Big Tub Report post Posted September 17, 2017 My son got drawn for antelope. He ended up hiring a guide up by Prescott realizing that this may only happen once in a lifetime (dual income - no kids doesn't hurt either). Great hunt, albeit short, FORTUNATELY. We were in a basin with one road in and same way out. We bedded a huge herd of antelope with at least 5 bucks in there, two pretty decent. We were there at dawn and making a move on them. After 4 or 5 stalking attempts without blowing the herd out, he was able to down the one he wanted about 9am. Shortly afterward, this white Ram truck drives in past our truck and goes all the way to the bottom. This is a small area. Walking back to our truck to move it closer to pick up the antelope, I run into another group of guys, this time on a Ranger. I mention I thought it was pretty tacky for the first guys to drive into a small area we were hunting. What do they do? Drive in also! If either one of these groups had come in 15 minutes earlier, we would have been hosed. Neither group actually saw the huge herd we just chased over above them at the top of the basin. While walking into the kill site, I have the herd run above me about 200 yards as the first group apparently boogered them back my way, running right by the tree where I had originally been watching the hunt unfold at the top of the basin. And then coming out with the quartered animal, one of the White Ram guys is sitting underneath the only tree in the neighborhood about 100 yrds from us. He looked pretty silly, as I imagined him saying "where did those guys come from?". And then driving out, the guys in the Ranger are now up there trying to decoy the herd with a Montana decoy. Probably not really effective with a herd with 5 bucks. Stupidity aside as it is hard to become proficient only drawing one or two tags a lifetime, their brash disregard for hunting etiquette and not turning around at our truck is the part I am having trouble with. Comments? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wish2hunt Report post Posted September 17, 2017 That's public hunting land. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost85 Report post Posted September 17, 2017 It sounds like it's a public road. They have the right to drive it if they want. You guys got in there and got your buck killed. The other hunters didn't mess up your hunt. I must be missing something but i don't really understand the gripe i guess 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector777 Report post Posted September 17, 2017 Sounds like just about every public land hunt I've ever been on. If you're close enough to a road and they drive on it that's your problem. They don't know what you have going on or what you're doing. Even more strange you're upset they did this after you shot your animal. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildwoody Report post Posted September 17, 2017 anyway congrats to your son. any pics? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stanley Report post Posted September 17, 2017 Yup. Public land hunting. SO grateful we have the amount of public land that we do here in AZ. This kind of thing can & will happen, but I'll take it gladly as long as I can hunt the amount of land we have access to here in our great state! Congrats to your boy on his buck! S. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted September 17, 2017 Wtf am I reading. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest oneshot Report post Posted September 17, 2017 Congrats to your son BigTub... But if you are anywhere near a road/trailhead, it is up to you to realise you will not be the only one out there and plan accordingly... So if a vehicle is parked, you MUST turn around and go elsewhere or you are a dick??? Same dealy, If someone is parked in a turn-off, you must go somewhere else and cant park there??? I havent a clue where you went, direction/distance, are you sugjesting a 'zone" around which no one may enter/park??? 1/4mile??? 1/2mile??? If you are in a pull-off and you DONT leave a note saying which dirrection you went, dont be surprised if someone else parks there and heads your way, How are they to know where you went??? There are only so many pull-offs, you may have gone 200yds and holed-up, while they plan to go over two ridges... First morning of archery Bear this year, we were the first at the trailhead, another group of 3hunters pulled in, I went over and told them our plan-of-the-day, I think they had the same idea, sugjested another canyon, alittle farther in, and they knew the terrain, bottom line, they got a shot at buck, and killed a Bear in the afternoon, we had a blown stalk, and we werent butting heads with each other.. . Same trailhead the second day, slipping up the trail in the dark, had a singleton hunter and then another two hunters going up the same trail(only trail going up that drainage, except the hiking human trail along the rim, hunting partner said " well craploa, what do we do now, two groups ahead of us???... I said, "we keep heading up-canyon, we dont know their plan, they may be only going a feww 100yds and sitting down to hunt deer"... We let them get ahead of us, and buddy shot his first Bear that afternoon, didnt see the other Hunters... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
el diablo Report post Posted September 17, 2017 It sounds like it's a public road. They have the right to drive it if they want. You guys got in there and got your buck killed. The other hunters didn't mess up your hunt. I must be missing something but i don't really understand the gripe i guess This right here, they drove down a road Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roosevelt Mark Report post Posted September 17, 2017 Welcome to America amigo! Congrats to your son. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted September 17, 2017 Congrats to your son, since you asked for comments hunting close to a road with once and lifetime tag, expect nothing less. My hunter etiquette would be to get away from everyone else so I would not have this problem. Edit: Turning a ranger or truck on s ROAD has nothing to do about hunting ethics, or did I miss something. Ha ha ha sorry I had to ask!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
300RUM Report post Posted September 17, 2017 The key word is Road. It may be used by anyone using that public land for any reason. The fact that you parked off the side of the road in no way ethically closes that road beyond that point. What puzzles me is why a guide would have you hunting right off a road that vehicles may use. I would expect a guide to pick a more remote location where the Hunt is less likely to be interrupted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wish2hunt Report post Posted September 18, 2017 JonLope2.jpg JonLope1.jpg If I were on a dead end road and was not the first in there, the right thing to do is back out. Doesnt sound like you were at the end of the though. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted September 18, 2017 What puzzles me is why a guide would have you hunting right off a road that vehicles may use. I would expect a guide to pick a more remote location where the Hunt is less likely to be interrupted. I would expect a guide to take me where the animals were 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AzDiamondHeat Report post Posted September 18, 2017 Too many variables to have an opinion on that exact scenario. However, if I came in on another hunter I wouldn't have encroached unless I was "passing through". Not only to be courteous but also due to the fact that I have no desire to hunt an area already being hunted(unless I knew the area well and KNEW there was enough room for more than one and KNEW where the other guy was. Last year on an elk hunt I had only walked 50 feet from my truck when another dude pulled right up next to us and got out with his son. I was a little irritated at first but headed towards them to talk to them. Turns out they had been hitting that same area for the last week chasing a bull they had been scouting for months. They also were headed north and I was headed south so no big deal. We traded game plans as to not step on each other and went hunting. We were both happy and made a new friend. It's a big forest. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
