Researcher
WKR
I have recently started hunting an out of state OTC area. One of the spots I like to hunt is 8 miles in on a popular trail head. The reason I hike in 8 miles is because most people seem to go in only two or three miles and its a way to get away from the crowd.
The trail runs along the top of a ridge and I was on this trail early in the morning to get to my first glassing spot before moving further in if needed. As Im hiking in, with fog, I spot another hunter walking on the trail like elmer fud. Rifle in his hands and tip towing. I stop in case he is on to something and wait like 10/15 mins. I see nothing, smell nothing, or hear nothing. I approach him slowly and he spins around with the gun in his hands, lowered, but pointed my direction. Im uncomfortable with that and we whisper a little and he said he heard some animals near by. He continues elmer fudding down the trail and I give him another 5/10 minutes.
At this point I just want to get to my spot and I figure its public land on a well used trail and im wasnt gonna sit there and wait. I walked behind him 50 yards or so until the trail split where one trail went on one side of the ridge and the other on the other side but they eveually meet back up and combine again on the middle of the ridge. He took the “better” section that has more open feeding areas and is better for glassing. I took the other trail that just goes through a bunch of bushes and trees and it curves more and is a little longer. He saw me take the other route and I could tell he sped up but I barely beat him to the part where the trails recombine. He made sure to yell I was ruining his hunt and I just shrugged my shoulders and continued on.
Am I a jerk? Or am I ok feeling like no one gets to lock down a whole trail because they were there first?
The trail runs along the top of a ridge and I was on this trail early in the morning to get to my first glassing spot before moving further in if needed. As Im hiking in, with fog, I spot another hunter walking on the trail like elmer fud. Rifle in his hands and tip towing. I stop in case he is on to something and wait like 10/15 mins. I see nothing, smell nothing, or hear nothing. I approach him slowly and he spins around with the gun in his hands, lowered, but pointed my direction. Im uncomfortable with that and we whisper a little and he said he heard some animals near by. He continues elmer fudding down the trail and I give him another 5/10 minutes.
At this point I just want to get to my spot and I figure its public land on a well used trail and im wasnt gonna sit there and wait. I walked behind him 50 yards or so until the trail split where one trail went on one side of the ridge and the other on the other side but they eveually meet back up and combine again on the middle of the ridge. He took the “better” section that has more open feeding areas and is better for glassing. I took the other trail that just goes through a bunch of bushes and trees and it curves more and is a little longer. He saw me take the other route and I could tell he sped up but I barely beat him to the part where the trails recombine. He made sure to yell I was ruining his hunt and I just shrugged my shoulders and continued on.
Am I a jerk? Or am I ok feeling like no one gets to lock down a whole trail because they were there first?
