O.T. - Some sorry"hunters"

[gunslinger598]

One of my other passions besides guns is horses, so I am on a couple of private horse forums as well.

One of the gals on there man goes deep into the mountains of SW Colorado several times a year and stays several weeks at a time, alone.

Here is what she posted yesterday

"Some hunters trashed Dan's camp over the weekend while he was gone, and did about $500 worth of damage. He wasn't surprised; they'd warned him not to camp there. Good grief, they don't own the woods. "

"Bears are easier to deal with than people!"

For whatever reason every time I think about this situation I get angry, then get angry all over again.

This man probably knows this part of the mountains as well as anyone. His horse was attacked by a bear both last year and the year before. There is another story there but both the federal and state wildlife officials are blowing it off. He had sent in photos of tracks measuring 13" long, along with some scat to be tested. Conveniently the scat sample were "lost". At one cabin there where a bear has made it a routine to tear the place up over the past 2 years the owner set up a trail cam. On 4 occasions the memory chip has been removed from the camera by 'unknown" sources. The thought behind this that "if" there was a grizzly(s) in the area then the agency's would have to fund the special management issues involved.

[O.S.O.K.]

Shoot the bear.

The people.... well track them down and wait for them to vacate their camp. Then, find their food supply and put ex-lax pills (may have to grind up) into anything that they won't notice. They'll keep getting the results - not knowing what is causing it. Not likely to throw all of the food away until after the second or third go around I figure...

Also, maybe find something that is really loud smelling to game but that people can hardly detect - squirt this all over their hunting gear to help keep their hunts challenging.

[J Miller]

First prove it was hunters. Hunters wouldn't do this kind of vandalism. Bears might, others with agendas might. Persons skulking around the camp that get caught in the trail cams might steal the memory chips to hide their identity.

But hunters legally hunting an area? I doubt it.

Joe

[gunslinger598]

I use the term hunters loosly and would just as loose to use the term human being.

If you ever had your camp raided by a bear you would know the difference.

The area is remote, threats had been made, obviously carried out. So doubt all you want.

This sort of thing is becoming more common than many people realize.

[O.S.O.K.]

Are these other "hunters" or more like marijuana farmers?

Sound like criminals to me. Punks or bullies at best. They need their buttocks moved up a notch forcefully.

Perhaps your friend needs to consider hunting with some companions and paying these pukes a visit in force - warning them and perhaps roughing up their camp in front of them.

Better yet, if it could be accomplished - get a ranger to accompany him with a listening device (attainable cheap) and wait in the bushes while your friend pays them a visit and discusses their deed - they may be stupid enough to admit it and threaten more of the same - the ranger then comes out and arrests them for destruction of property, etc.. Teaches them a lesson too - and puts their names on record in case anything happens in the future. The trick is getting a ranger to do that. That's not entrappment - he's just acting as a witness.

People shouldn't have to put up with this kinda stuff.

I have been subjected to this type of thinking before in a national forrest - but not in a wilderness - seems these guys laid claim to a section of the forrest - figuring that since they'd been hunting there a long time that that gave them some kind of privaledge or something. The old guy communicating all this to me said something to the effect about being careful not to get shot - and I said, yes, he should. I hunted the area anyway and left a number two and urinated in as many places as I could before leaving Bet they had a good hunt

I am a rather spiteful individual.

[gunslinger598]

I would like to say no true hunters would act this way. They are far enough in it takes about 10 hours on horse back to reach his camp. These other "hunters" were in the area last year and started the threats then. They claim that the friend is scaring away the elk. I can tell you this, the man spends more weeks in the mountains and hunting than any other 3 people I know combined. He is often alone but not always. He retired from a dental practice to live this life. I haven't heard what precautions he has taken or reports that may be made. His contact with the outside is minimal while hunting. As it turns out he wasn't alone back there this time, he had some friends there. When there hunt was over he was guiding them out. He found the vandalism upon his return 2 days later.

In many cases hunting is becoming a high investment venture. To many people go up there from out of state to hunt and have a lot invested. Human nature in some cases take over in that kind of situation and those paying become aggressive. Of course everyone is armed and some take advantage of the remoteness.

I had lived and hunted in Co.23 years before moving here. This isn't the first the first or even the 10th time I've heard of feuding over hunting. The last 2 years I hunted in Co. I had circumstances where someone jealously took a stand over an area that I had hunted since I was 16 years old.

[Old Ironsights]

I'd suggest some strategicly placed Newhouses... but he probably doesn't have a vermin trapping license.

[Andrew]

Hunters wouldn't do this kind of vandalism.

Joe

It is sad, but there are more than a few people around here where I live that hunt every thing in every season that would do that kind of stuff in a heart beat. It happens alot to people that come from up north to hunt down here for what ever reason. People, stupid people, don't care for it much and see them as taking there hunting spots away event though they are both hunting on government owned land.

[J Miller]

Well, I stand corrected. The term "hunter" used to mean something good and decent. I guess it no longer does.

Joe

[kimwcook]

It's sad to think any "hunter" would do something like this. But, I work with the lower rungs of society and what a human will do doesn't surprise me anymore. It just makes me mad.

[TCB in TN]

I hate to say it, but my idea of a hunter (my own personal morals/beliefs) and what has become prevalent in our society are not the same thing. I have personally had to ask a large number of individuals to leave my grandmother's farm. People who seem to believe that any track with open acreage is just free hunting territory, regardless of what has been posted. On more than a few occasions when I explained that it was private property and that they needed to leave I was threatened. Now I am not looking for trouble, but I don't care who you are, if you come onto my (I take care of my Grandmother's place) property and refuse to leave then you really don't deserve to be treated like a human being. Oh and I am not a little fella, and while I have been described as a very easy going person, these jerks sure can bring out the mean in me quick! BTW fishermen have become even worse.

[BAGTIC]

The vandalism could just as well have been caused by some anti-hunting zealot under the mistaken impression that the camp belonged to 'hunters'. TPETA, etc. are well known for acts of vandalism.

[Doc Hudson]

They might be "hunters," but the fer darned certain sure ain't SPORTSMEN!

[Travis Morgan]

This man probably knows this part of the mountains as well as anyone. His horse was attacked by a bear both last year and the year before.

If it were me, I'd get a diferent horse!

Too bad about the vandals and th jerk working for the government; it seems that sometimes, it's all but impossible for a man to just lie back and enjoy nature's bounty. They're lucky he don't go "Claude Dallas" on them.

[gunslinger598]

I've suggested he just use JR. (the horse) as bear bait.

This hunting camp is deep in the San Juans. Deep enough that one may only encounter just a few other people.

I suppose unless someone is caught red handed it could be chalked up to just about anything. But as for me, if a man makes a repeated threat over a period of time, and then it becomes a done deed you can bet yer tail I'm gonna conclude who the culprit is.

The rifle seasons there are broken up into 3 or 4 seasons. Those "culprits" may have moved on for now. It's unkown if the friend is going to move his camp or not. He isn't expected home until Thanksgiving.

[Travis Morgan]

LEO's look at things differently than I do. If you threaten to kill me, you better do it, because I'll believe you and react accordingly.