Hunter ethics??

[longcruise]

Even if they do wise up, there are plenty more ready to replace them! :haha:

One thing you can do is learn the area better than anyone else and then use their movements and shenanigans to put the deer in your lap. I have place like that in a public area. Have not hunted it for many years, but it is a natural bottleneck of timber and cover with open fields on each side and large swaths of timber on each end of the bottleneck. If you are in that bottleneck before daylight on opening day of pheasant or quail season, the deer are passing through in both directions.

Hope you find a way to deal with it in your area. :thumbsup:

 

[slumlord44]

I was deer hunting in a tree stand on the edge om my farm many years back. Had a guy who had a duck hunting lease on the adjoining farm try to run me out of my stand. Claimed I was in the wrong place. My family moved here in 1948 and I had the property survyed so I knew I was on my property. I was in the tree and he was on the ground. I realy wanted to put a 12 guage deer slug in the ground between his legs but I knew that was not a option. I politely told him he needed to find out where the property lines where. Had a chat with the property owner and that was the end of the problem. Sadly you can't fix stupid.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Having a County Highway map, with the property outlined by the property owner, his name, and phone number, and address listed in a legend, or on the back goes a long way towards dealing with trespassers, and people who haven't a clue where they are, or where they have permission to hunt.

Banks also have plat Books, as will the local farm bureau, that can be purchased for a nominal cost. You don't really need the entire plat book-just the pages that show where you are hunting, or have permission to hunt.

As to Hunting Ethics, we tell our Hunter Safety students that "Ethics" are the rules you impose on yourself, when only GOD and you know whether you are obeying them. Its not much more than simply living by the Golden Rule.

You can't be surprised by the slob hunters- they are many, and the game codes of many states actually encourage them. Deal with them politely but firmly. Don't hesitate to call the sheriff for assistance- cell phones have made the lives of game thieves a lot more risky!

The first deer I killed was at the bottom of ravine, almost 2 miles in up-and-down walking/climbing from my car. Before I left her to go for help, I put a business card in her mouth, so there would be No question that I shot that deer. Fortunately, the deer was still there when I returned, with help.

I have always suspected that I shot her too far back in the hills for the local thieves and poachers to steal her. It would have been too much work for them to have bothered. That's another reason not to "Road Hunt". :hmm:

 

[Skylinewatcher]

That where I usually blow up fort fireman. I try not to, I really do, but when somebody is acting dumb and then has the stones to criticize you; that just pisses me off.

 

[Spikebuck]

Well said on the definition of ethics. In the hunting video "Primal Dreams" Gene Wenzel says "WHY we hunt is more important than what, when, where, or how. It[why]defines what is fair chase, it defines our level of passion, it defines our future and our very existence." That's the best way to define it I've ever heard.

BTW, if anyone likes hunting videos but hates the barrage of garbage produced today, that video is a one-in-a-million winner. You can look up the trailers for both releases on u-tube.

 

[hoochiepapa]

We've never had that problem to a severity, but when things looked like our game could be stolen, we came up with a remedy. On the back (rear lip?) of deer and elk ears, there is a double layer of skin. Look for it, it's there, and just about the right size to slit further open and insert a dime. We would stick our knife in there, and cut just enough to hide the dime. Push it in as far as it will go, and be sure to memorize or write down the date on the dime. Insurance.

 

[smo]

We had alot of problems on public hunting lands in Al several years ago,i guess that still exist. I have been fortunate enough to not have to hunt these areas for the last 15 years or so. But when i did hunt them i had several encounters with rude hunters coming into a arera where i was already set up. :bull: I've had them climb trees less than 100 yds away while i shined my flash light on them. :shake: This guy stayed there until 1100 am that morning then came down and wandered over to me saying he already had his stand in that tree from the day before,so i guess he felt like he had rights to the area.I went in that morning 1hr before daylight not knowing he had a stand there and i was up the tree a good 45 min. before this guy showed up. From that day on i always wanted to take a cheap transistor radio with me just for times like that. Just turn it on and cover it up in the leaves and walk off...but i would not stoop so low although i wanted to. :shake: :bull:

 

[Robert Egler]

I rarely run into other people when I hunt, although it happens. Last year near the end of squirrel season I was sitting under a big oak with some brush on either side, when 2 guys come through still hunting. I saw them, but they didn't see me at first, and I didn't say anything. When the one guy spotted me he called quietly to his buddy, and then apologized to me, said they hadn't seen me, I said I understand, no problem, and they both left quietly the way they'd come.

So obviously not everyone's a slob yet. :grin:

 

[fort fireman]

Ya, it probably not the best thing to do. Or the most sportman like but I am also not gonna let some jerk take advantage of me or push me around either.
On the flip side I've been hunting and had someone walk up on me without realizing it and do the right thing. When they saw me they waved nodded and moved on. I've even slid up on people. It happens , it's how you handle the situation when it does happen that tells the tale weather you are a sportsman or not. I've had people walk up a draw right past me , see me , move up 100 or so yards and sit down. Not sportsman like. However those that move on I don't have a problem with. like I said it happens. especially onpublic land.

 

[Flint311]

From that day on i always wanted to take a cheap transistor radio with me just for times like that. Just turn it on and cover it up in the leaves and walk off...

That reminds me, one year "on the farm", a group of city slickers were hunting there. We had extra coffee on opening morning and peed all over their stand areas. They saw nothing! (My dad talked to one of the guys and he said they hunted areas where they saw our stands/climber marks on the trees. They left the 2nd day of the season....

 

[smo]

That will work as well :rotf:

 

[smoothy]

Even on private property, know who you are hunting with and their ethics. If your have a question about your personal safety you may think again about who you are hunting with.
This is an event not necessary involving muzzleloaders, but the outcome could still be applied. A friend of mine hunted last year on private land. The owners nephew was hunting it also. My friend knew of the nephew's ethics and unsafe gun handling. What happened is that as my friend was standing 35 yards away wearing blaze orange, this nephew saw something and shot. The 12 slug went into my friend's neck. Thankfully it missed all vital areas (arteries, spine, etc). The slug entered behind the ear at a backward angle. True, but hard to believe, the slug didn't exit and lodged on the opposite side making a circular path. The entry wound cotterized (spelling) and since their was no exit wound he was lucky and survived. The decision was to not remove the slug. I cannot believe he is still alive. The Illinois DNR investigated the accident, but no charges were made. The last I heard was that my friend is fighting having to pay for the $26,000 helicopter ride to the hospital. Insurance companies are arguing over who has to pay since. See, apparently he didn't have to be standing there to stop the slug from hitting the hill behind him.
This nephew (not my friend's relation) was born before 1980 and isn't required to take a hunters safety course to hunt. Right or wrong, my friend is trying to have it required for all Illinois hunters to have a hunters safety certificate.
Maybe this post isn't appropriate in this category, but as I read the string here I wanted to get this off my chest.

 

[Diggerfly]

WOW that is scary.

It is hard to believe he was hit with a 12ga slug in the neck and lived. :shocked2:

It's pretty strange it stopped in his neck...did it hit something else first?

I'm wanting to go turkey hunting here in San Diego BUT I hear its THE most popular hunting season here. Kinda gives me visions of that type of thing happening.

 

[smoothy]

I'm not sure if the slug hit something else, he is neither. In his daze he thought somebody came up and knocked him down with the butt of a shotgun. He found himself on his back.

 

[smo]

I'm wanting to go turkey hunting here in San Diego BUT I hear its THE most popular hunting season here. Kinda gives me visions of that type of thing happening.

I had a friend in Al. that was turkey hunting a few years back.He was shot in the face with a 3.5 in. 12 guage shot gun.Luckly for him it was at long distance. However he still recivied one shot through his nose and one shot through his upper lip which knocked out one of his upper front teeth. :shake: He was shot by his hunting buddy a kid he had taken under his wing to teach him the ropes. :bull: Jimmy is a free bleeder and told me he was pouring blood and it looked worse than what it was. He said that felt sure after seeing the look on the kids face that he would never shoot at another unknown target. :nono: