[steelhead125]

So yesterday I decided to give the mountain a break due to zero gobbling over the last 10 days. I decided to go down to some game lands and flood control property that I have hunted for years. Around 9:00 I was driving down the road and saw one strutting in a posted field about 300 to 400 yards away. The woods bordering the field is open to hunting so I parked by some railroad tracks and slipped in the backside of the woods. My plan was to sit there until 12:00 making some soft calls to let him know I was there and maybe he would come for a visit once the hens went to nest. Well an hour later I here what I think is a hen coming from the direction of the road but wasn't 100% convinced. About 20 minutes later I catch movement along the tree line that borders the field and for a second I thought it was a gobbler coming in looking for me. Well it wasn't. It was another hunter putting the stalk on the strutting gobbler in the field. He was so preoccupied with looking into the field he didn't notice me at all and passed by me at 50 yards. This is the ugly part I am talking about. First off I think he was going to try and get as close to the birds as possible which is stalking. Second I was scared to move or say anything because it appeared he was so amped up he may of drew his gun on me. Third, he was walking a fine line coming down the field edge where it is posted. I know this guy doesn't have permission to hunt there and I am sure he would of had no issues shooting into the field. Fourth, I was the only car parked there so anyone using common sense would at least come through there using some form of caution but he was totally unaware of his surrounds. Never mind the fact he had total disregard for the possibility of messing someone's hunt up.
Anyhow, when he got far enough away from me I quietly stood up and backed out with a sense of relief that I didn't startle him.

Anyhow, back to the mountains for me were it's not as thick and there are less hunters. Turkey hunting can be scary sometimes on public land. You would like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but at the same time you just never know for sure the type of people that are out there hunting with you.

Any of you ever had any bad encounters that put you on edge during turkey ? This is not the first time for me just the most recent.

 

[GermanHillHunter]

It's what I refer to as your typical BOZO. Lots of them come around here every weekend. It's why I rarely hunt weekends.

 

[Hunter8319]

It's a shame but there are idiots everywhere. You're better off in the mtns, there's a lower concentration of them.

I don't agree that getting as close to a bird as you can is stalking if you have intentions of sitting and calling. That guy was stalking though.

 

[SlickShot]

Yep,if your hunting public land then there is always that chance that you will encounter other hunters. It`s happened to most all of us at one time or another. Steel you did the right thing and just tanked the hunt, no sense confronting or arguing with him, he has just as much right to hunt there as you, but a little consideration and common sense would have been nice on his part.

Good Luck the rest of the way...

 

[Mark Ramela]

My friend and I were hunting about 15 years ago and we were working a gobbler that was in the woods 100 yards off a field. He was up on the hill and we set up a decoy on the logging road that skirted the bottom of the hill. He was gobbling for well over an hour and closing the distance painfully slow. My buddy was sitting about 30 yards in front of me as I called to the bird. I noticed 2 guys sneakiing up through the woods to my left at about 75 yards. They spotted the decoy on the road and one raised his gun at it. I stood up and waved an orange vest at the guy and he saw me and lowered the gun I waved at him to sit down. This bird was about a 100 yards but over the top of the knob and still coming. I kept calling and this bird came down over the hill iin full strut, stepped on to the logging road about 50 yards from the decoy and 60 yards from my buddy. He was coming right to the decoy, when that jerk shot that bird. Oh man was I mad. I walked over to Bill and told him not to say a work. I walked over, picked up my decoy and walked right past those two guys and never said a word. Believe me, I wanted to.

 

[GermanHillHunter]

My friend and I were hunting about 15 years ago and we were working a gobbler that was in the woods 100 yards off a field. He was up on the hill and we set up a decoy on the logging road that skirted the bottom of the hill. He was gobbling for well over an hour and closing the distance painfully slow. My buddy was sitting about 30 yards in front of me as I called to the bird. I noticed 2 guys sneakiing up through the woods to my left at about 75 yards. They spotted the decoy on the road and one raised his gun at it. I stood up and waved an orange vest at the guy and he saw me and lowered the gun I waved at him to sit down. This bird was about a 100 yards but over the top of the knob and still coming. I kept calling and this bird came down over the hill iin full strut, stepped on to the logging road about 50 yards from the decoy and 60 yards from my buddy. He was coming right to the decoy, when that jerk shot that bird. Oh man was I mad. I walked over to Bill and told him not to say a work. I walked over, picked up my decoy and walked right past those two guys and never said a word. Believe me, I wanted to.

How did you contain yourself? I would have blown a gasket. I wonder what goes through people's minds sometimes. I mean I wouldn't even consider doing such a thing. Honestly I'd be afraid of getting shot or my $&@ kicked if I did that to someone.

 

[steelhead125]

Yesterday was almost a classic scenario where things could go wrong. Something that could be demonstrated in a hunters safety course. What if I was a jumpy hunter thinking he was turkey ? When people get excited their mind can play tricks on them. What would he have done if I startled him ? What if the gobbler was close to us and actually gobbling. Imagine how wound up we both would of been and on top of that not realizing how close we were to one another. I know I am not shooting unless I am 100% sure of my target but you never know how the other guy will react. It's just scary sometimes when you think about. I only have one or two more days to get out and this last experience will have me being extra cautious when I am out there.

 

[Mark Ramela]

[/quote] How did you contain yourself? I would have blown a gasket. I wonder what goes through people's minds sometimes. I mean I wouldn't even consider doing such a thing. Honestly I'd be afraid of getting shot or my $&@ kicked if I did that to someone. [/quote]

It wasn't easy. I summoned the help of the Lord to calm myself down.

 

[PA boxcall]

I've had a guy with his gun at the ready stalk into our decoy on private ground to nothing more then hen yelping. Like Mark, had another guy sneak in on a gobbler coming in and shot out from under us at 60 yards also on private ground. Neither guy made a sound.

This isn't just a public ground problem it's a lack of self control problem, and its everywhere. Not about the hunt but the kill. Sad.

 

[steelhead125]

I've had a guy with his gun at the ready stalk into our decoy on private ground to nothing more then hen yelping. Like Mark, had another guy sneak in on a gobbler coming in and shot out from under us at 60 yards also on private ground. Neither guy made a sound.

This isn't just a public ground problem it's a lack of self control problem, and its everywhere. Not about the hunt but the kill. Sad.

I would be willing to bet that there is more trespassing going on in turkey season than there is in deer season.

 

[Fairchild #17]

I've read your story twice and I honestly don't see how you can be upset with the guy other than the fact that he chose to be more aggressive with the bird than you chose to be.

Getting as close to the bird as possible is not stalking.......it's turkey hunting 101. He "stalked" that bird no more than you did. You got closer to the known location of the bird from the parking lot, and so did he.
I've said many times before on here that I will be very aggressive in getting as tight to a bird as I can before I start calling to him.
If I'm back in the woods and spot a strutter out in a field, I will do whatever it takes to get within 15 yards of the edge of that field. Use terrain cover, belly crawl, hands and knees down a muddy creek bottom (yes I did and I killed that bird too) whatever it takes.
If I know a bird is on a wooded bench, I'm getting on that bench with him.....same deal, whatever it takes.
Your turkey hunting success will increase exponentially with a good starting position.

If you are scared of other hunters focused entirely on their game........this sport is not for you.

Do you know who the guy was? Was it the land owner of the field, or his brother, or kid, or invited guest? You have no idea if he had permission or not. Maybe he knocked on a door and asked? Works all the time for me.

Lastly, public access is just that. Did he park right by you or elsewhere? Maybe he was there first?


You guys can call him a Bozo, moron, idiot, or whatever......I don't see a single thing the man did wrong.

Wound up, jumpy, easily startled, and willing to shoot at anything that moves??????? That's nothing but a figment of your imagination.

Good luck with the rest of your season.

 

[steelhead125]

I've read your story twice and I honestly don't see how you can be upset with the guy other than the fact that he chose to be more aggressive with the bird than you chose to be.

Getting as close to the bird as possible is not stalking.......it's turkey hunting 101. He "stalked" that bird no more than you did. You got closer to the known location of the bird from the parking lot, and so did he.
I've said many times before on here that I will be very aggressive in getting as tight to a bird as I can before I start calling to him.
If I'm back in the woods and spot a strutter out in a field, I will do whatever it takes to get within 15 yards of the edge of that field. Use terrain cover, belly crawl, hands and knees down a muddy creek bottom (yes I did and I killed that bird too) whatever it takes.
If I know a bird is on a wooded bench, I'm getting on that bench with him.....same deal, whatever it takes.
Your turkey hunting success will increase exponentially with a good starting position.

If you are scared of other hunters focused entirely on their game........this sport is not for you.

Do you know who the guy was? Was it the land owner of the field, or his brother, or kid, or invited guest? You have no idea if he had permission or not. Maybe he knocked on a door and asked? Works all the time for me.

Lastly, public access is just that. Did he park right by you or elsewhere? Maybe he was there first?


You guys can call him a Bozo, moron, idiot, or whatever......I don't see a single thing the man did wrong.

Wound up, jumpy, easily startled, and willing to shoot at anything that moves??????? That's nothing but a figment of your imagination.

Good luck with the rest of your season.

He stalked the bird way more than I did. I came in the woods from the backside and couldn't even see the field from where I was at. Found a good tree and sat down. He on the other hand was walking down the posted boarder along the field stopping every now and then and making his way closer and closer.
He didn't trespass but I know who is leasing the farm for hunting and he was not one of them. If he was like me and had no intentions of shooting in the field he would of backed off and stayed 30 to 40 yards in the woods.
My vehicle was the only one parked there and when I came out his vehicle was right next to mine. I am also 100% sure he heard my calling because I heard his and even though he may of thought I was a hen he came in without any regard to the fact what he was hearing may have been another hunter. To be only 50 yards from me...... maybe less, and not notice me is a total lack of awareness especially considering the fact our cars were only parked 100 yards away.
I am not really upset about my hunting being ruined but the lack of common sense on his part.
You pull up to a spot and a car is parked there. You walk down a boarder of a field that is posted. You hear calling coming from the woods next to a field that turkeys are already in. You proceed to walk to where you heard the calling from all the while edging closer and closer to where the gobbler is out strutting. Most guys would see the red flags and back off. I know I would.

I know you get all kinds in regards to public land and I accept that. I also have no issues with a hunter being aggressive. At the same time when a hunter is so aggressive that sportsmanship and common sense takes a back seat.....well then I have an issue.