ironranger

All good points. I've always found that being aware of your surroundings and using common courtesy goes a long way.

I did get ticked off one time though at a incident that happened to a hunting partner of mine. We had walked down into a canyon and up the other mountainside to get to our camp site in prep for an elk hunt. Didn't see anyone else in there so we figured it would be good as we saw bulls and cows on the way up. The next morning he and I split up and headed in opposite directions from camp. At daylight, he saw a bull (shooter) grazing in a meadow and he snuck thru timber at the edge of the meadow to get a closer shot. He got to where he thought he could take a shot only to see the bull heading out the other side of the meadow. He looked up the mountainside to see a hunter standing out in the open. As he made his way thru the timber the other hunter stopped him. His response was "What are you doing up here" and then "We've been hunting here for years". This was public land Colorado and this jerk acted like he owned the place. My buddy shrugged it off and walked away. I wouldn't have been as nice. He was Philadelphia and made it known that we were invading their hunting spots. The nerve of some people.

Aught Six

Slobs are slobs, and I see no difference between residents and non-residents. It's the person, not the state.

dog1

Justhuntitall,

I'm a nonresident when it comes to hunting out west. Don't know about the others, but I would do everything possible to keep from messing up a fellow hunter, out west or here in the south, Georgia. Don't know if I will ever get the chance to hunt out West again, and we're not all the same, but would go out of my way to not mess up another hunter. It's called pride. Not being from out west, I'm sure I would have to rely on some short cuts to improve my odds, but in no way would it be intentional to bother another hunter. I doubt seriously that I could follow a person that lives out west, and would rely heavily on a vehicle of some type to get me in the area, laws providing, but I would stop where I was told to and hunt the rest of the way on foot, knowing full well that my chances are slim, but the hunt is what would matter most to me. I seriously doubt that I would ever be able to get in shape to hunt some of the hunts I have read about, but I dang well would do my best to respect others and the animals I hunt. This may mean using an ATV to get closer than you would, but not any further than the law allows. I know that if I lived, lets say in Colorado, I would be as good a hunter as they come, because I know what is important and fair to me and the animal I hunt.

I know that I am a dang good hunter, all species that we have here, and I would be just as good in another state. I care and respect others and the animal I hunt, no brag, just fact.

dog1
'

dog1

justhuntitall,

Have to make one more reply! When I first started viewing these forums I got irritated because I asked for help and didn't get it. Only after I complained, did I recieve a response.. Some of the responses was positive and some chastised me. For what it matters, I was wrong, I wasn't specific in what I asked. One of the ones' that got on my case was Elkmaster or elkhunter, not sure, but he was on the point. Regardless, and even though I'm from out of state, for the state that I was asking about, they all came thru with some good advice, some I liked and some I didn't. However and even though I was from out of state, they all accepted me for who I was and gave, what I believe was good advice. Didn't matter that I was a non-resident, they came thru, and my hat is off to all of them. Aren't we all non-residents when it comes to the wild woods.

dog1

ELKampMaster

In terms of percentages, I find a higher percentage of non-resident hunters to be superior to resident hunters.... too many of the "resident" hunters are up to "pop an elk" on the weekend and get back to work on Monday. Too many of the resident hunters I see are poorly equipped, don't put the requisite amount of time into the project, and are not real serious about "getting after it" (After all it's just $30 for the tag and $50 for gas.)

Non-resident hunters that I have met for the most part are well equipped, well financed, and dead serious. They show up early, stick together (no slinking out of camp early to drive back to Denver for the "honey do" list) and they stay late until the season is finished and the camp packed up. Most of them are accomplished hunters in their home states and are out west "as icing on the cake" to expand their horizons and "kick their hunting up a notch". Lots of these boys (Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, California and Indiana) rent horses or bring their own and know how to ride. Too many of the residents I see are out on a weekend lark and don't have a clue. Counter intuitive perhaps but that is what I see. Where I hunt, you show me the out-of-state plates and I show you the hard core hunters!

UncleNorby

I have seen my share of idiots in the woods. Probably more were non-resident than resident, but that is only a guess based on those I actually spoke with. One older "gentleman from Mass. who I met after I heard LOTS of shooting. I stood there while two deer ran by and then a third came through but peeled off in a different direction. I was buck hunting, and they were does as far as I could see. Well in a minute or so this guy that resembles a 275 lb pumpkin comes busting along. He's got his finger on the trigger and he's shaking and sweating. He asks me if I saw his deer. I said I saw some come by. I asked what he had shot at and did he hit one. He said he didn't know because after the first shot he was just shooting at tails. He said he had run in the direction they headed, but had now lost the "trail". I said that two went one way and another went over that way. I told him where the trail was. He looked at me like He had no clue how to follow a bloodtrail anyway. I helped him trail the one that headed off alone, and sure enough there was blood, but it was clearly a gut shot. We found the deer after a 100 yds or so, it was laying in a small wet area. He had to shoot twice from 50 yds to finish it off. He made one hell of a mess dressing it out, and then I had to tell him how to find the road. I told him he had be sure to wash it out quickly to minimize spoilage. He said he didn't plan on eating it so it didn't matter. I think he expected me to help him drag but I told him I had to get going. I asked if he was going to check to see if he had hit any of the others, and he said he didn't need to check because he had his deer. That was the worst encouter I ever had.

Another guy from Mass. I met was the exact opposite. I was dragging a deer out a logging road at dark and he gave me a hand. We talked on the way and I learned he owned a vehicle I always saw parked in the same spot. This guy hunted all day dark to dark and shot only mature bucks. He left his 4 wheeler in the truck and only used it for getting a deer out. He told me where his stand was (at least a mile in), and even said I could use it after he was tagged out. He was a real nice guy and a good hunter. Makes no difference where you are, you get all kinds.

dog1

ELKampMaster,

In my last reply I mentioned that I was chastised because of my ignorance on hunting out west. You was one of the ones' that got on my case. Want you to know that I appreciate your comments and forums. Needless to say, I acted hastily and I'm sorry for my ignorance. Keep hunting my friend and keep posting about your hunts, for what it's worth, I envy you and the others that can when I can't.

dog1

ELKampMaster

I remember you and to tell you the truth, I liked your "plucky" attitude; you kinda struck me as the kind of guy that could easily just "tough it out" if that was what was required. Yeah, hunting on public land versus hunting where you have property owner rights is a little different "ball game" and how people act/react is a little different given their vulernabilites (sp?) on public land. However, I have no doubts that you and your boys can hold your own "out west" especially since you already "warmed it up" on deer in the same general area (no pun intended for that 'hot season' you hunted in 2003).

On a side note, if you are in a caregiver situation for someone, then God bless you and may all go as well as possible. Blood is thicker than water for a reason.

Good Luck
EKM

justhuntitall

BrutalAttack


We finaly agree on something very well said.




To everyone I was not exspecting the responce I thought I was going to get . I thought I would get a lot of negitive post .

I live in IL. and most of the people here(at least where I live) dont like out of staters .
But most of them dont hunt out of state so you cant talk any sence in them.

Ive been treated well where ever Ive hunted ,I once help a man from Wy. track and find a gutshot elk he invited me and my two friends to hunt on his leased ground what a guy.

Thanks everyone.

BrutalAttack

I'm sure we agree on lots of things. It's just finding them is the hard part.