Poacher or not…. Thoughts?

[Rich M]

You do sound paranoid.

Adds to the excitement - hope you get the buck you are after.

 

[Crowmangler]

He just found dirt on the Clintons

 

[LostArra]

This guy looks to be just out for a hike and scared of bears.

I was going to to guess his fear was mountain lions.

 

[Moserkr]

Well I havent seen it all. Glad Im the only one concerned and paranoid. There were an abnormal amount of bears on my cam this year but they only come through at night. Big bucks as well most of the time. I dont blame anyone for packing heat in the backcountry, especially alone. He certainly picked a place of solitude. There are lions in certain areas nearby but never seen one or even a track in this area. Im sure they are around…

I only got one more opportunity to hunt in Ca unfortunately this year for deer, so not expecting to get anything out of this spot. Right now Im planning on going to a different one with better access that also has a history of big bucks. That 4x and 3x could be giant for CA next year and Im glad to see big deer again. There was a bad winter 2-3 years ago that wiped out many of the older deer and this spot looks to have finally recovered. At one point there was a buck in there I estimated to be 9 or 10 years old, had one eye, short super heavy rack, and a pot belly like no other. I could have shot 4 small forks already this year and passed, and Im pretty sure most of them were shot anyway from what I heard nearby. Ive shot medium sized bucks before on public out of state. A big CA buck in an otc unit has eluded me thus far and its partly my fault (missed a few opportunities). Keeps me going knowing they are out there!! Thanks everyone for calming my paranoia lol.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Just a guy out in the woods carrying a gun.

It’s been beaten into our brains that you have to have a valid season to be out carrying a firearm in the woods. To me, that’s all it is. A guy doing what he wants while carrying a gun for protection. Or to shoot. Or, just to be carrying it.

It’s stuff like this that makes me glad I live in WV. It’d be weird to see someone in the woods without a gun. 12 months of the year. I don’t figure most are poaching. I figure most are carrying for feral dogs, aggressive bears, and coyotes.

 

[dieselchessy]

I’m more put off by the use of trail cams in the wilderness than the hiker. Are you sure it’s legal? You didn’t “cache” something in there for 1.5 years?
Doesn’t seem to go along with the whole idea of wilderness.

 

[Moserkr]

I’m more put off by the use of trail cams in the wilderness than the hiker. Are you sure it’s legal? You didn’t “cache” something in there for 1.5 years?
Doesn’t seem to go along with the whole idea of wilderness.

Puts me off to see tons of cows/patties, bicycle tracks, surface shits by city folk, and lots of abandoned trash from campers over the years - saw all that last weekend.

Theres nothing Ive seen that says its illegal. Its not “cached”, its actively used and normally checked twice a year. When they closed the forest due to covid and keep gates closed that should be open, I cant legally or physically go in there. It puts you off yet you would walk by all of the above daily and never even have a chance in hell of finding a camouflaged cam on 1 in 100,000,000 trees. I pulled it til next year if that makes you feel better. I didnt need 2,000 pics of snow lol.

Just a guy out in the woods carrying a gun.

It’s been beaten into our brains that you have to have a valid season to be out carrying a firearm in the woods. To me, that’s all it is. A guy doing what he wants while carrying a gun for protection. Or to shoot. Or, just to be carrying it.

It’s stuff like this that makes me glad I live in WV. It’d be weird to see someone in the woods without a gun. 12 months of the year. I don’t figure most are poaching. I figure most are carrying for feral dogs, aggressive bears, and coyotes.

Im happy hes out there, its a cool area. And he certainly should be armed, I never go without packing - that would just be crazy lol. Just piqued my curiosity with its unpopular location, and im not used to sharing lol. In CA it is weird to see people carrying deep in the woods where I go. Most people I run into are not 2a friendly, and ive seen many wearing masks, alone, 5 miles deep on a trail.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Just a guy out for a walk. I have been known to carry a firearm when I was out in the MTs. walking. Who knows he may have been camping with bunch of friends and went for a walk to get away from their sorry asses. Short of a nice rack hanging off his back pack, I see no issue. And I'm a cynic.

 

[Maki35]

I don't think he's a poacher. He could be coyote hunting? small game? IDK
But he doesn't look like he's hunting based on what he's wear- blue shirt & blue hat. (Not the colors I would wear if I was hunting.)
Looks like a guy that went for a long walk with his M1 carbine as protection. Maybe he's concerned about predators (bears, Mt. lion, etc.) or running into pot growers or weirdos in the woods..

(I always carry a gun when I go for a walk in the woods (not hunting). I guess in different States it's less common. )

 

[Jethro]

Maybe he's just training for a back country hunt.

My local DCNR guy has cameras at many of their gated roads looking for illegal ATV. I know he's got tons of pics of me as I head in hiking all summer. Many of those I have a 338 strapped to my pack. Not poaching, just working out the kinks of a new Kifaru gun bearer.

 

[SaltySailor]

You see a dude walking with a gun in the woods and automatically think poacher? Californication.

 

[mtnbiker208]

just a dude walking with a gun.
or dudes

 

[Moserkr]

You see a dude walking with a gun in the woods and automatically think poacher? Californication.

Not exactly. In any other spot and not so close to deer season I dont bat an eye. Im one of the people carrying year round too ya know... I have literally never seen another person carrying in the area though except during hunting season. What made it odd is the extreme remoteness which I cant accurately stress without giving out more info than Im willing to. Glad its a nothing burger. Hopefully I meet the guy one day, I tend to talk to everyone I see when Im out n about.

just a dude walking with a gun.
or dudes

Those guys are obviously hunters and probably some (ex)military too.

 

[Marbles]

In that gear, my guess is that the heading to and from hunting spots is coincidence. A poacher who can find good hunting spots in areas that are difficult to get to is likely to look more like a hunter.

Now, it is not impossible for him to be a poacher, just unlikely. Based on that picture alone I would guess some dude wanting to play survivalist. Look around, see what sign of him you can find. That far in, and with that pack, if he killed something big there will be remains. Perhaps he hiked in to put a dog down and wanted a remote area? There are many possibilities.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Not exactly. In any other spot and not so close to deer season I dont bat an eye. Im one of the people carrying year round too ya know... I have literally never seen another person carrying in the area though except during hunting season. What made it odd is the extreme remoteness which I cant accurately stress without giving out more info than Im willing to. Glad its a nothing burger. Hopefully I meet the guy one day, I tend to talk to everyone I see when Im out n about.


Those guys are obviously hunters and probably some (ex)military too.

They might be varmint hunting but, that's about it. It's hard enough to approach game animal all by yourself let allow a platoon.

 

[Marbles]

Those guys are obviously hunters and probably some (ex)military too.

What makes you say "(ex)military?" I see nothing to indicate any combat arms training of note in the posture of all but the dude in the back. POGs at best for the others, probably just wannabe civies.

Some have hunting clothing and probably hunt, but at the moment that picture was taken no hunting was taking place.

Ok, I'm going to stop. I find I can get stuck in a loop in my thinking and need people to point out technicalities to break it for me. However, I'm probably coming across as just an internet ass rather than being helpful.

 

[Moserkr]

What makes you say "(ex)military?" I see nothing to indicate any combat arms training of note in the posture of all but the dude in the back. POGs at best for the others, probably just wannabe civies.

Some have hunting clothing and probably hunt, but at the moment that picture was taken no hunting was taking place.

Ok, I'm going to stop. I find I can get stuck in a loop in my thinking and need people to point out technicalities to break it for me. However, I'm probably coming across as just an internet ass rather than being helpful.

All good. It was the guy in the back that I was mainly referring to. Its a look but I could be wrong.

Im just glad im off the mark on what a poacher looks like and that some random guy was just out for a stroll in a gnarly spot. The odds of him hitting that cam were so slim that it was just surprising. Its way way off trail, not even on a game trail, and just on a random tree between areas the deer cross in their travels.

This threads been beaten like a dead horse by now. Thanks for the opinions gents.

 

[Erict]

Prospector looking for gold, abandoned gold mines?
Artifact hunter looking for arrowheads, implements, etc?
Mushroom picker?
I would have left the camera to try to see if he returned. Good luck!

 

[topher89]

What makes you say "(ex)military?" I see nothing to indicate any combat arms training of note in the posture of all but the dude in the back. POGs at best for the others, probably just wannabe civies.

Some have hunting clothing and probably hunt, but at the moment that picture was taken no hunting was taking place.

Ok, I'm going to stop. I find I can get stuck in a loop in my thinking and need people to point out technicalities to break it for me. However, I'm probably coming across as just an internet ass rather than being helpful.

I agree with you.... a little more Meal Team Six than Seal Team SIx in that group. Just some guys playing Soldier of Fortune

 

[wind gypsy]

Was gonna say that mag doesn’t look CA legal but then I remembered all of the CA legal mags that are still full length so they still look tactical for the CA bros.