"Let me just help you hunt somewhere else." Post your favorite excuse.

[prm]

I’ve had mixed experiences. Shot a bull one year and upon arriving back at the truck with some meat and the rack, I got many questions about where I shot it. I was vague just stating up the valley. I’m pretty sure they followed my sister and brother in laws horse tracks back in because the next year it seemed like the entire state of Oklahoma was hunting the small area where I shot the bull. They even camped in the same meadow the year after that. I don’t hunt there anymore...
Last year I was hiking in with an empty pack when I ran into two older fellas on horseback. We were roughly 3 miles from the truck. Good guys, they described their adventure that morning of missing a bull right where we were. They asked what I was doing and I told them I was going to retrieve my bull. I tilted my head back pointed up the long, steep ridge above us, which led to another smaller canyon, and said he’s up there. One of the guys said, you know, I’ve hunted here for 20 years and always thought there’s probably an elk up there, but I just keep on riding, and have no intent of ever climbing up there. I got a laugh out of that. Turns out they are the smart ones. Not sure I plan to go up there again. By the way, those nice gentleman helped me get the last two smaller bags of meat out the following day after I spent a day getting it all down from the main ridge to the valley floor and then most back to the truck. You can meet some really fine like-minded people in the back country.

 

[fabes22]

Wyoming: “You can’t hunt the wilderness area without a guide... for your own safety”

That guy was actually correct. Non residents are not permitted to hunt wilderness areas in Wyoming unless they have a guide or are hunting with a resident who obtained a free non-commercial guide license. In fact, you can't even hike in Wilderness areas in Wyoming as a non resident.

 

[Btaylor]

That guy was actually correct. Non residents are not permitted to hunt wilderness areas in Wyoming unless they have a guide or are hunting with a resident who obtained a free non-commercial guide license. In fact, you can't even hike in Wilderness areas in Wyoming as a non resident.

It must be really unsafe.

 

[BeaverHunter]

That guy was actually correct. Non residents are not permitted to hunt wilderness areas in Wyoming unless they have a guide or are hunting with a resident who obtained a free non-commercial guide license. In fact, you can't even hike in Wilderness areas in Wyoming as a non resident.

Your last statement is incorrect.

 

[willfrye027]

As a teenager I shot my first archery buck, a beautiful 3pt and trophy for that area. it died right next to the main hiking trail. I thought it would be a good idea to drag it to the edge of the trail, hang it from a tree, and clean it there. Before I had even gutted it, a group of 4 other bowhunters came down the trail who were packing out from a much further area and had no luck. “Where’d you kill that buck?” They asked. “Uhhhhhhhhhhh way up there” I pointed to a near vertical ridge about 2 miles away. “Dragged him all the way down here without even gutting him huh?” Those dudes brought back a whole flat billed crew the next year and have been pounding that spot every year since to my knowledge. They even Posted deer pics with a very revealing background on the Internet the next year. It was a hard lesson to learn as a youngster but a valuable one. I am a much better liar now.

 

[Poser]

That guy was actually correct. Non residents are not permitted to hunt wilderness areas in Wyoming unless they have a guide or are hunting with a resident who obtained a free non-commercial guide license. In fact, you can't even hike in Wilderness areas in Wyoming as a non resident.

I meant it as “the state of Wyoming tell you (me, whoever) to **** off unless we want we want to get to know a Cowboy with a permit in a family way”

 

[ozyclint]

Wyoming residents must be born 'wilderness hardened' to be the only ones capable of surviving their wilderness?

 

[trophyhill]

I can't recall ever getting any phony advice from a stranger while afield. Then again I can't recall ever asking for any. Come to think of it, I don't remember running across anyone once I leave my camp or truck. Accept one time. I ran across a guy about my age, mid 40's at the time, and an 86 year old man bowhunting with him on a steep slope at 11,400'.

As I recall I was down to 3 or 4 days left on that hunt and I was pretty worn and run down. They told me about some cabins for rent at a reasonable rate. It sure was nice getting out of my tent and into a cabin with a bed and a shower after 15 days of roughing it. Thanks Darrell if you're lurking. I still go back to those cabins on occasion. And the lodge has the best green chili cheeseburger and fresh cut fries in southern CO

 

[Poser]

Wyoming residents must be born 'wilderness hardened' to be the only ones capable of surviving their wilderness?

According to some of the dumbasses in hunting FB groups, this is a fact. When you point out that you have backcounty skied and alpine climbed in these same areas without a cowboy to keep you safe from the bears and the passes (for some reason, they think the passes are inherently more treacherous than passes in MT, ID, CO or even Ak), the argument kind of falls apart.

 

[ozyclint]

you lost me at 'hunting FB groups'.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’ve never “ran into anyone” on public land close enough to have a conversation with... Other than at the trail head or truck. I’ve only really seen other hunters way off while I’m glassing.

My cousin and I did run into some guys down outside of Yuma while we were horseback hunting for Javelina back in the mid 90s. It was a group of 6 Mexican guys with huge packs on just walking through the middle of the desert. Hint: they weren’t hunters. We got the hell out of there as we were young lads and didn’t feel like trying to see what was up with 6 full grown Mexican men (we knew what they were doing). It was common for them to come work the farms during the week and then go back to Mexico with their cash for the weekend. This was in the days where the border patrol would tow a 12 foot section of chain link fence with old tires on it along the border. They would then scout for footprints and follow their tracks and catch them. Mexicans got crafty and started carrying home made “snow shoes” made out of thin ply wood. They would “skate” along for half a mile and try not to leave any tracks. It worked a lot of the time as there were plenty of farm workers making it across every week.

 

[Smithb9841]

When asked if I have seen anything? I tell them No all I got was a few brush shots at moving brush.

im gonna be practicing saying this with a straight face for the next 7 months lmao

 

[Roksliding]

Last year I was calling for a buddy. On our way up I saw headlights at the trail head, as the morning went on I could hear his less than good calls they were pretty bad. But whatever, he paid for his license the same as me, The guy was kinda making a big loop, and was nearly out of ear shot. I took a page out of Elknuts playbook, went to the general area of the closest last bugle I heard, judging on the topo I had a pretty good idea where the bull was bedded. My buddy set up and I put down a slow play that Paul himself would be proud of! I managed to call a bull in who came in quiet. My buddy never saw it, but I got a few pictures of the bull 25-30 yards away....

Well we regrouped over a wallow and a little later here comes ol boy with his obvious bugles about 1230-1pm now, still hammering away on the accordion tube, I cow call and mess with him a little, I am down wind and he comes right to me arrow nocked all stealthy till he sees me waiving...

It was then open mic night cause I told him a story about how we heard his calls and he called that bull in for us and it just was following his calls and I can’t believe he didn’t see that bull it was on a line following you man!!


I also met a guy a few years back in blue jeans and a REAL trucker hat, old school bdu military blouse chew all over his teeth wearing boots that were so blown out that I could see his toes prener.... well he had tip after tip and his stories were so damn far fetched I thought this guys is full of it!! But I’ll be damned if he didn’t have a picture to support every story and a monster 6x6 in the back of his truck in an area that only has rag horns, right next to all the trout guts and bones he caught and the 4 cases worth of PBR empties.

Kinda fun meeting the harmless bullshitters

 

[3forks]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned anything about misinformation spread on forums like this.

I was an avid upland hunter, and many years ago I once posted a few generic pics online. I quickly learned what a mistake that was when I had people from all over the country asking me where in my area they could get into birds. Every message started with the same “could you just give me a general area?” bullshit you see on this forum.

Anyway, a particularly obnoxious guy kept PMing me and was pretty demanding about why I should help him out. His rationale for me helping him ran from every reason like because we had the same breed of dogs, to because he needed a sure place to go because his buddies and him were driving from out of state and wanted a sure thing so they wouldn’t waster their time and money.

I sent that guy to an area that was the very shittiest place to find birds I could think of. The dude actually PMed me during their hunt and said they were having a terrible trip, and asked if I could give them more assistance.

 

[Moondoondude]

Personally, i just lie and act lost and clueless. I can't help it, I'm a terrible person and i really enjoy it.

But, it's not genetic. My dad showed up the last few days of my hunt this year to fish and shoot grouse. My buddy and I were running into elk at every turn, so the last day my old man said screw it- I want to try this out (just me and him). Immediately after getting to where i wanted to be, I got one fired up and he came in like a prize fighting bull and I arrowed him. The following morning, doing a solo meat run, i get back to where we parked and my dad wasn't there. So I waited. About 20 minutes later, here comes my dad, followed by a game warden, followed by 6 or 7 other hunters he stopped and talked to as he was driving around telling everyone about the bull I shot and where i shot it.

 

[deerhunt1988]

I'm an avid traveling turkey hunter and a lot folks know it. As the years have went on, the number of freeloaders wanting a handout has increased exponentially. These folks all want to chase the 'State Slam' now but do no research themselves. Each year about this time, folks (some I dont even know!) will hit me up for turkey info, some basically wanting to know which ridge to listen from or which tree to set up on! It disgusts me.

All that being said, I've already dropped random pins for folks in recent weeks. And the season hasn't even started.

But don't worry. If you are 'in my circle', my info is valid.

 

[IdahoHntr]

My dad likes to tell the story about how when they were archery hunting in Idaho years ago they ran into a guy packing a camp in on horses for the rifle hunt that opened in a week or two. My dad had been chasing bugles all morning and when the guy stopped to talk to him, bulls were just firing off all over the place. My dad just mentioned that the bulls had been on fire all morning and the guy on the horses was like, "Really? I haven't heard a single bugle all morning.", as a bull was firing off in the background less than 500 yards away. My dad even pointed out the bugles in the background as they were talking and the guy still insisted he couldn't hear anything. All he could do was shake his head and go on his way chasing elk.

 

[RCB]

I’m a newbie, but I generally get the impression that most hunters I run into are honest guys. Maybe they’re not telling you all the secrets (not should they), but I doubt most would lie outright. Or maybe I’m a sucker.

 

[*zap*]

See anything?

 

[come2elmo]

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