Rant - What happened to respect for other hunters???

[idelkslayer]

I understand that hunting public land in the west generally means you will be near other hunters but I was always taught to keep your distance and avoid ruining opportunities for other hunters who may have gotten there first. Apparently some hunters never received this teaching, or chose to ignore it tonight just to piss me off.

Tonight I hiked my ass off to get up to a ridge top by 4:30 PM so I could glass and hunt until dark. The spot I initially wanted to go to had 2 hunters posted on it glassing, so I went to an alternate ridge instead. After glassing around 30 minutes, I noticed another hunter coming towards me climbing up the same ridge, about 1000 yards away. I told myself this was no big deal, he obviously saw me and would hopefully keep his distance.

I checked on him again about 15 minutes later and he was still coming directly at me, now about 500 yards away. “Okay, he hopefully will drop off soon and give me some space but at this point he’s getting a bit close for comfort”.

15 minutes later he stopped about 200 yards short of me on the same ridge and as I stared at him, he sat down and looked to be glassing. “Okay, this is getting a bit annoying, but at least I’m higher up and have a drainage in front of me I can focus on.”

Nope, apparently that wasn’t good enough for him. 15 minutes later, now getting into prime hunting in the final hour of shooting light, HE WALKS DIRECTLY TO ME. He says, “Hey bro, would it totally screw you if I drop down this ridge to your left? That’s the best way back to where I parked”.

Trying to stay civil, I replied, “You know, I generally don’t make a habit of bothering other hunters, let alone hiking through the area they’re clearly glassing and hunting.”

Despite this and a few more brief words, he proceeded 10 feet in front of me, then dropped down into one of the two drainages I was actively hunting and proceeded to walk right through the middle of it, spoiling any potential deer hunting in that entire area.

Can you guys give me a sanity check? Is it too much to expect another hunter who arrived well after me to keep their distance, let alone not hike right next to me and then continue hiking through the middle of the area I’m actively hunting? Especially when there are multiple other routes to get to the vehicle that wouldn’t interfere with my hunting at all.

I would call your response passive aggressive at best. Generally, yes, a late arrival should defer to those who get there first.

As much as you think you were completely visible it is possible to walk up on someone without seeing them, even in open country. You said you were "clearly glassing and hunting". I find it very difficult to interpret the actions of others in the field in order to know with a surety what they are doing and what their intentions are. You misinterpreted the other hunters actions during the lead up to your encounter. First you thought he would see you and drop off a different direction, then he appeared to sit and glass. You misinterpretted his actions at least twice, why should he be any better at knowing your intentions?

You should have been direct and just said what you meant; something like, "I am am planning on glassing this area and I would appreciate it if you took a different route back to your truck." Instead your answer carried an implication of stupidity and neglect on his part.

In all of the possible scenarios that I can conjure and whatever small amount of animosity he may have felt toward your words, it is still a wrong move on his part to just march through the area knowing that you are actively glassing there.

 

[AZ8]

Public land.

Honestly, I’d be more pissed at some random guy posting a couple pics on the internet of me heading to my truck.

To prove what?

 

[roadrunner]

So...you're asking what happened to respecting other hunters on a forum that doesn't respect other hunters [with a differing stance]?

 

[*zap*]

the general public is made up of a certain % of slobs...the general public hunts public land...therefore....

 

[S-3 ranch]

Public land.

Honestly, I’d be more pissed at some random guy posting a couple pics on the internet of me heading to my truck.

To prove what?

Proof they reside amongst us, those “ hey it’s about me dude” , honestly public hunting has been F’ed up for decades and only gotten worse since Covid

One time in chimney rock Colorado we drew permits that needed southern Ute trespass permits and had left early to cover two drainage areas
When we saw the pumpkin patch marching up the slope pushing both elk and deer, towards us, when all of a sudden two guys above us started blasting away just to ruin our day
That was my last straw with public, it’s been private since, either early rifle in SE Colorado/ Trinidad
Or late 3rd rifle on alfalfa and CRP west of Durango
It’s worth the nominal fee to avoid the traffic and ass clowns

 

[velvet muley]

The response "It's public land" only gives these guys that behave like this confirmation that it's okay to blow up other people's hunts or stalks. I'm confident that the majority of people realize it's public land and are going to have to complete with other hunters to some degree.

The actual problem that I'm trying to point out is when that friendly competition turns into having no regard for other hunters that my already be setup on a target or already stalking/hunting an animal.

It truly just boils down to common curtesy, integrity and having a certain amount of character. I realize like other people have said it has been going on since the beginning of time, but without a doubt it has progressively gotten worse and in the last 3 to 5 years I have seen a major increase in it.

 

[Ross]

In the early 90s my buddy and I caught up to several elk hunters on a forest service trail two hours prior to daylight. As I recall there was five of them. They would not let us by on the trail, they were walking superrrr slow and we had to follow them for a long distance as they dropped off at pre determined spots. What I recall about that opening day is calling in a bull up close and personal dropping him and then yelling to celebrate and all the clothes they had on to stay warm in their spot. As I came by them later, I said thank you and smiled They were not happy I had shot a bull. Some people are inconsiderate and it has nothing to do with hunters. Just know in otc hunts you can experience all kinds.

 

[S-3 ranch]

The response "It's public land" only gives these guys that behave like this confirmation that it's okay to blow up other people's hunts or stalks. I'm confident that the majority of people realize it's public land and are going to have to complete with other hunters to some degree.

The actual problem that I'm trying to point out is when that friendly competition turns into having no regard for other hunters that my already be setup on a target or already stalking/hunting an animal.

It truly just boils down to common curtesy, integrity and having a certain amount of character. I realize like other people have said it has been going on since the beginning of time, but without a doubt it has progressively gotten worse and in the last 3 to 5 years I have seen a major increase in it.

Being able act and be classy is a lost art now . To the me generation

 

[butcherboy]

This is an easy fix. All you have to do is let everyone know that you are hunting with a braked rifle instead of suppressed and you will have the whole place to yourself.

 

[coyoteman]

Last year while hunting a general unit in MT, my dad and hike in a few miles to the upper portion of a drainage we like to hunt. After glassing for probably an hour look off to my side and notice another guy roughly 3-400yds away, up the ridge from us and close to a saddle that the elk pass through at times. I put the binos on him and can tell that he definitely sees us. I figured he was just standing around for a bit, catching his breath and coming up with a game plan since it was pretty obvious that we had that portion of the drainage pretty well covered. I make a joke to my dad in regards to the fella posting their while his other buddy's drive the drainage to him. Wouldn't ya know it! The next time I look at him through the binos, he's got a radio out. Ten minutes after that I see another fella working his way right up the middle of the drainage. I said screw it, if they're making a drive we're also getting in on the action. We move down about 100 yds to better cover the area within range of us, other fella still has the saddle to cover. He must not have liked our play! With 15 minutes of us getting into a better spot, he then decides to drop off the ridge and walk through the drainage back to his buddies(turned out to be two guys pushing). No elk spotted so I guess you could say they saved us some time glassing for any longer than we did. I will admit, I would've thoroughly enjoyed mooching a nice bull off of their drive lol

 

[ztc92]

Thank you all for chiming in, I’ve enjoyed reading all the responses. In hindsight, I wish I had been more direct with the question they asked, I think those suggesting that approach make good points. At the end of the day, there wasn’t much game to hunt that evening so I’m at peace with it looking back, though I still wish things had been different.

That said, I made a point to get in over an hour before sunrise this morning despite heavy fog and a snow storm. I think I may have been the only hunter in the whole area this morning as the weather was truly awful. However, that perseverance paid off and I guess all is well that ends well!

 

[SwiftShot]

I had a bull in a herd of cows while bowhunting at 40 yards. A guy parked his truck next to mine and ran across the clear cut and flung an arrow at roughly 90 yards. Dude knew I was there and did not care. His exact words where, I am not trying to screw anyone but there were elk so whatever.

Killed that bull 2 days later and laid the man parts on his windshield.

 

[AZ8]

Proof they reside amongst us, those “ hey it’s about me dude” , honestly public hunting has been F’ed up for decades and only gotten worse since Covid

One time in chimney rock Colorado we drew permits that needed southern Ute trespass permits and had left early to cover two drainage areas
When we saw the pumpkin patch marching up the slope pushing both elk and deer, towards us, when all of a sudden two guys above us started blasting away just to ruin our day
That was my last straw with public, it’s been private since, either early rifle in SE Colorado/ Trinidad
Or late 3rd rifle on alfalfa and CRP west of Durango
It’s worth the nominal fee to avoid the traffic and ass clowns

Horseshit. Dude was doing nothing wrong but out hunting. Public shaming a guy by posting pics of him departing the area is low, even for Rokslide.

No one knows the guy’s situation. Maybe he works 60 hours a week and that was the only day he could get out. Maybe he has a sick family member or elderly parents that requires care, yet still found a way to get out. Maybe he needed to get to his truck asap. Dude was doing nothing wrong.

He had a legal tag in a legal unit on a legal hunt during legal hunting hours.

OP’s smartazz remark was nothing but passive aggressive entitlement and I would have told him to pound sand.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I’ve seen poor behavior like this LONG before Meateater.

There are rude and disrespectful people everywhere. It’s not just bro culture either.

I’m not just talking about rude and disrespectful people. I’m talking about flat brim bros… who often are also rude and disrespectful.

 

[2ski]

Does anyone really know what another hunters capabilites are? I mean some things that you deemed obvious may not have been obvious. I think we all know someone who's smart as a tack but lacks "street smarts".

As has been said, a polite conversation can sometimes be best.

 

[sndmn11]

Trying to stay civil, I replied, “You know, I generally don’t make a habit of bothering other hunters, let alone hiking through the area they’re clearly glassing and hunting.”

Why didn't you just speak directly as to if it would bother you?
"Yes, it would screw me up"
"No, that doesn't screw me up"

You don't have claim to everything in view any more than another hunter does. That other hunter doesn't know what you are intending to do with your immediate time, so, I don't see any harm in him asking how to avoid bumping an animal you are looking at.

I do think it's reasonable to ask for someone to avoid a football field or three if you watched an animal bed or or looking at them on their feet.

 

[RMM]

30 years of living in PA and dealing with gun season lunacy didn't even hold a candle to those dip$hits in Nebraska. It was pure insanity.

That's really saying something right there

 

[Steve300xcw]

Why didn't you just speak directly as to if it would bother you?

Because he called him bro

I actually would have gladly participated in a conversation about my experience hunting the area and what I was seeing glassing. I’m generally a very nice person and enjoy seeing others be successful. That said, his greeting of, “Hey bro. would it totally screw you if I hiked down the ridge to your left” told me everything I needed to know about why he approached me. He may has well have said, “You’re hunting the area I planned to hike through when I left my truck 3 miles ago and even though I could go lots of other routes to avoid you, I have my heart set on this route and even though I know it will screw up your hunting, I’m going to do it anyway.”

 

[sndmn11]

Because he called him bro

Maybe the other side should have gone on his route with a "have a good hunt ma'am" to balance things back out?

 

[ztc92]

Why didn't you just speak directly as to if it would bother you?
"Yes, it would screw me up"
"No, that doesn't screw me up"

You don't have claim to everything in view any more than another hunter does. That other hunter doesn't know what you are intending to do with your immediate time, so, I don't see any harm in him asking how to avoid bumping an animal you are looking at.

I do think it's reasonable to ask for someone to avoid a football field or three if you watched an animal bed or or looking at them on their feet.

Honestly, because I was frustrated that he came all the way to the exact spot where I was sitting and then opened the conversation with a question that came off as, “Hey I know this is really crappy of me to ask but do you mind if I walk right through that area you’re actively hunting?”

In hindsight, it was an emotional reaction and I’m not proud of it. I think things may have been much different if the conversation started with some questions like, “What species are you hunting?” Or “”Hey I’m trying to get back to the parking lot over there, is there a good spot I could go that wouldn't impact your hunting plans?”

I think what frustrated me so much (and led to this rant) was the fact that there were at least 10+ drainages to drop into that would lead back to the truck, many of them I couldn’t see/hunt from where I was sitting. Instead of choosing one of those (either with or without talking to me) he legitimately went 5 feet past where I was sitting and then dropped into the exact drainage I was focused on. To me that felt like a real dick move when there were so many alternatives that wouldn’t have impacted my hunt nearly as much and still given him the same end result.

Also, for those who felt the photo was a step too far, I added that for context and to show just how close he hiked down from me. That detail was what took this from slightly annoying to very frustrating. I’m also newer to hunting public land in the west so I started this thread as both a sanity check and to get advice on what to do better/different in the future. I appreciate all the thoughts so far.