Just when you think you've seen or heard it all...

[POk3s]

HAHAHAHAHA! These are great! Cut n run and eggshell, you guys take the cake for the wildest and funniest stories I've ever heard!

Last weekend I was hunting National Forest with my girlfriend on her first turkey hunting trip and actually got on a bird just after flydown (because we were late). I killed that bird and as we were walking back to the truck I noticed that my truck had seemingly changed color...and make... to a blue ford. This guy had parked about 6 feet from my tailgate. This is not at the end of the road, at a trailhead, or anything. I just pulled off the road where we had heard birds the day before. I turned to my girlfriend and said "this is either some rancher who thinks we trespassed and is going to give me an earful for something we didn't do, or its your basic idiot. Whatever happens just let me handle it." So we get closer and there's nobody in the truck. I told her how there are a lot of people who don't have a clue what's going on so they just piggy back off other people in hopes they've figured something out. There was another bird gobbling in the area that we had plans on getting her on but I explained the situation that if we went after the bird that we feel "entitled to", we're no better than this guy is if he's on that bird and we ruin his hunt. So we let him have it. The bird shut up and we never heard a shot as we enjoyed a little bit of time at the truck. I assume karma took care of that bird.

[Plush]

One time I was deer hunting private land that bordered a cut corn field that was also partially just prairie grass. I was about 70 yards off the fence line and could see hundreds of yards across the field. Of course I see this big burly guy walking the entire fence line coming my way. Soon enough he gets in line with me and saw me (gun season so not hard to see blaze orange in a tree).

He proceeds to go: "Hey there kid! How is it going, see anything!!??" Of course I am trying to hunt and yelling seems kind of...I don't know, stupid? I can't even muster a word and he goes, "Oh I see, not much of a talker...well have a nice day."

Ummm no...I just usually don't scream 70 yards from my tree stand. Some people are truly that dumb.

[longbeards]

Spent 10 days after I flew tired in Fla trying to kill a bird on public land. We went down a couple of days early to scout out some birds. I found a couple and so did my hunting buddy. We camped beside the public land. The old guy who looked over the gate and public land camping took a liking to us and suggested we park our truck in front of the gate so we would be first in line, what line we ask? He tells us there will be between 40 and 50 vehicles waiting to get in when he opened it at 5am! He was right!
Anyway we where first in, my partner dropped me off and went on to his spot. The bird I scouted gobble good, I was 50 yards away with a natural meadow if front of me.
I could see him in the tree. It was still pretty dark but I tree called to him and bang some low life shot him out of the tree! I left and headed back to the road to wait on my friend. Who was there waiting for me. He had pulled into his spot got his gear out and 3 trucks pulled in behind him! He went over and told them he was going down the only trail into the swamp. There where 7 guys and they said so where they!

[Upfold99]

Here's one of my more remarkable public land experiences;

I was bowhunting deer on some public land where I'd killed a doe a few weeks before.  Off in the distance, I hear somebody hollering, but I can't make out what they're yelling.  Suddenly, a herd of deer comes bounding past my tree like the woods behind them are on fire or something. Great.  My chances of a successful hunt in the public deer woods is probably over.  The yelling keeps getting closer, but I still can't see them or determine what they're saying.  Next thing I see is two guys dressed head to toe in blaze orange(!), carrying .22 rifles... Oh, that's right, squirrel season had started between the time I took the doe 2 weeks before and then.  Now, I can hear them yelling: TROY.  One guy spots me up in the tree and asks loudly "Did you see a boy named Troy come through here?" (I don't tend to ask people their names who might randomly pass by in the woods).  I hadn't seen anyone (& didn't tell them about the deer they spooked) and told them so.  They moved on, hollering as they went, disturbing any wildlife possible. Maybe they'd push the deer back my way? About the time they get out of earshot, here comes the second search team...TROY.  Oh no! They're in blaze too, moving like someone in a hurry walking down a city street.  This was not at all what I expected to experience on a beautiful day bowhunting deer.  They didn't see me and blew right through headed the same way as the first pair.  T-R-O-Y.  Realizing that my chances of shooting a deer that day were done, I started to pack up my gear and back my climbing stand down the tree.  Suddenly, a .22 rifle cracked twice in the next draw over, followed quickly by the BOOM-BOOM-BOOM, of three shotgun blasts.  I hunkered down behind the tree for safety's sake.  Two more guys came over the ridge.  Apparently, they missed the squirrel they'd unloaded on.  They weren't trying to move quietly or keep their voices down. One whirled and pointed to a treetop from the direction they'd just come. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM, Crack-Crack, Crack. Missed again I gathered.  This was a whole different way to squirrel hunt than what I learned..  The whole scene was so comical and pathetic that I couldn't help but to laugh out loud.  One guy heard the laughing, looked up at me, and asked "Is your name Troy?"  It only made me laugh harder.  That was the last time I hunted deer with a bow on public land during squirrel season. I wish I was kidding. I also got to wondering how you lose somebody in blaze orange in open hardwoods?  TROY!!!

Jim

Lol!!!

[tha bugman]

All that public land stuff doesn't really bother me, because there's nothing you can do about it. I just accept it and move on, sucks when it happens but oh well.

But this season on public brings its whole new challenges with Covid. A lot of people being out of work.


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Seen way more folks in the woods during the weekday than ever before.  I blame Covid!   

[turkeykiller41]

Public land sure is fun,I was hunting Cherokee National Forest one morning after a big old gobbler every body in the country had tried to kill I finally had ole big boy coming to me real slow I had the hammer laid back on that old revelation single barrel I could hear him walking in the leaves coming right to me ,looking for that big head any second, And I start hearing voices and laughing and I know things are fixing to go bad wrong I raise up enough to see the top of that old noggin I bust that head and hear comes 3 old women scared to death I mean they was with in 75 yds when I killed him.

[Paulmyr]

Late season bow hunting public in Northern Mn. About 1/2 before sunset a doe goes blazing by me like her tail was on fire. 5 mins later I see a dude walking towards me in a snowmobile suit with helmet on and all. He's following the tracks I made through 10" of fresh snow. When he gets closer I see the patch on his suit and realize it's a game warden. He walks up to me and asked to see my license. This guy felt the need to walk 500 yds through 10" inches of snow just to check my license during prime time. Needless to say I was a little upset. Climb out of my stand and showed him license. In the process I pulled out my rifle tag. He asked if he could see it. I told him to get lost as I wasn't rifle hunting. He says you seem a little upset. I said damn right I'm upset. I been sitting I this stand for 3 hours only to have you walk up on me during prime time scaring all the deer away just to check my license. I got my tag back and started to leave. The warden says you don't have to stop hunting. I just shook my head and walked back to the truck.

[Pluffmud]

Late season bow hunting public in Northern Mn. About 1/2 before sunset a doe goes blazing by me like her tail was on fire. 5 mins later I see a dude walking towards me in a snowmobile suit with helmet on and all. He's following the tracks I made through 10" of fresh snow. When he gets closer I see the patch on his suit and realize it's a game warden. He walks up to me and asked to see my license. This guy felt the need to walk 500 yds through 10" inches of snow just to check my license during prime time. Needless to say I was a little upset. Climb out of my stand and showed him license. In the process I pulled out my rifle tag. He asked if he could see it. I told him to get lost as I wasn't rifle hunting. He says you seem a little upset. I said damn right I'm upset. I been sitting I this stand for 3 hours only to have you walk up on me during prime time scaring all the deer away just to check my license. I got my tag back and started to leave. The warden says you don't have to stop hunting. I just shook my head and walked back to the truck.

Wow. Just wow.

[eggshell]

Paulmyr, I understand your displeasure and he could have just waited at your truck, but he wasn't outside of his authority either. He was doing his job. Sure you'd think he'd have been more considerate, but maybe he had a complaint on hunting in that area and was checking everyone he could.

Your story reminded me of an incident I had on public land with a bow hunter. I was fall turkey hunting and I parked in a common parking lot on a WMA. when I parked no other vehicle was there. I walked the main road/trail in. About 1/2 before sunset I started working my way out. About 100 yards from My truck I hear someone say, Jesus F-ing  Christ, are you seriously going to F up my hunt. I look up and see a guy in a climber and he opens up on me and how he hates F-ing turkey hunters. Now this dude is 100 yards from a parking lot, on a major service road and he thinks no one should be walking the road! He even threatens to put an arrow in my  ( yeah I didn't take to that ). What he didn't know and soon found out was I worked for the Wildlife Division and could file a complaint on his butt. I had the local officer in my phone on speed dial and he was there pretty quickly. The guy didn't get a ticket, but he got an education. The officer didn't think we could prove he actually threatened me and it was public land so he left it with a lecture. I wouldn't mess up a guys hunt  for anything, but really within site of my vehicle was too much.

[Paulmyr]

Eggshell, I know he has the authority. Buy it's late season in the middle of know where. Highly doubt there were complaints. He was running snowmobile trails looking for Fisher/marten traps. He actually stopped by my truck and I  could tell that he walked to the back of it and looked inside the topper by the footprints he left. He could see my bow case in there. He made it a point to walk to my stand and ruin my hunt at prime time.

[TauntoHawk]

You can't possibly tell me any story that would surprise me about public land. One time I came back to my truck to discover someone had set up a camp all around it. I walked up and unlocked my truck and looked to see how I'd pull out and a guy comes out of the camper. He looked just like the guy they'd call "bear" in a motorcycle gang. He's like all friendly and asked if I was turkey hunting and I said yes. You kill a turkey? My old lady can cook some if you want. I replied, I didn't have a turkey. He says, sorry bout the camp dude, but we always camp here and just didn't want to go anywhere else (this is National forest, along a river). I'll move my truck so you can go. I said thanks and he yells into the trailer, hey sweety bring this guy some of that chicken alfredo. I'm like no you don't have to do that and he says, my older lady will be an upset bitch if you don't eat her food. So I reluctantly agree....man it was some of the best alfredo I ever eat. So we set and shoot the bull and I say I got to leave. He ask, you hunting in the morning? I said I had planned to and he says come early I'll have coffee and I ain't letting no one else park here. So I have breakfast and lunch the next two days with my gate keeper friends and no body else hunted that gate. I did give them a half turkey breast and she cooked it like they said they would.

That is fantastic

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[g8rvet]

Paul,

Buddy of mine (who's name happens to be Paul!) was sitting in his boat during prime duck hunting time - they were killing birds pretty regular.  game warden walks through thick bulrushes and cattails to get to his position, a good 500 yards.  He sneaks in and says "Game Warden" very loudly (was a Fed).  Startles my buddy and scares him as they had no idea the dumb sh** was back there.  So he checks everything and I mean everything.  All while birds are trying to light in the decoys.  He asks why my buddy is being short with him and he says "Because you are Fing up the best time of the day".  The guy then finishes the check and asks if they can give him a ride to the boat ramp and my buddy says "Sorry, not enough life vests - we would be in violation - have a nice day". 

[eggshell]

I worked for the state wildlife agency for 30+ years and I can tell you some great game warden stories of both wardens and people in the field. I will say that most wardens are very polite and conscientious of hunter's concerns and privileges.  Most hunt themselves,, but there were always a few that at some point in life suffered brain damage or some kind of manic psychosis, everyone knew who they were and gave them a wide berth. They somehow think they are God of the outdoors, even the people in the agency didn't like them. I was on a dove field once a a rookie trainee approached me in plain clothes and a gun in  hand and walked up and stood right in front of me and started chatting me up about my gun, how many doves I had shot and all the time in my way and flaring birds. Finally I took out my license and said here rookie check my license and move on, your flaring my birds. He stuttered around and said why would I check your license and I replied because you a rookie game warden in training. He said, "how do you know that? and I said because I work for the division and out rank you dumb , now move on. I pulled out my cell phone and called his training officer and said "come get your lost child before someone shoots his dumb butt. The kid took off towards the truck and I later ran into him and his training officer. The senior officers were dressing him down pretty good. The kid actually made a good officer later on. He still told people about the day I told him to move out of my shooting lane years later. THey got to learn somehow.

[g8rvet]

You're right egg.  One trainee in Canada was trying to check my buddies gun to see if the plug was in - on his Over and Under.  Everyone there laughed except the trainee, including the senior officer.

[bigriverbum]

My uncle once crapped his pants while deer hunting.  He took his soiled underwear off and chucked them.

Later in the day my cousin and i, who were on different hills both saw said fox. The fox had the underwear in his mouth.

We got back to camp and were surprised that we both saw the same thing.  My uncle felt the time had come to confess his accident.