Hunter etiquette and being a sportsman

tallpine13

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136
Ran into a few issues during my hunt this year..... if your a hunter posting a sign in a gate going to a tank saying sitting tank thinking your going to keep everybody from hunting around you on public think again.... especially when Your not even on the tank and show up after the fact... real horse sh** there. But here is my big question to other hunters..... An older gentlemen was camped next to us and asked us if we would help him track a bull he shot from a tank and we definitely said yes we will go help. We spent 5 hours tracking this bull that was definitely a kill shot, huge blood trail followed it for 300-400 yards and found where he last bedded, but he packed himself up and when he left his bed there was no trail to follow..... lost him...... next night he rolls over to our camp and asks if we can help him track another bull he shot from the same tank..... we say we are going to hunt the morning and then we will come back and head in to help him after our morning hunt. He had this one on camera it looked like a good shot and we tracked blood for 400-500 yards before it tapered out.... again I firmly believe it’s a kill shot... I asked to see his broadheads, told him I’ve never shot grim reapers but looking at the style they were garbage..... both of these bulls were 350+ bulls in a prime unit and he had the nerve to tell me we needed to hurry and leave so he could sit that tank for the remainder of the afternoon..... I gave him a broadhead and said a few choice words.... and went on my afternoon hunt. He comes to camp again that night and he arrowed yet another bull..... Asked us to go help clean it and get it out.... We went and helped him pack it out but I was pretty heated the entire time because this guy legitimately killed 3 bulls...... good bulls.... when do you draw the line and say I’m done? I personally believe crap does happen especially with archery. But I would have hung it up after wounding 2 bulls..... This is a primo unit and this guy showed no remorse.... I’m just curious on others thoughts.
 
Your a nice guy I couldn’t put up with all that. That’s why I have to leave the forum once and awhile when people start talking politics .?
 
I WOULD HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM RIGHT THERE IN THE WOODS WITH THIS GENTLEMAN, HIS HUNTS OVER AFTER THE 1ST BULL....................OR HE ONLY HUNTS THAT BULL...................YD.
 
I’m with Yukon on this one. I will give ya props for helping the guy out. Not sure I could have after the first one.
 
As much as I like bagging on outfitters, at least they would have told the guy he was done. Put me down as telling him to shove off. Maybe if he figures out the woods are full of a-holes he will stay home.
 
If he wasn’t an older gentlemen we wouldn’t have helped him out but I was just checking my sanity. I personally made a sub par shot in a bull and we spent the afternoon and the next morning grid searching from his last track/blood. We got lucky. But his bulls were most definitely dead I can’t believe we tracked blood for him as long as we did. Major lung blood pools of blood. And we had 4 guys griding the hills and we honestly pushed so hard to help so he wouldn’t continue to stick bulls.....
 
wow how he even thought it was ok to keep hunting after looking for a few hours is amazing. let alone it seems like you helping him was it. I have no problem if the guy keeps trying after looking for a few days for the first one. after the second one he should have packed it in. I would not have been so understanding after the 2nd bull let him know that.
 
i understand you helping him, did you guys try to explain to him that what he was doing wasn’t very ethical And if so what was his reaction
 
He should have been done after the first. Just out of curiosity, what type of broadhead did you give him?
 
Just reading your post I think I'm feeling like you were by the 3rd bull! I would of helped him with the first one for sure, probably hesitant with the 2nd and hell no with the third epecially if he was being an A-hole! And definitely no "calling dibs" with a sign on public land. Sounds like you really did the right thing with Sportmanship and setting the example, good job!
 
Years back, we were on a muzzleloader hunt. A gentlemen was riding his atv by. Had a nice buck on it. We stopped to talk, with him telling his story. Then proceeding to say he shot one the day before, was following the blood, and got “petered out”. Too long of a tracking job he said. Boy did we let him have it. I would’ve concentrated on that first bull for the remainder of the hunt. I shot a buck with a bow at the top of a mountain. Tracked it all the way down, into a nasty canyon. We lost blood there, but searched for that deer the remainder of the hunt, even though there were plenty of deer to go after.
 
Sounds weird and I've never done it but I like the idea of a sign on the gate. Could save a walk to the water. I would still hunt the area though
 
I would have punched my tag after the first. My buddy shot one this year like a 310-320 class bull and couldn’t find it so he punched his tag, that’s how it should be.

 
Sounds weird and I've never done it but I like the idea of a sign on the gate. Could save a walk to the water. I would still hunt the area though
I agree if your actually sitting the water but the hills around the water isn’t yours. This gate was 2 miles from the tank. I drove in another mile and started hunting heard a buggy coming in went and stopped him to let him know that there was a guy there. He said it was his sign that he wanted to make sure he had that tank
 
This would’ve seriously pissed me off...

[ QUOTE="tallpine13, post: 1880683, member: 6106"]
I agree if your actually sitting the water but the hills around the water isn’t yours. This gate was 2 miles from the tank. I drove in another mile and started hunting heard a buggy coming in went and stopped him to let him know that there was a guy there. He said it was his sign that he wanted to make sure he had that tank
[/QUOTE]
 
Typical NM lack of respect for wildlife in my opinion.
So you judge all New Mexicans as a lack of respect for wildlife? Not even knowing if this was a resident or non-resident!
How about when you draw blood ! Tag is punched! Don't you think that is a better way to judge all hunters instead of the whole state?
Typical NM lack of respect for wildlife in my opinion.
 
And to put the cherry on top after he shot the 3rd bull he told us that he would come back in the morning to move the carcass away from the tank.... it was maybe 40-50 yards.... we got back from our morning hunt and he was packed up and gone..... didn’t even give me my 2 broad heads he didn’t use back that sorry sucker... went down to pull my cams off the tank and their lay the carcass... hooks up the tow strap and drug it 2-300 yards away....
 
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Hats off to you for the help you gave him and keeping it together - modeling awesome behavior that unfortunately he didnt return. Glad there are guys like you out there...like many have said, posting the sign when not there and giving up on the first wounded bull would probably have been my line. Again, glad to see guys like you in the field.
 
Unfortunately I’ve seen that scenario more than once. I talked to guy last year that shot 4 in one hunt same type of deal. Post archery season is like the first of shed season but with dead heads. Not throwing stones because I bow hunt elk every now and then. I still think those kind of hunters are the minority.
 
I only archery hunt and as archers need to look at ourselves and know our boundaries and limit ourselves. My wife shot a stud last year and she only pulls back 50 pounds. We limited her to 40 yards. Her shot was right at 40. I’m comfortable to 70 but after this year I might even cut that back due to flight time and just everything that can happen out to 70 yards. But I hear of guys dropping missiles at 80-100 and I think that’s absolutely crazy. I am believer in if your good at 80 your great at 60 due to it showing imperfections in form, tuning, etc. but not ethical when it comes to an animal.
 
Here’s my opinion. At the end of the day it’s a personal moral decision on what’s ethical and what’s not. You can go on and on. I think that things happen In hunting no matter whether it’s archery or rifle. Personally I draw the line at what kind of archery shot I made, lethal, like a gut shot or even a “kill shot” or will the animal survive ( ex. Shoulder shot on elk) if I made a “lethal” shot then I will say that’s my animal usually. I think a lot more hunters should learn how to track animals and not give up so easy.
 
Here’s my opinion. At the end of the day it’s a personal moral decision on what’s ethical and what’s not. You can go on and on. I think that things happen In hunting no matter whether it’s archery or rifle. Personally I draw the line at what kind of archery shot I made, lethal, like a gut shot or even a “kill shot” or will the animal survive ( ex. Shoulder shot on elk) if I made a “lethal” shot then I will say that’s my animal usually. I think a lot more hunters should learn how to track animals and not give up so easy.

I agree 100% I had my buddy from Indiana come down and he was curious on why I kept on elk track and gave up on blood. I hit mine back and had very little blood. Luckily he had big feet
 
I agree 100% I had my buddy from Indiana come down and he was curious on why I kept on elk track and gave up on blood. I hit mine back and had very little blood. Luckily he had big feet


My sister in law’s bull that we called in for her she hit high in the lungs and left little to no blood luckily we were in sand and not rocks etc and I heard him crash helped. The above post of a guy shooting 2-3 elk in the “kill zone” sounds excessive, but ??‍♂️
 
If you hunt any of the native reservations, you shoot, you draw blood, you track it, you don't find it ,it's game over, the check is in there bank . No do overs !
 
That’s how most outfitters are as well. What really frustrated me was the quality of bulls he shot. I mean kuddos to him most people never get an opportunity at a bull 350 plus and he stuck 3.... in big into the game management side of things and keeping quality up is something I like to see and no matter how good you manage it if there jack wagons like that out there..... it’s impossible. I made a post back a few months ago and after seeing some of the bulls that people took out of that unit I really wish our prime units would go to an APRE-6 and have to have a minimum of 6 on one side to keep quality where it’s at our bump it up a little. But that does nothing when you have a few guys taking 2-3 bulls year and finding one.
 
So I almost got into it with a guy at a water hole this hunt same thing. Parked at the mouth of the road walked my butt up hill 2 miles. Granted most of it you could drive but Galway there’s a 4 wheeler ramp so you need to have one to go further. Again I walked about 200 yards from the top I see a side by side on the side of the ride literally but parked half into the road no where to park it cause roads a beach and it’s thick. I look down can’t see tracks as to ware they went as there’s another 4 wheeler or wide by side that went over his.


I’m sweating my butt off get to the top and water hole literally 5 yards off the road. I see a tree stand and no one in it and so I head on. Once I get to the water 2 guys sitting in the tree to the left 5 yards across the road. So water on right road and hunters left of road 10 yards apart and it’s all public. I’m like damn well came all the way up trying to learn new lbs and hoping to get away from people. Big mistake. I walk passed the water 150 yards away a quads coming out of the only road on the left and going the only other road right. Mind you this 6:00 - 6:30 prime time so to speak. So I’m like damn it. I go left anyway there’s a quad there to. I’m now defeated I walked 2.5 miles up him to see 3 quads and some one sitting the water. The road coming up is full of boulders (I am shocked people take there 4 wheelers up it) but anything to not walk. So I tell the guy I am guiding a buddy on 2 day deal. If we stay up till dark we are gonna walk the toad down with boulders and that’s gonna. I felt bad but hell there was already quads all over and guys less than 300 yards from the water I’m just gonna go back even though hate to go by him sitting.



We head back down and I say man I am sorry to cross paths with you but I walked my butt off to find quads all over driving at prime time and basically we aren’t gonna see much given this scenario. One guy says ok understand and the other guy not so much. They had a tri pod so they are filming. He says are you guiding I say yeah and at first is being ok than he says he is gonna report me for interfering with there hunt twice. I’m like dude I hate to walk into someone’s sitting water but it is public. He says well you see the quad that means don’t come up. Now I’m getting pissed. He says you interfered twice once up and once down and you could of skirted the hole. I’m like bro the reason I’m not skirting you is the same reason you drove the quad up I didn’t want to walk half mile extra and it’s 7:00 pm. We get into it pretty good. He tells me I’m filming a series and I’ll put you on it. I’m kissed by now. And he’s little as dude I wanted to walk over and choke slam him but out of respect for all people I said I’m walking away before this gets ugly and I left.


Again I never try to ruin people’s hunts, sits or area but reality it is public and your sitting on the damn road. I was trying to be polite but wth man. I remember the guy and his name I will run into him. And rehash the words out in person face to face.

It’s sad cause I heard in 13 they were blocking roads just the same way and confronting people for going around.


I’m sorry if you have an atv or 4 wheeler but I think they cause way more damage than help anything or anybody. The guys I was with said Colorado has soo many regulations on quads and I see why so it doesn’t turn into NM. The majority of people mis use them ans I see it year after year.


I had a buddy sit a water hole in 13 in the narrows 2 thug type dudes show up at The water say your sitting out hole - this was last year and tell him he needs to leave. And basically threaten him with the muzzle loaders to the point he’s soo uncomfortable he chooses to leave. It’s just becoming more frequent and common. I was watching Levi Morgan show from last year and they are on a herd and bang bang a suburban pulls up car full of guys shooting from across the fence at their heard with rifles all on film and they go confront them. It’s just dad what hunting evolved to. For the first time in hunting 30 plus years I am actually losing the desire due stuff like this happening so gotten. It’s tubing hunting. I know it’s not every day but it’s gotten ridiculous and it has ruined multiple days hunting every year and I am considering where I apply based on roads and limited access or tag numbers to try and escape some of this!
 
F&G needs to come out with a statement on sitting public water holes. People should flip a coin, take turns and be courteous. Some water spots are just flat out better than others.

it would be nice to get the chance to recharge once in a while next to one. New Mexico has a ton of arid land-Without much water in a a dry year.
 
F&G needs to come out with a statement on sitting public water holes. People should flip a coin, take turns and be courteous. Some water spots are just flat out better than others.

it would be nice to get the chance to recharge once in a while next to one. New Mexico has a ton of arid land-Without much water in a a dry year.
Unfortunately, I don't think it matters what G&F wants or puts out there are people that straight don't give a RIP. I know the people who run the Armendariz Ranch for Oryx and people are breaking into multiple gates, busting multiple locks and getting caught in person and on camera and say, so call G&F I don't care. This is just what the world has come to unfortunately.

I would rather see quads outlawed or have some heavier restrictions. majority of water is next to roads. So people just want to drive to them be it via car or quad/ATV. The difference between the quads and truck is people will go 10 miles deep on the worst road ever in search of animals that they would never think of taking a truck in. It also has people going on roads that aren't really roads and or resparking up a road that wasn't used. And i hear people say using the quad saves the trucks and to a point its true but if the roads are so bad you can't get a truck there maybe its time to get out and walk. I really don't think people factor how much hunting pressure affects the hunting. You can hear a quad 10 miles away and they no exactly what it is... I know not everyone agree's but I see all these issues more often than not.
 
With regards to waterholes, most respectful hunters don’t want to drive or walk up on a water another hunter is sitting and potentially ruin an opportunity for the sitter. It is not a good feeling to walk up to a tank to check it out and have a hunter wave you off who is sitting it so for that reason I don‘t have a problem with a sign alerting me to their presence. This would only apply to two tracks that dead end at that particular tank and assume the hunter is actually sitting it. I can see placing the sign at the gate so a guy doesn’t go to the trouble of opening the gate, driving through, getting out to close the gate, driving 100 yards down the road, then seeing the sign and having to turn around and go through the gate opening and closing process again. Placing the sign two miles out is ridiculous though.

However, if the tank is on the side of a through road the sitter can’t expect everyone to turn around because they have placed a sign out. I’m not turning around and driving an extra hour to get to my spot or hunting a different area than planned because they picked a water right next to a through road.

I was muzzy hunting NM 15 years ago and had set up my ground blind on a dirt tank in the early afternoon. This tank was on the side of a through road so I was rolling the dice on other hunters rolling by. About two hours before sunset, a truck rolls up, two hunters get out and proceed to walk to two other corners of the tank and take positions despite my waving and whistling at them and I know they saw me and my blind. Disgusted, I packed up my stuff and left.

Tallpine13 went above and beyond to help the “so called hunter” recover those bulls. Based on what he said the first bull was dead and the guy should have spent another day or two on his own as a minimum trying to find it. Sounds like the guy was a real tool. I would have lost my patience as well! Not cool.

Horniac
 
Unfortunately, I don't think it matters what G&F wants or puts out there are people that straight don't give a RIP. I know the people who run the Armendariz Ranch for Oryx and people are breaking into multiple gates, busting multiple locks and getting caught in person and on camera and say, so call G&F I don't care. This is just what the world has come to unfortunately.

I would rather see quads outlawed or have some heavier restrictions. majority of water is next to roads. So people just want to drive to them be it via car or quad/ATV. The difference between the quads and truck is people will go 10 miles deep on the worst road ever in search of animals that they would never think of taking a truck in. It also has people going on roads that aren't really roads and or resparking up a road that wasn't used. And i hear people say using the quad saves the trucks and to a point its true but if the roads are so bad you can't get a truck there maybe its time to get out and walk. I really don't think people factor how much hunting pressure affects the hunting. You can hear a quad 10 miles away and they no exactly what it is... I know not everyone agree's but I see all these issues more often than not.

Ocho! I feel your pain brother! Even in units with limited access it was a real **** show!
 
Damn, it pains me to hear all this since we know how special these tags are. I'm on board with restricting quads in some way that gets people out hiking and hunting instead of driving around everywhere. By all means use them instead of a truck but not on a closed two-track. Use your legs if you can!

That's why my bumpersticker says, "Use the Quads GOD Gave You."
 
I’m not a tank sitter by any means I know big bulls get killed at water every year and since it was such a dry summer it was a mad house with people at tanks. Never seen it as bad as it was this year. But we definitely hunted in the vicinity of the tank even though he had his sign saying he was sitting the tank..... He finally rolled into his spot around 4:30-5 because we heard his old 2 stroke gator screaming through the canyon. 4 wheelers obviously are a pain sometimes but sometimes you have to use them to your advantage. I personally get higher and further in and let the pressure bring them to me. Only issue was this year not much if any water up high so it held them down lower it seemed like. I’m over people thinking they own tanks or Own certain areas though. Had a real very respectful outfitter chasing the same bull we were if they had the better play they got it if we did they let us give it a go and not try blowing our chances. We found a couple other nice bulls and moved on wishing them the best of luck. It should be more like that but it’s turned into such a competition people or outfitters think it’s their bull or their spot..... pretty ridiculous but it’s hunting public It’s not just the wind you have to worry about anymore!
 
Meh. 3rd times the charm! Sounds like OP is pissed he didn’t get any shots off. You could learn from that old man how to get it done. You don’t bring the meat home if you don’t keep hunting!
 
Meh. 3rd times the charm! Sounds like OP is pissed he didn’t get any shots off. You could learn from that old man how to get it done. You don’t bring the meat home if you don’t keep hunting!


Actually I shot a pretty good bull I personally don’t like sitting tanks just one fellow would post a sign up and not be on the tank we were hunting around to keep people out. I’m just talking about ethics of hunting. You think it’s right to take 3 bulls in one hunt? Look for 5 hours and just jump back in the blind and sling another arrow? Doesn’t go back to camp to check equipment to ensure everything was alright? Total lack of respect for the animal and gives us as hunters a bad name in my opinion.
 
Typical NM lack of respect for wildlife in my opinion.
I’ve lived, and hunted in New Mexico my entire life. Some people-like the idiot who shot 3 bulls- don’t understand sportsmanship. If you hit one you’re done. This isn’t a NM problem, it’s people problem. And I’m willing to bet he didn’t have a NM plate on his truck. But thanks for taking the time to blast the rest of us “NM” people.
 
I’ve lived, and hunted in New Mexico my entire life. Some people-like the idiot who shot 3 bulls- don’t understand sportsmanship. If you hit one you’re done. This isn’t a NM problem, it’s people problem. And I’m willing to bet he didn’t have a NM plate on his truck. But thanks for taking the time to blast the rest of us “NM” people.

Yes I am a New Mexican and am blasting other New Mexicans. Hunted a lot of other states and New Mexico is the only place I have fished where the goal is to kill as many trout as you can, shoot turkeys out of trees and wound multiple animals with a bow without remorse. I have seen this behavior other places but not to the degree as here. Just my observation.

I think hunters education should be mandatory for adults here.
 
Yes I am a New Mexican and am blasting other New Mexicans. Hunted a lot of other states and New Mexico is the only place I have fished where the goal is to kill as many trout as you can, shoot turkeys out of trees and wound multiple animals with a bow without remorse. I have seen this behavior other places but not to the degree as here. Just my observation.

I think hunters education should be mandatory for adults here.
In situations where unethical/illegal hunting practices are taking place, NMDGF should be notified. If nothing else, just to be a pain in the ass for the person acting that way. I agree, everybody needs to go through hunters education. I’ve seen plenty of unethical hunters also. Most of which aren’t from our state. I’m not saying we don’t have bad people, I’m saying every state does.
 
personally, the worst unethical/illegal hunting practices I've seen were by non-residents. doesn't mean all nr's are bad but that's been my experience. I think bedawg made a foolish statement but that's his opinion.
 
I’ve lived, and hunted in New Mexico my entire life. Some people-like the idiot who shot 3 bulls- don’t understand sportsmanship. If you hit one you’re done. This isn’t a NM problem, it’s people problem. And I’m willing to bet he didn’t have a NM plate on his truck. But thanks for taking the time to blast the rest of us “NM” people.

He was a NM resident.
 
He was a NM resident.
Yessir. He made that clear. And he’s right. There are plenty of idiots hunting our state. Hell, 25 years ago while hunting with my dad, we came across a dude with a heavy southern accent. He told us he took two “sound shots” earlier in the morning. My dad asked what a sound shot was. He said he heard deer walking and shot at it. Dad called him a dumb f#%* and we headed out. Non residents, and residents alike can be worthless.
 

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