Backcountry Rant: What Not To Do!

[actionshooter]

I look at it this way... If people didn't do dumb things, the success rates would be to high and that would be less opportunity for everyone else....

 

[CJohnson]

It's not really backcountry, but here in SC when you hog hunt with dog's on public land there's a big problem with people cutting their catch dogs loose after another person's dogs have bayed up. Then it comes down to which group of overweight, middle-aged guys can sprint through the swamp and get to the dogs first then argue about who gets to stab the pig with an oversize bowie knife from wal-mart. I'm not really into the scene, but I've been present for several episodes and it's quite entertaining. Somewhere out there, a reality TV exec is missing out.

 

[Tiny1685]

Nothing changes it will happen again best thing to do is get over it. Hahaha

 

[robtattoo]

It's not really backcountry, but here in SC when you hog hunt with dog's on public land there's a big problem with people cutting their catch dogs loose after another person's dogs have bayed up. Then it comes down to which group of overweight, middle-aged guys can sprint through the swamp and get to the dogs first then argue about who gets to stab the pig with an oversize bowie knife from wal-mart. I'm not really into the scene, but I've been present for several episodes and it's quite entertaining. Somewhere out there, a reality TV exec is missing out.

That'll get you quietly fed to the gators where I hunt in Florida.

 

[Blinddog]

My buddy and I back packed into our zone and got to our ridge an hour or so before first light. We noticed a group of three headlamps from way down the hill coming from our right. We flashed our headlamps at them to let them know we were there and got responses (flashes back). Their headlamps disappear very shortly after and I assumed the went down a different ridge.

Sure enough about 15 minutes after shooting light I spot a nice buck about 650 yards in front of me, work my way to a ridge that should lead to an easy 250 yard shot.

Everything was perfect, wind, temp, and it was quiet. Right as we got to the ridge we hear 6 gun shots from right next to us. We hit the deck and after a moment hear a bunch of shouting. The guys who flashed turned off their headlamps and sat 400 yards in front of us just out of sight. All three of them took 2 shots trying to get that buck.

It was very frustrating they they turned their headlamps off to sneak in front of us...and they got the buck. haha

I have had this happen so many times - pack in 1 1/2 to 2 miles set up camp, get up and get on your point and then just before daylight guys walk in, you flash them your location and they flash you back and then they sit down and hunt in front of you. Then when they leave they walk right up the middle of the clearing you were watching. Biggest dick move ever. Normally locals trying to piss you off due to most locals do not spike camp.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

I was stalking a group of caribou in a well known walk-in only area, at about 300 yards from the caribou there was a small rise I was aiming for. I get to the top and I’m just laying down when bullets start flying from the next ridge back. At least 10 rounds flew past, nothing looked to be hit.

After changing my pants, I ranged the hill they were on, it was 350 yards, so 650 yards, offhand. I decided to hike on in a few miles to get away from the crowd.

Bullets sound pretty funny going over your head.

Gotta love that sonic crack!

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Drag up a chair for this one boys.

This is a southern woods story. For most of the hunting we do here it's a stand or climbing stand proposition. My bud and I used to make a seasonal trek to Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge to deer hunt. It was a meat hunt and just a guys getaway more than anything else. We were to be there for an afternoon hunt, one full day hunt and one more morning hunt. On a morning hunt it's most common to get into the woods and situated at least 30 minutes before legal shooting light and stay in the stand 'til at least 9 in the morning. In the afternoon it's customary to be settled in by about 330 and to stay in the tree until 30 minutes after sunset. The best hunting is 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

On the first afternoon we met a group of 4 guys with mountain bikes that were using the same access fire break we were. It's public land, so it's not unusual to share access points. We asked them what general area they were going to so that we could kinda veer off in a different direction. They told us, and we told them where we were going to be. We even told them we would be there all the next day and the following morning. They were nice guys and seemed to get that the spirit of the discussion was so that we could stay out of each others way. They headed out in front of us.

Right about sunset we hear tree stands jacking down trees, then they gathered into their peloton of mountain bikers and talked at the top of their lungs all the way out. The next morning we were in our trees an hour before sunrise. The sky was starting to get light, the morning was quiet, crisp and cold. It was shaping into a good day. Then the rolling party came plowing through, but this time they set up on our side of the break. One of them was about 300 yards from me but out of sight. They mad an ungodly amount of noise getting jacked up in the trees. And about 8 am they took their party on the road again. This happened again that evening and again our final morning.

Our fault for not bailing on that area. I met up with my bud on the fire break that final morning on the way out. We lamented over the gaggleffuukk of losers we had to contend with. At one point on the hike out I had to take a leak. I walked to the edge of the break and whizzed over the ledge. Surprisingly we had beat the other hunters out that morning, and one of them had secreted his bike there below the ledge. When I was wrapping my business, my bud announced he had to take his morning dump. I half jokingly suggested that he schidt in the guy's handlebar bag.

I kicked back waiting for my bud. He's a fair skinned blonde guy. When he popped up over the ledge his face was red, he was emitting his trademark chuckle and his eyes were watering. I said "tell me you didn't."

"Oh yes I did." He creaked out of the laughter. I asked him what was in the bag. He slumped to the ground in hysterical laughter and told me the guy's sandwich was in there. I laughed so hard I had a 2 day headache.

 

[Jakerex]

You mean you aren't supposed to walk up the center of the basin you are hunting in the dark? I've been doing this all wrong

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[WKR]

7-8 years ago on the opener at Tule Lake on the california/Oregon border I made it to one of the better “holes” in the lake. The holes are cut out of the tules that cover most of the lake. It’s a giant race with surface mud motors. I made the run by myself and put out all our decoys. I ran back to grab my dad, buddy and dog and as I was leaving the hole I passed another boat coming in. No big deal, he’s going to go through the hole to another one. When we get back 30 min later he had tossed all my decoys in the tules and set his out. After yelling at eachother we set up on the downwind side of them, the hole is 50 yards by 20 yards. Of course we shot almost every bird that came in. I still don’t understand what they were thinking, knowing I had just set all the decoys and was obviously coming right back. The tule lake opener was always a fun duck hunt, but man was it stressful. I’ve never seen so many yelling, almost fist fights in my life.

It's really a bummer that Tule/Klamath ain't what it used to be. I remember going up there for the early season junior hunt every year. Shot a $100 double banded mallard there. Plus limits everyday no problem. But that was probably 15 years ago.
Nowadays between the lack of water and botulism outbreak it's just kinda depressing.

 

[robby denning]

The most common idiocy on display is dudes pitching tents in prime early and evening elk and deer feeding areas. I see it every year, tents in or directly adjacent to meadows, open basins/bowls, or right above timberline on grassy benches or skyline ridges. For folks new to hunting trying to learn, dont make camp in the above mentioned microhabitats unless you can really tuck in between some rock cliffs, thick veg etc...Better yet, give yourself a chance and get your tents and nightime mtn house farts out of the zone!

That’s the one I see happening the most


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[Cfranski]

The most common idiocy on display is dudes pitching tents in prime early and evening elk and deer feeding areas. I see it every year, tents in or directly adjacent to meadows, open basins/bowls, or right above timberline on grassy benches or skyline ridges. For folks new to hunting trying to learn, dont make camp in the above mentioned microhabitats unless you can really tuck in between some rock cliffs, thick veg etc...Better yet, give yourself a chance and get your tents and nightime mtn house farts out of the zone!

Saw a group of guys set up a big camp right on a great ridge the other day. Just had to laugh and move on

 

[hunterted67]

I'm sure I have done my share of stomping around the woods in my early days. Now I just hunker down and do the watching.
Reading these stories has been fun. I do remember a day duck hunting. It was a blue bird afternoon, no birds flying and we were just laying on the island relaxing. Watching this guy stalking near us, when all of a sudden he shoots one of our decoys. After some yelling he apologized and slinked off.
I don't duck hunt anymore do to the craziness that go on out at the refuges these days.

 

[Ucsdryder]

It's really a bummer that Tule/Klamath ain't what it used to be. I remember going up there for the early season junior hunt every year. Shot a $100 double banded mallard there. Plus limits everyday no problem. But that was probably 15 years ago.
Nowadays between the lack of water and botulism outbreak it's just kinda depressing.

oh man!!! Those jr hunts were the best! 25 years ago I was doing those hunts. You could stay late after the marsh closed. Those birds new when shoot time was over and would come bombing in without a worry in the world! My dad got me a new shotgun on the first JR hunt of the season. 2 boxes of shells later I didn’t kill one bird. My shoulder hurt like hell! The good old days!!!!!

 

[Gobbler36]

These are constant reminders of why inviting everyone to “come get their organic meat” might be a bad idea

 

[TheGDog]

I would like to apologise for setting up downwind of other waterfowl hunters. Really, I didn't know what I was doing. Took a couple seasons of self education to figure it out.

Help a Brother out! What's the deal there... why is that bad? (I'm asking because only have done ducks once, last year.) I liked it a lot, plan on going again. Although at Wister they assign areas so dudes aren't in each others space. What's the deal with being downwind of somebody else?

 

[TheGDog]

I traipse around all over the forest. Can't seem to stop moving.

Yeah... I did that too at first. Musta seen 25 does in 3 different zones (D13, D11, D15) But then asked a lot of detailed questions of more experienced folks and learned that's it's more about picking a spot where logic and evidence suggests it's likely they'll eventually pass by, and you sit, in the shadows, backed up against something to break-up your outline, trying to remain as motionless as possible, making no noise.

And when they come-in? WAIT! Don't raise your rifle until their eyeball passes behind a tree or bush. Or they lower their head to the ground. So they don't see your movement and spook! If they do see your movement, FREEZE! If you've got kicka$$ concealment gear on like a leafy suit... if you can freeze long enough... you'd be AMAZED what can happen! Such as a face-to-face encounter with a 3x3 at 7yds!!! But you can't do anything because he's staring right at you! So you make like a stone, and mentally be prepared to then hurry up and make a shot opportunity once the situation changes. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to be able to play the FREEZE-Game very well! And always use a facemask and liner gloves. hands and face stickout like a sore thumb! P.S. I've got 15minutes of cellphone video up on YouTube of a Mama Doe and her Daughter wakin' up (from smelling that I'd urinated some 25yds away downwind from my sit spot.) and then creeping up and passing in front of me at 17yds! Just me w/ the leafy gear, on a Tripod stool, backed up against the hill, up against some scrub oaks, so the leafy-to-leafy thing would work. With a bow with a knocked arrow on my lap! And me with a regular ol' buck tag, Doh!

 

[Ucsdryder]

Help a Brother out! What's the deal there... why is that bad? (I'm asking because only have done ducks once, last year.) I liked it a lot, plan on going again. Although at Wister they assign areas so dudes aren't in each others space. What's the deal with being downwind of somebody else?

waterfowl work into the wind and land into the wind. If you setup downwind of them you are cutting off all the ducks that would work their setup.

 

[Fatcamp]

waterfowl work into the wind and land into the wind. If you setup downwind of them you are cutting off all the ducks that would work their setup.

Ya. Not a cool thing to do on purpose. Just a dumbass rookie move on my part.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Think this qualifies?
SW Colorado 4 guys showed up 4 days into our hunt. Camped 300 yds from us. No biggie. But colorado fire restrictions right???!!!
They built fire every night and made a ton of noise sitting around their fires.
And their horrible bugles didn't help.

I have their license plate number

 

[Poser]

Think this qualifies?
SW Colorado 4 guys showed up 4 days into our hunt. Camped 300 yds from us. No biggie. But colorado fire restrictions right???!!!
They built fire every night and made a ton of noise sitting around their fires.
And their horrible bugles didn't help.

I have their license plate number

Let me guess. Texas plates?