Chrud Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 If you come to Wisconsin to hunt, you can easily tell who the law followers, responsible and respectful deer hunters are...the bowhunters. There are some gun-only hunters that also fall into that category, but once the 9-day gun season kicks in, the clowns come out of the walls. A good portion of the gun hunters are ones that don't really care about laws or respect to other hunters. It seems like WWIII. Here are a few things I noticed on the opening weekend of gun season in Wisconsin. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener. _______________ You've all heard of the 8 hunters that were shot. Here it is again. BIRCHWOOD, Wis. - A deer hunter shot and killed five people and wounded three others in northwestern Wisconsin following a dispute about a tree stand during the hunt’s opening weekend, authorities said. The 36-year-old alleged gunman was arrested Sunday afternoon, Sawyer County sheriff’s officials said. Jake Hodgkinson, a deputy at the county jail, identified the suspect as Chai Vang but would give no additional details. Paul Schnell, a spokesman for the St. Paul, Minn., police department, said the man was from St. Paul. The incident began when two hunters were returning to their rural cabin on private land in Sawyer County when they saw the suspect in one of their hunting platforms in a tree, County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said. A confrontation and shooting followed. Unclear who fired first It’s not known who shot first, Zeigle said. Both hunters were wounded and one of them radioed to the cabin a quarter mile away. Other hunters responded and were shot. About 20 shots were fired in total, but it’s unclear who shot them, he said. The dead included a teenage boy and a woman, Zeigle said. A father and son also were among them, he said. Some of the victims were shot more than once. All five, from the Rice Lake area, were dead when officers arrived in the area in southwestern Sawyer County, he said. Authorities found two bodies near each other and the others were scattered over 100 yards. “It’s absolutely nuts. Why? Over sitting in a tree stand?” said Zeigle. Zeigle said the suspect was “chasing after them and killing them,” with a SKS 7.62 mm semiautomatic rifle, a common hunting weapon. Wisconsin’s statewide deer gun hunting season started Saturday and lasts for nine days. Two young people who were staying in the cabin emerged safely after the shootings. Suspect got lost in woods The suspect, who did not have a compass, got lost in the woods and two hunters, not knowing about the shootings, helped him find his way out, Zeigle said. When he emerged, a Department of Natural Resources officer recognized the deer license on his back, given to police by a victim, Zeigle said. The man was out of bullets and was arrested, Zeigle said. One of the injured hunters was in critical condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Another was listed in serious condition and the third was in fair condition, both at Lakeview Medical Center. Hunter Bill Wagner, 72, of Oshkosh, was about two miles away near Deer Lake with a party of about 20 other hunters. After they got word of the shooting, he and others went to round up the rest of the party. He said they heard sirens, planes and helicopters and noticed the surrounding roads blocked off. “When you’re hunting you don’t expect somebody to try to shoot you and murder you,” he said. “You have no idea who is coming up to you.” It took about three hours to round up the other hunters, who were up to four miles apart, Wagner said. “We’re all old, dyed-in-wool hunters,” he said. “We wouldn’t go home because of this but we will keep it in our minds. We’re not forgetting it.” _______________ The rest are a couple incidents that I experienced this weekend. - Tresspassers. We have new land that we are hunting, it hasn't been hunted in forever. So, folks that usually tresspass now are meeting me. Usually, they see me, and hop back across the fence. I've been trying to use my binoculars to get their tag numbers, but haven't so far. On Saturday, three guys set up on a great trail after seeing me right on the other side of the fence, so I couldn't shoot even if I wanted to. It was like they were mad that we had permission to hunt the land. One clown yesterday was walking on his side of the fence and found a dead deer we drug away from my brother's bow stand (it died of natural causes) a couple weeks ago. The guy sees me in my rifle stand, jumps the fence and pokes and prods the deer for 10 minutes. I tell ya. - Smoked-up clowns. My uncle (dope head) takes about 20 people to drive a 40 acre spot. I won't do it, people shoot at each other, even at our house. The standers are always shooting at buildings or people. A good hunting buddy got conned into it. 28 shots and a few small fawns. That is why I don't hunt there anymore. Two days into the season and that area is ruined. - Road hunters? This group of people get fined every year for hunting to close to the road. We were driving around with the wheeler and a trailer just for effect. These clowns were making a drive. One guy was in a climbing stand about 30' off the road. And the biggest clown of them all, I kid you not, was posted in the ditch facing the road. You need to be 50' off the shoulder, he wasn't even 3'. Plus, the guy would have been shooting across the road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener Man...The onlt thing I had so far was the neihbor boy, 16, shot a doe late today and was in my field trying to fo;;ow up on it when I came home. I was glassing the lower fields just at dark and saw him out there. I drove down to him to see who it was, and he told me what had happened, the doe came onto my property and bedded up, but when he came over to get it it took off. I told him to come back in the am and we should find it bedded up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamphunter Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener Chrud wow man!! Off topic but with this post your at 7000!!! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSU_Seminole Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener You're lucky that only last 9 days where you are. Imagine having a gun season where running dogs is legal from Sept 1 to Jan 1. I experience similar stuff for 4 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaskMan Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener I wish you had to be 50 feet from the road to shoot here, that'd be awesome, road hunters ruin things here in rifle season as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyj987 Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener [ QUOTE ] - Smoked-up clowns. My uncle (dope head) takes about 20 people to drive a 40 acre spot. I won't do it, people shoot at each other, even at our house. The standers are always shooting at buildings or people. A good hunting buddy got conned into it. 28 shots and a few small fawns. That is why I don't hunt there anymore. Two days into the season and that area is ruined. [/ QUOTE ] I took some heat last year for going on a rant about deer drives and shooting at running deer. Though I exaggerated a bit at the time saying they should be banned, the type of situation you mentioned above is what I was ticked off about. Unfortunately, that kind of deer drive is what I call a "Wisconsin Deer Drive." A lot of people do them safely, but FAR too many of our cheesehead bretheren get sloshed and go out and drive deer and shoot at anything that moves. There really isn't a way to regulate it, I guess, but these yahoos are the kind that give hunters a bad reputation. Ever hear a non-hunter praise ethical hunters? Not me---but I've heard lots of them critical of ones that hunt like that. Maybe they are the minority, but they are how we are perceived by many people. Great post, Matt. Hopefully those trespassers will stay off the land now that they've run into the Chrudmeister a couple of times. Best of luck with the rest of your season, buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted November 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener I hear ya Mark. Deer drives are fine and a lot of fun, when done correctly. We only have about 5 or 6, maybe 7 or 8 max, people when we do our drives. We setup the posters where they won't be shooting at the drivers or other posters. Everyone knows where everyone else is. Plus, everyone is sober. When you see three trucks with the cabs full, plus 4 people with loaded, uncased guns in back, plus a cooler with a good 48 empty Bud cans, you know that isn't well organized. You shouldn't need over 20 people to drive out a 40 acre piece of property. Someone is just asking to get shot. The tresspassers aren't too big of a deal. They weren't far from the fence and all went back over once they saw me. Once we fix a few fences and they see us more, they'll leave us alone. But one group of clowns is just beggin for a beatin. **This is not an anti-deer drive post. This IS an anti-early morining drinking/smoking deer drive post.** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener yep, we have clowns like that too. i don't see an end in sight unless the state really cracks down on violators. i think the state should temporarily hire additional DNR agents, deputize them, and let them start levying heavy fines for tresspassers and law breakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener update on that doe the boy shot...we went out and found it right off the field where he last saw it. Still in its bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener Brutal huh....... [ QUOTE ] 28 shots and a few small fawns. [/ QUOTE ] 28? Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted November 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener Yep, 28. And a few of which were at our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener Sounds to me like more "I'm an elitest bowhunter" garbage again. From the stories I have been reading for the last 2 months on this wire you bowhunters are no saints either. To say that you are "more a law following, responsible and respectful deer hunters than I am is very very wrong." I don't bowhunt because I don't have the time but it does not make you better than me. Ranger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener I get really mad when i keep hearing about that, they should give him the death penalty, language barrier my butt,,,, My daughter is suppose to go with me opening day this comming saturday for the first time, this has affected her thinking regarding hunting. I sat her down and we talked for almost an hour after watching what cnn and msnbc were showing about it.... I'm not sure if she still wants go... I'm so pissed off ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted November 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener Would you reread my posts. I said not all gun hunters are like that. But RARELY do you hear about bowhunting problems like that. You hear of a few bowhunting tresspasses but that is about it. No 28 arrows flug during a drive. No bowhunting from the ditch on a main highway. It might be different by you, but you don't live by me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyj987 Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener Ranger, there was nothing in this thread ripping ethical gun hunters. And Chrud is the furthest thing from an "elitist" I could imagine. Perhaps it's different elsewhere in the country, but there are a TON of more problems during gun season than bow season in Wisconsin. It's probably just because of the sheer number of people in the woods and high hunter concentrations over a short 9-day gun season. Most of the people that deer hunt (gun OR bow) are very ethical hunters and have absolute respect for the animals they hunt. What I really hate to see at the deer registration station are deer with four bullet holes in them...a blown off leg, a hold in the rump, one in the gut, and then FINALLY a merciful (albeit messy) shot to the head. If you can't put a bullet or slug within an eight inch circle (or better in my opinion), you should not gun hunt--and we have plenty of people in Wisconsin that can't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted November 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 Re: The Clowns of the Wisconsin Gun Opener [ QUOTE ] If you come to Wisconsin to hunt, you can easily tell who the law followers, responsible and respectful deer hunters are...the bowhunters. There are some gun-only hunters that also fall into that category, but once the 9-day gun season kicks in, the clowns come out of the walls. [/ QUOTE ] Where did I say all gun hunters are like that? Thanks for the backup Mark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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