Idahoans do not like out-of-state hunters

ODB

WKR
Joined
Mar 24, 2016
Messages
3,795
Location
N.F.D.
Not sure where you were but getting cussed out for hunting doesnt surprise me. I went to a meeting with idfg and a local subdivision that backed up to public land several years ago, same attitude. A lot of the people there were retirees who didn’t want any hunting within a mile of highway 75 because “people shouldn’t shoot deer and elk so close to town.” I just assumed it was bored people looking for something to complain about.

But these same people, say in Blaine county, will build a subdivision in an area that has so many elk hanging out they have signs telling you to slow at night; that there can be traffic jams as 100+ head of elk move from one small field across the road to a larger field that now has signs advertising the new development... but... they care for the animals so much....
 

OutHeavy

FNG
Joined
Jul 18, 2020
Messages
69
Location
Altamont, CA
Today I was leaving a trail and I had a guy rip and roaring on a 4-wheeler, most likely scaring all the elk away, flip me off.
There are people literally getting killed in football stadiums for wearing the wrong jersey and you're upset because your out-of-state state plate brought a predictable hand gesture. Grab a little perspective, tighten up your boots and keep hunting. You'll get over it.
 
Joined
Aug 9, 2017
Messages
898
Location
Montana
I will say the Idaho State troopers love pulling over California plates. Been pulled over twice going the
speed limit on my way to Montana. Each time they just checked my registration, looked inside the truck and let me go. The last time the trooper asked me if I was smoking pot. I wasn't and I don't. He asked me when the last time I smoked pot was. I responded....30 yrs ago. He let me go on my way.

I just make it a point to drive the speed limit in Idaho.
We call it policing for profit. They do it to us clean cut Montana guys too.
 

Tourguide

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 10, 2021
Messages
124
I am not saying OP is making things up but when I read it this came to mind.

If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole.​

Fo sho!
 

Godsdog

FNG
Joined
Sep 25, 2023
Messages
5
Location
Humboldt County, Nevada
I grew up in Idaho. I've hunted everything that you can hunt in Idaho, nearly. I moved to another state when I got back from overseas Military and still hunt in Idaho. I don't like out of state hunters very well myself. So, now, as an out of state hunter in Idaho, I get flak from some "Dude" Resident WHO JUST MOVED INTO IDAHO FROM CALIFORNIA five years before??? Fellas, that ain't gonna fly. I do see that the hunting in Idaho has morphed into a mess from what it was back in the 40's, 50's and 60's. Now not only do we have three times the hunting pressure from hunters but the damned Government throwed in a Pack of Wolves to boot and half of the areas I used to hunt don't have but a portion of the game population it used to have. We joined the RMEF to build up Elk herds and then the government feeds the fruits of our labor to the damned Wolves! Buy a Wolf tag? The State should give us FREE Wolf Tags when we buy a big game tag!
 
Joined
Jul 18, 2023
Messages
445
Buy a Wolf tag? The State should give us FREE Wolf Tags when we buy a big game tag!
Actually there should be a bounty on them. They are a Non-indigenous species. People should be in jail over that whole mess. What would happen to John Doe if he introduced a non-indigenous species?
 

Swamp Fox

WKR
Joined
Oct 20, 2022
Messages
720
Two guys are driving through South Carolina when they get pulled over by the Highway Patrol. The trooper swaggers up, and raps on the window with his nightstick.

The driver rolls down his window and the trooper smacks him in the head with the stick!

The guy yells, "Why'd you do that?" holding his head in both hands.

The trooper says, "You're in South Carolina, son. When I pull you over, you'll have your license ready and your window down!"

The driver says, "I'm sorry, officer, I'm not from around here." The trooper runs a check on the guy's license, and he's clean. He gives the guy his license back and walks around to the passenger side and taps on the window. The passenger rolls his window down, and the trooper smacks him with the nightstick!

The passenger cries out. "What’d you do that for?!?"

The trooper tells him, "Just making your wishes come true, sir. I know that two miles down the road you're gonna turn to your buddy over there and tell him, 'I wish that son of a bitch would've tried that with me!' "

"Have a nice day, gentlemen ... "
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2016
Messages
1,018
Location
SW Idaho
Bummer you ran into some assholes. As a resident I understand the notion that the place is being flooded (at one point I was convinced WA was completely out of elk and sent everyone here), but I know most NR guys aren’t here to ruin things. They want the same things we are all after. Everyone I’ve talked to from out of state has been nice enough to me, as I always am to them.


Also… where are the residents that give out all this great information? I’ve worked my entire ass off for the last 7 years, lost 70-80lbs cumulatively (the same 10ish lbs I lose each season from running mountains multiple days each week ‘looking for where the elk are’), and continually season my soup with elk tags. Maybe I’ll put out of state plates on just to get some good advice hahaha 😂
 
Last edited:

MTtrout

WKR
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
Messages
362
Location
Western Montana
Sounds like you boys in Idaho have some troubles on your hands. But also I can’t believe how many people have had negative conflicts will in the woods…that’s troublesome
 

Chris_in_Idaho

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 20, 2021
Messages
297
That's why I take my Louisiana plate off my truck, and put a piece of cardboard that says "License applied for". Works in every state.
That would just mean you're moving here which is actually worse in some people's book.
WA gets the same reaction around here.
For sure. Especially since covid when WA shut down all their parks and tried to keep people inside houses, everyone came over to idaho to go outside. You couldn't launch a boat anywhere because every facility was full of WA license plates.
Even Idahoans are NR's someplace...
The difference is they typically can't afford to go hunt there.
Shoot I made my first trip to North Idaho this last summer… heck I get it man. I’m a Co kid born and raised and I get my hackles up with what my state has become. Stayed on Lake Hayden, I had no idea what beautiful was, I would be pissed that my home town has essentially been sold and bought by developers and outsiders who want to make it in their image… crap sucks. Seems like that is the world we live in now… it’s the worst. They won’t be happy till they cut roads and trails through every hill and have a Starbucks on every corner…
Word to the wise, some lake names put the name first and others put lake first. If you say "Lake Hayden" it sounds weird to locals and will lead to "where you from?" conversations. Example: Spirit Lake, Hayden Lake, Jewel Lake, Hauser Lake, Avondale Lake... Versus: Lake Coeur d'Alene, Lake Fernan, Lake Pend Oreille, etc.

And, you're right.
 

ShootOkHuntWorse

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 23, 2020
Messages
170
That would just mean you're moving here which is actually worse in some people's book.

For sure. Especially since covid when WA shut down all their parks and tried to keep people inside houses, everyone came over to idaho to go outside. You couldn't launch a boat anywhere because every facility was full of WA license plates.

The difference is they typically can't afford to go hunt there.

Word to the wise, some lake names put the name first and others put lake first. If you say "Lake Hayden" it sounds weird to locals and will lead to "where you from?" conversations. Example: Spirit Lake, Hayden Lake, Jewel Lake, Hauser Lake, Avondale Lake... Versus: Lake Coeur d'Alene, Lake Fernan, Lake Pend Oreille, etc.

And, you're right.
Never heard Lake Fernan but yea. Lake Hayden is odd. Like saying SpoCane
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2023
Messages
15
Location
Wisconsin
I've not had a negative experience with Idaho residents while hunting out there. Always been cordial, sharing stories and what we saw where. I only bow hunt there, not sure if that matters though but it's probably just the people I've run into. Run in to people hunting elk, sheep and deer while I'm chasing elk and everybody was just awesome to chat with.

Now back home, different story. Most out of state hunters I run in to are hostile as hell to me as an in-state hunter. Especially so when they are trespassing and I politely let them know they are a few hundred yards out of the public lands. Even worse if you are hunting public land.
 
Joined
Dec 3, 2022
Messages
66
The reason I left most social media groups. The drama and the hate. I do this site and ifish.
I’m a transplant to Sw Idaho and always confirm to them I’m not local…Not all but a lot are like me. Transplants…..I have been treated good by all but I feel I’m a pretty good person who loves the land/rivers and wants to keep it pristine. I constantly clean up garbage in the outdoors so I’m doing my part. A lot of people just don’t respect our public lands nation wide.

Anyways there Are Good people everywhere mixed with a few bad apples.

I do understand why people are upset though with out of staters. Same thing that happened in Sw Washington with all the growth, cost of living increases and the liberal ways. People where I’m from used to hate out of state plates while hunting/fishing especially California!!!! Back when elk hunting was good near Mount St Helens I ran into a lot of out of state people there and it was upsetting. I get it…
The great thing about this country is that we still have a choice where to hunt if you want to PAY. We have a choice where to live and work and play.

Derrick


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Messages
332
The reason I left most social media groups. The drama and the hate. I do this site and ifish.
I’m a transplant to Sw Idaho and always confirm to them I’m not local…Not all but a lot are like me. Transplants…..I have been treated good by all but I feel I’m a pretty good person who loves the land/rivers and wants to keep it pristine. I constantly clean up garbage in the outdoors so I’m doing my part. A lot of people just don’t respect our public lands nation wide.

Anyways there Are Good people everywhere mixed with a few bad apples.

I do understand why people are upset though with out of staters. Same thing that happened in Sw Washington with all the growth, cost of living increases and the liberal ways. People where I’m from used to hate out of state plates while hunting/fishing especially California!!!! Back when elk hunting was good near Mount St Helens I ran into a lot of out of state people there and it was upsetting. I get it…
The great thing about this country is that we still have a choice where to hunt if you want to PAY. We have a choice where to live and work and play.

Derrick


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Luckily us Washingtonians don’t have to worry much anymore about out of state hunters


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

gelton

WKR
Joined
May 15, 2013
Messages
2,511
Location
Central Texas
Speaking of people hating on non-residents - I have a story from this years elk hunt that encapsulates this issue, while also looking at the good side of things. I, for one, feel more hate for NR on forums like this one than IRL. It is sort of like how people talk to others on FB etc, and say things they would never say to someone's face.

So I drew a limited entry elk tag in CO for archery elk. My wife and I went up in July and thoroughly scouted the area. We put out 3 trail cams and the area that showed the most promise was probably the most beautiful camping spot that we had found it also offered a great opportunity for glassing as it was at the bottom of a big basin.

Lucky for us, when my father and I drove up during hunting season, one of the camping spots there was still available. There were actually 3 fire rings in this particular area but one of them had an RV there, and a trailer with a 4 wheeler but no one was actually there.

So we picked the middle of the two fire rings, while our "neighbor" was on the opposite side.

First-morning hunt, I head up into the basin before first light. My father was with me but by the time we got to the trailhead, he realized he forgot something so I headed out solo. About mid-day, I hear someone popping off rounds. Some sounded like target practice but others were like emptying magazines. At the time I thought nothing of it - like literally didn't spend a second thinking about it.

I hunt until dark, get back to camp, and check on my dad. Everything was fine, we ate a quick dinner and tried to get some rest. The next morning before heading out I drew my bow and noticed my peep site was twisted...it had moved on the string from the hunt the day before. So I stick around past daylight to see if I can get it sorted out.

While I am shooting, our "neighbor" (a resident) walks up to me and starts apologizing. For what I wasn't sure, but he said he was an angry man and needed to change his ways and that he was being an asshole yesterday but God told him to come over and apologize.

It took me a while to even understand what the guy was apologizing for, but it turns out, he drew a sheep tag that took him 20 years to draw and he was upset that we were in "his" camping area and hunting "his" basin where he had already glassed up a few sheep, and it was him that was shooting all those rounds.

The funny thing was, that it didn't even bother me in the slightest that someone was firing rounds several miles away from where I was focusing on elk that morning my dad had a laugh when I told him and he said that while it was happening he was just chuckling to himself that someone would waste all that ammo.

Turns out, the guy helped us quite a bit. Gave us one pointer for a hunting area that didn't pan out, but I also blew out the ball joint on my truck and he drove me halfway around the unit with a pack full of backpacking gear so that I could backpack into an area where I had found elk while my dad limped into the nearest town to get a repair.

We have ended up texting and emailing each other several times since then and to repay the favor I helped him with a few waypoints for his friend who has a tag for first rifle.

It's kind of like most of America and the world in general - all of us have a lot in common, but it's the superficial things that divide us - especially on the internet.
 

lif

WKR
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
731
I’ve hunted Idaho 4 times. My experiences were great except my last one. Myself and a buddy and his father, were whitetail hunting in Idaho a few years ago. My buddy killed a smoker whitetail. Real big. We took it to the local taxidermist to get that process started. The taxidermist started the conversation by asking where we were from. When we revealed we were from another state, he told us he would not work on our animal. Then literally started chewing our ass because us stupid out of staters come up here and killed a bigger buck than he had in his 29 years of hunting Idaho. I thought there was going to be a fist fight for a minute. I’d never seen someone act quite like that with the reasoning he had. Zero provoking. Just pure hate and craziness. We told the story to locals at a restaurant we ate at, and they told us that people from Idaho hate people from Washington 1st, people from Boise 2nd, and people from California 3rd. It was a bizarre trip to say the least. But like I said, my other trips we met real good people and had no problems.
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2021
Messages
405
Location
Montana
I have met some really nice guys while hunting out of state and have met some real assholes while hunting my own.

I like to stop and talk to folks too. I like to think we are all on the same team but unfortunately that’s not always the case.

Unfortunately I’m seeing the same behavior in the small town I live in. Just in everyday life. New folks moving in and locals treating them bad. Yes some people move in and are easy to hate but Some of the locals suck too. But I have three new neighbors and they are some of the greatest people I know. All moved here during Covid from out of state. I think all folks deserve respect.
 
Top