After hashing a situation with a few of my hunting friends, I thought I would turn this question over to the members of this forum for your feedback.
This year, on opening day of big game season, my son and I decided to pursue Mule deer in one of our favorite areas. This area is a mountain forest service area that is a large bowl. It has thousands of acres of hunting ground, with several ridges running from a higher elevation to a common lower meadow.
Through prior experience and scouting, we knew the best opportunity to connect with larger bucks was to head up one of the ridges located in towards the middle of the drainage. Well before sunup on opening day we began our hike up the ridge to gain elevation. At the time we started out, we were the only hunters in the basin. Approximately a half hour after beginning our hiking, we can hear and see two other hunting parties drive their four wheelers up to the bottom of the canyon. We could then see their head lamps below us at a much lower elevation. In order to let them know where we were, we faced the bottom and flashed our headlamp several times. At this point, one of the parties headed off onto a separate ridge that angled in a direction far from us. The other party continued up the same ridge we were on. Two separate times we again flash our head lamps down the ridge in their direction, letting them know we were on it. The hunters continued up the ridge we were on.
My son and I attained the desired elevation to wait for shooting light. We split up, with approximately 200 yards between us. Approximately 20 minutes later I look over at my son and the two hunters that were coming up behind us passed approximately 20 yards to the other side of my son, looked at him and did not say a word. They then continued slightly higher and set up (approximately 75 yards from him) and began their scoping as daylight was coming on. Shortly after shooting light, both the hunters began firing at mule deer bucks that were to their side of the canyon. Those shots were at bucks approximately 350 yards away. One buck was shot. My son was well within range from the bucks, but declined to shoot at them for two reasons. One, they were not big enough to be something he would care to shoot the opening day. Two, even if he had decided to take the shot, it would have been safe, but still the other hunters were below him and he would have been shooting in their direction.
My question is, was it ethical or of good sportsmanship for those two hunters to follow us up the ridge and set up in such close proximity? If you knew where bucks have been hanging out but you see someone ahead you that is going to the spot you want to go to do you disregard them and walk through their set up in hopes of seeing deer first? Or, do you alter your route to avoid the hunters and try to attain another glassing vantage point? What do you think? And what would you have done? Thanks for the feedback.
This year, on opening day of big game season, my son and I decided to pursue Mule deer in one of our favorite areas. This area is a mountain forest service area that is a large bowl. It has thousands of acres of hunting ground, with several ridges running from a higher elevation to a common lower meadow.
Through prior experience and scouting, we knew the best opportunity to connect with larger bucks was to head up one of the ridges located in towards the middle of the drainage. Well before sunup on opening day we began our hike up the ridge to gain elevation. At the time we started out, we were the only hunters in the basin. Approximately a half hour after beginning our hiking, we can hear and see two other hunting parties drive their four wheelers up to the bottom of the canyon. We could then see their head lamps below us at a much lower elevation. In order to let them know where we were, we faced the bottom and flashed our headlamp several times. At this point, one of the parties headed off onto a separate ridge that angled in a direction far from us. The other party continued up the same ridge we were on. Two separate times we again flash our head lamps down the ridge in their direction, letting them know we were on it. The hunters continued up the ridge we were on.
My son and I attained the desired elevation to wait for shooting light. We split up, with approximately 200 yards between us. Approximately 20 minutes later I look over at my son and the two hunters that were coming up behind us passed approximately 20 yards to the other side of my son, looked at him and did not say a word. They then continued slightly higher and set up (approximately 75 yards from him) and began their scoping as daylight was coming on. Shortly after shooting light, both the hunters began firing at mule deer bucks that were to their side of the canyon. Those shots were at bucks approximately 350 yards away. One buck was shot. My son was well within range from the bucks, but declined to shoot at them for two reasons. One, they were not big enough to be something he would care to shoot the opening day. Two, even if he had decided to take the shot, it would have been safe, but still the other hunters were below him and he would have been shooting in their direction.
My question is, was it ethical or of good sportsmanship for those two hunters to follow us up the ridge and set up in such close proximity? If you knew where bucks have been hanging out but you see someone ahead you that is going to the spot you want to go to do you disregard them and walk through their set up in hopes of seeing deer first? Or, do you alter your route to avoid the hunters and try to attain another glassing vantage point? What do you think? And what would you have done? Thanks for the feedback.
I'll check back after my hunt tomorrow to see how it turns out. I just hope nobody is in my spot. 
