Post by kurt on Jan 8, 2008 8:51:00 GMT -5
Talking about slob hunters with a poachers attitude, ( on the "Expansion of crossboews in WI" thread) here is a story I even hate to tell, because it makes us all look bad.
First, a little history. - I grew up in Wi. - I started trapping rabbits, muskrats & mink at age 12 (no age limit for trapping) & started hunting at age 14 (legal age limit w/hunters Ed) I am the ONLY hunter in my family. I grew up on a small dairy farm (so am all country boy) After high school, went into Marine Corps, got stationed in southern California. (HATED big city) Met some people that owned a "dude ranch" in northern Ca. Went to work for them as a wrangler, after Marine Corps. Then went to work for U. S. Forest Service as wrangler on trails crew. Loved both jobs, but not so good pay, - so went to work logging. Spent something like about 17 years in N. Ca. loved country life. Spotted owl ruined logging jobs. Move to Spokane Wa. for construction work 3 years (HATED big city) moved back home to Wi. 5 years (back to country life, but pay not so good) Got job offer by friend in Spokane, really good pay, moved back 3 years now. (still HATE big city)
Anyway, the story is in my move back to Wi. As I mentioned above, "I am the ONLY hunter in my family. In Wi. I have my Mom & Dad, a brother & 2 uncles, all of which own property that have a good portion of woods on them. (about 240 acres total woods) Naturally when I moved back I asked permission to hunt their woods. (which I got in writing)
At my brothers place (120 acres of woods) there was a group of 5 bow hunters (father, 2 sons, & 2 buddies) that lived about a mile down the road. They had been "sneaking" in & hunting for years. So I went down & told them they were on my bothers property without permission, that I was back home, that I had permission & that they could no longer hunt there. So what did they do? They went in & moved their tree stands to different locations, but still on property! (I guess they thought if they moved the tree stands I wouldn't find them ) WRONG. This went on for 2 years. I finally confiscated 2 of their tree stands & told them if they were caught one more time they would be turned in for trespassing.
At my uncles place (80 acres of woods) same thing, only 3 bow hunters. The difference here was that these people actually had their own wooded property. (above had no wooded property) Anyway, when I told them, - "hunt our own property" - they actually said to me, - "we don't hunt our property, the deer on our property are protected"
At my Mom & Dads. - Did not have this problem, as neighbors had permission to hunt, but they only gun hunted, - so there was no conflict of interest.
This is on top of the bow hunters I know that shoot deer out there back door while drinking coffee in their kitchen looking out the window.
My point is this. - I guess I could make a judgement about ALL bow hunters, based on this experience. But I don't, because I know as much as you are going to have some bad apple, - doesn't mean all the apples are bad. I just happened to have a run in with some of the bad ones. Again, you can't stop bad behavior, by punishing responsibility.
Kurt
First, a little history. - I grew up in Wi. - I started trapping rabbits, muskrats & mink at age 12 (no age limit for trapping) & started hunting at age 14 (legal age limit w/hunters Ed) I am the ONLY hunter in my family. I grew up on a small dairy farm (so am all country boy) After high school, went into Marine Corps, got stationed in southern California. (HATED big city) Met some people that owned a "dude ranch" in northern Ca. Went to work for them as a wrangler, after Marine Corps. Then went to work for U. S. Forest Service as wrangler on trails crew. Loved both jobs, but not so good pay, - so went to work logging. Spent something like about 17 years in N. Ca. loved country life. Spotted owl ruined logging jobs. Move to Spokane Wa. for construction work 3 years (HATED big city) moved back home to Wi. 5 years (back to country life, but pay not so good) Got job offer by friend in Spokane, really good pay, moved back 3 years now. (still HATE big city)
Anyway, the story is in my move back to Wi. As I mentioned above, "I am the ONLY hunter in my family. In Wi. I have my Mom & Dad, a brother & 2 uncles, all of which own property that have a good portion of woods on them. (about 240 acres total woods) Naturally when I moved back I asked permission to hunt their woods. (which I got in writing)
At my brothers place (120 acres of woods) there was a group of 5 bow hunters (father, 2 sons, & 2 buddies) that lived about a mile down the road. They had been "sneaking" in & hunting for years. So I went down & told them they were on my bothers property without permission, that I was back home, that I had permission & that they could no longer hunt there. So what did they do? They went in & moved their tree stands to different locations, but still on property! (I guess they thought if they moved the tree stands I wouldn't find them ) WRONG. This went on for 2 years. I finally confiscated 2 of their tree stands & told them if they were caught one more time they would be turned in for trespassing.
At my uncles place (80 acres of woods) same thing, only 3 bow hunters. The difference here was that these people actually had their own wooded property. (above had no wooded property) Anyway, when I told them, - "hunt our own property" - they actually said to me, - "we don't hunt our property, the deer on our property are protected"
At my Mom & Dads. - Did not have this problem, as neighbors had permission to hunt, but they only gun hunted, - so there was no conflict of interest.
This is on top of the bow hunters I know that shoot deer out there back door while drinking coffee in their kitchen looking out the window.
My point is this. - I guess I could make a judgement about ALL bow hunters, based on this experience. But I don't, because I know as much as you are going to have some bad apple, - doesn't mean all the apples are bad. I just happened to have a run in with some of the bad ones. Again, you can't stop bad behavior, by punishing responsibility.
Kurt