When Hunters are Jerks

[TheTone]

I agree with the doe pronghorn hunters being some of the most ethically bankrupt hunters on planet earth.

Saw a couple real great displays this past weekend, jumping out of vehicles with Colorado plates and banging away at a herd of 8-10 pronghorn, half of them 1.5-2.5 year old bucks, at 500+ yards running full tilt.

Talked to that group just prior to this incident and they were griping about how "wound up" the pronghorn were...cant imagine why??? One dude was packing a video camera...would love to see the raw footage of that shit-show.

Sounds scary similar to what I saw the last time I hunted over by Laramie

 

[Zach]

Hey now, I'm sure those are new plates and those jokers were born and raised in MA. You can't let the 25% of the population that moved here in the last 5 years spoil your impression of us.

Don't worry, I'm sure by the end of this season you and I will have a story about some idiot with WY plates...


Oh, and 406 you're a pastor right? IIRC.
Pray about it and see where you are led.

 

[Doublecluck]

The sad thing, in situations where other hunters are already putting a move on game, the better opportunity lies in waiting and watching rather than interfering/interrupting what they are doing.

 

[onpoint]

Another (sad?) thing. Choose - for whatever reason - to hunt where roads, vehicles, hunters, guns, and game all intersect and these situations have a high probability of taking place.

 

[Doublecluck]

Another (sad?) thing. Choose - for whatever reason - to hunt where roads, vehicles, hunters, guns, and game all intersect and these situations have a high probability of taking place.

Very true ..I would agree.. As it pertains to antelope hunting, at least in the districts I have hunted , on public land, I am not sure many places Otherwise exist. 100% of the publicly huntable antelope are on small blm or state sections, only way to access by road, roads on one or two sides of most. Most sections can be glassed largely from the roads or nearby vantage points. High probability of these situations for sure. For what it’s worth.. things were realitively peaceful in the district we hunted this year. Pulled up to the small state section my daughter killed that b&c lope last year. Two other hunters pulled up and left when they saw us parked there. Hiked about a mile over two ridges to the same basin she got the big one, and after debating with my daughter on what this wide one might score.. We flipped a coin, I won and shot it. Loaded it in the the MR and walked it out.



Geeze I hate field judging them.. lol. Was it nice to not have any other hunters around? . yes.. would it have been nice to shoot it 300 yards from the road after some other hunters spooked it from the opposite side of a section? yes.. either way I will take it. I guess the difference is, in that instance I am expecting a situation like the op described to take place, just have a plan to use it to your advantage without disrespecting other hunters.

 

[ChrisC]

those jokers were born and raised in MA.

hey now...

 

[MTGomer]

I never got in to antelope hunting, I’ve only rifle hunted them once. I had similiar experiences as the OP the one time I went, which may be why I never got into it. Last year I finally bowhunted them a little. That was a blast. You can go on as many stalks as you have the heat and cactus tolerance for and hunting pressure is almost zero. I kind of regret not achery hunting them more.

 

[JEL]

I never got in to antelope hunting, I’ve only rifle hunted them once. I had similiar experiences as the OP the one time I went, which may be why I never got into it. Last year I finally bowhunted them a little. That was a blast. You can go on as many stalks as you have the heat and cactus tolerance for and hunting pressure is almost zero. I kind of regret not achery hunting them more.

It is a blast. Archery antelope is probably my favorite hunt. And zero worry about other hunters.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

if you really want to see some bad hunting ethics come to Idaho starting tomorrow and see how many people shoot from a road and not a lick of enforcement for it.

 

[Redman]

My friend and I were hunting a spot in CO for Antelope and were watching a herd way out of range hoping that they would head our way. A truck pulled up just above them and two hunters got out, I was watching them through the spotting scope and they saw me we waved at each other and they packed up and headed out of there. They saw the group of antelope but also saw us setting there watching them. These are true hunters and are probably some people who are on here. Thank you for your respect.

 

[Coop]

Similar situation last year on some block management east of Billings hunting a field for geese. my friend and I had shown up about 1.5 hours before light and were set up nicely and concealed in a ditch. The birds started flying late around 10 in the morning and there were a ton of them. Right at 10, another vehicle pulls up to the other side of the field and 3 guys jump out of the truck and into the same ditch about 200 yards away (it was obvious we were there with the decoys set up and where my pickup was parked.) As soon as the geese started circling our spread, these asshats began sky blasting the birds that were way out of range but coming into our spread for sure. Not only were they sky blasting the birds that we had worked so hard to get in, but they were shooting right over top of us. I can't think of a time when I have been more pissed off while hunting. I was going to confront them, but my buddy made a good point...three guys with guns who are willing to do that may be willing to do more.

 

[SaskHunter]

I have been hunting for quite some time and I have come to realize that some of the best AND worst people I have encountered were hunters.

As much as I have gotten some help from fellow hunters, I have had some extremely crappy situations with other "hunters". For some reason, certain people get extremely jealous and aggressive when it comes to hunting. I feel bad for those people's families who have to deal with them year round.

Probably the same guys who go to their kids soccer, hockey, etc, games and insult other kids and pick fights with parents.

 

[PrairieHunter]

Don't worry, I'm sure by the end of this season you and I will have a story about some idiot with WY plates...

The chance of catching an idiot hunter from Wyoming down in Colorado are pretty slim compared to the opposite. The first reason is few people from Wyoming go to Colorado to hunt for obvious resons,and a much lower % of hunters in WY are idiots compared to CO. CO hunters are idiots out of necessity because there are dozens of 4 wheelers at every trailhead come hunting season so they are used to road hunting, driving like idiots, shooting toward each other, etc...

OTOH there is an endless line of green plates heading into the state to recreate in WY every weekend, I see them drive by on 287. They are completely out of control and in a hurry riding your ass and passing at every opportunity. 287 is a death trap as half of the green plates have campers, and half of those have another boat or trailer behind that with more toys. Cant even enjoy Glendo anymore due to all the Colorado plates in the summer. :hump:

As far as the OP I hate to hear of this but unfortunately hunting near roads is always going to risk this kind of thing happening. If you can find some places where there are not road hunters you can avoid a lot of the headaches.

 

[the nikster]

I have been hunting for quite some time and I have come to realize that some of the best AND worst people I have encountered were hunters.

As much as I have gotten some help from fellow hunters, I have had some extremely crappy situations with other "hunters". For some reason, certain people get extremely jealous and aggressive when it comes to hunting. I feel bad for those people's families who have to deal with them year round.

Probably the same guys who go to their kids soccer, hockey, etc, games and insult other kids and pick fights with parents.

I had the unfortunate luck to have a family of these hunters as my best hunting friends while in high school. They were really nice folks in camp and at home but complete assclowns to anyone they thought was encroaching on their space.
It took me a couple of years to conclude I just could not hunt that way. I moved on and experienced some success, I just avoided places we had hunted together, still do 30 years later. I assume their kids learned a lot from their parents.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Sound like you are hunting Wyoming. Never in my life have I seen the shenanigans like I have seen there.

NEVER, and I grew up hunting in Pennsylvania...

 

[archer wapiti]

These stories are frustrating to read. I'm lucky to have only heard about these situations, but I'm sure my time will come. I suspect that none of the perpetrators would read a thread such as this, so we're preaching to the choir, but hopefully it's been cathartic to voice your frustration and get some commiseration.

 

[Mason326]

Pulled up to the small state section my daughter killed that b&c lope last year. Two other hunters pulled up and left when they saw us parked there. Hiked about a mile over two ridges to the same basin she got the big one, and after debating with my daughter on what this wide one might score.. We flipped a coin, I won and shot it. Loaded it in the the MR and walked it out.

View attachment 88189

Man I hate jerks, but this is what it's all about folks! I hope time goes by slowly between now and then, but I am so excited to take my daughters on their first western hunts! 11 more years....

 

[Mason326]

So to add... I'm from TX (-waves off hisses, boos-) and even I know this is stupid. Was still-hunting a stand of aspens at last light near the end of 2nd rifle in CO. Goober from a northeastern state that shall not be named drives by on his ATV waving at us from the road a hundred yards away. Stops a hundred yards up the road and proceeds to fire shots until last legal light. Drives back as we gathered back up to chat on the trail about this and another goober road hunting and he stops to chat and tell us how he was sighting in his rifle (there is a range at the entrance of this area) because he dropped it earlier. I genuinely believe him, too. Just seemed about as clued in as a clam. I think a lot of folks that do "jerky" things are like this fella. Unfortunately the road hunters were not...

 

[Godsstepbrother]

Something similar happened to us last week. We found a buck, my brother was about to crest and get a shot at him. Two other hunters ended up shooting from over a thousand yards because they saw us getting close to said buck. We where there first and worst they shot in his direction. I cant prove it but why take 2 shots at that range? I think they didn't want us to take it so they scared it off, so they can get it later. We ended up getting that same buck the next day.

 

[onpoint]

I was going through hunting photos and came across these, pertaining to when hunters are jerks.
If one hunts easily accessible land (be it public or private) you better be able to tolerate "jerks" or else be able make yourself feel better by posting your sad story on the internet for all to see.
I pitched a bird hunting camp at a designated camping area, one with lotsa' room for other jerks to camp with some level of personal space.
After getting the tent up, me and my girl went looking for some feathers.
Got back to camp to find two outfits with a gear trailer parked almost on top of my tent. One truck from ID and one from WA, along with their Bozeman friend and 7 dogs tethered to a chain line.
They "politely" asked if I minded if they camped "by me". I stood there giving them my best "you're all douchebags" look and said "suit yourself". It was getting late and me and B were both hungry and tired. We had some supper and took a short walk and went to bed, listening to three dipshits blabbing and 7 dogs whining.
Got up the next morning broke camp early, making lotsa noise to wake up the morons, and went somewhere else.
Coulda' gotten in a pissing match with them but didn't drive 200 miles from home to feel the anger adrenalin rush - screw em.
Besides, me and the best low dollar bird dog mutt ever born already blew birds out of some of the best habitat the day before and put a few in the vest while we were at it.....
View of my camp, nice and lonely - notice all the room.

my new friends getting situated right in my front yard...

jerks can't spoil this less you let 'em.....