Tough Experience Sunday

[RedLabel]

Had a tough experience Sunday. Went out to a lease West of the city and made sure I was good and early. First day of daylight savings so had to pop out of bed an hr earlier.

I got to the lease an hr before legal hunting, walked out to one of my fav spots and set up on powerpole along a cutline. Sure enough 1/2 hr after sunrise another hunter pops out of the trees 50 yrds ahead of me and starts walking up the cutline away from me.

Where things got weird is when he stopped 150 yards away, turned to face me and setup under a spruce tree. wtf?!? i'm thinking, he must of seen me but maybe he didn't? I pull my antlers out and start rattling to get his attention, and through my binos I watch him focus in on me, and light a ciggeratte, and stay put.

After 10 minutes I couldn't handle my frustration or the fact that he had his rifle facing down the cutline in my direction; so I stand up and start packing up. Minute I start heading up towards him this fella takes off!

Didn't have a chance to talk to him as he bolted into the woods and to his truck; sped off before I got back to mine.

I know this isn't the first time this has happened to someone but needed to share and get it off the brain. Unfathomable how unsafe let alone disrespectful some of our fellow "outdoorsmen" are

[nast70]

What can you do? Its busy out there. Had the exact opposite happen to me. I was walking up a pipeline that was just widened year before last. One side has a quad trail behind some short brush. I was on that trail, totally invisible to the truck parked at the corner watching the freshly opened area. I came out 75 yards in front of him and probably surprised the bejezus out him. I apologized for the interruption and made a huge loop to get back to my camp, about an hour later than I planned.
Funny thing is, after they knew I was camped in the area, they still drove in and parked in the same spot 4 days in a row.

[RedLabel]

Originally Posted by nast70

What can you do? Its busy out there. Had the exact opposite happen to me. I was walking up a pipeline that was just widened year before last. One side has a quad trail behind some short brush. I was on that trail, totally invisible to the truck parked at the corner watching the freshly opened area. I came out 75 yards in front of him and probably surprised the bejezus out him. I apologized for the interruption and made a huge loop to get back to my camp, about an hour later than I planned.
Funny thing is, after they knew I was camped in the area, they still drove in and parked in the same spot 4 days in a row.

Yeah I know what you mean. It's not the 1st time I've bumped into other hunters, in one case I almost stepped on another guy in the dark as I walked around a Tree! (scared the !@#$ out of both of us) but this was the 1st time I witnessed such complete disregard for another hunter. 10 min feels like 10 hrs when you have a rifle pointed at you.

[RedLabel]

Pic of the perp facing me. Didn’t ruin my week but wanted to share as I’m sure others can relate!

[Dom4]

Sorry that happened I know when that happens to me I try to change my area and let others be if they are there first. Also very nice spot there. Good luck with the rest of the season!


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[WhiteTailAB]

I wouldn't have pulled the antlers out lol bang! some hunters get so trigger happy you're lucky you didn't get popped.

[58thecat]

Nothing tuff there just hunker down and enjoy the area to yourself.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by RedLabel

Pic of the perp facing me. Didn’t ruin my week but wanted to share as I’m sure others can relate!

The “perp”?

[Zuludog]

Originally Posted by WhiteTailAB

I wouldn't have pulled the antlers out lol bang! some hunters get so trigger happy you're lucky you didn't get popped.

This part made me cringe too. I would've just snuck out of there and gone elsewhere. What happens if a deer walks out between you? One or both of you may end up shooting towards the other. If I see other hunters I always give them a wide berth out of courtesy and of course safety. Hope the rest of November goes better for you.

[raw outdoors]

Guys that don’t have a pair of binoculars with them and use there rifle to check things out should not consider them self’s hunters. Instead of windows stickers of deer and elk and browning decals. They should have a decal saying beware of me I’m an idiot and I’m in the woods.

[Smoky buck]

Stuff like this is why I search for places other hunters ignore and took up hunting thick bush

Lucky for me deer like to hide from hunters too

[Catman1]

Personally I absolutely hate talking to other hunters in the same area. I would head to my truck and leave the area too. I have a feeling you surprised him and that’s why he took off like that.


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[liar]

Originally Posted by raw outdoors

Guys that don’t have a pair of binoculars with them and use there rifle to check things out should not consider them self’s hunters. Instead of windows stickers of deer and elk and browning decals. They should have a decal saying beware of me I’m an idiot and I’m in the woods.

its too bad that its not advertised more in the regulations but pointing a firearm at some one is a criminal offence . i have hunted with an rcmp who has filed complaints and charges were laid . unfortunately , i have seen it done many times .

[CNP]

Originally Posted by RedLabel

i'm thinking, he must of seen me but maybe he didn't?

Maybe he didn't see you like you say?

Maybe if he didn't see you he thought he was there first?

If he doesn't know you are there, he isn't pointing a rifle in your direction.

Maybe when you startled to rattle he couldn't hear it loudly enough to determine the source? ?

When you rose to leave, he simply left and didn't report it on AO.

Hunting cut lines this is bound to happen.

Maybe this is just nothing......and I'm wasting my time getting involved (high probability)

[Bushrat]

I wouldn't call him a perp. Chances are he has a stand or place to sit along the cutline you were not aware of, perhaps he has that scouted out and been hunting it for years and was already sitting there out of sight before you arrived. Perhaps he was getting nervous with your appearance and wanted to make his presence known to you because if you saw something you would be shooting in his direction possibly endangering him. Perhaps he walked on to and down the cutline away from you instead of walking toward you to avoid a possible confrontation. Perhaps you were the interloper on his secret spot. Could be your truck was there first, but why should he go somewhere else, he doesn't know if your hunting right there or are 4 miles away down the cutline, Should he leave for no reason? When these things happen it is usually nobody's fault, it can be annoying but you have to look at it from their perspective as well as your own. Did he look at you through his riflescope or something?

[RedLabel]

Originally Posted by chuck

The “perp”?

just my favorite word for ppl I believe to be in the wrong

[RedLabel]

Originally Posted by CNP

Maybe he didn't see you like you say?

Maybe if he didn't see you he thought he was there first?

If he doesn't know you are there, he isn't pointing a rifle in your direction.

Maybe when you startled to rattle he couldn't hear it loudly enough to determine the source? ?

When you rose to leave, he simply left and didn't report it on AO.

Hunting cut lines this is bound to happen.

Maybe this is just nothing......and I'm wasting my time getting involved (high probability)

Those are a lot of maybe (s), I agree with your points but on the day I addressed those maybe(s) as best I could in the moment to discern the other hunter's intent.

sorry if I did a poor job of explaining

"he simply left and didn't report it on AO" hahaha

no one is reporting anything here, just sharing an experience.

[CrisPbacon]

Same kind of thing happened to me in the Berland hunting Elk 10 years ago. I was sitting at the intersection of 2 cutlines about a km from my quad (only 1 quad trail in, one out) I notice some movement about 500 yards away on the edge of the cutline. I glass it up and it was a dude looking at me through his scope, rifle pointed at me. I wave my hands and he lowered his rifle. I walked up to ask him WTF and he said he saw my quad and wanted to see if any animals were down. I tore a strip up and down him for breaking the unwritten rule of never going into an area if you see a quad parked etc.

Fast forward to a couple evenings later hiking back to our camp just after legal light and a gunshot rings out super close to camp. Do some investigating and the same moron took an Elk 200 yards from our camp AFTER legal light. The irony was he walked into our camp asking us for some help taking apart the Elk! We had some choise words for him and reported him to F&W.

Moral of the story, keep your wits about you in the bush and report these a&*^%holes any chance you get.

[Travco1]

All im going to say is get over it . Your hunting public land and your upset when you see another hunter. Lol Its a pain in the ass but dude its not your privet land, get over it .

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Travco1

All im going to say is get over it . Your hunting public land and your upset when you see another hunter. Lol Its a pain in the ass but dude its not your privet land, get over it .

Yup, that's the way it is. I was hunting a friend's lease last Friday, for elk. A little Whitetail buck came out of the trees and stared at me. Deer wasn't part of my plan, so I let him slip back into the trees. Couple of minutes late, KABOOM. Guy, on the adjoining lease, was a lousy shot and missed though.

Grizz

[Dean2]

Well from my perspective the a hats are multiplying. My partner goes in before daylight and sets up. Starts walking in at legal light. Finds a big bull 700 yards down a line. Starts a sneak and turns around to find a guy about 35 years old and his daughter both packing rifles, walking in on his tracks at a quick pace. Waits for him to get up to him and tells the guy he is putting the sneak on a big bull elk, please give me time to finish my sneak. Guy tells him " I am hunting elk too and am going where I am going, sorry bro" blows right past him up the line with the bull on it. Of course he scares out the bull.

So if this guy is really a hunter where the hell did he learn his etiquette. Absolutely unbelievable. If he had not been with his daughter there would have definitely been a much different outcome to the conversation.

[Nikanit]

Four years ago I had set up for an evening hunt out west on the edge of a lease, leaning up against a tree in long grass, when this woman with an elder rolls up. They had seen my husband's truck just down the way so they knew we were there, yet they still set up for shooting down the road towards him, very dangerous those dummies. As she's getting into position, they started backing up towards me, I raise and wave my hands. They stop, straighten the truck, and still don't see me. I finally just effin' stand up and they both jumped in their seats! I pull my mask off and they are very surprised to see me there. I wave at them, give them a WTH? look, then they drive away finally. If you see someones truck on the road, it's someone hunting there ladies, therefore dangerous for you to shoot because you don't know where the hunter(s) are.

[Grizzly303]

Safetys the biggest concern here

[CrisPbacon]

Originally Posted by Travco1

All im going to say is get over it . Your hunting public land and your upset when you see another hunter. Lol Its a pain in the ass but dude its not your privet land, get over it .

Your logic is flawed. Bad hunting etiquette is never acceptable but judging by your response, I'm guessing you've scoped a few dudes

[Jerry D]

Public land is public land.

One reasoning we stopped moose hunting the area we did. Every trail had another hunter on it.

Just because a guy goes in 2 hours early, doesn't give him any more right than the guy that goes in a daylight.

All you can do, is setup a few hundred yards away assuming most people arent planning on shooting a mile each way.

[Full Curl Earl]

I’m sure disappointed with the lack of Ethics of my fellow hunters.
What happened to seeing a truck parked at a gate, and saying “damn, we got beat by someone, lets head over to plan B and not blow things for this hunter”.
A guy passed another guy stalking a bull elk? WTH? That human being is capable of much worse things, I assure you.
Sounds like there are AO members on this tread that would anchor 3 feet off the bow of your boat if you were catching.
Solitude on public land is possible and deserved, be a good woodsman and know when your walking in on someone else and dont do it! Not because of repercussions but because its frickin wrong!

[Stinky Buffalo]

It’s not just hunters. Had a fellow drive past my parked truck, over my footprints into the cutblock that we were in, and proceeded to chainsaw wood for hours.

He had a toddler with him; you’’d think he’’d be concerned about their safety, instead of going into an area where common sense would dictate that there is a high possibility of a hunter (or in this case, three) being in the area.

Interestingly, he never saw me, even driving
Within a few yards of where I was sitting. At least I know that my camo works! LOL

I had my sons with me. It gave me an opportunity to have a teachable moment about etiquette etc. He had every right to be there, but it wasn’t courteous of him to do what he did, and had safety implications as well. Who knows, maybe he was purposely trying to disrupt our hunt. Either way, it’s something that does happen from time to time when hunting.

Have been interrupted on private land as well. Usually by locals who assume because they sort of know the landowner that they can just drive around the fields as they please. Same deal, I just keep hunting. Sometimes they have driven the deer to me as well.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by RedLabel

i'm thinking, he must of seen me but maybe he didn't?

I wonder how things would have played out if you stood up, waved and made eye contact with him to make absolutely sure that he knew that you were there. Maybe something to think about for next time.

[CNP]

Expectations of privacy on public land should not be what I am reading here. Everybody has a right to be there, hikers, anglers, dog walkers, hunters, wood wranglers...

Public land is multi-use land unless it is legislated otherwise.

Being a hunter, I get the etiquette thing but non-hunters aren't going to have that imprinted upon them.

Cut-line hunters and road hunters better get use to it. You cannot and should not expect a claim on a road or cut line by parking a vehicle on it. If I unintentionally interfere with someone's hunt I want to be spoken to and not hear about it on AO first.

Flame on this I don't really care