Sharing the trail with hikers?

[arees]

Most seem fine, many I run into are hunters or used to be.  But then there are the haters that lump all hunters together because of things like this--http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8007408.  You can usually tell the friendly ones from a distance.

I read that post and while I don't support decorating campsites with dead animal carcasses after you leave, the post was rather pathetic.  What I read was "I am horribly traumatized by seeing this and I want those people to be savagely hurt so they an understand how morally superior and compassionate I am."  If seeing a dead marmot is the most traumatic part of your life, you really need to get a life.

[Fl0und3rz]

Most seem fine, many I run into are hunters or used to be.  But then there are the haters that lump all hunters together because of things like this--http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8007408.  You can usually tell the friendly ones from a distance.

I read that post and while I don't support decorating campsites with dead animal carcasses after you leave, the post was rather pathetic.  What I read was "I am horribly traumatized by seeing this and I want those people to be savagely hurt so they an understand how morally superior and compassionate I am."  If seeing a dead marmot is the most traumatic part of your life, you really need to get a life.

Agreed.  Someone needs to step back from the ledge.

[Bullets_n_Octane]

^^Agreed as well... some hikers are just a whole other breed of outdoorsmen/women. Killing Marmots is dumb (and illegal I believe). However, showing the world how much or a bleeding heart you truly are, may be more depressing...

I walk hiking trails every weekend nearly, simply because Western Wa is so damn thick, it gives you a short cut up most ridges... I am always friendly and, if they ask I say flat out what I am doing. I've NEVER had someone ridicule me for it. In fact they usually say "good luck", or point out areas they've seen Bears.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I've met dozens of hikers on the trails the past 20 years, and have never had anything worse than an unhappy face and no comments from a very few; nobody has ever stated anything negative about hunting.  Most are friendly, some are surprised there is a season on, and quite a few want to chat and tell where they've seen game.  Like others stated, I don't stop to chat unless it is clear they want to talk, and if it is tight then I step off the trail to let them pass.  The most negative attitudes I've encountered have been from butt-hurt hunters who think I should not be in "their" area on the National Forest. 

[Special T]

Silver Hoary marmots are protected. Mostly hight alpine ares in the cascades above the treeline. Yellow bellied marmots common in the basalt in E wa are open season. 

[Ripper]

The person that wrote that is about the most pathetic excuse of a human being as I've come across in a long time! They should have gathered up the rest of the bleeding heart slobs that posted in support and did a mass jumping off of a high cliff.

[Northway]

Hikers should be conditioned to seeing hunters seasonally.

Outside of the idealistic, overly emotional hen, if a hiker acts completely shocked to see a hunter it's more a testament to their lack of experience hiking in NF, etc.

When either a hiker or a hunter has a bad experience with the other, it's their choice on how to view the group moving forward. I grew up in a town where I saw everything from hunters who had the highest ethical standards on down to complete slobs that most of you would shake your heads at. Based on my experiences I choose to believe that most hunters hold themselves to a reasonable set of ethical standards. I think some anti-hunters choose to believe that most hunters are not ethical because it makes them feel better about their anti-hunting beliefs.

[christopheri]

I ran into several hikers and back packers this last week while hunting along the PCT. I met a guy from Florida who was hiking the PCT and a couple from Canada. They asked several questions about what we were hunting. The guys wanted to check out the bows and get pictures of them holding the bows.. It was a positive experience. . We hadn't seen any elk that morning in the Meadows  so we decided to hike up to "high camp". We met several other hikers and back packers and had some close encounters with some goats  It was all positive. The mountain was busy that day..

[wildmanoutdoors]

When I came over Chinook Sunday there were hoards of hikers at the top.
What a surprise when 2 of them were a guy and girl completely camo'd out and carrying bows.
Boy I bet they got some looks. Lol