WIHA etiquette

[CowleyCoDan]

Claiming the field

Not being there to see the layout, could there potentially have been a bowhunter in the area? If one was on-stand for the day, that might explain the truck being there for so long. On the other hand, seeing several instances of this, with all of them having tags from Missouri, would lead one to the same conclusion as yours--that they were trying to claim that field.

 

[BritChaser]

Truck Parking Claims

When we were down last week we also saw an area we wanted to hunt first thing in the morning but we were late getting there. A truck with Missouri plates was parked in the drive. We didn't see anyone in the field but left it and went to another. Then we started noticing other fields that had trucks with Missouri plates parked in them or beside them and no one in the field. On one field we got out and used binocs to check for any other hunters and since there was no one in the field, we hunted it but came in from another side. That truck was parked there three hours later and it was only a quarter section.
We began to assume (rightly so I believe) they were parking trucks trying to "stake" fields for themselves.
I don't like to horn it on other hunters and I don't really like to hunt with big groups or people I don't know. I usually go with a couple of good friends that I know are safe and leave it at that.
I always thought that when you parked your truck you would be hunting in the field but from what I saw I'm not sure that is the case anymore.

I think your assumption is absolutely correct. The truck was there to ward off other hunters while the truck's occupants were hunting elsewhere.