Run-ins with greenies

[Ronster]

I noticed several other articles (mostly in the backpacking area) mention having run ins with greenies. Some people appear to have gone so far as to get non camo colored backpacks to avoid confrontations. I guess my quesiton is, "Is this really a big problem"? Living in Alaska, I havent had any confrontations with anyone while out hunting that wished me ill will or bad luck. As a matter of fact, I had a couple from Germany traveling the Dalton stop to take pictures of me with my bow kill Caribou a few years back. We traded high fives and they took pictures of themselves with my bou. I always though that was kinda funny, but it was cool to have them celebrate in my victory that day.

How do you guys handle the confrontations, and what kind of stuff was said? Im just curious because like I said, Ive never had a run-in through all of my 30+ years of hunting. Seems to me like there should be more than enough room for all of us in the woods.

Ron

 

[gelton]

I ran across one at a trailhead in sw Colorado during 2nd rifle. Not knowing his hatred for hunters we approached him to ask him some questions regarding the area and he literally sprinted to his VW van (no joke) and pulled down the drapes, hid inside and would not come out. We fell down we were laughing so hard. Being from Texas i had never seen anything quite like it.

 

[HJ Handy]

I've had a few encounters in passing on trails where i'd say a friendly greeting and just get a blank stare in return or a not so friendly look, no big deal. You'd think someone would at least say a "hello" in return but thats their problem not mine.

One occasion i had a couple walk with me for a while because they became "scared" of a bear they saw that got a little too close to them and they had no kind of defense not even bear spray, guess they werent as green as they thought they were when they gave company to a guy hunting with a rifle.

 

[Brock A]

I am yet to have a "confrontational" run in. But I have had my share of run ins. Most of them are decent.

Had one guy ask me a ton of questions one time while I was bear hunting. He was amazed that we would haul out such heavy packs once we got an animal down. He was the same guy that told me I "had that look in my eye, the look of a killer". He ended up being really nice and we parted with a handshake and he even offered to pack any garbage out I had to lighten my load. Which I though was pretty awesome.

Had another guy about 4 miles in tell me the woods were "closed to hunting because of fire danger". You could tell he was a real ass hat. So I politely asked him "If its closed to me wouldn't it be closed to you too?". He mumbled something and took off hiking.

My favorite is these 2 hippies, and I am talking dread locks to their ass hippies, crested the ridge and sat skylined above the basin I was in glassing. Once they spotted me they started yelling and waving then walking my way. I slipped off my orange and moved into a clump of trees off the trail. They walked by me not 10 yards away. Not a clue I was there.

So to handle greenies, I either avoid them or be nice.

 

[fillthefreezer]

ive had quite a few run ins, most them pleasant for the most part. some kind of turn their nose at you. one instance stands out though, we were up snowshoeing this winter and on our way down. i was in a kuiu 230zip. guy and his kid are on the way up and once were are close, he says "oh, i couldnt even see you with all that camo." then proceeds to talk a bunch of S. im not one to get mad or lose my cool, but something about this guy, he was lucky he had that youngster with him...

 

[CrzyTrekker]

By far the majority of encounters have been friendly. I always make eye contact, smile and say hello - people usually reciprocate. Quite a few people seem to respect hunters and I've had some very positive conversations with strangers including discussions about fishing spots, good places to take pictures, etc.

But last year I ran into a large group of tourists from back east in the Eagles Nest Wilderness. They had gotten turned around and were walking deeper into the wilderness. They were dressed for shopping in Vail. Bad weather was rolling in and they were huddled in a circle on the trail just below timberline when I approached them. I put my map on a log, showed them how to get back to the trailhead, even offered to give my map to them (still had my GPS with mapping).

The group's apparent leader said "thanks, we'll turn around but I wouldn't know what to do with a map." The kids were really nice to me and asked a couple questions about my gear and the area. One of the young men asked what I did for a living and we had a nice conversation because he was studying to do the same thing. Another boy noticed my fly rod and I told him about the beautiful cutthroat in the stream just off the trail.

Then the leader seemed to get mad, pulled one of his children away from me and started dressing me down for "carrying a rifle in public" so I turned around and went on my way.

When they get emotional it's best to just walk away.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I've found that unfriendly people in the wilderness are just a reflection of unfriendly people in general. Take note of how many people will smile and say hello back to you in public. Not many will, and this tends to carry over into the wilderness, regardless of whether you are hunting or not.

I've run into lots of non-hunters while on scouting trips and during hunts too. All of them were very pleasant to visit with. I was wearing camo, and made no bones about what I was doing. As Brocka said, one group was very intrigued with how I was hunting deer (archery), and how I would get one out.

It has been my experience that many of these folks are not hunters, but they are not anti-hunters either. Don't take things personally, and don't get into an emotional argument with an idiot. Life is too short to waste your efforts on people like that. Expend your efforts on the non-hunters that can have a rational conversation with you.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I've had more problems with other "Hunters" than "Greenies".

Even if I did though I would never even engage those idiots.

 

[shaun]

I have had a few. Nothing while on the trail suprisingly but out at a trail head etc. I had a ranger in yosemite while driving through the park with a validated tag try to say I was poaching in the park and I diddnt have my "compound bow" taken down properly after polietly telling him you can not break down a compound like a long bow he pulled out a set if wire dykes and said he will break it down for me. I gladly handed him my bow stood back and waited for the show. He finally realized what would happen if he cut the string so he had me just put it back in the case. I was bummed out because I would have gladly bought a new bow just to watch what would have happened when he cut the string.

 

[cmeier117]

Had one guy ask me a ton of questions one time while I was bear hunting. He was amazed that we would haul out such heavy packs once we got an animal down. He was the same guy that told me I "had that look in my eye, the look of a killer". He ended up being really nice and we parted with a handshake and he even offered to pack any garbage out I had to lighten my load. Which I though was pretty awesome.

He wasn't being nice, just didn't want you to liter and pollute the earth!! Haha!

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I have had a few. Nothing while on the trail suprisingly but out at a trail head etc. I had a ranger in yosemite while driving through the park with a validated tag try to say I was poaching in the park and I diddnt have my "compound bow" taken down properly after polietly telling him you can not break down a compound like a long bow he pulled out a set if wire dykes and said he will break it down for me. I gladly handed him my bow stood back and waited for the show. He finally realized what would happen if he cut the string so he had me just put it back in the case. I was bummed out because I would have gladly bought a new bow just to watch what would have happened when he cut the string.

Lol Some of those guys are real pieces of work! I had a CA game warden threaten me for 20 min that he was going to write me and my buddy a ticket for having our bows out in the back of my jeep in an area that wasn't yet open for deer season even though we both had valid hunting lic and the only way to get in to the unit that was open at that time was through this one unit that was set to open in Two weeks.

He said he didn't trust us that we weren't driving around shooting deer off the side of the road with our bows lol.

 

[Racethesunset]

There are good and bad people in every walk of life. The most common behavior from bunny huggers on the trail is the blank stare while you nod, say hello or good day, and smile. The default 'no response' is not a problem, it just is. Still, the biggest problems with people that I've had in the great outdoors, honestly, are from other hunters during public land hunts.

 

[flyinsquirel]

If we start talking about getting harassed by CA game wardens this thread is going to have more posts than the Bikini thread....

 

[Ronster]

Ive found the Alaska Fish and Game guys to be rather pleasant. Ive had them come up, check my tags, then tell me where they have seen game throughout the week. They have always left on really good terms, but then again, Ive never given them reason not to.

 

[Ozz08]

If we start talking about getting harassed by CA game wardens this thread is going to have more posts than the Bikini thread....

You got that right!

 

[littlebuf]

ive had the "these woods are closed to hunting because of fire danger" comment too. it always seems to confuse them when you ask why wouldn't they be closed to hiking then. like you may just burst into flame if your carrying a hunting license. most are decent but there's plenty that are just pure ignorant. ill stop and talk to anybody on the trail, always with a smile, whether its returned or not.

 

[bowinhand]

I've even hunted on nat forest around boulder, CO and had mostly positive encounters

 

[7mag.]

I once ran into a Forest Service employee at an alpine lake, that tried to convince me that it was illegal to hunt in the National Forest.

One time while packing out from a bear hunt, the trail left the wilderness and intersected with a popular mountain biking trail for a couple of miles back to the trail head. 3 mountain bikers stopped to question why we were hunting in "their" area, and told us it wasn't hunting season any way. I just told them it was mountain biker season, so they best move on.