A Question for the masses

[skipper]

Hey all,

I was out Rifle Hunting on Friday and Saturday. No luck unfortunatey. Bow season hasn't been very productive either. I just can't seem to be in the right place at the right time. However, this is my first season so I can't complain.

Anyway I was off of the Burnt Timber FSR heading up into a huge regenerating cut block. I was about 500 meters up into the cutblock and I had stopped to glass the back corner when I truck and trailer with several quads on the back drove slowly by on the road 600 meters below me. I was wearing blaze orange, and when this vehicle saw me.......they started honking their horn insesantly. They proceeded to honk their horn all they way to the end of the cutblock. I had no intention of ever shooting back towards the road and due to the honking I lost an opportunity at small mule deer buck that was heading up into the back of the cut.

I double checked all of my regs to make sure I wasn't doing anything illegal, and as far as I can tell I wasn't. Can anybody shed any light as to why somebody would do that....or should I chalk it up to Red Neck A....Holes.

[Grunter]

To me it sounds like they were just being jerks... unless there was a grizzly coming behind you... was there?! No, I didn't think so either.

Sorry to hear about your dumb luck... had a similar experience a few weeks ago at Mt. Yamnuska... but these fellas were not only making a racket in the parking lot before daylight (after they saw us get out and change into camo) but the entire morning they were shouting, screaming, banging things, etc. Tried to make the most of it hoping their foolish behavior would push animals our way but nothing surfaced.

You were in good county - I've always seen a fair amount of mulies in the stretch of road on grease creek trail up to the backside of Shell's BT gas plant. Keep it up!

[Mikey]

probally to make certain you knew they were in the area ...you know cause they might think that you are after the ever elusive Quad deer .....

Its crown land ...accidents happen ......perhaps they were just trying to prevent another happening

[MSD]

Sounds like hunter harrassment to me.

[20-30-40]

My guess as most of you already have the same thoughts is, tree huggers who don't understand the fact that with out regulated hunting there precious bambis would be walking all over the place and dying of disease and starvation. It happens but if the public (not all of them) doesn't want to be educated......then we as ethical hunters are going to have to put up with crap like this.

I hate having to try and defend my position on hunting to these select few of free willy wannabees, If they don't like hunting...fine but don't try and interfere with me putting food on my table and spending time with my friends and family doing something that many of these idiots fore fathers have done before them.

Sorry about the rant. My suggestion....ignore them and don't let anyone tell you what they think is wrong about this great sport. Hunt ethical, hunt hard and hunt because you want to where you want to.

[calgarychef1]

If a bunch of granolas tried to nix my chances by doing something like that....I'd do something too. I doubt they would ever harass me again.

The chef

[Joey]

I would have left the area immediately. Sounds like a bunch of weekend warriors who are toting around a couple of empty bottles on the weekend getaway. Don't end up in the same position as the poor fella by Calgary. "Accidents" happen.

[Mikey]

lets not forget that the area in question is less than 50 kms in a straight line from where the person was shot on Friday .....

News travels like wildfire in the Ghost forest reserve..... I Have spent enough time in that area Hunting and recreating to know that ....

[skipper]

I did exactly that. I was seriously choked, and a bit taken aback, however I wasn't sure what was up with the whole situation so I bailed in short order.

I spent the rest of the day on the backside of Burnt Timber Mountain up above Hunter Valley Road. Nice spot. Great view of Devils Head and lots of animal sign around, but no critters for my efforts.

I had a nice afternoon though and I am looking forward to spending some more time up in that area.

[Captainkip]

Sounds like the guys in the truck were just being idiots. I had the same thing happen to me on the weekend. My buddy and I were leaving to make our way back home and we saw a fairly good buck chasing does in an alfalfa field. We stopped just to watch as he was pushing the does pretty hard. He had no care in the world that we were there. We were sitting about 300 yards off a T intersection to a main road. A van drove by and when they saw us glassing the dear they proceeded to slow right down and began honking the horn obsessively.

I guess we all cant appreciate hunting the same way but it was still rude.

Paul