Coach Report post Posted January 12, 2005 I just wanted to share a couple of experiences I had this year that I haven't encountered much in the past, and see if anyone else is noticing a trend in the wrong direction. Also, what do you do in these situations? I make a big deal of getting to the spots I want to hunt well before sunup. On numerous occasions this year (almost daily, in fact) my buddy and I had people pull up right next to our truck 30 minutes to two hours after sunup, park and walk right through us. Now, I know that no one "owns" a spot just because they got there first, but who in their right mind walks right up to where you are glassing, sees you looking over a particular area, then proceeds to walk right through the area they *know* you are glassing? I would think that once you find you've stumbled onto an area someone is already actively hunting, the polite thing to do is gracefully back out the way you came, and move on to a spot that doesn't appear to have someone already hunting there. What are your thoughts and experiences? Jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hunteraz Report post Posted January 12, 2005 I would agree with your comment. Except when people arrive to an area with quads and all they do is glass from the road or 10 yards from the quad. There is no place in hunting AZ for quads unless you are retrieving your game. I hate to see the new breed of hunter lazy and rude. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rembrant Report post Posted January 12, 2005 This is why I backpack as much as possible - and hope that most people are of the lazy variety. Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coues4x4 Report post Posted January 12, 2005 i had unfortunate experience this past year hunting with my cousin in 24B. A man pointed his rifle at us looking at us through his scope,twice,then out pops his son(I assumed) further up the canyon and did the same thing.I wonder if that kids son will do the same, when he has one.Will the cycle end in that stupid family? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted January 12, 2005 I agree the trend seems to be takin care of #1 for many of the newer hunters in the field. So much of the younger culture now is that way so etiquitte is something they do no know! Best thing to do is try to educate them. That too can be scary with the way things are going now. The incident in WI with the dingdong shooting and killing 7 or 8 people when he got in a private treestand on private land. Coues4x4... Those guys pointing rifles at you instead of binocs should be cited for unsafe hunting, and have therir tags pulled. In my younger days I would have thought about lobbing a shot toward them to make them pull thier heads out of their errr... Scopes, but as we age, most of us get some wisdom. Alll are examples of why we could stand to force ALL hunters to complete a hunters safety course before thier first hunt! Fortunately everyone on this board is not in that Rude and Unsafe Group! So there are a few of us left! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bcoover Report post Posted January 13, 2005 Jason welcome to my world. This happens just about every time I go into the field. It makes me so mad. Most of us don't have spots that we own, but it is common respect to back off when you come into contact with other hunters. I once had a guy walk right through a meadow I was set up on he scared six does and a spike away and then wave at me. This was a afternoon hunt and I wanted a big buck to see the does and spike and think it was safe to come in. After they ran I got up and went back to my truck. Why even hunt anymore. On the other hand I have walked up on other hunters, took one look at them and turned right back around. The sad thing is I have a private ranch, Which I post no hunting signs about every tweenty feet. It is my land and I will hunt it no one else. Yet I see it even happen then. I have caught five different hunters on my property, and have spotted hundred just leaning over the fience. This is the one subject I just don't understand. I can also go on forever too. Something needs to be done! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redman Report post Posted January 13, 2005 I can sympathize with you, but if somebody is glassing off the side of the road, and if I intend to hunt there, I going to walk through that area. If your glassing right off the road (which I am not saying you were) you should expect somebody coming sooner or latter. I will not walk 300 yds and squat, I will walk over the ridge where the person is glassing and proceed. In some units, there are just too many dam roads, unit 32 is one. I agree with Rembrant, I make it a point to starting hiking at least 1 hour before sun up so this does not happen to me. Redman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azpackhorse Report post Posted January 13, 2005 We had two guys on quads roll up and ask if we had been seeing anything, like I'm gonna say ya. He then told me that he had not seen any javelina in that area for about 3 years, about ten feet from where he was parked was a large patch of prickly pear that had been demolished and rooted up by piggies. In fact almost the entire road he had traveled on his quad "with his bow strapped to the front rack" was tore up with pig sign. God help me if I ever get that dang lazy! On the other hand it does leave more critters for me! I have also accidently gotten between other hunters and elk before, it made me feel like a fool, I immediately turned around and snuck out as quietly as I could. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted January 13, 2005 I have been on both ends of this one. One year I was coming up a canyon and over half way up I came up on a guy under a bush. I told him I was sorry and headed up and over in the direction I was headed.He was glassing down and I headed up. I went another 100 yards up the hill and jumped a small 3x4 and shot it the guy then came up and chewed me out because he had been watching that buck all morning( yes the one behind him and up the hill). He got so crazy he picked up a rock and acted like he was going to hit me with it. I told him to calm down before I had to drag him and the deer back down the hill. I guess it can go both ways. I have also been very upset when someone came tromping through the spot i picked and worked for all day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Becker Report post Posted January 13, 2005 I was scouting one time during another hunt. I ran into a hunter but I was still about 500 yards off. So I went a different direction. Apparently he had gotten up and went the same way. About an hour later I was walking through some thick brush and walked right up to the guy. I didn't say anyting and just kept going but I wonder what he was thinking. "There is a whole unit and this guy keeps following me around." Luckily when I got back to my truck it still had air in the tires. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted January 13, 2005 I just read a story in Trophy Hunter and the author of the story comes right out and says that he uses his scope instead of binocs. I could not believe they published that crap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ultramag Report post Posted January 13, 2005 yea i know how it is,been on both sides.just this year on my archery elk hunt my partners and i where calling and a nice bull came in.About 30 yards my freind shot this bull,we waited the manditory 30-40 minutes before folowing the blood trail,the shot looked really good and the blood was bright red and pink looking ,like a lung hit.when we finaly got to the bull there was someone else tag on it,the elk went about 150 yards so we know the shot was good!we saw the guy walking away from us at a distance we yelled him to come back.he finaly showed up about an hour later with a bunch of guys.we asked him what the f@ck and he said he shot it well their was only one wound in the bull.it got kinda ugly .The bad thing about that situation is theres nothing that you can do about it .the first person that tags it is the owner...what the bad thing is was this would have been his first bull and a 6x6 at that.when i shot my bull i felt even worse about it .He tried so hard for this one and to have it snaked from him is the worst Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottAdams Report post Posted January 13, 2005 I have to respectfully disagree with hunteraz. I use quads in almost all my hunting. I don't take total offroad cross country rides or anything like that. I use them for what they were intended for...transportation. There are a lot of rough 4 wheel drive roads where I hunt so instead of beating the crap out of my 40+ thousand dollar duramax, I use the ATV's to get me there and then start my hike. It's as simple as that. Anyone that has ever hunted with me knows I'm not a lazy hunter and I sometimes hike in miles from my atv. My quad was made for rough nasty roads and costs a fraction of what my truck does to own and operate. I save the wear and tear on my high dollar truck. There is a huge place in hunting for ATV's. Don't throw me in with those that abuse them. Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ultramag Report post Posted January 13, 2005 I agree with scott. atvs will get you somewhere quicker and not destroy your truck doing it.They are also easy on the land/roads if you use them correctly.i condem lazy hunters as well. atvs are are real good "tool" and better on gas than my truck.Just try and stay warm in dec is the hard part.......Scott i dont think that is what azhunter meant. its the lazy road hunter who thinks he/she could kill a good anything road hunting.but i could be wrong Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan H Report post Posted January 13, 2005 Yep, Scotts right. Why destroy a nice truck. Wev'e all seen the road hunters on quads but don't be to quick to judge. them because you may not own one. One sad thing though is the keys don't have the electronic button to make the flashers and lites blink. It sucks trying to find the quad in the dark returning occasionally in the thick stuff. Plus they are ideal for the rim roads scouting for elk. You can cover a heck of a lot more ground up there. Just have to respect the other hunters. But I'm not riding my quad to work today even though its street legal. Dan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
