Thanks ALOT! You JACKWAGONS!

[Kevin H]

I hope that the guys this is written to are not actually members of this forum, but in the event that they are, here goes...

 

So the Sunday after Thanksgiving I was out with a friend who had a tag in 32. I was sitting on a ridge top glassing the canyon while my friend was on the backside of the ridge glassing another canyon. I locate a 95-100 inch 3x4 coues on the opposite side of the canyon near the bottom around 400 yards from me, working his way down into the thick bottom. I radio my buddy and tell him to head my way. He tells me it will take him a few minutes. I loose sight of the buck in the bottom. At the same time I'm glassing the bottom trying to find the buck again, I see a white Dodge Ram coming up a two track in the bottom of the canyon. The truck slides to a stop and a couple of guys jump out of the truck with their rifles. I hear rocks rolling in the bottom of the canyon and I look to see the buck on a dead run headed straight for the saddle I am sitting in. The shooting starts with both idiots standing and shooting off-hand at this running buck which is easily 200 yards from them when they start shooting. They both unload their rifles as fast as they can work the bolts. Buck now closing fast on my position and jackwagon #1 loads a single shell in his rifle and starts to acquire the buck in his scope. I am standing in a tan hoodie and brown ball cap and I start waving my arms like a wild man when I realize that the guy is pointing his rifle my way. The guy takes a shot as the buck is literally less than 20 yards from me passing through the barren saddle and over the top... I yell "Hey!" at the top of my lungs and now both jackwagons are looking up toward me and pointing. I am still waving my arms. Idiots actually raise their rifles after seeing my movement and look at me through their scopes. Once they see it is a person, they immediately lower their rifles down and turn and walk really fast to their truck. The guy actually backs back down the road for around 100 yards and does a 6 point turn and they haul butt out of the canyon.

 

If any of you know two guys (probably early to late 20's) who were hunting 32 and who were in a newer Dodge Ram with black rims and a Cabelas sticker on the center of the top of their rear window, I have a little something for them if you can send them my way!

[Guest super jumbo]

And somehow these guys were to know exactly where you were all the time in the field.. How would they have known you were in the saddle?Sounds like 2 guys hunting and simply shooting their rifles at some deer. Hint, if your in the field anywhere near where there might be some deer, this stuff is possible, especially if you are 20 yards from them. Just in case your thinking it was me, i havent hunted 32 in 20 years, those genes were shot out in the 1990's. Not saying it wasnt scary for you, but part of the game.

[.270]

i get shot at all the time. usually after they see who it is. glad they didn't hit ya. Lark.

[Chef]

Kevin,

Happy to hear you were not hurt.

This could have ended very badly for all involved.

Being as you were wearing earth tone colors and standing up,

you could have been shot and killed without anyone even knowing.

 

That buck was not worth risking your life for.

As far as the guys in the truck go, they should have stopped and at least

asked if you were hurt after seeing you. How do they know you were by

yourself?...or not hit? However, they are not at fault for shooting at the running buck.

[azbow]

i get shot at all the time. usually after they see who it is. glad they didn't hit ya. Lark.

 

HaHaHa......

[tjhunt2]

Kevin,

Happy to hear you were not hurt.

This could have ended very badly for all involved.

Being as you were wearing earth tone colors and standing up,

you could have been shot and killed without anyone even knowing.

 

That buck was not worth risking your life for.

As far as the guys in the truck go, they should have stopped and at least

asked if you were hurt after seeing you. How do they know you were by

yourself?...or not hit? However, they are not at fault for shooting at the running buck.

 

I have to agree with Hector. These guys should have at least asked if you were alright. Having someone looking at you thru their rifle scope is an awful feeling. Glad you were not hurt.

 

TJ

[ThomC]

They were definately illegal ROAD SHOOTERS. Next time dont wave at them. Call Gamethief the number is on the back of your tag. Binoc their license plate?

[DesertBull]

I don't think his problem was the guys shooting at the buck. The problem is they used their rifle scopes to check him out after he got their attention. That's stupid and dangerous.

[tjhunt2]

They were definately illegal ROAD SHOOTERS. Next time dont wave at them. Call Gamethief the number is on the back of your tag. Binoc their license plate?

 

I usually don't get involved in to many dicussions on who is right or wrong but I still have another half a pot of coffee to drink so I'll chime in. How do you know they were definitely illegal ROAD HUNTERS as you say? I never read where Kevin said they were shooting from the road or using their truck as a rest. Correct me if I'm not seeing the whole picture here. So, I'm driving down a two track road and if I spot a buck I am to say to my partner we can not get out and shoot because we spotted it while driving to another spot?

 

TJ

[Kevin H]

OK, let me clarify a few things... my bad for wearing earth tones... yes it would have been hard to see me, I get that... what upset me was five things... the guys were shooting from the road (illegal), STANDING for shots that ranged from 200 to 450+ yards (slinging lead on a running buck off-hand), after they saw me they used their rifle scopes to look at me (not cool man), didn't even walk a few hundred yards to check for any sign of blood (if your gut shoot a deer, they often keep running and you can't just go based on the sound of the shot) and not even having the decency of a courtesy wave (I don't know, but that woudl of at least been decent of them)...

 

A couple of these issues, I can understand, but when you look at the totality of their actions, I hope you can understand why I am upset, and I hope that if nothing else that they stop to think about how that went down and re-think things for the future...

 

And of course, I have re-thought what I should do as well... the whole waving my arms thing was kinda stupid, but honestly I was kinda freaking out when I realized that I was gonna be in the same scope picture as a buck that was getting shot at, and Thom I never thought of getting the license plate as they drove away until way afterwards, and I was figuring out what to do with the huge pile in my pants

 

Ok, off my soap box now, just had to vent to others who might understand...

[firstcoueswas80]

Not defending those guys one bit.... But they weren't shooting from what azgfd defines as a 'road' (unless bits changed in the past few years)

[Pine Donkey]

They were definately illegal ROAD SHOOTERS. Next time dont wave at them. Call Gamethief the number is on the back of your tag. Binoc their license plate?

 

I usually don't get involved in to many dicussions on who is right or wrong but I still have another half a pot of coffee to drink so I'll chime in. How do you know they were definitely illegal ROAD HUNTERS as you say? I never read where Kevin said they were shooting from the road or using their truck as a rest. Correct me if I'm not seeing the whole picture here. So, I'm driving down a two track road and if I spot a buck I am to say to my partner we can not get out and shoot because we spotted it while driving to another spot?

 

TJ

 

I agree with you on this one TJ. There is nothing in Kevis's account that shows they were illegally road hunting rather than just driving from one place to another.

 

Several years ago I did a ride along with our local wildlife manager. We had a lenghy discussion about road hunting as it is a huge problem during the Muley seasons in this unit. First thing that popped out of Kevin's story was that they were driving a 2 track. A two track is not regularly maintained therefore not considered a road when it comes to the laws about shooting from a road. Also, since it was not legally a road, according to our game manager it is ok, and by him even recommended, to use the vehicle as a rest. He said that if your feet are on the ground and you are not gaining an advantage of heigth then it is good for the animal if you get a good rest. Lastly, there is no law that prevents road hunting. The law prevents anyone from using a vehicle to aide in the taking of wildlife whether a road is involved or not.

 

With all this said, "road hunters" frustrate the heck out of me. This is one reason I walk long distances in the morning before first light.

 

Kevin, I am glad you were not hurt. I hope that if I am ever in that situation that I will choose to hit the deck rather than to jump up and yell, but who knows how I would actually react in the heat of the moment. Recently somebody mentioned they pulled out the orange meat shelf on there badlands 2200. That is a good tip I will be keeping in mind.

[Outdoor Writer]

They were definately illegal ROAD SHOOTERS. Next time dont wave at them. Call Gamethief the number is on the back of your tag. Binoc their license plate?

 

I usually don't get involved in to many dicussions on who is right or wrong but I still have another half a pot of coffee to drink so I'll chime in. How do you know they were definitely illegal ROAD HUNTERS as you say? I never read where Kevin said they were shooting from the road or using their truck as a rest. Correct me if I'm not seeing the whole picture here. So, I'm driving down a two track road and if I spot a buck I am to say to my partner we can not get out and shoot because we spotted it while driving to another spot?

 

TJ

 

From the AZ Hunting Regs:

 

(A.R.S. 17-301 B, R12-4-319) Pages 104 and

121

No person may take wildlife from a motor

vehicle (including watercraft and aircraft),

except as permitted by Commission Order,

and under the provisions of the Challenged

Hunter Access Mobility Permit Commission

Rule (R12-4-217). “Take,” as defined by

law, includes pursuing, shooting, hunting

and killing wildlife. You are unlawfully using

a vehicle to take wildlife if you intentionally

drive around until you see the animal you

wish to harvest and then make an attempt to

take. “Road hunting” is illegal; so is pursuing

wildlife with a vehicle, chasing or heading off

moving wildlife with a vehicle, and driving offroad

to get closer to wildlife. You do not have

to shoot from the vehicle to be in violation.

 

Shoot Across Road

(A.R.S. 17-301 Page 104

B. No person may knowingly discharge any firearm

or shoot any other device including bow

and arrow upon, from, across, or into a maintained

road or railway. It is advisable not to

shoot from or across any road. Again, this is

one of the most common violations during the

dove season.

[Pine Donkey]

Thanks Tony for posting the "official" version of what I posted.

[Outdoor Writer]

Thanks Tony for posting the "official" version of what I posted.

 

 

Hmm, I'm not sure they're one and the same. This seems to be a bit of a contradiction, no?

 

“Take,” as defined by

law, includes pursuing, shooting, hunting

and killing wildlife. You are unlawfully using

a vehicle to take wildlife if you intentionally

drive around until you see the animal you

wish to harvest and then make an attempt to

take. “Road hunting” is illegal; so is pursuing

wildlife with a vehicle, chasing or heading off

moving wildlife with a vehicle, and driving offroad

to get closer to wildlife. You do not have

to shoot from the vehicle to be in violation.

 

Also, I'm guessing that each wildlife manager MIGHT interpret the law differently, given individual scenarios.