incredible idiots

[the big Mao]

this will be my very last deer hunt with a firearm! We've pitched our camp near a little-used dirt road that's not too friendly for standard ground clearance vehicles about a week ago. I went up today intending to hunt the opener near camp. so while I'm stropping my knife, big trailer after motorhome comes pouring up the road! People shouting, generators purring, dogs barking, and idiots "target" shooting!! I left. Maybe we'll be luck and the gomers will be back at work Monday, but I'm thankful that this is the last rifle hunt! Next year, back to the longbow.....

 

[justinspicher]

I hear you on that. I did a private land rifle hunt this year and man am I glad I did. I was working on an ATV trail this week and campers and RVs were constantly coming in. Quads everywhere. Archery season isn't really much different though.

 

[Trial153]

Been bow only for me for years, don't plan on changing anytime soon...

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Using a rifle for the first time ever, always hunted deer with a bow. But my camp is hours from a Jeep road. You just gotta go deeper.

 

[MuleyFever]

Why are people using public land legally and to their liking "idiots"? Serious question.

 

[jtw]

I switched to muzzleloader because of the zoo that goes on during modern. Last year I actually had some yahoos fire over 20 rounds at one buck that within 15 feet of me. It was the first and hopefully last time that I heard bullets before the shot. Bow isn't much better. When bear hunting I was coming out of the woods and had a guy in the back of a pickup draw his bow on me....that was interesting. During muzzy season I can go to popular areas and still don't see hardly anyone.

 

[Beendare]

A couple of years ago we were checking another TH into the Weiminuche wilderness in Co. We pulled into the Turkey creek TH and there were so many rigs we couldnt park within 1/4 mile of the TH.

That was archery elk season.....bowhunting has exploded in the last 20 years.

 

[COlineman78]

Why are people using public land legally and to their liking "idiots"? Serious question.

I suspect the OP wanted to hunt closer to camp rather than having to hike miles in to hunt just because folks can't be quiet around camp. Some guys I hunt with decided to stay up on one of the better hunting areas one year and they are the party at night crew that are far from quiet around camp; they didn't see a damn thing all year. I suspect if someone were to stay up there and be quiet that it wouldn't bother them, but these guys were running the generator and partying every night just 1000 yards or so from where they wanted to hunt.

I suspect he is also frustrated because he thought he had a spot where the typical yahoo couldn't get his RV and apparently underestimated how much people are willing to risk damage to their gear. Obviously never been to a trailhead here in CO; lots of Subaru's at the top of washed out and/or rutted out roads.

 

[MuleyFever]

I just see a lot of name calling towards people who are using their public lands in a different manner than a hunter is using their public lands. I would be more inclined to use the name calling to anyone who expects to hunt off a road, well used or not, and be alone. In this day when our public lands are under threat we need to all be on the same side and not make anyone feel like they don't have a right to use their public lands as they choose, within the laws. The more people using our public land the more people we have on our side.

 

[5MilesBack]

The more people using our public land the more people we have on our side.

The more people we have using public lands, the less enticing they are. I don't even hunt weekends during archery because it gets so crowded, even in wilderness areas.

 

[W.D. Crawford]

In my opinion most of the general public could careless about the land that they all to often abuse rather than just use. I get to spend a lot of time in and around wilderness and National Forest lands, I cannot begin to tell you how much trash I see, not to mention human waste!! I get it when you gotta go you gotta go but at least BURY IT and the paper too! And what is it with women leaving their feminine products laying around! So I kinda understand how the OP feels, most not all, but most people are just to clueless to care. This generation of people has not been raised to appreciate and to RESPECT our public lands let alone each other.

 

[justinspicher]

I think a little common courtesy isn't a bad thing either. I understand having a good time when you're in the woods but partying into the wee hours isn't something I like out of my neighbors let alone on some public land.

I'd say at least 80% of the folks who use our public land are hard working Americans who enjoy it and pick up after themselves, but it's the 20% who ruin it for the rest of us by leaving trash and not following the rules, which in turn will create more rules that they won't follow either.

 

[VernAK]

Wait until Hillary opens the borders even more.

 

[dotman]

A couple of years ago we were checking another TH into the Weiminuche wilderness in Co. We pulled into the Turkey creek TH and there were so many rigs we couldnt park within 1/4 mile of the TH.

That was archery elk season.....bowhunting has exploded in the last 20 years.

It is a zoo during archery season, funny that some think there is less pressure. Where I hunt every camping spot has a camper in it each year but I've found that 90% of them hunt the same general areas so it's easy to get away from most pressure. Just walk a few miles and the woods are quiet, I would think the same for rifle.

 

[Beendare]

The more people we have using public lands, the less enticing they are.

Well said. Its the slob hunters that are poor stewards of our public lands.....those bother me the most. We were hunting a unit in NM for elk a couple of years ago and going in on the main trail we see a huge pile of TP where a bowhunter dropped a deuce right in the trail. What a mess! The guy couldn't even step off the trail 10 feet and bury that disgusting mess. Next time you are in the woods and have a fly land on you....I hope it hadn't just left that slobs pile in the woods.....

I never have a trip where i'm not picking up candy wrappers and such along some of these pristine trails. Personally; that just shows a lack of respect....for the land...and for others.

 

[rgrmike]

Well said. Its the slob hunters that are poor stewards of our public lands.....those bother me the most. We were hunting a unit in NM for elk a couple of years ago and going in on the main trail we see a huge pile of TP where a bowhunter dropped a deuce right in the trail. What a mess! The guy couldn't even step off the trail 10 feet and bury that disgusting mess. Next time you are in the woods and have a fly land on you....I hope it hadn't just left that slobs pile in the woods.....

I never have a trip where i'm not picking up candy wrappers and such along some of these pristine trails. Personally; that just shows a lack of respect....for the land...and for others.

I was scouting the other day with my nephew. We found a stove chimney, 3 large tarps, and a 5 gallon water jug that had been there for a year or so. We marked it and decided to continue our scouting and grab it the next time we were in the area. Some people are simply slobs.

 

[mtswampfox]

My dad had choice words for drivers who were in front of him slowing his progress and another set of choice words who would pass him. Think George Carlin had a similar bit.

 

[Shrek]

this will be my very last deer hunt with a firearm! We've pitched our camp near a little-used dirt road that's not too friendly for standard ground clearance vehicles about a week ago. I went up today intending to hunt the opener near camp. so while I'm stropping my knife, big trailer after motorhome comes pouring up the road! People shouting, generators purring, dogs barking, and idiots "target" shooting!! I left. Maybe we'll be luck and the gomers will be back at work Monday, but I'm thankful that this is the last rifle hunt! Next year, back to the longbow.....

So you camped on the road and you're offended by the traffic and noise of the perfectly legal and expected goings on there? Maybe you're the idiot and an elitist asshole ? If you want people to conform to your expectations of land use then I suggest you do the capitalist thing and make a metric shit ton of money and buy yourself a ranch.

 

[charvey9]

Minus the firearms, bow season isn't getting much better. People everywhere. I hiked 7 miles up into my favorite spot in September, a place that I have hunted several times before and made multiple scouting trips over the summer, only to find a couple chilling in lawn chairs next to a big wall tent. They hired a helicopter to fly them in for the week.

 

[colersu22]

I saw a ton of people camping for early elk and only ran into 1 other hunter opening weekend. The only people I have problems with on public land are the ones that drive up red dot roads when I go the legal route and walk them. it was also annoying to see a dad with 2 kids in lawn chairs in the bed of a truck that was driving around all day road hunting, made me nervous the second day I saw them with the kids in the back and the dad had an arrow nocked while they where driving. I hope that he didn't stab one of his kids with the broadhead if the driver hit the brakes or bumps.