FancyRedneck Report post Posted October 29, 2015 So I was out hunting this past week in a central unit . I decided I might try a area that according to all maps you can use but not with a motorized vehicle. I had been scouting this area for the better part of 2 months and knew it had a good deer in it. I decided instead of hiking in opening morning I would go in and set up a camp on horse back and did so the day before the opener. Opening morning came I got to my glasssing spot early and as I started glassing here comes a side by side up over the hill on a two track that was marked non-motorized and had a poor barricade in place a few days before. ( On the way out the barricade had been moved and driven right through )Now I don't much care about that but I sit there and watch this hunter glass in our direction then decide he is going to hike up above us and chase a deer. This is the part that kind of upsets me , he had good bino's and a spotting scope there was no way he couldn't have seen us. He ended up gettimg a decent buck and driving out like it was just on his check list for the day. Later during the hunt I decided to try another area , I found a good spot and start glassing . About 20 min in I glass another set of hunters and decide to move off so they could have the spot they had obviously they had been there a while. I guess the question is how far would you go knowing there was another hunter in the area? Would you stay and hunt directly around them or move off and try something else? Would you do whatever it took to fill your tag even if it meant breaking the law? I'm beginning to think that people aren't out there for the hunt anymore its all about the trophy and who has the better equipment . I hiked and ended up with a forkie on the 4th day of the hunt. Glassed up a few deer and even watched a loin and her cub stalk a few does .Just glad I can get out and be in and enjoy gods country . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25-06 Report post Posted October 29, 2015 I would have wrote down his licence plate number and turned him in. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northern Pintail Report post Posted October 29, 2015 As for other hunters, that debate will always go back and forth. As for a vehicle in a closed area you should have called GF or FS right away. So frustrating when a person walks in a ways and a lazy law breaker comes in with a vehicle. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FancyRedneck Report post Posted October 29, 2015 He didnt have a plate on the side by side. I believe in karma though. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CJohnson Report post Posted October 29, 2015 You did the right thing. It's rather simple- treat others the way you'd want to be treated. Obviously you won't get the same in return because there are just too many ego-driven a-holes in the field. But I'll take a good conscience over a good deer any day. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Browns Report post Posted October 29, 2015 I was taught long ago to never go into a spot if you know somone else is there. It's rude, disrespectful & inconsiderate! I usually get to my spots with plenty of time to get to another spot if some else is already there. I refuse to go into an area if I know someone else is hunting there. As others have stated, this type of respect is usually never returned. I can't even begin to count how many times I've had someone show up at sunrise and walk up to my glassing spot like it's nothing. Very, Very anoying!!!!! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted October 29, 2015 How much area do you consider their spot? 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arizona Griz Report post Posted October 29, 2015 Actually the SXS operator committed two offences. The first was taking the vehicle in a closed area. The second was not having a plate with an OHV sticker if he didn't have one. I would have attempted to turn him in if at all possible. That is the only way they will learn. With regard to a hunter in the area, I personally would move back or away from the area. I would hate to be shot by someone. If he couldn't previously see me when he should have been able to no telling what would happen if you had startled him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Str8Shot Report post Posted October 29, 2015 How much area do you consider their spot? I have to second this question ! what do you consider a spot ... On several occasions I have been in a spot before sun up, not a light in the dark to be seen, only to have bullets flying over my head from long range shooters shortly after sunrise. Last year almost had it happen again when on the hunt with my son. I spotted a truck well over a mile and half away glassing into the area I was waiting on a bedded buck 300 yards from me. I stood up to make sure I was seen ... 15 minutes later I hear rocks rolling and hunters approaching , I stand up and wait 15 more when 3 hunters continued to push to me and tell me their spotter stopped them from taking a 1000 yard shot ( that would have gone right over me and my son ) when I stood up .... They did not even know the orientation of the buck ( a decent Fork ) is in his bed... He was azz back quartering away with a rock blocking his vitals... I told them I was only going to take him ( my son had passed at this point) if he had fed down the draw like I figured he would once he got up, but if they wanted to take the shot I was fine with it , but highly suggested they wait for a better shot. Oh no, they said this gun is a 1000 yard tack driver. Well 3 shots at 322 yards all misses for the first time hunter using his buddy's tack driver and me and my son packed up and headed out to hike another mile deeper in the hills. I think with big glass and so many looking for the long shots too many hunters think they own every square mile. If I had been in that group and knew a hunter was between me and a buck bedded I would have been headed back to the truck and moving on. I do at least appreciate that they did not shoot over me as it has happened way too many times in the past... If I was dealing with what the OP was and had cell signal I would have been placing a call in hopes that a LEO would be able to make it out there before the guy could leave the area... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FancyRedneck Report post Posted October 29, 2015 How much area do you consider their spot? I think with big glass and so many looking for the long shots too many hunters think they own every square mile. If I had been in that group and knew a hunter was between me and a buck bedded I would have been headed back to the truck and moving on. I do at least appreciate that they did not shoot over me as it has happened way too many times in the past... This is exactly the problem in my opinion. People now days want to brag about how far their kill shot was. This other hunter was shooting around 600 yards if not more. 6 misses , I am willing to bet that the final shot was a lot closer than that . But if it takes 7 to bring down a deer get closer, its obvious you havent been practicing. Spots can me shared but if you can see the other hunter with the naked eye which he could it wasnt like i was hiding from him. That is a sign to move on. I will agree he hiked hard from his SXS to where he got the buck . But I am willing to bet had he had to hike the whole way in he wouldnt even have gone in there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues79 Report post Posted October 29, 2015 I personally hate hunting around other people. But, it's a difficult situation to know how much land to let someone else have if its a huge area. If I know someone is in a place I want to hunt and I see them and can talk to them, I will straight up go ask them what their plan is and ask if I were to go to such and such, would it mess you up? Base it on that and hunt based on that discussion. If I see someone in an area and can't talk to them, I'd leave it alone and go somewhere else. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted October 29, 2015 last season an outiftter in 3c decided he owned the 100 yard x 100 yard draw i was already in. but i dont see anything wrong with hunting around other people as long as youre not purposely trying to get in on the stuff theyre already working Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4Falls Report post Posted October 29, 2015 Once I was bear hunting and had two guys plop down and start glassing within 10, yes 10, feet of me. They then started joking about the "other guy" they had parked by back at the road. They still have no idea im just on the other side of a pile of prickly pear. Calling FS on the guy in the SXS would probably be the right thing to do. But in your situation I would have done just what you did. I try to avoid other guys in the field as much as possible. If they beat me there, I leave. If im their first ill stay. They guys on the other side of the prickly pear left after 20 minutes and never saw me. Nor did they see the bear in the bottom of the canyon eating acorns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CJohnson Report post Posted October 29, 2015 There's a certain sponsor on this site who likes to block roads up on the kaibab. Yes I was there. Classy outfitter! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Sparky Report post Posted October 29, 2015 Depends on the mood I am in. Last season I was bow hunting a certain area for about 5 days I was the only one in the area. Other hunters kept driving by on the road 1/2 mile from where an old ground blind was built over looking a wallow. I would always sneak in there to check sign and evening hunt that area. I snuck in there one day about 11 am and checked sign. There were fresh tracks that had not been there with a hunter in the blind. I walked over to talk to him and said sorry for sneaking in. He was from out of state and in not good shape so I told him and his two partners, I think one was a guide, to have the blind as those tracks were made in the last two days. I said I would be about 500 yards to the east in another area I knew. One year muzzle loader hunting I was on a waterhole early enough to take a nap before afternoon hunting. Other hunters came in and were dang sure they were going to hunt that waterhole, didn't matter I was there. So knowing the travel routes of the elk in the area and the wind pattern I moved west about 1/4 mile from the waterhole. This is the direction the road comes in and the elk come out of a small valley and go to the waterhole. I found a good location and then took off all my under layers and hung them on trees, downwind of the elk but upwind from the waterhole. Nice sweaty, smelly socks, undies, t-shirt, etc. The wind was blowing right to the waterhole so imagine their surprise when they didn't see anything on the waterhole but had to drive by me field dressing a nice little 5X5 bull. If they are on a closed road they are not hunters, they are law breakers. Seems like with the competition of tags, all the stories in the mags and shows on TV, everybody wants the big antlers so are willing to do more to get it. Whether it is wrong or not. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
