Am I in the wrong?

[accountantsanonymous]

TLDR; public land, set up on a spine, another hunter shoots a bull out from underneath us

So this happened rifle 1, last weekend in Colorado. Second day, we had four people (3 tags) set up on an open ridge, spaced out a couple hundred yards each, glassing into a travel corridor and some other hillside. We had been posted up for about an hour, when someone that was staying at the drop camp at the far bottom of the hill walks up on us. We start to briefly chat and he confirms that the four of us were on this ridge, as he had seen us walk up it before first lite.

After we chat, he continues up the ridge towards the rest of our group. From my vantage point, he had seemed to disappear.

About 40 mins later, we hear a gunshot after a group of bulls moved into the drainage and through the saddle my brother was sitting. This guy had posted up inside 100 yards of him, after seeing the same small herd of bulls. As the bulls moved in, he managed to get a shot off as they were trotting through the saddle, effectively shooting this bull right out from underneath my brother, who had another bull in his crosshairs.

I understand this is public land, but am I in the wrong for being pretty pissed off about this a few days later? We didn’t confront him when we saw him packing out later on, but the more I thought about it, the more angry I got.

From an etiquette perspective, was this completely f****d up?

Note: this was not a BOAL and ended up being just barely legal for CO

 

[MuleyFever]

Sounds like he was on the move passing through and happened to be in the right spot at the right time. Just because someone sets up in a spot it does not prevent someone else from moving through on their way to the other side.

 

[ToolMann]

Only you can judge if you're wrong for being pissed off. Internal vs external locus of control. I probably wouldn't be too happy either.

 

[accountantsanonymous]

Sounds like he was on the move passing through and happened to be in the right spot at the right time. Just because someone sets up in a spot it does not prevent someone else from moving through on their way to the other side.

Yeah, agreed. That’s where I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. Happy for the guy, but a tough pill to swallow.

 

[S-3 ranch]

One of the resones I quit hunting Colorado otc / public, had a group of people come walking down the trail while uncle and I where watching a herd mill down the valley, the other hunters see them and start sky blasting @ about 800-1000 meters Right over our heads, shmm

 

[Steve300xcw]

Welcome to public land. Don't like it, lease some private ground.

I doubt he saw you guys and decided to set up right in front of you just to screw you over.

I sure wouldn't have passed on a bull just because the nice guys up on the ridge might wanna shoot it

 

[BravoNovember]

 

[accountantsanonymous]

I doubt he saw you guys and decided to set up right in front of you just to screw you over.

Oh, he definitely saw us. Even talked to us and acknowledged where we were on that spine.

To your second point, I don’t disagree, however, I’m struggling to understand why he wouldn’t either keep moving through the area or turnaround. Not set up within 100 yards of someone in the same saddle.

Like I said, we didn’t even bring it up to him, but it just didn’t seem right. Public land woes I guess.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Because his hunt and yours are 2 totally different hunts.

Heck sounds like you guys might have ruined his plans....

 

[FLATHEAD]

I'm not gonna pass up a shot on an animal because I saw somebody earlier.

 

[3forks]

Oh, he definitely saw us. Even talked to us and acknowledged where we were on that spine.

To your second point, I don’t disagree, however, I’m struggling to understand why he wouldn’t either keep moving through the area or turnaround. Not set up within 100 yards of someone in the same saddle.

Like I said, we didn’t even bring it up to him, but it just didn’t seem right. Public land woes I guess.

How far away were you guys from his camp?

 

[Dioni A]

He may have extensive experience or have scouted the area/told to go there by a friend. If that spot was his destination than I don't blame him. I've ran into people while I was after a target buck. I go about my plan un deterred. That's kinda just the game. I just strive to be a better more effective hunter and let the chips fall as they may.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I don't know the area your hunting. Around here I'm not gonna unload next to another rig to go hunt. I will go elsewhere

That said I run across somebody while I am hunting. I am not changing my plans just because they are more special than I am

 

[Geewhiz]

It used to be that if you see a vehicle parked somewhere, that you would go somewhere else out of decency and common courtesy. Now it seams like if someone sees a vehicle parked somewhere, they think it must be a good spot, so they go there too.

The frustrations of hunting public land are real, unfortunately you cant really legislate the stupid out of people.

 

[isItFallYet]

TLDR; public land, set up on a spine, another hunter shoots a bull out from underneath us

So this happened rifle 1, last weekend in Colorado. Second day, we had four people (3 tags) set up on an open ridge, spaced out a couple hundred yards each, glassing into a travel corridor and some other hillside. We had been posted up for about an hour, when someone that was staying at the drop camp at the far bottom of the hill walks up on us. We start to briefly chat and he confirms that the four of us were on this ridge, as he had seen us walk up it before first lite.

After we chat, he continues up the ridge towards the rest of our group. From my vantage point, he had seemed to disappear.

About 40 mins later, we hear a gunshot after a group of bulls moved into the drainage and through the saddle my brother was sitting. This guy had posted up inside 100 yards of him, after seeing the same small herd of bulls. As the bulls moved in, he managed to get a shot off as they were trotting through the saddle, effectively shooting this bull right out from underneath my brother, who had another bull in his crosshairs.

I understand this is public land, but am I in the wrong for being pretty pissed off about this a few days later? We didn’t confront him when we saw him packing out later on, but the more I thought about it, the more angry I got.

From an etiquette perspective, was this completely f****d up?

Note: this was not a BOAL and ended up being just barely legal for CO

Nope, sounds like he worked harder than you all. Maybe he has been hunting this area for years and knew how/where the elk moved. That’s part of hunting public, IMO.

 

[Jethro]

shooting this bull right out from underneath my brother, who had another bull in his crosshairs.

Did your brother get his bull?

 

[Steve300xcw]

Nope, sounds like he worked harder than you all. Maybe he has been hunting this area for years and knew how/where the elk moved. That’s part of hunting public, IMO.

Almost sounds like he owes the guy an apology for almost ruining his hunt

 

[isItFallYet]

Almost sounds like he owes the guy an apology for almost ruining his hunt

Did you kill a bull in front of 4 hunters?

 

[Super tag]

from the way you describe it, sounds wrong to me but I’d just let it go, no lowlife that thinks a big game animal is more important than having a bit of discretion and integrity is going to get into my head, If I see other hunters nearby where I’m hunting, I’ll turn around and leave, even if I’m there first, my hell the things people do for an animal just amaze me, what happened to respect and hunting etiquette? I’ve been hunting for 45 years, seen a lot, just enjoy the hunt.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Did you kill a bull in front of 4 hunters?

Nope.....That said if I hunt my way up a ridge and find a few guys. I'm not going home. Will hunt my way elsewhere and if I end up tipping over a bull under other people on the ridge. Then so be it. Hopefully they get over themselves