Bowhunter tries to close road with boulders on Saturday

[TwoGuns]

TAM, I suppose we all view things from different perspectives. As for my buddy in Flag, the old drinker he was going to sit had been dry for years and years with no water. the only reason it had water in it on opening morning was because he had put it there. Regardless, all the guy had to do was call my friend and work it out, instead he made sure to be there extra early in the morning just to screw my friend out of his opening morning plans. He made no attempt at doing the right thing, he was selfish, and I think that is wrong. I try really hard to get into areas to hunt that I will not run into other hunters. I enjoy being alone as possible in the woods, but I also know that the woods do not belong to me. My friend definitely took a risk in putting in that work on the drinker, knowing that someone might find it. I guess he was wrong to assume people, especially hunters and outdoorsmen, still had some sensitivity and courtesy.

 

The worst part of the whole fiasco was that when my buddy confronted the guy that morning and pointed out the work and planning and sign he had posted, the guy to him to go f>>> off, and that he was there first and could care less about any work he might have done.

 

I dont know what anyone else would do, but I know for myself, I will never treat any other hunter with that sort of contempt. I know the work I put into hunting a certain area or spot, and I would sure hate to screw up another guys hunt by being selfish.

 

I guess I hope I hunt in a different area than people like that, or anyone that thinks what he did is ok.

 

twoguns

[Guest Ernesto C]

TAM,if I understood you rigth accoording to your point of view it will be ok for me to hunt "your" spot with salt,water or wheatever on it. If I see your treestand or your ground blind there it will be totally ok for me to hunt "your" area.

 

But in reallity,me personally if I walk in to a spot and I see or notice some one is hunting that spot.........I personally will walk away and hunt somewhere else. But I understand every one is different and unfortunally there is people with no common sense. Blessings.

[Buckhorn]

Just put a salt block at the Tank. Problem solved.

[KGAINES]

If you get to a spot that you know or can tell someone else has set up to hunt and you are there first you have every right withinn the law to hunt it. That is definately not right in my book, the law is the law, but there is still a right and a wrong. I can understand how people scout areas and never see anyone, and then on opening day there is someone there and that person being upset, but you don't know if the person that was there has done the same thing that you did, and now he is wondering why someone showed up at his spot too. If you have placed salt, carried water in, or even baited an area than anyone coming in to that area should be able to tell that it is being used and they can move on, if that person has left a note or a sign then it is even more of a reason to move on since they are trying to prevent a conflict. Rolling boulders across a road is preventing access to all and to me is simply trying to stop anyone from going into an area period.

With all my statements above I am assuming that these places are off the beaten path and are not right off the side of the road, because if you are just off of a road you are going to have plenty of company no matter what and you can't expect to be alone, with dove season opening this weekend those places are going to get hammered this whole weekend.

 

Good Luck to All and God Bless, Have a Great and Safe Archery Season, and most of all have Fun.

[Guest Ernesto C]

Quote "you have every right withinn the law to hunt it.That is definetly not right in my book"

 

Aaaammmmeeeeeeenn to that Keith.

 

Hey Mark, so what happened? did the guy knows you know what he did or not? did he reads this forum or not?

[bowsniper]

No word yet. It was kind of a shot in the dark, but it did start a good thread. BTW, if I were contacted by the hunter, I would certainly keep his identity confidential.

 

bowsniper

[COUESAZ]

If i had a Blind up and came in to find a guy over it in a tree stand i would walk over to the trail and start building me a new blind right smack on top of it. Then just set down and wave at the guy and yell out have seen anything yet.

[couestaxi]

I agree with TAM, its first come first serve. If you meet just work it out! Be carefull leaving notes as this can be illegal posting of state or federal lands. Had a guy pull this in unit 9 2 years ago. G&F nailed him for illegal posting and blocking a roadway then the LEO for the forest service got him. Turned out to be a guide with a client! If some one beat you there, get there earlier the next time. Better yet, set up on the access route the game uses to the tank or salt or whatever and shoot 'em. If ya still can't work it out call G&F as a mediator, they'll yank both tags then problem solved.

[Tines]

Some of you guys have really got your priorities out of wack! Be courteous and respectful and get over your egos! It wasn't that TwoGuns' friend had someone sitting above him (although I'm sure that wasn't what he'd hope to find opening morning), it's the fact that the first thing out of this guys' mouth is "F#$@ off........!"

 

If you've got your salt on public land, it's first come first serve, right? Well, that's according to your interpretation of the law. Don't define the law but present the exception when it relates to YOUR hard work. This guy spent tons of time, money and effort in replenishing this DRY tank. No different then spending tons of time, money and effort into making something (a salt lick) out of nothing (no resource). This guy could have been a decent human being and called the phone number or left a reply on the note. Instead his moronic attitude came through and he thought it better to defend his actions! He knew he was in the wrong.

 

Doesn't anyone take pride anymore in harvesting an animal through good ol' fashion, honest work? Everything's got to be handed to some of these people!

 

Sorry for the negative post. This was a little out of character for me. Happy hunting, guys and gals!

[coues7]

Mark deserves this spot.....if he's the one that developed the spot it's his spot. No one should try to block him or anyone else from coming in. Whatever the law says it is common human kindness to walk away if a guy has spent time, money and effort developing a spot.

 

All Mark is asking is for the guy to contact him so they can work it out....he is being the "good guy" in this situation.

[out2hunt]

I feel for you man.I had scouted an area and found a sweet trick tank,two weeks later a ground blind had been built on it.I left my name and number and asked if I could use the ground blind.I had a return phone call that still shocks me.He called and said he would not be able to hunt the first weekend and that I could use the blind as long as I left it the way I found it.Really nice gesture and I used the blind,to no aveil,I saw one doe and fawn and about one hundred quail.LOL

[TwoGuns]

I feel for you man.I had scouted an area and found a sweet trick tank,two weeks later a ground blind had been built on it.I left my name and number and asked if I could use the ground blind.I had a return phone call that still shocks me.He called and said he would not be able to hunt the first weekend and that I could use the blind as long as I left it the way I found it.Really nice gesture and I used the blind,to no aveil,I saw one doe and fawn and about one hundred quail.LOL

 

I am glad you were both able to communicate like responsible adults and work it out. It really should never be looked at as me against you, or us vs. them. We are all out there for the same reasons hopefully, and should try to work together and show respect for each other. How hard is that? Great post, and good for you for not being afraid to try and work it out in a mature manner.

[TAM]

First off to answer Ernesto's question. Yes. If I established a salt lick and came to hunt opening morning and found someone else hunting it, I'd move on. It's not "MY" spot, it's "OURS". Just because I put salt there does not make it "MINE". Now with that said, I personally would never sit a salt hole that was being maintained by someone else, and I think only a real looser would attempt such a stunt. Ernesto and anyone else for that matter, if you can find my salt holes then go ahead and hunt them. After all there not really mine.

 

Two Guns, I opened a can of worms with a lot of different variables to which we may not have answers. Most people seem to assume that the "other" hunter knew that your buddy had spent many hours preparing the drinker and stand. How do we know the "other" hunter didn't think the drinker was working properly and was just full of water? How do we know that the other hunter hadn't brought water into the drinker as well? Many are also assuming that the "other" hunter saw the note. How do we know he saw it? For all we know the other hunter could have been spending equal time as your friend hauling water and scouting the area. Then on opening morning he walks into the tank and hunts. Then your buddy walks in and there's a confrontation. At that point who's right, and who's wrong? Probably a little of both. There are a lot of different possibilities. There's two sides to every story and all we have is you telling us what your buddy told you. I'm not calling anyone a liar but suggesting that sometimes versions differ depending on what side you're listening to. Let me also say that I've been told to F off a few times in my life and some of the time I deserved it. I'm not saying that it's right to speak to another hunter that way but I know there's been times where I've run my mouth and deserve the concequences.

 

Now we have to look at some other factors that further complicate the matter. As I mentioned in an earlier post, many hunters and guides have the opinion that they can "claim" or "reserve" a tank, road, or entire area. They are doing this by hanging treestands for elk and deer hunts in June or July, or in some cases all year long. They are also posting signs claiming certain areas and tanks. This is wrong and as mentioned in some cases illegal. Perhaps the "other" hunter thought your friend was one of these individuals that was trying to "claim" the spot. I don't usually hunt over popular tanks, but at the same time I won't leave a tank alone just because there's a treestand on it. I know of tanks that have had treestands on them for easily 7-8 years! I know there not being used anymore, and even if they were I don't feel like just because there's a stand on a tank that it's off limits to everyone else.

 

To sum it up, the other hunters ethics are certainly in question if he knew he was sneaking in on an area that someone spent a great deal of time and effort to prepare. But the law overrides ethics and the early bird gets the worm. I guess the lessons learned here are to be prepared and have a back up spot, and just get up earlier the next morning and beat the guy to the spot.

 

Two Guns, no hard feelings on any of this. After all it's just my opinion.

[scout4u]

i have had this happen to me before, both road blocking and stand hijacking. It sucks no matter which way u look at it but its the first comer gets it even though i spend time and MONEY i just learned to get up abit earlier. But i have also stumbled across a stand & cam where i was scouting that wasnt there a few weeks before,this person left his name and number on a note asking others to keep away (which i laughed at) I called this fellow up and we were able to work out a "schedule" and he was also kind enough to share his cam photos with me. Funny thing is he didnt have any of his stuff locked or secured so when i called him i reminded him that he should really put a lock on his stuff b4 a less honest person strolled by .... Stand hijacking is one thing but to try and close off access to a area is just way much and no "warning" should be giving report this person because if i read the post correctly this was a second attempt.

[TwoGuns]

Tam, no hard feelings. I think we both have expressed ourselves and certainly there is room for misunderstandings to happen. Anyway, best of luck and God bless.