Hunters attitudes

[stevejedlenski]

Over the past season I have had many hunters complian for one reson or another. Why is it hunters can get so crazy at times?!?! I'm talking about yelling/ threatening neighbors etc. Do we think we own the wildlife just because we saw them. Why do we get mad for someone shooting a young deer or bear? Why is something ethical or not? If I am hunting for a trophy it is absolutely not unethical for someone to shoot a fawn. People hunt for different reasons; fun, sport, enjoy the outdoors, food, etc. It's time we take a step back and realize, THESE ARE ANIMALS!!! not humans and not property. We need them for food, fun, etc. I'm just as guilty as anyone else. I've done things illegal/unethical before. Everyone has to take a look at how they started and why you hunt the way you hunt. As hunters we need to come together as one again and let everyone do things their way. Forgive people for the past and move forward. I'm not condoning illegal activity, but how many things do we do that are illegal in a year? I would bet most of us do break a law. Especially shooting hours ( do you stop hunting or do you hunt till dark?) obviously I'm talking about minor infractions not baiting or poaching.

I just wanted to try and answer my question, why do we as hunters act this way? Even though very rare, but sometimes to the point of shooting at or killing people. Anyone care to help me answer this please post.

Also I would like everyone to post their main reasons for hunting all types of game!

[lentz]

I hunt for 2 reasons
1 is for meat
2 is for fun

[Dstark5625]

Great post and very complex.  I hunt for food, fun, and tradition.  It is hard to say why hunters, even fishermen act irrational at times.  Maybe it has something to do with our primal instincts.  It is similar to men's love for their girlfriend/wife.  We all know the female species can make us act crazy, much like our love for the hunt.  As far as bending the rules goes, no one wants to come home empty handed, or have to pass up a wall hanger.  Not saying that those reasons are justified but in moments like those only 1 thing matters to most people, getting what it is you are going after.  I'm sure that conflicts between people will get to be more common as land and opportunities get more scarce.  As responsible hunters I think all we can do is try to set a good example for others and if one is lucky enough to introduce a kid to hunting then it is also their responsibility to instill certain values in them.  All in all, who knows...Just like a non-hunter would never understand why someone would freeze their butt off in a tree all day and not see a single deer.

[snow]

Guess I've been lucky,no threats or yelling in my lifetime,I hunt both public and private land,in different states,only hunt birds from sept to april (upland/waterfowl) for challenge,sport,food and most of all watching my dog work and just enjoying the great outdoors.

[beeker]

if you asked the opposite of this question you will get just as many positive replys aswell. "how many times have you been hunting when you've seen great compasion/humanity towards your fellow hunter and/or the game they're pursuing?"...   

when I was younger I have had my confrontations in the woods. because I was hunting for meat, prosterity (proving to my mentors how good they've taught me), jumping roosters on posted land was something that I wouldn't think twice about.  but as I get older I have learned that I hunt for a entirely new set of reasons.. to see old friends to laugh about the older friends that have passed on.. the pursuit the challenge is the thrill I seek. but if I go home empty handed and spend an afternoon watching a doe and a fawn mill around in front of me, I don't feel any less for it.

there is a balance in the world I believe... where there is bad, there is good..

the year I shot the biggest buck I ever got... I watched a young spiker for hours, had many chances to shoot him, but I didn't. when I left, there was a kid and his old man dragging that deer out fo the woods..they were way back, it was late my wheeler was still on the trailer back by the truck across a 40 that had been plowed and was no easy drag.. when I got to my truck I almost drove away, then I unloaded my wheeler drove out to em and asked if they needed a lift.. it was the boys first deer, he was glowing with pride. it made me feel good to know I passed that deer up and this kid was able to get it, he'll always remember that deer, as I would have chucked the spikes in a drawer or screwed em to the old crapper. the boy can remember the partial drag and the guy that came back to help em when he didn't need too (I could see the relief in the old guys face).
that monday I had a call from an old shooting buddy inviting me up to his secret spot.. by 9am that first day I had a 130 class 9 pointer on the ground.

 what goes around comes around.

[corny13]

Im more on Beeker's page... and it goes back to why we love to hunt.  If you have not ever read Jose' Ortega y Gasset's book "Meditations on Hunting"  find or buy a copy.  If you know someone that like is Stevejedlenskis first post  give them a copy of it!  Hunting really is the purest form of human happiness!  Meditations on hunting was written in the early 1940's when hunting was different and there was a more closeness to Nature.  Jose quoted that "technologic advances would take man further from Nature"..which has proven to be true. This fact is probably what is causing Moden Hunters to act the way you descibe Steve.  Many modern hunters are not trying to get closer to nature its just trying to get the "trophy".  Years ago with only a open sighted 30/30 sitting at a base of tree... who would shoot afterhours?  No one!  But sitting in a heated Box,with a scope that gathers light...many do.  Get a copy of the book and read it this winter! Every kid I have taught to hunt has gotten a copy!

[redbull135]

I hunt for food and tradition. All three of my kids hunt with me 14, 16, and 18 the youngest is my daughter and she looks forward to deer hunting season as I do. I could sit in the woods all week with them and not see one thing but I would not trade it for anything but she sits there to try and out hunt her brothers. So for me it is relaxing even when its snowing and zero below.
But I had my spat with other hunters the biggest one I remember it was 10 years ago sitting in my stand there was new hunter to the woods 12 years old. I watched as he shot a doe 2 min later two older hunters jumped the fence and grab is deer I yelled they didnt care one bit went over there and they just kept dragging it down the trail. Later we talked with kids dad and he said that was on going thing out there. Not sure what ever came of it but I did want to smack them around a little maybe I should have but that was long time ago.
 

[lentz]

i would of called the tip line then called the police to see if they could come out there and then chase them at the same time

[stevejedlenski]

@ beeker. I agree I Probly have 10 good encounters fir every bad but it's always the bad ones we remember. They can ruin a week of hunting really fast. Especially when it's a neighboring property owner. The majority of hunters are good, but line stated at one time or another they were Probly not so nice to someone. We all have done it I'm sure. I've just been noticing an increase in the negative, maybe I'm just realizing it more as I get older.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone that read this post would make it a point to go out of their way for another hunter this season?

[Onin24Eagle]

I hunt on private land adjacent to state land.  Over the years I can only think of one instance where we had any friction between us and a neighboring hunting party.  Most of the time you will see people come in and set up camp the day before.  Some parties even come for several weekends prior to the opener and do some scouting.  If I can catch them at camp or before they get back into the woods prior to the season I usually try to introduce myself, let them know how many hunters we have and where the boundaries are.  I also give them my cell # and my dad’s cell # in case they need to track a wounded animal on our land.  All we ask is that you let us know prior to entering.  The one instance I referred to was about 5 years ago.  There were no harsh words exchanged or anything like that, but we were not happy with the situation as it seemed to us that the deer they tracked was shot illegally.  I had considered calling the game warden but there really wasn’t any way to prove our suspicions.  We heard a shot very close by but a good ½ hour to 45 minutes prior to shooting light on opening morning.  The party on our South border, which is where that shot came from, came up to my parent’s house around 9am and spoke with my mother asking if they could track a deer that ran onto our land.  She texted my dad and he came in and talked to them.  He allowed them on the land and asked that they leave their guns.  They started their tracking about 100 yards from his stand, which he had sat in all morning (he heard the shot about 5 minutes before he got into the stand).  They eventually found what turned out to be a small basket 10 pointer, probably only 1.5 yrs old at best.  They retrieved their animal and went on their way.  We will still allow people on if they ask first, which these guys did, but it left a slightly bitter taste in our mouths about the whole situation.  The past 2 years there has been a different group of people on our Southern border.  In the 25 years I’ve spent hunting this land we’ve never really had anything worse than that happen.

[deadeye]

Over the years (there have been many) I've encountered numerous good and bad behavior by neighboring hunters.  Today more hunters are likely to follow the laws than years back.  For me the two worst activites are tresspassing and poaching.  I've encountered a few of both cases but never had the game wardens involved.  If it involved a neighbor (or someone allowed on at a neighbors property) I simply pointed out the error of their ways.  I think the possibity of being embarrased by public knowledge of their miss-deeds was enough to stop the activity.  Like Onin24Eagle stated, I also let anyone track a wounded deer on my property.  Of course, one group always seemed to have a wounded deer go on my property until I requested they find me first and allow me to help in the recovery.  Funny thing is they never had another wounded deer go on my property.  I'm glad most posters have some positive things to say about todays hunters.   

[lentz]

at our farm in wi we only have problems with tresspassing and them being major  

out neighbor nicest man ever always let a group of like 10 people hunt his land for free just stoped doing that last year and know the new groops not so bad

but the old people would sit on the edge of our field right on the other side of the thin tree line to hunt part of our field bordering his land which we always hunt that field opening weekend. my dad has walked over there and talked to them about every other year. and when they did i would keep the rule book next to my cell phone incase they poached a deer on our property. if they shot a deer on his property we would let them track it of corse. and our other problem with them is the last 2 hours they would have 2 or 3 people walk there side of the field so deer would not come out into it for us to shoot

[Cody Gruchow]

ive only had 2 bad run ins with other hunters. one was on public land and i was sitting behind a log over looking a meadow, wearing blaze orange head to toe. there was a small doe milling around the meadow and i was hoping for a buck to follow her, well this other hunter appeared at the other side of the meadow directly across from me and opened fire like it was WWII emptying his gun at this deer as i ducked behind the log to avoid the barage of slugs. 2 slugs hit the log, and after the shooting stopped i got up and headed towards the guy,hot headed and wanting to rip his head off. but thought about it before i got to him and just called him a DumbA** and i left. never deer hunted public land again.

the other instance was on private land. and the guy to the east of us lease's out his land. well we have a stand about 75 yards from his field facing in towards our property and never shot anything in his field as requested. well everytime someone tried to hunt that stand one year he would come out and trim trees right on his side of the property line right around us to purposly mess up our hunt. he has sense stopped doing that and we get along fine after a talk with him. i even do some farm work for him time and again to get permission to hunt his feilds for geese.

the difference between the old hunting ways and the new hunting ways is all about trophys to everyone. im never one to criticize anyone for whatever they shoot because thats there own choice. i do trophy hunt but i also meat hunt. ill shoot a doe instead of a small buck for meat only because i have that luxury of doing so. other people dont have many deer to choose from. but everything now a days is whos is bigger whos is better and etc. everything is a competition. people feel they own whatever they see, especially trophy deer. i hunt for all the reasons. to enjoy the outdoors to eat and because i like to.