Public Land Head Scratchers

[chcltlabz]

I've had too many instances hunting public land where I was cruising the back of fields only to have some bozo driving around the same fields bumping gobblers around every turn.  The best one was the Prius though...  I guess they thought they'd be more stealthy with their road hunting in a prius.

A friend and I were hunting a piece of public land one year that had an access road that ran right through the middle of it that was closed to vehicles.  We were walking that road one day when we had 3 gobblers gobble not far from the road.  Unfortunately, our only opportunity was to set up too close to the road for my liking, but what can you do.  Just as they crest the hill about in range, two guys come walking down the road towards their vehicle.  There was no question they heard us working the birds because I could hear one tell the other "I don't care if they're working a bird, I'm not walking around them".  They were 3 jakes we had no plans of shooting anyways or there might have been a slight misunderstanding...

Best story I have isn't turkey related though.  I was archery deer hunting which coincided with squirrel season.  I had just finished a rattling sequence and saw a small buck turn and run away from me.  Didn't take long to figure out why.  A squirrel hunter came tromping through the woods right under my tree.  He's looking down at the ground gripping his .22 tight when I said "Hey, whatcha doing?"  He about came out of his skin scared, looked up at me and said "I heard two bucks down here fighting and came looking for them (mind you, its only archery season for deer).  I answered him "Yeah, that was me.  I just rattled you in and if you were in season, you'd be dead"  I can't understand why he didn't find the humor in it.

[Happy]

About two years ago I scouted out a piece of public for deer rifle season and was planning on hunting it for a few hours opening day before I had to leave for some family functions. I got up extra early and was at the parking lot by 4 am. There was already a vehicle there but I didn't think much of it as be daylight there would be 5 or 6 more. I get out of the truck and start packing in. It's at least a mile and I wanted to be there at least an hour before daylight to let things settle down. After a brisk walk I turn down my trail and get to my spot. As I walk up I can see a bit of orange laying in front of me and as I slowly approach I make out a person stretched out on the rocks lifeless. I slowly move in and it's a hunter just laying there unmoving. I nudged the body with my feet and said "hey buddy". That caused the most explosive display of levitation I have seen in my life. He yelled and arms where flailing as he started to run and then turned calmed down and turned around to face me. Once he calmed down and we got to talk I learned he had driven from somewhere in PA after scouting this place online. He decided to get back to his spot and catch some rest before daylight instead of sleeping in the vehicle. We talked a little bit and I explained the layout of the land and then wished him well and headed back for my vehicle. Didn't even hunt that day but I chuckled the whole way back to the truck.

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[g8rvet]

About two years ago I scouted out a piece of public for deer rifle season and was planning on hunting it for a few hours opening day before I had to leave for some family functions. I got up extra early and was at the parking lot by 4 am. There was already a vehicle there but I didn't think much of it as be daylight there would be 5 or 6 more. I get out of the truck and start packing in. It's at least a mile and I wanted to be there at least an hour before daylight to let things settle down. After a brisk walk I turn down my trail and get to my spot. As I walk up I can see a bit of orange laying in front of me and as I slowly approach I make out a person stretched out on the rocks lifeless. I slowly move in and it's a hunter just laying there unmoving. I nudged the body with my feet and said "hey buddy". That caused the most explosive display of levitation I have seen in my life. He yelled and arms where flailing as he started to run and then turned calmed down and turned around to face me. Once he calmed down and we got to talk I learned he had driven from somewhere in PA after scouting this place online. He decided to get back to his spot and catch some rest before daylight instead of sleeping in the vehicle. We talked a little bit and I explained the layout of the land and then wished him well and headed back for my vehicle. Didn't even hunt that day but I chuckled the whole way back to the truck.

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That's a tie for your story and the shirtless guy early in the thread.  Both pretty dang funny. 

[Tail Feathers]

I arrived in time to see two guy walking down to the dead end of a road on a WMA.  I wanted to hunt it but watched to see which way they went and I was considering trying an offshoot road.  Two young guys came screaming up in the truck, grabbed their guns in a hurry and literally ran past the two older guys who were 50 yards from the parking area, already walking in.
I shook my head and left.

[aclawrence]

I arrived in time to see two guy walking down to the dead end of a road on a WMA.  I wanted to hunt it but watched to see which way they went and I was considering trying an offshoot road.  Two young guys came screaming up in the truck, grabbed their guns in a hurry and literally ran past the two older guys who were 50 yards from the parking area, already walking in.
I shook my head and left.

That makes you want to crack somebody in the head. Have to play nice though when everyone is holding guns. If they're already that stupid they may do something else stupid.


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[fmf]

Im always amazed when I run into someone, usually the walk out... they always tend to talk in normal loud voices.

SMH everytime....

A couple years ago my daughter an I were setup in a spot later in the morning where I knew an old longbeard had been hanging out, when a dude comes jogging into the woods....literally jogging....and plops down about 30 yards from us.  I whistle at him, and he jumps up and hides behind a big pine tree and starts looking.  I stand up and instruct my daughter to do the same, because the guy was acting so shady, he doesn't see us stand up so I whistle again and he runs over to another big pine, gets behind it and is still looking for us, so I start waving my cap at him.  At that, he slings his gun and walks over to us and starts talking in a louder than normal voice.  This dudes voice was echoing through the woods, while I am practically whispering to him trying to get him to quiet down.  He doesn't quiet down, but we get him to leave, and about the time he gets to his truck (which was only about 150 yards away) we start walking to change spots.  We hadn't walked 20 yards when that gobbler cut loose at us crunching leaves, we immediately plopped down, made a soft call, he responded, and 2 minutes later she shot him at 20 yards.  When he first gobbled he was no more than 100 yards from where that guy was talking to us so loud.  Not only that, but he was with another gobbler and 3 hens, all of which came in not even acting spooky.  Crazy.

[POk3s]

The "best" one I've got is from archery elk hunting. Same group of yahoos.

Year one, I'm backpacked in with a buddy (Doug). I was lucky enough to kill a bull on our first morning in, that came to the call in a beautiful clearing. I boned out the bull, hung it in a shaded tree, and took The first load back to the truck. The quarters and carcass of a bull in plain site. I got back to our back country camp that evening, and the next morning went hunting with Doug. Nothing occurred so we went back to my bull to pack the rest of him out. When we rounded the corner I immediately screamed "MORE ELK!" Just after that we noticed they were horses. They strung their picket line for their horses OVER the top of my elk carcass. They then put a tent right below my quarters hanging in the tree. Myself and Doug both stood there giggling when I tried to think rationally like "maybe they came in in the middle of the night and just didn't notice." When I got to my quarters I heard a women cough and she said "helloooo". I said "hi there. I'm just here to grab the rest of my elk that you guys are camped under."

"Oh yea we saw that. Frank and Steve (making up names. Wish I would've remembered.) are out hunting." I said "okay" and went on my way.

The next year I'm again backpacked in with one of my best buddies (Albert). The morning found us hunting below a big hill so steep that it might as well have been a cliff. We were trying to figure out our best way to get back up to the top because we watched a good bull feed into a patch of trees above us, and a half mile to the south of us an hour or so earlier. All of the sudden I hear rocks tumbling. Bang boom crash! Then again. Obviously we're thinking some elk had been spooked. We hurry away from the bottom of the cliff only to see a couple idiots crouched down and kicking giant rocks off the top of the cliff. Two guys and a gal. I whistled and they all stood up for a second. Then all at once back to finding the next big rock they can kick down the hill. I whistled again, and the same thing occurred. On the third time I yelled something to the tune of "hey you dumb moth** ****ers!!" They all ran off the top of the hill like a bunch of little kids, got to the tree line, sat diwn, and looked at me and my buddy through their binoculars. I waved a nice middle finger salute and they all took off.

I don't think they were actually trying to kill us, and didn't know we were there. All I can guess is they were trying to see if there were any elk below them since nothing had answered their bugles all morning. Why you'd backpack in though and then scare elk away still doesn't make much sense.


The next year I went back to that spot and these idiots had left their ENTIRE camp. Both tents, blankets, clothing, shoes, coolers, Tupperware, food...EVERYTHING. I started to spread the word on how I was going to figure out who these people were, and I've never seen them back there since. The forest service explained to me how big of a pain it was to get an abandoned camp out of the backcountry because they have tonlaunch a full investigation and make absolutely sure there was no "foul play".

The bull I killed back there.

https://i.imgur.com/qBwmFtw.jpg

A small snapshot of their mess.
https://i.imgur.com/WNlpwOD.jpg

[catdaddy]

I don't consider myself a violent person by nature, but I had an incident a few years back at the Land Between the Lakes that sorely tested by constitution.

It was the opening day and at first light I heard several gobblers. I was in big hardwoods and I eased to within 125 yards or so to the nearest gobbler. The woods were open--almost "park like" with big timber and little undergrowth.  I settled in against a huge red oak tree and make a few calls--he gobbled back--bingo--I was in business. My plan was to wait until he flew down and then begin the dance--hopefully resulting in his demise.

The weather had been dry so the leaves were excessively "crunchy". As I waited for things to unfold I very clearly heard footsteps coming from behind which I recognized as human. As the steps got closer I turned around from my seated position against the red oak to see a man sneaking to my position. His path would have him passing about 15 to 20 yards to my left. When he got close I made a motion and he stopped and looked dead at me.  We both had face masks on. I did my best to communicate with him in sign language that I had a gobbler up a head. He must have already known that fact--he was sneaking in to get in position when he got to where I was set up. I assumed he would acknowledge the situation and turn around and sneak back the way he came in. Instead--to my shock and utter amazement--he continued on and set up about 40 yards ahead of me ( between me and the roosted gobbler). My blood pressure went to the roof. I started to walk up and confront him but I know myself too well-- I was afraid of what might unfold. I rationalized that a turkey was not worth jail time--so I just picked up and left. I never heard the gobbler again--dude must have bumped him when he set up ahead of me. That was 10 years ago but I still think about this incident to this day. I felt like he deserved some southern justice--in a strange way I felt some guilt that I did not provide it.               

[SD_smith]

The "best" one I've got is from archery elk hunting. Same group of yahoos.

Year one, I'm backpacked in with a buddy (Doug). I was lucky enough to kill a bull on our first morning in, that came to the call in a beautiful clearing. I boned out the bull, hung it in a shaded tree, and took The first load back to the truck. The quarters and carcass of a bull in plain site. I got back to our back country camp that evening, and the next morning went hunting with Doug. Nothing occurred so we went back to my bull to pack the rest of him out. When we rounded the corner I immediately screamed "MORE ELK!" Just after that we noticed they were horses. They strung their picket line for their horses OVER the top of my elk carcass. They then put a tent right below my quarters hanging in the tree. Myself and Doug both stood there giggling when I tried to think rationally like "maybe they came in in the middle of the night and just didn't notice." When I got to my quarters I heard a women cough and she said "helloooo". I said "hi there. I'm just here to grab the rest of my elk that you guys are camped under."

"Oh yea we saw that. Frank and Steve (making up names. Wish I would've remembered.) are out hunting." I said "okay" and went on my way.

The next year I'm again backpacked in with one of my best buddies (Albert). The morning found us hunting below a big hill so steep that it might as well have been a cliff. We were trying to figure out our best way to get back up to the top because we watched a good bull feed into a patch of trees above us, and a half mile to the south of us an hour or so earlier. All of the sudden I hear rocks tumbling. Bang boom crash! Then again. Obviously we're thinking some elk had been spooked. We hurry away from the bottom of the cliff only to see a couple idiots crouched down and kicking giant rocks off the top of the cliff. Two guys and a gal. I whistled and they all stood up for a second. Then all at once back to finding the next big rock they can kick down the hill. I whistled again, and the same thing occurred. On the third time I yelled something to the tune of "hey you dumb moth** ****ers!!" They all ran off the top of the hill like a bunch of little kids, got to the tree line, sat diwn, and looked at me and my buddy through their binoculars. I waved a nice middle finger salute and they all took off.

I don't think they were actually trying to kill us, and didn't know we were there. All I can guess is they were trying to see if there were any elk below them since nothing had answered their bugles all morning. Why you'd backpack in though and then scare elk away still doesn't make much sense.


The next year I went back to that spot and these idiots had left their ENTIRE camp. Both tents, blankets, clothing, shoes, coolers, Tupperware, food...EVERYTHING. I started to spread the word on how I was going to figure out who these people were, and I've never seen them back there since. The forest service explained to me how big of a pain it was to get an abandoned camp out of the backcountry because they have tonlaunch a full investigation and make absolutely sure there was no "foul play".

The bull I killed back there.

https://i.imgur.com/qBwmFtw.jpg

A small snapshot of their mess.
https://i.imgur.com/WNlpwOD.jpg

You should see all the South Dakota "elk hunters" that get their first ever elk tags for the Black Hills every year. You should hear all the first time bugle callers everywhere...sounds like a bunch of sick elk up and down every ridge.

[Trax]

I've had too many instances hunting public land where I was cruising the back of fields only to have some bozo driving around the same fields bumping gobblers around every turn.  The best one was the Prius though...  I guess they thought they'd be more stealthy with their road hunting in a prius.

Don't hate on the Prius.

52 mpg and a big game bag.

[High plains drifter]

Public land, attracts poachers, road hunters, all kinds of low life's. I see poachers from Belgrade,  out in eastern Montana, on public land.Also, Billings has lots of poachers.

[chcltlabz]

I've had too many instances hunting public land where I was cruising the back of fields only to have some bozo driving around the same fields bumping gobblers around every turn.  The best one was the Prius though...  I guess they thought they'd be more stealthy with their road hunting in a prius.

Don't hate on the Prius.

52 mpg and a big game bag.

Maybe its my own insecurity, but if I ever thought about hunting out of a Prius, I'd kick my own .

[POk3s]

The "best" one I've got is from archery elk hunting. Same group of yahoos.

Year one, I'm backpacked in with a buddy (Doug). I was lucky enough to kill a bull on our first morning in, that came to the call in a beautiful clearing. I boned out the bull, hung it in a shaded tree, and took The first load back to the truck. The quarters and carcass of a bull in plain site. I got back to our back country camp that evening, and the next morning went hunting with Doug. Nothing occurred so we went back to my bull to pack the rest of him out. When we rounded the corner I immediately screamed "MORE ELK!" Just after that we noticed they were horses. They strung their picket line for their horses OVER the top of my elk carcass. They then put a tent right below my quarters hanging in the tree. Myself and Doug both stood there giggling when I tried to think rationally like "maybe they came in in the middle of the night and just didn't notice." When I got to my quarters I heard a women cough and she said "helloooo". I said "hi there. I'm just here to grab the rest of my elk that you guys are camped under."

"Oh yea we saw that. Frank and Steve (making up names. Wish I would've remembered.) are out hunting." I said "okay" and went on my way.

The next year I'm again backpacked in with one of my best buddies (Albert). The morning found us hunting below a big hill so steep that it might as well have been a cliff. We were trying to figure out our best way to get back up to the top because we watched a good bull feed into a patch of trees above us, and a half mile to the south of us an hour or so earlier. All of the sudden I hear rocks tumbling. Bang boom crash! Then again. Obviously we're thinking some elk had been spooked. We hurry away from the bottom of the cliff only to see a couple idiots crouched down and kicking giant rocks off the top of the cliff. Two guys and a gal. I whistled and they all stood up for a second. Then all at once back to finding the next big rock they can kick down the hill. I whistled again, and the same thing occurred. On the third time I yelled something to the tune of "hey you dumb moth** ****ers!!" They all ran off the top of the hill like a bunch of little kids, got to the tree line, sat diwn, and looked at me and my buddy through their binoculars. I waved a nice middle finger salute and they all took off.

I don't think they were actually trying to kill us, and didn't know we were there. All I can guess is they were trying to see if there were any elk below them since nothing had answered their bugles all morning. Why you'd backpack in though and then scare elk away still doesn't make much sense.


The next year I went back to that spot and these idiots had left their ENTIRE camp. Both tents, blankets, clothing, shoes, coolers, Tupperware, food...EVERYTHING. I started to spread the word on how I was going to figure out who these people were, and I've never seen them back there since. The forest service explained to me how big of a pain it was to get an abandoned camp out of the backcountry because they have tonlaunch a full investigation and make absolutely sure there was no "foul play".

The bull I killed back there.

https://i.imgur.com/qBwmFtw.jpg

A small snapshot of their mess.
https://i.imgur.com/WNlpwOD.jpg

You should see all the South Dakota "elk hunters" that get their first ever elk tags for the Black Hills every year. You should hear all the first time bugle callers everywhere...sounds like a bunch of sick elk up and down every ridge.

Believe me, I hear plenty every year. There was a group from Iowa (not to discriminate anyone hahaha) who found "my" spot somehow a handful of years ago. 4 of them with all matching Sitka gear, and bugled every 30 seconds. I called one bull in that they were trying to follow and then I heard them go through a canyon and out the other side. About a half hour after they left the canyon a couple bulls started screaming. It was quite the lesson for me to experience take place. Smart dudes.

[Tail Feathers]

Some poor turkey had to suffer the indignity of having his one and only car ride in a Prius.  Poor Tom...

[chcltlabz]

Some poor turkey had to suffer the indignity of having his one and only car ride in a Prius.  Poor Tom...

Like taking your dog on his first car ride, and it be to the vet to get neutered.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2qgwvg