&*!#@* Hunters!

[Jonathan Hanson]

Did I get your attention?

I am a hunter. Not only am I a hunter, I've published articles about guns and hunting, I've written op-eds supporting hunting, and I'm a founding member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. I value hunting as a heritage, as a means to connect with nature, and as a valuable conservation tool.

Yet every season it's exactly the same around our house. The overweight guys show up on ATVs, driving up and down, "scouting." Bud Lite cans sprout on the roadside, along with toilet paper filigree. Trespassing is epidemic, as are ATV and truck tracks across virgin desert. Guys with rifles sit on the hillside 200 yards from our house, apparently hoping one of the deer that come in to our yard for water two or three times a day will wander within range.

It is easy to dismiss this. "Oh, those aren't real hunters." Sorry, guys - those are hunters. They have hunting licenses and rifles. They are the face of hunting seen by most of the public. When I hunt, when the people I know hunt, no one sees us because we are quiet, do not litter, and practice our skills far from the sight or even sound of other's houses.

I think the hunting community is far too dismissive of this problem, out of fear of alienating "fellow" hunters. I disagree. I believe responsible hunters should be doing everything we can to drive this mutant subspecies extinct. Confront them, photograph them and report them, whatever. Hunting (much like backcountry driving) is under enough pressure from outside groups; we don't need to be giving those groups more ammunition from within our own ranks.

Any thoughts?

 

[Skylinerider]

I absolutely agree. This years hunt was one of the worst I can remember simply because of folks like you are describing. I know in Utah, the number of hunters is dropping, and I feel like it is because of the types of people you describe. Most folks just don't want to deal with all the B.S. and stupid people anymore. It's now just me and my father who go hunting out of about 8 or so that used to go out. It's sad.

 

[DaveInDenver]

mutant subspecies

Any thoughts?

I am not a hunter. Not that I'm anti-hunting, just never exposed to it since no one in my family hunted. Although I was almost accidently shot by a hunter, it was my fault since not growing up around hunters I didn't know about these things, deer season and what-not, and that riding a mountain bike during deer season was not smart... He'd heard me and if this had not been the early 1990s with all the ugly anodized blue and purple bike parts and unnatural clothes dyes, I might have been actually shot. None-the-less, I've been around hunters at work and stuff. How sure are you that it's a subspecies? Seems to be a stereotype that has some basis just in my little non-scientific sampling of people I've worked around (and I don't exactly work in a blue collar field). It's just like a lot of things, ATVs and technology have made it easier, so the entry isn't so tough. Head down to the sporting goods store, throw down the credit card, take a hunter safety class and now you are a hunter just like they show on the Saturday morning OLN TV show.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Well, I do know plenty of conscientious hunters. But the mutants are far too numerous, that's for sure.

Almost getting shot while riding a mountain bike is not your fault! A hunter should never even raise his rifle until he's sure of his target. That simply bolsters my point about the number of bozos out there. It's not the duty of non-hunters to stay out of hunters' way during hunting season; it's the duty of the guy with the rifle to stay out of everyone else's way.

 

[calamaridog]

I think the hunting community is far too dismissive of this problem, out of fear of alienating "fellow" hunters. I disagree. I believe responsible hunters should be doing everything we can to drive this mutant subspecies extinct. Confront them, photograph them and report them, whatever. Hunting (much like backcountry driving) is under enough pressure from outside groups; we don't need to be giving those groups more ammunition from within our own ranks.

Any thoughts?

I would caution anyone from confronting armed idiots, however, you should always notify the Fish and Game officials or the County Sheriff of violators. I guess it depends on the behavior, etc. I feel we are all obligated to report violators and I have no reservations about reporting or documenting such behaviors. I have personally reported unlicensed fishermen as well as reporting a suspected poacher.

I have the cell phone number of a DFG Officer who I used to work with. I called in some unlicensed fishermen at one of the reservoirs. He was there within 45 minutes citing them. It was a good feeling:wings: You know how you always wish there was a cop around when you need one?

Hunting near dwellings is tasteless. There is no excuss for it, unless you have permission to be on private property or something, even then, I don't want to see a road or a roof anywhere near my hunting grounds. I certainly fail to get it?

I basically stopped hunting in San Diego because my favorite hunting areas are now an illegal aliens stomping ground - covered with trash and ruined for my lifetime.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Well, I do know plenty of conscientious hunters. But the mutants are far too numerous, that's for sure.

Almost getting shot while riding a mountain bike is not your fault! A hunter should never even raise his rifle until he's sure of his target. That simply bolsters my point about the number of bozos out there. It's not the duty of non-hunters to stay out of hunters' way during hunting season; it's the duty of the guy with the rifle to stay out of everyone else's way.

Well, almost shot is something of a dramatic statement. He did see me, just that I didn't see him. I think he yelled out mostly because us riding through probably spooked any deer that were around. He certainly was not happy in any case.

I'm sure there's lots of good hunters. Just like anything, just takes one to ruin it for the masses. One yahoo with 35" mudders, glasspacks and a case of beer stain 100 mellow OHV users in the eyes of a hiker. I think it's good for you to recognize it and say something. I personally think too often we (true really in all user groups) don't take enough of an active roll trying to police ourselves.

 

[Desertdude]

I got involved in hunting with my dad at a young age. Shot my first deer at age nine in Pennsylvania. I have been around guns and the sport for ten years after that first experience, usually Pheasant, grouse, or deer. What I started to notice was the increasing yahoo factor out in the field. Partially due to the population growth in the areas I lived and hunted. Eventually it just seemed to dangerous to be out in the woods with al the other folks with guns and weekend warrior attitude. So I left the sport and the passion.

I agree TV has played a big part in where it all been going.

...As of late, I've been thinking of experiencing a hunt once again. But I am guessing it will be in some very remote secluded area with a guide.

 

[calamaridog]

...As of late, I've been thinking of experiencing a hunt once again. But I am guessing it will be in some very remote secluded area with a guide.

Exactly!

Remote sounds good

 

[Haggis]

Coming from a family that has hunted not only for the pleasure of it but also back in the day it was our main source of meat, I too am disgusted with this sub species of "sportsman". I believe it stems from the general slide into laziness that our culture as a whole has sprialed down into. Guys to lazy to go any further than their ATV can carry them, or people afraid of the cold so they tool around in their trucks road hunting. Every year it gets worse. Though I feel it is a small percentage of the hunting populace, like Johnathon said they are the ones most visible as the true sportsman are actually out hunting. There has always been a sub section of guys where hunting is just an excuse to go out and party and act like idiots, those are the same guys that tear up the woods in thier 4x4s and Atvs.

Two years ago I was out bear hunting on our property and spotted the nicest buck I ever saw, a 12 point. I scouted out his habits and set up a tree stand on an island in our creek. The first day I was up the stand before light and was set up for him, thinking that the hunters on the Game Lands would push him onto our property where he had been laying low. As soon as it got light I looked back towards the house and could see hunter orange in our campground spot just up from the house. I then got down from the stand and approached the gentleman who was in my campground and asked him what the hell he was doing. "Hunting" he replied. When I informed him that he was on my land and what the hell was he doing hunting 150 yards from my house, he didn't see a problem with it. Upon further questioning I found out he was from Pittsburgh, and when I asked him if he would like it if i stood outside his house with a loaded rifle, he didn't think it was a good idea but yet couldn't make the connection. Besides that he informed me that he bought a hunting license so he could hunt anywhere he liked. I informed him that that license was for public land and did not entitle him to access to any privatily owned land and if he didn't get his fat *ss off my land there was going to be problems. Got his license number, and pionted him towards the Game lands border and made him walk the road and not through my property. After escorting him out, I headed back to my stand just to find someone up in it. Since no one was in my stand this gentleman figured it was O.K. to just commandeer it. Sent him packing towards the boundry also.

My land is not posted because of the trout stream that flows through our acreage. When I was a kid I up and down this stream fishing, hunting, and goofing off and I don't want to deprive some other kid the chance to do the same. But the actions of the last few years get me thinking about posting it. And it's not just hunters, some of the worse offenders are trout fisherman who trash the property every year, ignore the cable across the campground entrance and get their cars stuck, and then there's those that get all drunked up and make *sses out of themselves. I don't even fish the first week of trout season anymore, I find myself policing the grounds and wondering why I keep the property open.

As to what to do about it, I'm not sure. I think challenging them to a duel and mounting their heads on pikes along the property borders would be a deterrent, but civilized society frowns upon that kind of archaic behavior.

 

[Desertdude]

.. Last Sunday while meeting up with Scott Brady for a quick video shoot around table mesa area, we were both driving in our Tacoma's heading to a hill climb. There were a group of harley driving gun toters target practicing. The targets (not sure what they were shooting at) appeared to be us. The shooters where aiming uphill for a couple hundred yards away in our direction with no backstop - the rounds were hitting the ground 20-50 feet away. I radioed Scott and said we need to get out of here...

Needless to say I won't be traveling in that area again.

 

[Rexsname]

Just because it might be frowned upon doesn't make it less effective or even a bad idea. Some people are alive today simply because it's aginst the law to shoot them.

REX

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Yep: Haggis himself is asking for a touch of the rapier if he doesn't quit butchering the spelling of my name . . .

 

[Martyn]

Jonathon, this is no sub species this is the majority. Hunters who abide by guidelines and principals are the sub species.

IMO this is what happens when you allow almost anyone to own a gun. Allowing unfettered gun ownership has it's consequences and this is one of the outcomes.

I would venture to guess that none of the people sited in this thread are technically "Morons" so their IQ doesn't disqualify them from gun ownership.

 

[Desertdude]

Yep: Haggis himself is asking for a touch of the rapier if he doesn't quit butchering the spelling of my name . . .

Martain's next

 

[7wt]

They do it differently in Texas. They set up a timed feeder to get the deer good and trained then sit in a stand so they can make their 50 yard shot with the new 300 WSM. The one thing they have in common is their desire to leave beer cans and various other discarded stuff. The one thing they don't have in common is in Texas there are very few public hunting lands so what little resource is here gets messed up pretty fast. You problem Mr. Hanson (I checked to avoid the rapier) is the mocrowaive society we live in where everyting has to be easy and quick. I am not sure there is any deffense against it either. There is alot of money to be made off hunting licsenses and sale of this years latest and greates 600 yard flat shooter. What ever happened to fair chase? Actually stalking your prey? Bless Tred Barta's soul for putting the way it should be on TV complete with his failures and all.