your thoughts[unethical or ok]

[sureshot]

this happened last weekend but I have been steeming a bit to much toeven talk about it!! the beginning of august i put out a trail cam and mineral lick, got the deer coming through good and put out whitetail institute pellets, ended up putting out close to 100 dollers worth, had 2- 160 class and one booner whitetail now coming daylight hours, I spent the first couple weeks of the season after mulies, after I got my mulie I went to check the camera and finish up a few of the branches needed to finish the blind up, as me and the daughter walked in I noticed lots of traffic there, I checked the camera and was like crap I forgot to turn it on, then my daughter asked when I put the apples out,I was fuming looked up and seena tree stand 10 yards behind my camera, I knew instantly who, he has pulled the same crap in the past but never with a camera, just setup were I had a blind, I turned the other cheak, not this time, I got to the truck and checked the camera, had them walking in then next day come in with quads and the last pic walking up to the camera, I guess they figured I would walk away again, not!!!!!!!!!! I stopped by the landowner, not home, so I called him on the way home, told him the story and asked permission to chop the tree down, he said go for it, [we both had permission to hunt his prob 2000 acres of pasture] I got to town stopped at the police and asked if i would get in trouble, they said no but phoned the warden, he said to stop by in the am, I calmed down a bit, stopped by in the am, we checked the rules for a while and found one that stated you cannot hunt over another guys bait without the permission of the guy who set it, but with both of us having permission its just a fight to prove anything so hard to lay charges,

I called the guy that night, was nice and polite, asked if he has shot anything over my bait,he laughed and said not yet. I asked how he can be so rude, and he said I was not hunting there,I was steaming again and said I was going to do what I could to get the rule in section 13.1 of the wildlife act on baiting to charge him,

I stopped by the wardens a couple days later and they got a call from him asking what if anything he did wrong, then asked how far he was supposed to be from me, what a idiot, He told the warden he will move the tree stand but I do not care, I will not hunt there again this year,kind of broke the enjoyment of it all.

I only did all this to make him think about what he is doing. like I told the wardens and police I hate dealing with things like this, I want so bad to deal with it on my terms but I know the circumstances,He does know if it ever happens again It will be delt with face to face, still over 10 days later I will not drive through the small town he stays in, becouse if I do and see him, not to sure if I can cotoal what might happen!

Just wanted to know what you guys think,Was he in the wrong as much as I see it,I think he is a bully that is trying to get people to leave spots he hunts and tries to push his wieght around.[only prob is I wiegh a bit more lol] am I getting a bit to worked up? I had 3 sleepless night fuming, I am not the type to walk away from anything, I like to stand face to face and it kills me not being able to, If it did not have anything to do with hunting and i could not get in any trouble by the wildlife rules it would allready be dealt with,I just would die if I ever got charged under wildlife laws and loose hunting.I even had permission to cut the tree down with stand in it [they would not let me with him in it for some reason, yes I asked] I did not must be calming down a bit in my old age!! any imput that might cool me down a bit 10 days later!!!

[NY_Bowhunter14]

it's unfortunate, but you are being the bigger and better man... what he is doing is wrong and immature, however, no whitetail, no matter how large, is worth getting in a confrontation... hopefully he will move on to another place and you can once again enjoy your honey hole!

[Prairiepredator]

I may have heard this story a few times now Bret, but I still can't get over how someone can be so arrogant. I am not even involved in the situation but It still angers me. One things for sure...he chose the wrong guy to mess around with!!

[ruttinbuc]

The guy sounds like a complete tool, Bret. Sorry you have to deal with that. That is a big problem here with the baiting issue. It becomes a battle of the bait piles. Nature of the beast and it brings out the worst in people. I'd never really expect that up there on 2000 acres. I guess there are no limits.

[Muleyman]

Bret, everytime we talk about this, it makes me think more about how stupid they are. They cant even call themselves hunters. It just frusterates me so much to know that there is people like that out there. And they will never learn. They are doing it to a couple other local hunters, Im not sure how much they have done it to them but either way, its stupid! I just cant get it thruth me head how stupid you actually have to be, to do something like that!

[Norm Sauceman]

Would have had him written up for sure but I would have wanted to do a whole lot more!!!

[MonsterBuck48]

thats completely unethical of him to paylake you like that,he should have stayed on the opposite side of the properyy knowing you were there and had already invested time and money in keepin the deer in there. i dont know what i would do if i were you, but i probably would have went straight to the cause rather than giving the game warden a call. that kind of **** just doesnt stand. it heats me up just reading about it

[MonsterBuck48]

hope he did ruin season either, hopefully you can give that booner the end of your arrow soon.good luck

[redkneck]

I've never heard of anything that bad and for someone to be so blatant with it. Normally folks sneak in when they know you're away, but that guy has stones!

Keep hunting, I wouldn't give up on deer of that caliber. Though things could get ugly. Stay cool and use your best judgement.

[RangerClay]

You are completely in the right Bret. But if I were you I would keep the law in the loop. Don't lose you head and get yourself in trouble.

[Ravin R10 man]

Brett..I call these types..(cyotes) they are lower than one actually...they lay in wait after somebody has done the work..always looking for an easy meal

we had a wounded buck one time ..contacted land owner so we could push it another guy was hunting it but was at the house when I asked..guess what when we walked in to post.. there he was in that tree!...CYOTES!

[Turkeygirl]

I think you did the right thing...Ethics is one of the big things and it's the unethical guys that really burns us ethical hunters. I deal with an unethical hunter every gun season...but we won't confront him, no one will, just because everyone is afraid of repercussions from him and he's a "big name in town"....

[The_Kat]

I had a father and son who repeated did this same thing to me last season at the lake land. One evening they walked in at GO TIME and saw me.....waved......then proceeded to setup 30 yards behind me and start using the can over and over and over. I got down, they walked over and tried to be all buddy buddy. I didn't say one word...strapped my stand and walked away. It happened to me about 3 times last year by the same guys.

I know the frustration you have believe me. You did the right thing. It's a shame he ruined the excitement for you. Sit awhile longer and get your butt back in there and shoot that booner bud.

[Adjam5]

Sorry to hear about this.

Be the bigger man. Do not let some idiot ruin what you enjoy so much that you can lose your freedom(jail). They will always be jerks in the woods.

Keep your head in it.

[The Kid]

i would have went randy couture on his behind, you spent all of that time and effort into this spot you have 160 inch deer in the area, 2000 acres to hunt, oh you bet your but i would have done something about it

[jcot2773]

his stand would have found a new home in my garage... but that's just me.

[swohiodave]

I feel your pain bud, can you talk to the land owner about getting rid of him for harassing you? I started hunting a new farm last year and asked another hunter there where he likes to hunt so i can stay off his area and pointed out the area that the farmer pointed out to me. He instantly started telling me how he is going to start hunting everyone there! The farmer is my buddys uncle and they said if he keeps it up he will get rid of him. On a side not the other hunter brings a "friend" to videotape his hunts but he has a bow and last year they set up right across this creek from me during a snowstorm during gun season. they shot a ten point i called in as it was heading to a creek crossing. i never saw them slip in but they said they saw me! its hard to deal with but be the bigger man and it will pay off!

[buckee]

I've been dealing with an idiot on the farm we hunt for the past 3 years. I gave him lots of room to hang himself, and this year, he just might.

Yes, I think he is totally unethical. It would be the same thing if he climbed up into your stand and used it. That's basically what he's doing anyway.

A man can only keep his cool for so long before he snaps. If you can charge him, do it. If you can get the owner to kick him off, do it. There are far too many people around these days who love riding on the labour of others and have no common sense..

There is such a thing as justified anger Bret.

[dbHunterNY]

I've never heard of anything that bad and for someone to be so blatant with it. Normally folks sneak in when they know you're away, but that guy has stones!

Keep hunting, I wouldn't give up on deer of that caliber. Though things could get ugly. Stay cool and use your best judgement.

I agree. He's getting what he wants if you leave. There's a chance he may not even go back there and it's just to get you to leave. The guy doesn't have stones though. He's just a jerk that only hurts the reputation of this tradition and right we all love so much.

[okiedog]

Beat him at his own game. Set up a easy to find spot, put up a old junk stand, cheap camera, and clear a spot for a mineral site. Instead of putting minerial in the fresh dirt, loaded it down with a product called "Deer Away". People use it in their gardens and flower beds and can be found at most any hardware store. I nice big file does wonders for creating those big rubs on the tress as well. Just say'n...lol

Edited September 24, 2010 by okiedog

[wtnhunt]

Idiots are everywhere Brett and seems most of us have had dealings with them. You probably handled it better than I would have. Given you had permission to cut down the tree with the stand in it, I probably would have done so, but since the law is in the loop on it, let them handle it, probably only a matter of time before this guy gets busted for something.

[JimT]

Guy is a load. I say go have some chinese. A few beers. Maybe a cup of coffee or two. The climb up in "his" stand and drop trou...

[swohiodave]

I like that last idea.

[tallone]

There is no way I'd let this go. This isn't someone who stole your parking spot or beat you to the last loaf of bread in the store. Your out time, money and a possible big buck. I'd, in the very least, make it where he couldn't hunt it. How big is this guy? Is that part of the problem? Being a bigger man my backside you have to stand up for yourself sometimes! That or get used to being walked on and not gripe about it. I'm not saying do anything illegal but he would would think twice about doing it again.

[stevebeilgard]

i wouldn't leave those big deer. stand your ground & hunt. keep the warden informed. the law says he can't hunt over your bait, right? have the game warden ask him for receipts showing he bought bait, or they can charge him. go after him legally, and smile & wave as they take him away.