What would you do?

eelgrass · Sep 9, 2004

Opening day of deer season last year I was hunting up hill into the wind when I looked up to see a guy above me sitting on a big rock. I couldn't tell what he was doing until I looked through my binoculars. The idiot was looking at me through his SCOPE! It scared the crap out of me to say the least.

I jumped behind a tree. When I got the nerve to peek around, he still had me in his sights! I yelled something that sounded like sending his "Mother Flowers" while giving him the "bird".

When he realized I was talking to him, he got up and took off and I never saw him after that.

Has anything like that ever happened to any of you? What did you do or what would you do?

I'm about half afraid to head out for the opener this year.

Safe hunting to all of you!

eelgrass

264Magnum · Sep 9, 2004

thankfully nothing like that has ever happened to me. but if it did i imagine i'd do about the same thing you did.

i might have threatened to return fire.

csutton7 · Sep 9, 2004

I'm with 264 on this one--chris

Muleyslyr · Sep 9, 2004

As if we don't have enough to worry about out there....amazing how people will still do that this day and age. Nothing like guys pointing rifles at one another out in the middle of nowhere!

Chef · Sep 9, 2004

Believe it or not, this is a common practice out there. This is unfortunate and ignorant. They think it's no big deal cause "their finger was never on the trigger!"

Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"

rost495 · Sep 9, 2004

I never never never ever look at something with my scope unless I'm going to kill it. If you see me pointing my scope at you, you'll be too late. Seriously though thats what binocs are for. And here in TX so many folks hunt on private property and out of blinds that they only use the scopes. Makes them both lazy and dangerous.

The only fair thing would be that idiots like that mistake each other for game in the bush......

What to do? Personally getting the hell out of there is best. But I'm a Hunter Ed teacher and, AFTER making sure I'mm safe, would go try to explain things to the hunter. Though if they are stupid and ignorant enough to do this in the first place, you may well not be able to speak to them logically.

I press this issue very hard in class. As much as I press the 1 and only important safety rule. Muzzle control. With proper muzzle control, anything else that happens should be ok. Even discharges.

Jeff

kilowatt · Sep 9, 2004

Same thing happened to me but in reverse order, I was up on top of the mountain and he was down below walking up.
This was in X3B in n/e CA back in the mid 80's and after that incident I have never hunted deer again in CA and I have lived here all of my life, and that's a lot of years too.
Opening weekend here in CA is a nightmare, too many "city slickers" out in and about hunting and have no idea what they are doing.
There was a place in Trinity County in No. CA back in the 70's that the locals would not even go out due to these idiots from the south, they called it "BunkerHill", the fools woould shoot at "sound" in the brush. Now that's scary.

Brian

Craveman · Sep 9, 2004

About five years ago I shot a spike elk opening morning and was heading down the mountain in my truck. I was in the bottom of a canyon and came across two people sitting about 40 yards uphill from me. I'm sure it was a father and his about 10 yr old son. While driving by I looked up and and made eye contact with the father and 2 seconds later he raised his rifle and pointed it right at the truck. I'd bet he was just looking at the spike in the back. I hit the brakes and yelled "What the hell are you going to do .... shoot it right in my truck." He dropped his rifle and just sat there. I jumped out of the truck and I asked "What are you teaching that kid? If I wasn't so tried from loading that elk myself I'd come up there and gut you out." Shaking my head as I got back in and heading back down the canyon wondering what questions that kid asked his dad after that.

COHunter · Sep 10, 2004

I had more than one guy do that to me while venturing around the world in the Army, some even pulled the trigger the little ******* bastards !!!

caelkhnter · Sep 10, 2004

About 22 years ago my buddy and I had worked late and drove all night to get to the woods in Northern Az where we would hunt turkeys in a fall hunt. We were very tired that morning and got really lost which resulted in us not getting back to our truck until late afternoon. For the evening hunt we decided we did not want to bust it so we found a water hole that had some turkey tracks and just got back off it and basically planned to sit and wait , probably fall asleep! About an hour later a truck pulls up across the water hole from me and a kid jumps out and starts shooting his 22 semi at the water. I guess he saw a floating twig or something so he thought it would be good/fun shooting practice??? Anyway as we were taught in gun safety course it is not a good idea to shoot at water because the bullets will ricochet off the water. His did right at me. I saw pine needles popping in the air right next to me. I did not move because I was afraid if this idiot saw a movement he would aim at that. When he stopped to reload my buddy and I came charging out of the trees and made it clear to them that they had almost shot me and were engaged in something stupid and dangerous. They jumped in their pickup never to be seen again. I suppose that is why my hunting since then has been exclusively archery.

Benado · Sep 10, 2004

I'm with caelkhnter. I hunt archery and only archery because of stories like those posted above. Too many crazy people out there during the rifle hunts.

Nofear4 · Sep 10, 2004

My little brother caught a guy that shot a doe mistaking if for a buck. Scared the crap out of my Bro because the guy shot the deer less than 100 yards from where my bro. was standing. The guy swore up and down it was a Buck but it was just a skin head. Glad it wasn't my little bro.

A hunting partner of mine did find a thumb, severed at the joint out in the Gila Wilderness a few years back. No Blood, no mess, just a guys clean, cut off, thumb. Now that's scary!

Nofear4

Smiley · Sep 10, 2004

I have had it happen a couple times the first time I was 16 and full piss and vinager so I yelled something at him and as I started off decided to give him a little something and put the sneak on him tokk about an hour and a half to get to him and about 30 seconds to thump him the next time I was a little older and asked the guy If he would not point his gun in my direction he squezzed one off about 50feet from me so I sneaked off and put a call into the Sherrif and just watched the guy till he came down to his vehicle and gave the sheriff the liscense plate # It was all I could do not to shoot the SOB.

eelgrass · Sep 11, 2004

Thanks for all the great response! It's good to know I'm not alone on this one.

Kilowatt almost hit the nail on the head! My incident happened in Trinity Co., CA. I swear, the longer I live in CA, the more embarassed I get! Although from what you all have been saying, the problem is widespread.

Steve

Longrifle1 · Sep 12, 2004

The first time happened in Utard when another hunter was scoping me through the brush. No chance it was a mistake as I was wearing a blaze orange longsleeve shirt and hat! I yelled at him and threatened to return fire if he didn't stop! He stopped and left in a hurry!

The second similar event occurred during a turkey hunt in southern Kommiefornia. On two seperate days I was "stalked" while I was calling with a box and slate combo. I had a couple of decoys set out and I couldn't believe my eyes, when I saw a guy creeping towards my hide with a shotgun. I yelled at him to stop, which he did and quickly left. No words or shot exchanged.

The next day a husband and wife did the same thing, but this time I got pretty mad and yelled at him. I was ready to open a can of whoop-ass at that point. I tried to explain to him I was not a 200 lb. turkey..........well maybe. I've been called worse!

Longrifle 1, out!

sixgunn · Sep 13, 2004

I'm glad I'm a bowhunter!
>>>------>Sixgunn<------<<<

bigbacks · Sep 13, 2004

I was in southern Utah on a doe hunt one year, it was the last day and too dark to see good enough to shoot ,so I was walking back to the truck when bullets started flying through the scrub oak not ten feet from me, I started yelling some expletives,about that time two fawns about ran me over but made a hard right and ran into the scrub, I heard a big thud and then heard some guys walking around so I told them about the thud. They brought a flashlight and found a fawn dead, still wearing spots, and no bigger than my shorthair. These clowns were proud as could be of their trophy and said "its better than nothing" as I called them dumbasses. I believe I have witnessed living proof of the inbreeding that goes on in southern Utah.

muleybull · Sep 14, 2004

Like chef said, some people think its okay because they didnt have their finger on the trigger.......or so they say. I grew up in a little Arizona town where every once in a while, someone would show up in town during a hunt with the wrong species of animal, thinking they did good. Or you would hear the stories of people shooting other hunters because they heard something or saw movement. Shoot first, ask questions later right? Take the guns away from these people forever. Now you have some idiot looking at you through a scope, who's to say your not going to end up a story. Have you ever shot someone elses rifle and was surprised at how light the trigger was on it? Its okay as long as your finger is not on the trigger isnt it? How about this, how many times do you think you were walking a chunk of country and never knew someone was looking at you through their scope. I'm sure it happens more than you know. As far as I know this has never happened to me, but it did happen to a friend of mine. That friend caught up with the guy that was looking at him through the scope and the guy almost took on a severe a$$ whipping.

muleybull · Sep 14, 2004

Heres another one for you. The opening day of rifle elk season, it is not uncommon for people to catch elk in the meadows at first light. Not too long ago a young kid and another guy had cow elk tags and this was their plan for the first day. Just before daylight they spread out along the treeline. When light came, elk were in the opening, the older guy shot and killed his cow, the younger kid shot a couple times finally killing his cow. I believe this was the first hunt for the kid. Everyone went out to the dead elk, but the kids dad didnt show up. Upon further investigation, they found the boys dad at the treeline with a bullet hole in his head from the boys gun. This happened in northern Arizona a year or two ago. The boys dad knew where the shooters were, why he put himself in a position that this could happen, who knows. Now the boy lives with the fact that he shot and killed his dad, doing exactly what he was told to do that morning.

eelgrass · Sep 14, 2004

What a sad story, muleybull.

Thanks to all of you for posting your experiences. I found them all interesting and educational. Let's hope we don't hear any horror stories this year.

Steve

cpsandman · Sep 14, 2004

Being a native UT hunter I agree with everyone else...Utards! The opening day of the rifle deer hunt is not something I ever want to do again in my life. That's why I'm selling my Ultra Mag and bowhunting full time. I've had so many hunters glass me with their scopes it's scary. It's usually just to check to see if they know you or not and just for second but still! Too many people that don't know proper hunting rules or safety fill those hills the middle October. It's a shame but in my opion these "October" hunters (you know the hunter I am talking about) have ruined the mule deer hunt in UT. I have so many good memories of the rifle hunt growing up but I just can't take it anymore. Gonna start new memories with my boys....BOWHUNTING!

CPSANDMAN

Longrifle1 · Sep 14, 2004

I talked to my step-father about this topic yesterday and he reminded me of an old story. I don't remember all the details; however, he said he "knew a guy, who knew a guy" who was an inexperienced hunter and shooter. While on a wilderness Elk hunt, the "new guy", who was a Doctor, shot and killed a Bull Elk. In the meantime, he walked back to camp to get help. Another guide or related party knew about the down Elk and decided to help, arriving ahead of the hunter.

When the hunter returned during a snow storm, he saw a bear feeding on his Elk. The hunter fired a single shot, killing the bear, which of course was one of the other guys from camp. A major mistake turned into a major tradgedy for everyone involved. The man was dressing out the Elk when he was shot. The man was killed instantly, shot through the back, while the Doctor could do nothing to save him.

The moral of the story, Know your target! Know your background! Be carefull this year and every year, teach your friends and kids properly...............................big bucks for everyone!

Longrifle 1, out!

nmhunter1975 · Sep 16, 2004

HEARD OF A STORY LIKE THAT ONE HERE IN NEW MEIXCO, BUT THE GUY HAD HIS GUN DRAWN A GAME AND FISH OFFICER. SO WHEN THE GUY CAME BACK TO HIS TRUCK THE GAME AND FISH OFFICER WAS WAITING FOR HIM. HE GOT A TICKET FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT. HOPE THAT GUY LEARNED HIS LESSON.

woodruffhunter · Sep 16, 2004

Long Rifle 1:

Interesting post and profile. Just curious, where are you from?

Longrifle1 · Sep 17, 2004

Woodruffhunter,

I live in southern Ca. near the "Tragic Kingdom", AKA: Disneyland
My Parents live in in Northern Wyoming, where I do most of my big game hunting because California sucks! Too many flakes, nuts and fruits!

Longrifle 1, out!