New way of hunting discovered!!!!

[donniedent]

I had the distinct privledge of witnessing the next great wave of archery hunting last weekend. I'm sure some of you have heard of this method and probably seen it in action but it was new to me. While glassing up some promising deer across a canyon up on Big Bug mesa Sun. morning I saw the most amazing thing. I was hunting my own feeble way of getting out on foot and walking for at least a 1/2 mile to my glassing point then hopefully catching a glipse of a buck and then and only then plan a stalk. Well I guess I've got it all wrong. As I sat planning a possible stalk I saw 3 innovative hunters on 2 quads drive down through the middle of the canyon I was glassing over, see the same deer I saw, jump of thier quads and persue the the majestic Mule deer on foot. Though they weren't successful on that attempt, I'm sure they will be with the new "spot and chase" method. Leaps and bounds guys, leaps and bounds. I think Eastmans is planning to commit a whole issue to this new method in Jan.

 

Really though. I have nothing against quads but in the wrong hands they can sure ruin a day if not a whole trip.

 

On a lighter note. Big Bug mesa was beautiful. In three days I saw 23 deer in 6 different groups 8 of which were either spikes of forks. No large bucks, they probably felt the same way i did about the quads. If you like quiet and privacy don't go up there, way too many idiots. Mon. about 11 o'clock the pistol shooters should up and made sure the Deer wouldn't come back out till... well today I think, anyway good times, tough times its all about hunting in the great state of Arizona!!!

 

Got door dings call Donniedent at Midway Chevy collision!

[donniedent]

P.S. The forest service should strongly consider making Big Bug Mesa a wilderness area. Awsome place with great potential, lots of deer and too many people!!!

[azcouesandelk]

I don't know if that is a real way of hunting.

[donniedent]

Ya think???

[Arizona Griz]

Be careful, you might get your wish with the Wilderness idea then it will be to late.

 

I wish you could have reported them for driving offroad. These antics give hunting and quads a bad rap.

[donniedent]

Oh, they were on a little quad track. I'm sure it was perfectly legal. Just a lille disturbing to witness.

 

And I would love to see it become a wilderness area. The roads aren't maintained up there so there are little 2 tracks going every which way every time there is a new mud hole. Parts of the mesa are beautiful and some look like crap. I think in this case they should resrtrict road travel but certainly not in every case out there. Like I said, quads are a great hunting tool and I have nothing against them but don't abuse the privledge.

[GRONG]

Believe me, if they make it a wilderness area that doesn't mean the guys on quads will stop going in there. You've always got your 10% of complete freakin idiots. In the Mazatzals there is a quad road, sorry I mean Saddle Ridge Tr., where they go at least 4-7 miles into the wilderness. Also on the upper west side of it there is one that goes 2 miles into it. I know of 2 places in unit 21 where there are 2 separate wildernesses and one road goes about 1/2 mile in and the other goes about 2 miles in. Forest Svc hasn't done a single thing to try and stop it either. Talk about enfuriating!

 

Josh

Edited January 1, 1970 by Josh Epperson

[.270]

many years ago when 3-wheelers were the deal, i was doing my best to bowhunt deer in the woods. sneakin' along slow, wind in my face, in a good area. started hearing an odd noise and after awhile, saw a bush puttin' toward me. some guy had tied limbs and junk all over his noisy, smokin' 3-wheeler and was puttin' over logs and around trees and stuff. he bounced right by me and never even saw me. felt like bluntin' him. had his bow up on a rack where he could get to it real easy. what a joke. what got me is that it looked like he was gettin' the heck beat out o' him on that no suspension junker. quads have there place. like in camp until you need some help tuggin' an elk out. or to run up a real rough road early in the morning and then hunt from there or something. they don't do a lot of damage to terrain in most cases, but it ain't huntin' and it is plum lazy to try and hunt from one. i agree with the shoe leather way of thinkin'. until i get too old to move, then maybe i'll get a quad. Lark.

[TAM]

I was once out during a January archery deer hunt in unit 22 a few years ago. I was hunting off one of the powerline roads where I had parked my Jeep and hiked probably 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to a good vantage point where I could glass. A couple of hours after the sun came up I could hear quads and gun shots on the hill side below me. Over a period of 20 minutes or so gradually these 3 yahoo's on quads (I think they were quail hunting) made their way up the side of the hill towards me. I wasn't real concealed but they never saw me and rode within 10 feet of where I was sitting. There was no trail or road within half a mile and I was pissed that these guys were riding off road so when they got to about 10 feet away I jumped up and yelled and scared one of them. The guy was so shocked that he half jumped, half fell off his quad and the quad ran into some brush. He got mad that I would jump out and scare him like that, so I told him that what he was doing was illeagal and I would report him. He and his buddies acted big and tough but in the end they knew I was right and they tucked their tails and left. After they finally left my brother in-law came out from behind some bushes nearby where he had been watching the whole thing. He had been glassing deer from another vantage point about a hundred yards away where he watched as I scared the guy. He said it was the funniest thing he ever saw watching that guy bail off his quad! He had snuck in closer to offer some back up in case the 3 guys got too hot. I wish I could have had a video tape of that guys reaction! A bit later as we were driving out we came across a Game Cop who very professionally checked our tags and licenses. We told him about the guys on the quads and he went to investigate.

 

Quads are great when they are used properly!

[coues addict]

donniedent

I was not going to reply to this thread but here goes anyway! I don`t own a quad, don`t want a quad. I think quads screw it up for a lot of hunters. It is not fair to the hunter that hunts in wilderness areas to have some yahoo come along on a quad offroad! I personally try to hunt as far away from any horsetrails and or quadtrails as possible.Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn`t! I am not in that bad of shape yet, but as I get older I can see myself not able to cover ground as fast as when I was younger, but I sure as heck don`t wan`t to resort to quad hunting! I have worn out a lot of boot soles and thats just the way it is for me. If I have a heart attack and die while out hunting hard then ''Oh Well"', I can`t think of a way I would rather go!I think quads should only be allowed to go where normal vehicles can go! I have no problem with quads for work around the ranch or exploring new country on the roads, just not offroad! I think Game and fish should start cracking down on those guys that take there quads offroad or into wilderness areas. I know I am oldschool, but I am entitled to my opinion! If I have offended anyone than thats to bad. I like to hunt the old fashion way " earn it ''. I think if everyone hunted that way there would be a lot less problems. Good luck this season Coues Addict

[Rembrant]

There have been many times while Elk hunting, archery and rifle, where I, or sometimes my wife and I are out and about before light, hanging tight with some bugling bulls in an effort to be in the right spot come first light - and then the quads start putting into the area. Guess what happens? Yep, the bulls shut up and move off. Elk hate quads more than we do!

Do you know what a quad is most effective at this time of day? Early warning system for big game.

I guess if you never get off of your quad you won't know this.

This seems really strange to me.

Seems like a guy spends thousands for his quad and then feels obligated to ride it all the time, even though it will actually keep him from killing anything.

I don't own one either, and if I did, it wouldn't change the way I hunt.

Mike

[trufletch]

I agree with coues addict. There is a time and place for all things. Personally, i bought a quad last year but only use it in designated areas and don't go off the designated jeep trails. I use it to get from point a to point b in a hurry. I have found that if i am hunting an area and deside I want to be 10 miles elsewhere, the quad works well. I don't hunt off the back of it. Get to an area I want to be in, park it and wear out the leather of my boots. I see too many people that rip thru my camps or in an area that I know doesn't even remotely have a jeep trail near it and shoot off the back. Heck, last year i could have used the quad to go in and get my deer, but because i knew there were other hunters in the area, kept it parked and hauled the deer out to the road. Like the rest of my gear, this is just a tool and if used properly can help out the hunting experience.

 

trufletch

[Manamal]

Last year while bear hunting in 22, I was watching a couple nice coues bucks. I was wishing I had my bow and not the .300 win. Anyways a guy is driving down a completly legal dirt road on his quad, and both bucks slowly lower themselves to the ground behind the vegitation and get back up a while later. It's so cool when they do that!

I have noticed in the last couple years the new wave of road hunters in their camo golf carts. Has anyone else seen these things?

[donniedent]

Yeah I've seen those too. I think with the influx of "new" hunters there are even more interesting things yet to come. Its a tough call sometimes though. If my grandad were to get drawn for the cow hunt he wants, he would deffinately need some other mode of transportation due to 3 hip replacements so I can understand how some guys need them. On the other hand if you are young enough to get in good shape and get off your butt and hunt like the indians, you'd better do it or you'll never feel the satisfaction of getting your butt kicked for 5 days then finally have the work pay off. Or maybe not pay off but at least you did your best. The good thing is that the quad guys will never get to see what we see and they'll never know the country like we know it and they'll never know about those certain little springs that are 5 miles from any road so maybe there is a good side. If the National Forest Service gets these new offroad laws passed I think we'll see alot less of the lazy ones out thier which is good for everyone. Anyway.... thats my 2 cents.

[donniedent]

P.S. I have no issue with utilizing a quad to get closer without having to take the truck in. There are some unmaitained roads that can be heck on a truck. My problem is with the road hunters... no I take that back..... the trail hunters. Get your butts off the bikes and hunt. How would I go about petitioning the NFS to get Big Bug mesa turned into a wilderness area.... any ideas??