Never again!!!

[WCTaxidermy]

First off I am an avid Archer and have not been rifle hunting for several years.  I decided to get my rifle deer tag this year so I can hunt with my daughter who can't pull back 40 pounds on her bow yet.  We were in the Republic area yesterday to hunt this area I know of and what did I see you ask!

A hunter behind almost every tree.  The hunters that were not behind every tree were in their vehicles around every corner.  We were finished hunting and was heading for home and came around a corner and there was this vehicle stopped in the road and the passenger was hanging out the window with his rifle shouldered ready to shoot at something.  I sat behind him idling for about 30 seconds when the driver saw me and spun out spattering my truck with dirt and gravel. 

I looked up to see what he was ready to shoot at and saw a hunter decked out in hunter orange walking around a corner on this skidder road in sight of where this A.. hole was aiming.  I drove up to catch up with this guy to get a license plate number and saw skid marks for a 1/4 mile from this guy trying to get away from me.  I looked for an hour for him and never saw him again.

That experience reminded me why I enjoy Archery hunting as much as I do.  My daughter looked at me and told me that she was going to start working out her arms so she can pull her bow back so she doesn't have to rifle hunt either.   So I guess in a funny odd way it worked out.  Talk with you all soon.  John 



 

[addicted]

that sucks

[lostcat]

That is why I am takeing the young one (12) out to late muzzle. Its been 15 years scence the last time i was out during rifle season it was bad then could not imagin how it is now.

[Schmalzfam]

There is some junk that "hunters" do rifle, Archery, Muzzy...etc. I don't think any one method is clear of stupidity. However, rifle's imo are very dangerous and there are a lot more hunters..that you can see.
I get upset when we are hunting an area and the people aren't wearing orange...pisses me off more than anything!!
This weekend we went down a road we saw a deer on and it was a thick area, lots of trees...bushes, the typical west side. Well, we decided it wasn't a deer we wanted and got around the corner off the road and on the back side we saw a guy in the woods with his shot gun up...didn't shoot but, he had no orange on! I was so mad!!

I know you should be aware of what's beyond your target..but, seriously..if he was squated down like a bush..we wouldn't have seen him. We couldn't see him from where we were but, he was looking at the same deer!!

We just try our best to get up and away from people. Going in early in the morning really helps.

I think that some people think it's ok to use their scope as bino's!! That would be scary!
I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I hope you have a great season still.

[carpsniperg2]

its hard sometimes when you have youngones out there, we will say there is alot of bad rolemodles out there that youngsters don't need to see there practices

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

That is why I am takeing the young one (12) out to late muzzle. Its been 15 years scence the last time i was out during rifle season it was bad then could not imagin how it is now.

My daughters are too young to use a legal bow also (20# recurve so far) and I plan on starting them out hunting with a .45 cal Muzzleloader until they can.
That way I can guide and still hunt my archery.

[fly4fish]

How about we tell everybody that it is so nice to rifle hunt and how much more fun it is not having to be within 40 yards to get an animal.  I would hate for all these people to be out while I am bow hunting.  I have stopped bragging about archery and the seasons because I don't want to see anymore people out there than I already do.  I have bragged about it to friends before and then next thing you know they want you to hold their hand and show them a nice buck when it is hard enough finding one your self.  Bow hunting is kind of a loner sport if you know what I mean.  Therefore I have made it my mission to inform bow hunters that if we do not brag about how great it is to be out there with far few people and less spooked animals, then it might stay that way.  Anybody becomes a pain in the butt when they are after the same animal as you.  Let those people have their rifle season and slaughter every 2X3 like it has a death sentence on it.  By the way, I agree with everything you said, I will never rifle hunt a general season again.  It is bad enough being along for the ride when I go with my sister.

[PolarBear]

That's what I said the last time I went rifle deer hunting a few years ago in Republic.  I had major back surgery and couldn't hold back my bow so I went rifle.  Never again, for the same reasons you stated and the fact the deer were running from one place to another.  I'll keep the solitude and quiet of late archery!  With that said, I will have to hunt rifle with my daughter until she gets a couple of bucks under her belt and then can archery hunt with me.  I will still archery hunt but tag along with her during rifle.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 We quit rifle hunting the Republic area years ago for that same reason. It's really gone to hell.

[WCTaxidermy]

I used to say the same thing fly4fish.  I archery hunted Oregon for years and in Oregon, if the rifle hunters didn't draw their rifle tags, then they would go out and buy an over the counter archery tag and cheap bow and shoot it a day before archery season, then go out and archery hunt. 

My hunting partner and I would always laugh because it wasn't hard at all to tell who they were.  They use the same tactics as they do with their rifles, the only difference is they have a bow in their hands. 

[BLKBEARKLR]

 My daughter looked at me and told me that she was going to start working out her arms so she can pull her bow back so she doesn't have to rifle hunt either.


http://huntdoctors.com/articles/025_strengthening_your_bow_pull.pdf

[Elkstuffer]

I feel your pain John. I hunted with a rifle the first year that I moved to Washington in 1985. It was the last also. I went to muzzleloader for 7 years and then switched to archery. I'll never go back.