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If you invite a guest to your cabin and they tag out, but planned on stay 3 more days. Is it crazy to be annoyed if they leave right after?
Camp etiquette?
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yes...they came to hunt...not enjoy camp life ....their loss, but it shows you something about them...you then decide if you invite them back in the future.
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I guess that is a tough one to answer. Anytime we have a guest come into camp, we certainly dont expect much from them but to have a good time, clean up after themselves and be willing to hunt as hard as we do.
If that person came into camp, scouted their own spot, shot, dragged and processed that deer all on his/her own, then no pack up and thanks for coming.
If they hunted a spot that we scouted for them, we helped drag, ETC... well maybe it would at least be nice to stick around that night, hang out, and maybe make coffee the next morning before you leave.
My camp and camps around, guys are never expected to do anything, but at the same time, most guys dont need to be told and stick around to help clean up or push for other hunters or whatever. I think it is kind of an unwritten rule but again, depending on the circumstance of why said hunter left I guess would make the difference in opinion of it.
If that person came into camp, scouted their own spot, shot, dragged and processed that deer all on his/her own, then no pack up and thanks for coming.
If they hunted a spot that we scouted for them, we helped drag, ETC... well maybe it would at least be nice to stick around that night, hang out, and maybe make coffee the next morning before you leave.
My camp and camps around, guys are never expected to do anything, but at the same time, most guys dont need to be told and stick around to help clean up or push for other hunters or whatever. I think it is kind of an unwritten rule but again, depending on the circumstance of why said hunter left I guess would make the difference in opinion of it.
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The stand and spot were built and scouted by me. To add insult to injury I had to dress and drag a bear and a buck for this guy.
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when I went hunting out of state with some friends I went to a hunting lease/camp they went to every year. It was my first year and I only got to go because of them. I shot my buck at 0715 the first day. I played dog the next 3 days and enjoyed the camraderie of camp. As mentioned above its not illegal to bail early but if you want to be a part of a camp you should stick around and be a part of the camp. That's what camp is about, the fellowship and good times. Just like the others said just keep it in mind for next year when your deciding who to invite back.
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Reminder: Don't invite people to camp, that you have to babysit....ChrisPhilly said:
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Our camp has some members that will hunt the first two days of deer season and be packed up and ready to head home on Tuesday . Of course they stay for a great meal at dinner then wish all good luck and take off,never washing a dish or helping with anything else . I took a fellow up for Spring gobbler season once and found out that this hunter was not the person I thought . There were a half dozen members present and he proceeds to brag about taking 26 gobblers over the years including a 30 pounder !! Tall tales for sure . Then after coming in from the morning hunt he blurts out "When do we eat ??" . I asked him if he wanted to heat up some smoked pulled pork that I brought up or maybe some chicken corn soup that I made . His reply was " I don't cook and I don't do dishes !" Last time for that joker ......No etiquette whatsoever ! I know that our camp really checks out potential members as far as safety and getting along with the gang . Good folks want no drama !
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Depends on the circumstances. Maybe the guy decided to save a couple vacation days and go back to work since he already had some venison. There's also a chance he had a tag for another area, and wanted to be able to hunt instead of just hang out.
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I take almost no one to my main camp as a guest anymore, because they don't EVER want to leave, LOL! Seriously, I am very picky about it because our membership is tight and solid and I don't want to spend the next six months explaining to someone why they can't get in to the club. I have just found that I have alot more pleasant time flying solo there.
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I'd give them a pass as long as they were concerned about the meat spoiling. I know we've had a few 50/60 degree opening days in the recent past. The guys were running home with deer and bear right away to get them processed. These days I'd rather not shoot a thing and stay at camp for 2 weeks. Just can't get enough of it.
If they had a good time with you, did their fair share of the work while they were there and helped do all of the dragging and cleaning after the days hunt was over then I say they're free to leave. I know a lot of good guys that are tight on vacation days and those few days saved from leaving early may allow them to take a day later in the year to go up with you. That being said. If they mooched all weekend, didn't want to drive or help with the deer taken and pretty much loaded up and bailed on you then I say that's bad etiquette.
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Unless there were a spoilage issue or a pressing issue at home or work that came up, he doesn;t get a pass for running out. If he set aside 3 days for his own hunt and the only reason for leaving early is "he got his", that's a guy who is a pretty self centered individual and ain't the kind I'd wanna see back.
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Unless you have a full time designated camp cook all should share duties, cost and hunting locations or as agreed on in advance.
I have hunted at number of camps in several states. The more everyone shares in the camp duties the easier it is for everyone and the more leisure time there is to share stories and enjoy the camp atmosphere.
I can see someone returning to work to save vacations days, getting back to a business they run, or proceeding on to another state to hunt.
Discussing all these things up front when planing the camp trip usually brings any potential conflicts to the surface so they can be resolved before they are carried to the camp.
If individuals invited to the camp do not respect their commitments for unjust reasons. That should be their last trip....or you will repeat an undesirable experience....instead with the right group of caring/sharing individuals you could be having the time of your life and creating the stories to be shared at camp for many years.
I have hunted at number of camps in several states. The more everyone shares in the camp duties the easier it is for everyone and the more leisure time there is to share stories and enjoy the camp atmosphere.
I can see someone returning to work to save vacations days, getting back to a business they run, or proceeding on to another state to hunt.
Discussing all these things up front when planing the camp trip usually brings any potential conflicts to the surface so they can be resolved before they are carried to the camp.
If individuals invited to the camp do not respect their commitments for unjust reasons. That should be their last trip....or you will repeat an undesirable experience....instead with the right group of caring/sharing individuals you could be having the time of your life and creating the stories to be shared at camp for many years.
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It seems like you invited that person as a friend and he accepted on the pretense of friendship, but he was really only there to get a deer and, once he did, mission accomplished, I'm outta here. Maybe he doesn't "get" the camp experience. Sounds like he thinks it's all about killing a deer. I wouldn't invite him back.
I've had the complete opposite experience to this. Myself and my 2 sons were invited to a camp for the first 3 days of rifle season, this was all that the 4 members of the camp were going to be there. I was told that we didn't need to bring anything other than what we wanted to drink and that all of the expenses would be devided between the 7 of us, no problem with this at all. Well 2 of them tagged out early Mon. morning and decided to leave before lunchtime, and the other 2 decided to leave that evening, they didn't see any deer all day and thought that they would do better around home. My sons and I didn't find this any of this out until we came in from a full days hunting. We helped the last 2 guys pack up there trucks with all of their gear, and they told us that we were welcome to stay and they advised us to what we needed to do to close up the camp and told us that they left us some food and off they went. We figured that we would have dinner and settle in for a quiet evening. Then we realized that the only food that they left was a pot of chili on the stove a ,loaf of bread, a half of a ham steak, and four eggs, that was it no butter for the bread, no coffee, nothing. We then decided to o to a local pub for dinner then to the store to get what we needed for the rest of our stay. To top it off they even took all of the containers of water with them when they left, it's a dry camp so we had to get water also. Other than paying twice for our food this turned out to be one of the best camp experiences that my sons and I have had, we had 2 pretty good days in the woods, and some great evenings in camp with some pretty good meals if I do say so myself. We weren't shy about using up more firewood than we really needed, and didn't split anymore to replace it. We will not go back there and have decided to save a few more years and get our own place.
Chuck
Chuck
Yes. I bought food for them for the next 3 days that they will not be there. We can always use another driver. Who is going to listen to, and then add to, the stories and memories that we all have of our hunting and fishing adventures. And how do you explain it to the junior hunters in camp?ChrisPhilly said:
One trip and done.
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There are lots of circumstances where you may have deemed their departure acceptable. The fact that you didn't list the explanation compels me to believe that their reason for leaving was predominately they they had their's so their mission for being at camp was complete.
Unless that was the going in assumption (which it appears it wasn't by the nature of your question) I will categorize this as poor camp etiquette. If you were offended you have two choices: 1) Never invite them back 2) Explain your feelings and seek an explanation. I would lean toward #2 myself because I think everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves, and/or apologize, and behave differently with the advantage of knowing the impact their bahavior had on you. Your call.
Unless that was the going in assumption (which it appears it wasn't by the nature of your question) I will categorize this as poor camp etiquette. If you were offended you have two choices: 1) Never invite them back 2) Explain your feelings and seek an explanation. I would lean toward #2 myself because I think everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves, and/or apologize, and behave differently with the advantage of knowing the impact their bahavior had on you. Your call.
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I just have to reply to this thread. It sounds a lot like what happened to me. First let me say that I had been attending all work parties and even donated many items to this camp. Just one such item was a wooden utensil box that replaced the one they had stolen from their camp. I engraved this one with the camp name hoping that would deter thieves in the future. I could never hunt with the deer camp due to not being senior man at my job. Until that man took early retirement I was screwed. First time hunting with the group that I had known for years I thought things would be fun. I was a driver as a guest so I chose to carry my revolver instead of climbing around glaier rocks with a rifle and possibly knocking my scope out. The group decided to hunt another mountain and this time I was made a stander. There was only five of us to cover the side of a mountain and the rest would drive to us. I asked one of the guys to place me because I never hunted this mountain before that day. There were three of us carrying pistols. The other two members had hunted with their guns for years and never got a deer. Well to make a long story short I ended up shooting a 6 pt and the only deer that day. It just happened to walk up on me and was not part of the drive. When we finally got back to camp my friend and I proceeded to skin it and no one else offered to help or for that matter to congratulate me. I felt like the attitude was that I shot one of their deer. The next day having felt like I was unwelcomed I decided to pack up and leave with the head and hide. I later told my friend how I felt and he said it was my imagination so come next deer season I went back and participated in the hunt again. This time a spike buck was driven into me but I fast thought if I shoot another deer two years in a row as a guest I will be definitely blackballed from membership. Their by-laws stated a guest must hunt two years in a row to be voted on as an active member. While they were having their meeting I was in the kitchen doing the dishes but I could hear the conversation. The secretary/treasurer made a motion that any new member to be voted on must hunt three years instead of the two. I took it as a sign they did NOT want me in their group and after we all left camp I told my friend that I would not bother joining such a petty jealous group who were acting like children. I have hunted out of this camp with my friend during archery and trout fishing up until this past year when I gave up hunting and decided roughing it was no longer any fun.
The story that my friend tells is totally in their favor. That I just made a statement that I got my deer so I'm going home with my prize. Nobody wants to listen to my side that paints them as jealous over a deer taken in an area where they are lucky to even see one. Year upon year that camp goes without anyone harvesting a deer. I realize that you don't need to kill deer to have fun at camp but to me it is more than sitting around looking at x-rated magazines and playing poker till 1AM while drinking alcohol. There is more facts to this story but I gave you the short synopsis.
The story that my friend tells is totally in their favor. That I just made a statement that I got my deer so I'm going home with my prize. Nobody wants to listen to my side that paints them as jealous over a deer taken in an area where they are lucky to even see one. Year upon year that camp goes without anyone harvesting a deer. I realize that you don't need to kill deer to have fun at camp but to me it is more than sitting around looking at x-rated magazines and playing poker till 1AM while drinking alcohol. There is more facts to this story but I gave you the short synopsis.
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