A minority of hunters can give the rest a bad name.

[jonsidneyb]

I am not anti-hunting. I just want to make that clear up front.

I do think in all groups of people it is easier to remember the bad ones and a bad reputation can result.

If you know anyone hunters that do some really bad practices let them know it is bad for hunting.

The small minority of hunters that will shoot into fences on private lands (1 acre lot) at the edge of the woods are not doing a good thing. Also a dog is not a deer and is of no threat when behind a fence. Tell those that would shoot a cow that that is also a bad practice.

 

[Nitrogen]

My folks, before I was born, had a lot of land in Minnesota.

There was a hunter that would constantly poach on their land. My folks, being somewhat gun ignorant were turned into full-blown antis because they kept catching this guy on their land. He finally got the message when one of their dogs chased him into a lake.

This one idiot turned my parents into anti-gunners. I wonder how often this happens.

 

[Rembrandt]

A few bad apples being the problem? I'm not sure your premise is correct. I've been a Hunter Education instructor for nearly 20 years, always hopeful that the majority of people will act ethically and responsibly. As a land owner I see more problem hunters than good ones.

Much as a shark goes into a blood frenzy....I think the majority of hunters get wrapped up into a competitive fervor that makes them loose their ethical compass. Fewer law enforcement officers have also contributed to the feeling that these bad hunters can get away with it.

 

[Grumulkin]

As a landowner, I've seen my share of jerk hunters and if I weren't a hunter, they would have made me an anti.

In Ohio, one needs WRITTEN permission to be hunting on someone else's property and the land does't have to be posted. One cannot even pursue wounded game onto another's property without permission. If I catch someone hunting without permission on my land, they probably won't be talking to me first but to a game warden or sheriff.

 

[Kingcreek]

I think there are more good than bad. The good guys aren't as noticeable and the slobs seem to show up everywhere.
I have a desirable piece of land and it's posted. The ethical hunters either keep driving, or look me up and ask permission. The slobs road hunt and tresspass. If I catch them they get an a$$chewing, if they get an attitude with me or repeat thier sins they get reported to the CP. (I keep a notebook in my truck with date, description, vehicle, lic #.)
Last year when we had alot of snow, the ringnecks were flocked up and hanging out by the gravel road for sunshine and grit when I heard 2 shots. I jumped in the truck and got there just in time to catch a young guy climbing back over my fence with a rooster he had shot from the road. (His hulls were laying in the road.) I gave him hell until I could see he felt about bad enough, and he apologized and offered me the bird. I told him to take it home and eat it and think about how how got it. It won't taste as good as he expected.
I've been hunting a long time and I have no problem giving a sermon to a slob hunter, where ever I run across them. If it's on public land or other private land, I'll let the proper people know there is a problem.
Slob hunters have the potential to do more damage to the sport than PETA. I see every infraction as a "teaching oportunity".

 

[eliphalet]

Far more good than bad guys out there, but it only takes a bad apple or two to ruin the whole barrel. Gates left open, stock shot, I Personaly have had dogs unloaded in almost, (10 feet away) my front yard when all you needed to do was drive another quarter mile. quail hunters hit our front door with bb's once. I have been hit buy quail hunters and had pheasant shot land all around me, Have stood with a rancher while he watched with binoculars some idiots on a ATV mow down a barbwire fence for no reason but to get across. ATV's and 4X4's tearing up the landscape in muddy conditions when they should stay on the road even when it's dry. Shall I go on or is that enough? Plinkers and target shooters are the worse. They bring all kinds of junk to shoot and leave it. There are several places I can no longer hunt or even get past a locked gate beacuse of fools like above mentioned. It is a real problem and it only takes .05% or less to ruin it for all of us.

 

[Aries-]

the minority of ANY group can and will give the majority a bad name. its generaly a fact of life. good things dont make news. bad things do. there could be 1000 people in a group, and 1 person in that 1000 does something freaking stupid, that will make news and give the other 999 people in the group a bad image.

its a pain. but really not much can be done to prevent it. can just do damage controll and show that the actions of the few dont represent the actions of the many.

 

[Picknlittle]

When I was a younger feller, living at home on a Ky. farm, there were these two particular men that poached our farm and I do mean blatantly, in the open without remorse. We called the local game warden , and as it turns out he was a bit afraid of these guys just because of a stated reputation.

I approached one of them in town one day. I asked him what kind of truck he would buy next. He was puzzled I supposed, shrugged and replied that he didn't need another truck. I replied,..."but you will soon". I smiled and walked away.

Sure enough, I make my daily trip down to the pond to check on the cattle and there about 300 yds from me was this familiar blue chevy 4x4 pickup complete with mud flaps, riser blocks and big old mudder tires.

What a fine target that chevy provided whilst I practiced a bit of 30-06 bench rest shooting from the seated position in the back of my dodge truck.

I'm sorry to say there were no tv like explosions, or tires blowing up before going flat, or explosions as the 180 gr bullets pierced windshield, glass, door, hood and fenders, but thas an occasional satisfying slap/crack/twang as bullets richocheted (sp) off engine block, etc.

It seems I was clairvoyant concerning his pending truck purchase.

I didn't have to tell him that was a practice round,...I think he understood. The poaching stopped, as did the bullying that he and his friend were so famous for.

Ahh,...them was the dayz!

 

[langenc]

Are they really 'hunters"?? or criminals.

 

[eliphalet]

Picknlittle,

I love it,,

Knew a guy 30 years ago, he was bad at sneaking into private ponds and fishing. He got back to his car once and all the tires were flat and the valve stems gone. He complained about it and we all told him he was lucky it coulda been a lot worse. Wish he was around now to let him read that post.

 

[BayouTeche77]

Picknlittle,

My mom always told me not to encourage bad behavior, BUT she lives two hours away, soooo....WAY TO GO, TEACHING THOSE RAT S.O.B.S. A LESSON, IF MORE MEN WOULD STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MESS AS A COUNTRY...feels good.

Also, wait for the onslaught of "Better than Thou" remarks surely to follow, telling how that is wrong, illegal, not highroad, makes you a big meanie, etc. Just thought you should be prepared.

 

[Picknlittle]

BayouTeche, I'm a big boy. Besides, we gave the authorities a chance to deal with it and they didn't. The guys were know to be bullies and most folks were afraid of them.

My dad was concerned about retaliation. I figured if I made my point well enough they'd get it, that I can be retaliatory to. This all took place in 71 or 72 so it was a long time ago. I don't know that if circumstances were the same that I'd do any different today.

They were poachers and thugs. They weren't going to the the law. I just did what seemed necessary at the time.

 

[Grumulkin]

I'm sorry to say there were no tv like explosions, or tires blowing up before going flat, or explosions as the 180 gr bullets pierced windshield, glass, door, hood and fenders, but thas an occasional satisfying slap/crack/twang as bullets richocheted (sp) off engine block, etc.

The best story I've heard in awhile!!!

 

[MrDig]

I hate to hear about the poachers and treaspassers, I am aware they are the minority, but the General Population thinks otherwise. Kind of like the General Population thinks gun owners are criminals or nutjobs like the VT guy.

 

[Picknlittle]

I really think this sentiment is a regional thing. City folks may not understand the need for firearms, unless they are business owners or such, but in rural areas and smaller towns near good hunting and recreational shooting, most wouldn't understand not having at least a shotgun around.

As a kid on the farm I kept a rifle and shotgun in a rifle rack in my truck. I've had to kill wild dogs after calves, rogue pigs, and of course the occasional truck. It's all about takin care of the place and the livelihood.

 

[p35]

Which brings up one of my pet peeves: shooting at signs along the road! Most of the signs around my area have bullet holes in them, often with a house right behind them. The county doesn't bother to replace them unless/until they're illegible. You might as well stencil an addition to the sign saying "gun owners are irresponsible slobs!" I'm sure no one on this board would do this, but it makes all of us look really bad!

 

[Aries-]

had a guy trying to poach on my property once. my mom was headed down into the back 40 to bodge some trails for her and my dad to ride through on our horses.
she gets to the gate down the back and there is a car parked infront of the driveway to the gate. she stops. gets of the tracktor and looks inside the car and see's a open gun case.

she yells "you have the count of 10 to get out of the forest and get the hell off my property."
got on the tracker counted to 10 yelling. got to 8 and revved the tractor up to full rpb, and slammed the loader onto the ground. the guy comes hightailing it out of the forest without a gun . my mom lowes the rpm so she can hear him. he says "i not hunting i not hunting. i looking for mushrooms" my mom says "i see an empty gun case in your car. if you dont have a gun. then any gun i find out in the forest where you came from i can crush under the blade of the loader, cant i ?". the guy trudged back to the forest got his shotgun and left.

another time a car was parked there (popular place for poachers annoyingly) and my mom took the valves out of each of his tires. called the cops and gave them to the cop. the cop was laughing. left her card on the windshield and said "if you want your valves back give me a call"
oddly he never called the cop. wonder how he got home. this was before cellphones were common (more like the big bulky early 80's portable phones)

 

[wolfe28]

Robo-Deer will see you.

This isn't my story, but it is true, and it kind of fits. DJ is a member of the law enforcement community in central PA. When he was a kid, my uncle was one of the men in the community that always looked out for him, because he needed a little extra help. Now, since my uncle is in his 80's, it's DJ's turn (helped him get to his seats at Penn State Football games, etc).

Anyway, DJ has told several stories about Robo-Deer, a concrete deer that is about 25 yards off the road. Robo-Deer has a video camera in the nose, and is covered with deer hide and has a decent rack. Robo-Deer has absorbed several rounds each year from road hunters, and then sends them a fairly healthy ticket. It's great to hear him describe how they try an lie their way out of it, until he shows them the pictures.

D

p.s. I'd love to hear GooseGestapo chime in on this thread, I believe he is a former game warden.

p.s.s. Pickenlittle, good for you. In the same situation, I'd probably do the same.

 

[Art Eatman]

Several ranchers on a dirt county road got a retired game warden deputized. They'd hire him during deer season to live in a little travel trailer not far from the pavement and keep an eye on comings and goings of stray vehicles.

Somebody accidentally hit a fairly good buck with his pickemup. The warden gutted it and stuffed it with hay. Braced the legs with rebar. Set it in an oat patch. Lots of funny stories--and tickets--brought about by that "trophy". One guy, one night, couldn't believe he was "missing" the buck. Shot, emptied, reloaded, shot, emptied, got a ticket...

Years back I was sorta speculating on just where I'd sit and hunt, not long before daylight. I'd about figured on just ground-sitting, when I heard a boundary-fence wire creak. I moved to the woods road and leaned against a tree. Pretty soon, sure enough, I heard a fella easing along the trail. Do you have any idea how high a fella can levitate when a voice from about two feet away says, "GOOD MORNIN'!"? I read from the Scriptures for a bit, and he left. I sorta halfway hoped he had a newspaper to sit on, for the benefit of his car seat...

Art

 

[koja48]

Let's face it, a small number of people give the human race a bad name . . .

 

[jeepmor]

Let's face it, a small number of people give the human race a bad name . . .

And the media seems bent on pointing them out, not the ethical types.