the cache a few weeks before next season. Most bow hunters are pretty serious about the hunt and don't really like people stomping around their stand the day before season. If it's public property I think there is room for both hunter and cacher as long as they can maintain a respect for each other and their hobby.

[+Ocean Archer]

I have a related concern regarding this issue -- one of my caches was in an area where a bow-hunting club was planning to construct a "roving range". Fortunately, one of the members was aware of my cache and informed me of their plans. I pulled and archived the cache to prevent any accidents.

 

Now, the club has disbanded, and the "roving range" idea has gone away. I'm thinking of re-placing the cache and reactivating it. Comments please ...

Edited December 17, 2008 by Ocean Archer

[+briansnat]

Thank you both! I looked up the regulations where I live and found out that the hunting season in the area closes today (Dec. 16th), so I guess I'm all set! I think that when it reopens next year I will disable the cache to be safe. And I will still add a note on the cache page describing the situation.

 

There is no need to disable a cache during hunting season. Just a warning on the page is sufficient. Nearly any cache hidden in the woods may have issues with hunters part of the year. And actually if you read the game laws in your state, you'll probably find that it's nearly always open season for something. I think in my state, which isn't what you'd consider to be a big hunting state, there is no hunting season for about 4 months out of the year.

 

So just put a warning on the page that there may be hunting in season. There is also a hunting attribute that can be used.

[+StarBrand]

I agree with Briansnat.

 

No need to disable - just a good worded warning in the description. If it is indeed public land - we can all share it.

[+kraushad]

AND.. don't add an ALR that stipulates that in order to claim a find the cachers must post a picture of themselves with your cache while wearing a deer costume

Edited December 17, 2008 by kraushad

[+briansnat]

AND.. don't add an ALR that stipulates that in order to claim a find the cachers must post a picture of themselves with your cache while wearing a deer costume

 

Why not?

[+markandsandy]

AND.. don't add an ALR that stipulates that in order to claim a find the cachers must post a picture of themselves with your cache while wearing a deer costume

 

Why not?

Try it sometime. It should become obvious very quickly.

[+Manville Possum]

AND.. don't add an ALR that stipulates that in order to claim a find the cachers must post a picture of themselves with your cache while wearing a deer costume

 

Why not?

Why not wear a deer costume? Becaue you might walk under my brother-in-law Leroy's treestand and he'd just say "cool" this one's got a zipper! when he starts to field-dress you. Leroy probally kills more deer with his pick-up truck than his bow. Rember some people hunt with bows because they can't own firearms because they are felons or domestic violance offenders, like Leroy.

[+Team TMC]

I agree with Briansnat.

 

No need to disable - just a good worded warning in the description. If it is indeed public land - we can all share it.

Yes we can share but why would you make a deer hunter mad by knowingly going into the immediate area that he is hunting? You don't like it when someone knowingly messes with your hobby do you? The bow hunters only get the woods for a short time,why not give them that much.

I agree that there is almost always some type of hunting season open BUT most other seasons are lightly hunted,so the example of something always being open is a poor one. If you walk in on me while I'm hunting squirrel I will say howdy hows it going'. If you walk in on me while I'm bow hunting (especially if you know I'm probably there) I'm gonna say something but it won't be howdy....er...um...maybe a big California howdy!

I think the "no need to disable" advice is horrible but thats just me. Why make waves and take a chance of someone accidentally getting hurt over a cache?

It's not ALL about the hunter but it's not ALL about the cacher either.

I'm guessing you probably don't hunt so you have no idea about the advice you're giving.

[+wavector]

I think the "no need to disable" advice is horrible but thats just me. Why make waves and take a chance of someone accidentally getting hurt over a cache?

It's not ALL about the hunter but it's not ALL about the cacher either.

I'm guessing you probably don't hunt so you have no idea about the advice you're giving.

 

There is no need to disable the cache but disabling the cache would be a good thing to do if the cache owner wants to ensure that their cache is not the cause of any accidents. I have disabled caches because the city was trimming trees in the park where I hid the cache. I would rather err on the side of caution and not send people into any danger.

[Lanni]

Thanks for all the information, everyone!

 

The area is public land, and has very strict hunting laws. Hunting using firearms is not allowed in this particular area of New York State, and the bow-hunting season is from mid-October until mid-December. I plan on disabling the cache during the season, and I will always have a notice up on the cache description page, detailing the circumstances.

[+J-Way]

I recommend not putting it near an existing tree-stand, and preferably place it near enough to a main trail or road to avoid future tree stands. I don't know about NY, but around here bow-hunters are NOT required to wear blaze orange (that's a modern gun season requirement, but not primitive weapon). Cache seekers might not see them sitting in a stand. Then after the seeker leaves, the #$**ed off hunter heads over to see what brought that idiot into his hunting spot to scare off the deer, and good-bye cache.