Backcountry Rant: What Not To Do!

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Wow, there's some real "gems" in here. I don't have any stories nearly this horrendous.

 

[Ucsdryder]

7-8 years ago on the opener at Tule Lake on the california/Oregon border I made it to one of the better “holes” in the lake. The holes are cut out of the tules that cover most of the lake. It’s a giant race with surface mud motors. I made the run by myself and put out all our decoys. I ran back to grab my dad, buddy and dog and as I was leaving the hole I passed another boat coming in. No big deal, he’s going to go through the hole to another one. When we get back 30 min later he had tossed all my decoys in the tules and set his out. After yelling at eachother we set up on the downwind side of them, the hole is 50 yards by 20 yards. Of course we shot almost every bird that came in. I still don’t understand what they were thinking, knowing I had just set all the decoys and was obviously coming right back. The tule lake opener was always a fun duck hunt, but man was it stressful. I’ve never seen so many yelling, almost fist fights in my life.

 

[BFR]

Couple years ago I ran into a group that consisted of stupid, incompetent and inexperienced. Started by glassing a small herd of elk bedded on top of a ridge about 800 yds away. I set out to close the distance and was less than 400 yds away from them when three shots ripped over my head, the elk took off into the timber. I got back to the road and a pickup had parked behind me, my wife said they had pulled in right after the shots were fired jumped out and ran up the ridge. I decided to take a picture of the truck an license plate and talk to the Game Warden about the shots. As I did a guy and young girl came down, the guy yelling about why I was taking pictures of his truck. I told him that whoever had fired up the hill had shot over me and came closer to me than the elk. He got puffed up and said I was mistaken and that he was a hunting guide in Alaska and that it didn’t happen. After I told him that if he was a guide he was an incompetent one, at which time the girl said she had shot because her dad told her to. She admitted they could see me but dad (stupid) told her it was ok because the bullet would be way over my head. I asked if she knew how far the shot was, no, but dad told her where to hold, no, she’d never shot over 200 yds. I told her that she had shot from 675 yds., was on private property when she shot and if she didn’t know any better than to shoot toward someone she shouldn’t be out there. By now dad had arrived and I was able to tell him what I thought of him, his “guide” buddy and advised the girl to keep better company or quit hunting altogether before she killed someone. I did talk to the Warden and showed him the pictures.
Just to let you know this has been told without the vitriol and profanity that went on. Never saw them the rest of the week but the Warden told me he had a pointed conversion with them the day after it happened.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Coworker relayed her husband’s story to me this morning. He went in 6.5 miles on foot (get this) to see if it was a spot they could bring their horses in to hunt. They got into a herd, and he stuck a big cow. They had to pack her out on their backs, with horses and mules well rested at home.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Coworker relayed her husband’s story to me this morning. He went in 6.5 miles on foot (get this) to see if it was a spot they could bring their horses in to hunt. They got into a herd, and he stuck a big cow. They had to pack her out on their backs, with horses and mules well rested at home.

Man, stupid does hurt sometimes! Haha

 

[TheGDog]

Same thing in my blind before light and right at twilight I heard this laughing and heehaaing on the opposite ridge here comes five guys stomping along rifles over there shoulder. They get right about the small watering hole I found and head down the side of the ravine crashing thru the brush and head right over to the water, the one fat guys starts bellowing out ya see the tracks they have been here. he start scoping my side of the ridge and then me he tells the other four "look over there" and now all five are scoping me.
So returning the Favor I showed them the end my barrel, three turned and headed down the ravine, the fat guy tells the other aaa fuk him some people think they own the forest, flipped me the bird and proceeded strain down thee deer path. That's when I stopped hunting D14

Ooooh.... man.. I know that terror of seeing somebody pointing a rifle right directly at you because they are being d*cks and using their scope as an observation optic. Was the dudes 15yo daughter. I was in concealment gear and it was literally pointed dead-on at me! I paused for a few milliseconds to figure out what to do. Didn't wanna blow my spot out, but figured if I don't I might get shot. I yell out "What the Hell are you DOING!? He's pointed RIGHT AT ME!!!!" at which... I see the kid... veer the rifle off... over to more behind of my position. Then? Ugh... 2 min later... POW!!! and the bullet thuds like 20yds behind me! Made me jump outta my skin darn near! Turns out there was a young buck... who was upwind of me... only 20yds... that no doubt would have crossed by near me and I'd have taken him home that day.

I use the opportunity to impress upon the father just how god damn dangerous what she did is. But politely. He wasn't being the kind of apologetic you would expect a person should be... and that was really pissing me off... but I figure it was because he was pulled-in by the fact that it was her first... so... I let it go and headed on back to the truck, since part of me didn't want to ruin her first experience be ragin' out on them and making a big stink. The sheer horror man... of turning your 15x56 Binos over to point at them... and to see her pointing that rifle dead-freaking-on at me... major pucker-factor.

 

[TheGDog]

Oh... and then one time.... I'm on my ground sit... and had been in there since before Legal shooting light. It butts up near some private. So every once in a blue moon... very rarely... you'll get regular hiker folks that obviously have come from the private and are just taking a stroll.

I can hear 'em coming a long ol ways off. The female was non-stop wah-wah-wah... and then? OMG... Seriously? She up and decides to stop... right there.... dead in front of my stand... and yack...and yack...and yack some more with her man. Dude ain't said nothing the whole time. Trying to be patient and just let them pass... but I could feel the anger tightening within me. After some unreasonable amount of time had passed ... in the biggest scariest most BOOMING voice of God I could muster... I'm all like "MOVE!!!....PLEASE!!!!" And it was Awesome to watch her startle like that! I was in Leafy gear, like about 25-30yds away so they totally couldn't see me. And so she gets it in gear and starts to giddy-on.

 

[mtjimbo]

Dumbest thing I've seen was I saw a 6pt bull with some cows during archery season I start the long sneak in I get set up and I'm within 100yds it's raining pretty hard I hunker down under a tree and the bull is on his way in. Well about that time I take a little glance to my left and I see a backpack... And then I see I'm almost sitting on a quiver full of arrows... I then look at a tree 5 feet away and there is a older gentleman flipping me the bird... I was so focused on that bull and hadn't seen a camp or truck in the area. I didn't even notice this guy untill I was about on top of him. I slowly back out and move off I get about 100yds away and realized I left my range finder so I wait till dark and sneak back in to get it. Turns out he had only a cow tag and he missed his shot. He was pissed at first because he thought I was a cow hunter as well and I was gonna ruin his hunt.... Turns out IM THE IDIOT MOST OF THE TIME. if he happens to be on here I'm still awful sorry about that

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[Fatcamp]

I would like to apologise for setting up downwind of other waterfowl hunters. Really, I didn't know what I was doing. Took a couple seasons of self education to figure it out.

 

[Lark Bunting]

I believe it was the first year my son and began hunting. We had a OTC unit within an hour of the house and most Fridays I'd pick him up from school and we'd head to the hills. One trip it was raining pretty consistently but we were determined to go anyway. We got camp set up and went out exploring. There was an elk super-highway about a half mile from camp and we decided we'd hunker down under a huge pine that kept us out of the rain. Not too long into our sit we heard something coming up the trail. We could hear brush, and branches breaking and we got pretty excited! Well, out pops two hunters underneath a huge clear Tupperware storage bin. They had turned the bucket upside down and were walking down the trail with the leader using the front of the bucket like a windshield. We just about died laughing!

 

[Warmsy]

Wow. This is great. I would never point a rifle at another human, or be such a jerk, but I'm new to hunting and I traipse around all over the forest. Can't seem to stop moving. I always think I'm alone, but maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm camping in bad spots and scaring deer from unseen hunters.

I will consider these stories next time I'm out!

 

[amassi]

Helped a guy not bleed to death, he had cut himself on a broadhead while butchering a deer
Roughly 4.5 miles from the trailhead with ZERO first aid. He was Trying to staunch the bleeding with an under armor shirt and electrical tape
After he realised how bad his injury was he was still trying to pack his camp up, just dumb luck I heard him talking to himself as he was getting pretty disoriented and hysterical.
This was before I owned an in reach but definitely made the purchase easier. We were able to walk out to help but shook me none the less.

So dont go without a med kit

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[Preston]

I’ve did a lot of dumb things in my life, but have never had any intention of messing up someone’s hunt.
About 10 years ago I was hunting Mesa State Park in Colorado and the gates do not open until 5 AM, it was the 3rd rifle. Me and about 10-12 other vehicles were waiting for the gate to open, there are only two roads into the park and designated parking spots.
I follow the line of vehicles into the park and pull into the parking spot with two other vehicles. As I was gathering my stuff together for a all day this lady walks up with a sweet southern ascent asking me where I hunting, and I explained my intentions of walking through thie open park in front of us and beeline for the timber and climb up a rim rock area about 2 miles away.
She starts telling me they hunted this spot last year and shot two bulls in the meadow in front of us (about 300 yards off the road) and I needed to wait until daylight to walk in there. I told her good luck, and then her husband comes over and begins getting pissed that I’m walking in before daylight. He said they planned to shoot their bulls again in the same meadow right off the road. He also mentioned he was from Cortez, but had a southern ascent.
By this time another hunter pulls and they start the same story/request with them and were trying to bully these other two older gentlemen.
I packed up my stuff and drove to the other trailhead about a mile away and flanked off to the west about mile from the first trailhead. I could glass my first spot and other hunters from my new spot. I still had plenty of time due to shooting light being around 8AM.
Well past daylight I see the four hunters from Cortez marching shoulder to shoulder across the center of the meadow. A large group of elk that were below me also saw them walking across the meadow and came running past me. I could never locate a legal bull but there over 35-40 elk these hunters had spooked out by walking in after daylight through a wide meadow.
The next morning they pushed a nice bull past me again and one of the older gentleman made a great shot on a nice 6x5 about a 1/3 mile past me! Those Cotezans had some long faces the next few days after spooking every elk. They continued their daily march to the same spot every day. I don’t think they ever knew how many elk they sent running.

 

[WI75]

Last night my brother, nephew, and I are sitting on some water holes. They are close together with one being right off a snowmobile trail. 7:00 pm I hear a four wheeler coming. Two hunters on wheelers pull up to the water hole back wheelers off the trail and hop off. My brother starts waving and whistling at them to no avail so he bugles (they are 50yrds away) They quick grab their bows and one guy starts bugling back at him. Brother finally walks out to 30 yards and the see him, jump back on wheelers and take off.

 

[Miboy86]

Here in Michigan the main public land I hunt is about 30 minutes away from my house and has a decent deer population hence it receives alot of pressure as the season goes on. I've seen guys still hunting, spot and stalk or atleast attempt to buy just tromping thru the loud woods, upwind of bedding areas they then walk thru. Opening day of gun is probably the worst, gun shots a full 30 mins before first light shooting at shadows and sounds I guess, guys ignoring your headlamp when you give them a quick flash and then they climb a tree 10 yards directly behind you facing the same direction as you, that happened to my uncle 3 years ago. The deer driver's that can't wait till atleast 10 am on opening day to start their deer drives, shooting at fleeing deer maybe gut shooting em if not straight up missing em making already pressured deer go nocturnal. Same deer driver's might push the same area repeatedly in the same day. Had a buddy 2 years ago have a guy come in behind him and sit up in a tree about 50 yards, my buddy shot a doe and had to leave it lie till the next morning. He came back the next morning and the other guy had moved his stand to the tree right next to his and the doe now had it's backstraps missing.

 

[Opah]

My first five years the group I hunted with loved me, and even thou I did not fill my Tag all that did would kindly give me a chunk of meat. Found out Later that I was the best damn flusher they ever had, they would hit the ridges early and wait for me to come down the Ravine tracking deer ( I was very good at tracking ).
It never failed that 5 / 10 minutes behind me I would heard the report (BOOM!) another tag filled.
I learned a lot in those five years and would not trade them for the world. Really miss the big group base
camping.

 

[GotDraw?]

Brother and I get on a herd of elk that is moving regularly from a high bedding bench in early evening to a lower meadow feed. We make a plan to come in the next afternoon and know exactly where to cut them off, then we hike back to our camp. We're camped in the next drainage, it's an extremely steep and pretty risky climb in sod to crest the ridge at 12k ft from our camp with a sketchy steep sidehill hike to get to the elk.

The next day, we make the 1,000 ft climb up and over the ridge and sidehill about 1/2 mile toward where the elk have been moving from bedding to grazing. We look down into the meadow and a genius has set his wall tent in the grazing meadow, has a full campfire going and is playing his harmonica...

That ended that opportunity.

JL

 

[Northernpiker]

Pack in for a week with one pair of underwear and pass gas after 4-5 days of eating Mountain House suppers

 

[robtattoo]

I've got 3 that aren't quite as involved.

First one: I hiked a half mile into some public land here in TN with a buddy ("I marked your path with bright eyes, you can't miss it" hit my head lamp, every tree has bright eyes.....) I find a lovely location & climb up in my Summit.
5 minutes after settling in & i see a red light headed my way, then it goes dark. 2 minutes after that I hear scratching & scraping REAL close (it's still pitch dark) & my lizard brain pictures a bear.
Nope. Fatty McButterpants is climbing MY tree. I let him get right to my platform before i said a word...... took the cussing of several lifetimes for that one.

Part B:
Watched a possum cop follow my boot prints through the snow right to the base of my tree, then stand there and scratch his head trying to figure out where I went. This left to an important life lesson.... dropping a ripe, whole, in-shell black walnut onto the top of a gamewarden's head is going to get you yelled at. For an uncomfortably extended amount of time.

Part 3:
Wear your orange. This one was 50/50 my fault, bad parenting.
Same tree that I beaned Mr Greenjeans from. It's on a tiny little spit of land, only accessible by boat. I came in from one side 'Bad Dad & the reckless 11 year old' came in from the other. Neither of us knew the other was there. I climbed halfway up the tree, not wearing any orange because... weellll... i neither wanted to, nor thought in a million years anyone else would be hunting here. I hear a scarily familiar (ex British army) "ZZZzzzzzTHOK.....BANG!" F%&#k me i'm back in Bosnia!! Yup....little Billy's dad heard a 'deer' & instructed him to take a pot shot through the bushes. Uphill. The bullet hit my tree about 2 feet above my head. I literally shook for an hour before I could compose myself to climb down. Billy & Dad came to see check on the shot, saw me clinging to the tree like my life depended on it & ran like hell. One more step with my climber & I'd not be talking about it.

 

[tim tarras]

Not mine but I was there when the guy reported it.

I was working a CWD sampling station when a guy came in and wanted to report being shot at by a women because he was sitting within 200 yards of her and her bait pile on PUBLIC LAND. He was visibly shaken from the experience. We gave him some food and the number for the State Patrol.