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

[ztc92]

Took some other photos while I was up there as I really enjoyed the scenery. Here’s some additional context for those wanting more detail.

First photo X is where we first spotted each other on the ridgeline. I was wearing orange and exposed on the ridge, there’s no way he didn’t see me from then on. He followed the red path along the ridge to get to me. That part doesn’t bother me, it’s an obvious trail and I figured he must be using it to get somewhere further along as it goes on for miles. As I’ve said, what bothered me was the fact he exited the trail directly where I was hunting and walked right through the area I had set up on.

Second photo is the right edge of first photo. Arrow is approximate location of the parking area he told me was parked at. It’s probably ~1000 vertical feet lower at the base of all these hills that make up the ridge I was on. As you can see, tons of ways to get back to the truck including the same ridge trail he used to get to me. It was over 2 miles to the parking area, so it’s not like the drainage I was hunting was the best or only route to take.

Curious if this context will change anyone’s thoughts for better or worse. Just want to learn from it and hopefully avoid situations like this in the future as it really sours the mood in the middle of a hunt.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Maybe he saw you, maybe he didnt. This still kinda seems like one of those times where 2 assholes collide, only he was a lil better at the game.

Either way, I wouldnt give it much more thought. You saw some neat country, you filled your tag...let it go

 

[Lawnboi]

He walked up and talked to you. He gave you the opportunity to voice your concerns, come up with a plan that benefited both of you, maybe even do something that could have benefitted you.

That’s a lot more courtesy than I have gotten when hunting.

I wouldn’t be pissed.

Hopefully he sees this thread and blows by you like you don’t exist next time. Now that’s a reason to be peeved

 

[Geewhiz]

I went out last weekend. Worked in the morning so I hiked into a spot to glass for the afternoon. There were already 2 hunters where I had planned to post up and glass. Stopped and chatted with them for a bit, super nice guys. I had a cow tag and one of the 2 guys had a bull tag. I figured I'd see If I could help him find a bull and then I'd play clean up with a cow if an opportunity presented itself. Had a great time with those guys and almost got the one guy on a bull. Be friendly, work together. Not everyone is a dick.

 

[DangerRanger]

There’s been assholes in the woods since way before meateater existed

But idk, I get why you’re mad but also what are you wanting him to do here

 

[sndmn11]

”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.

My take on what you described was that the person was trying to do what you just wrote. He asked if his route would boogar you up. If I got a cryptic answer when trying to be polite to someone in the field, I'm not going to do much more than shrug my shoulders and be on my way. A way that may or may not be within your plans because of a passive aggressive riddle.

"Hey, I have scouted this drainage and this drainage to the Point I'm confident there are aminal BOALS hiding in there. I would be appreciative if you stay in the downwind drainage of those two, or further, to get out."

"Hey I just saw a megaboal lay down in patch of Aspen X, can you take a route anywhere else?"

Nobody would think twice if their three friends posted up at 1/4 mile intervals to glass or walk. Somehow it's different when the person isn't a buddy.

 

[Yoder]

Something else to consider, sometimes inconsiderate people end up inadvertently driving animals to you. Man is that an awesome feeling. Especially when you know they heard the shot.

 

[ztc92]

My take on what you described was that the person was trying to do what you just wrote. He asked if his route would boogar you up. If I got a cryptic answer when trying to be polite to someone in the field, I'm not going to do much more than shrug my shoulders and be on my way. A way that may or may not be within your plans because of a passive aggressive riddle.

"Hey, I have scouted this drainage and this drainage to the Point I'm confident there are aminal BOALS hiding in there. I would be appreciative if you stay in the downwind drainage of those two, or further, to get out."

"Hey I just saw a megaboal lay down in patch of Aspen X, can you take a route anywhere else?"

Nobody would think twice if their three friends posted up at 1/4 mile intervals to glass or walk. Somehow it's different when the person isn't a buddy.

Thank you for contributing. I really like that suggestion of asking to just stay downwind if that’s the route he’ll be taking. I think that’s a great compromise. I wish I had been more direct when I was asked and maybe things could have worked out different/better for both of us. Initially I thought me response was better than what I wanted to say, “Really dude? Is that even a question? Of course it will screw up my hunting!”

In hindsight, I think a more respectful version of that direct response would have been better. I guess I assumed he knew the answer before he asked me (because that was so obvious TO ME) but perhaps he couldn’t see things from my perspective or honestly didn’t know better. I also didn’t give him much info to base his decision on (because I was frustrated) and that was clearly a mistake.

It’s been helpful context to realize that many of you have had far worse experiences and some of you would even consider his approach courteous and reasonable. This was the most frustrating encounter I’ve had on public land thus far, but it seems I’ve just been blessed with good interactions up to this point and this was actually a pretty standard experience for many of you.

This situation clearly didn’t go well, but after this discussion, hopefully I can handle things better if this situation comes up again in the future, which I’m sure it will.

 

[ztc92]

Nobody would think twice if their three friends posted up at 1/4 mile intervals to glass or walk. Somehow it's different when the person isn't a buddy.

Regarding this portion: I fully agree. If he had stayed posted on the ridge a little ways away, or talked to me and then returned to a spot a ways away, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. I have no problem with other hunters in the same general area, that’s just part of hunting public land in my experience and doesn’t bother me as long as there are no safety concerns.

The thing that frustrated me about this was he didn’t keep any distance and literally went hiking down from exactly where I was sitting. It almost felt like it was intentionally rude, and as others have said, perhaps I brought that on myself with how I answered his question.

 

[sndmn11]

Regarding this portion: I fully agree. If he had stayed posted on the ridge a little ways away, or talked to me and then returned to a spot a ways away, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. I have no problem with other hunters in the same general area, that’s just part of hunting public land in my experience and doesn’t bother me as long as there are no safety concerns.

The thing that frustrated me about this was he didn’t keep any distance and literally went hiking down from exactly where I was sitting. It almost felt like it was intentionally rude, and as others have said, perhaps I brought that on myself with how I answered his question.

I would make you mad then, I have no problem talking to another hunter if our paths cross. If I am aware of what someone else has planned to do, and if I am honest with them about my plan, it clears the air of any guesswork on if someone is ignorant or being a turd. They also might have some useful information for you and vice versa. I rarely hunt somewhere I haven't scouted a lot, so that likely plays into my don't really care attitude. The places I like to hunt, I have a good idea what alternative "spots" I can maraude, or, I am confident that someone can walk/drive right by those animals and they will stay put.

You never know someone else's experiences or train of thought. Your guy could have had 40 days scouting right where you were at and known some secrets or said to himself, "sheesh, this dude on day 1 thinks he has put in more work than I have on day 46"

 

[magtech]

Op sounds spoiled. Someone sees you deer hunting on public here they walk in make a bunch of noise honk their horn and leave. Theyll steal your stand your cams... consider yourself lucky if you dont get backshots throughout the whole ordeal.

Someone who doesnt know how to hunt trying to talk and learn from you and move your way... o lawd, howd you make it out alive.

 

[OKHunter84]

Op sounds spoiled. Someone sees you deer hunting on public here they walk in make a bunch of noise honk their horn and leave. Theyll steal your stand your cams... consider yourself lucky if you dont get backshots throughout the whole ordeal.

Someone who doesnt know how to hunt trying to talk and learn from you and move your way... o lawd, howd you make it out alive.

My dad had a friend who was hunting public in southern Oklahoma, a long time ago. Some guy came in late in the morning and totally molested his hunt. Dad's buddy proceeded to go back to the truck and take the SKS out from behind his back seat and dump a 30 round mag into a dry creek bed while the guy was still hunting.

 

[Geewhiz]

My dad had a friend who was hunting public in southern Oklahoma, a long time ago. Some guy came in late in the morning and totally molested his hunt. Dad's buddy proceeded to go back to the truck and take the SKS out from behind his back seat and dump a 30 round mag into a dry creek bed while the guy was still hunting.

That'l show 'em!

 

[KsRancher]

We were probably "those people" this year. My brother had a 1st season bull tag. We knew where we wanted to be the morning of the opener and we wanted to be in there before anyone else. We left the trailhead at 4:45 thinking we were way out ahead of everyone. We wanted to be 1.5 miles in. About .75 miles in someone started flashing their red-light at us from 1/4mile ahead of us. I could tell they were off of the trail a couple hundred yards. I knew the exact little knob they were on.



But they kept flashing it at us. I am assuming they were trying to let us know they were there for us to turn around. We continued on our way to the spot we wanted to be. It was 1/2 mile farther than they were and in a bottom. So we weren't visible to anyone. We went there because we were certain people would be where they were, and the thermals would be pushing right down to the elk below. So we set up on what we thought would be the escape route. And sure enough. Those elk below worked way below and around the other hunters and right by us at 100yds. Bull down at 8:15am and packed out by early afternoon.

 

[mike.adams.467]

My dad had a friend who was hunting public in southern Oklahoma, a long time ago. Some guy came in late in the morning and totally molested his hunt. Dad's buddy proceeded to go back to the truck and take the SKS out from behind his back seat and dump a 30 round mag into a dry creek bed while the guy was still hunting.

Sounds like your dad's buddy is a psychopath.

 

[OKHunter84]

Sounds like your dad's buddy is a psychopath.

A lot of the guys from that area that came up making a living in the oilfield in the late 70's, 80's and 90's were pretty wild. I've always known him to be a good guy.

 

[Lawnboi]

Something else to consider, sometimes inconsiderate people end up inadvertently driving animals to you. Man is that an awesome feeling. Especially when you know they heard the shot.

Good hunters know how to use hunting pressure to their advantage.

 

[The_Short_Sportsman]

Happens way to often, last year a buddy and I drew some speed goat tags. We found a spot where they were coming out of private on to public land to feed. Opening morning we showed up 2 hours before light and hiked in and got set up (about 3 miles in) and from our ridge we could see the road but not where we had parked. About 40 mins before light we see a car coming down the road and figured he was going past us. Fast forward about 30 minutes we see two headlamps on the ridge behind us coming towards us, we gave them a quick flash of our headlamp to let them know we were there, they responded with some flashes as well letting us know they saw us. 20 minutes later we have two bucks coming in right where we knew they would be, all of a sudden we hear something behind us and turn around and here comes the same two guys right behind us, stepping on every branch and holding a conversation loudly. Spooked the two goats we were going to shoot. We hike back and come to find out they parked their truck 10 yards from ours. we drove for miles up and down that road and there wasnt a single other vehicle out there. 0 respect and ruined the hunt.

 

[Dwnw/theAltitudesickness]

 

[Tourguide]

It is fully out of control at this point, this weekend in Montana I was stalking a nice buck so my kid could take a shot, 2 guys that clearly saw me made a run for this deer in the wide open East of me and blew him out from a ways away. There are so many people with 0 curtesy or hunting etiquette, this crap never used to happen to me until the last few years.

I don't believe 99% of these guys are people that grew up hunting, it is these adult onset hunters that don't give a shit and/or have no respect for hunting/hunters as a whole.

It's not about a passion or the love of the hunt for these guys, its about trying to kill something at any cost so they can feed their ego and brag on social media about how badass of a hunter they are.

I think it's all a complete lack of respect for others in general. The world is now so much me me me me, and selfishness. Definitely not trending in the right direction, just remember, don't let those type people steal YOUR joy.