Road Huntin...why not enjoy!

[BPturkeys]

Road hunting is way over villainized! Road huntin doesn't make you any less of a man, or any less of a hunter. Your not a bad person or a failure if you just like to sit back and cruise the country roads with a good friend of family member. Don't buy into that old crap these Outdoor Life readin, elitest knuckleheads are always preaching. Hunting's not just about shoe leather and racks. I mean really, successful road huntin requires a set of skills equal to those used by the guy that packs 5 miles back into the hills. You still need to spot 'em, you still need to kill 'em...right? If you enjoy that style of huntin, take pride, learn to spot deer, get /keep you weapon tuned and your shooting skills polished...you're ever bit the hunter as that guy at the top of the mountain!

[HHPro]

I personally like road hunters less people hiking with that said if your going by the rules and get your animal congrats to you its all in the luck you have.I had a chance at one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen while driving down a dirt road after a morning hike.I just prefer to hike away from the crowd for the sake of safety and better chance at a nicer animal but each there own.

[AKBowman]

To each his own  (or her own)

I agree there is a spot for it. If you embrace what comes along with it and enjoy your time/company than that is what it is all about!

I have zero problems with it.

[BoneCollector1]

Road hunting takes as much skills as it does to hike into the wilderness 5 miles?  What?  That is crazy!!  Anybody can drive a truck around and hope a buck runs out in front of them and stands around while you stumble around in your truck trying to get your gun loaded. 

It takes a lot of preperation to hunt the wilderness.  Getting in shape, getting your equipment right, researching the area, learning the habits of your chosen prey, etc.  Animals aren't really all that afraid of vehicles.  It isn't fair chase if you jump out of your vehicle and blast one.  It's not even really hunting, its killing.  The fun of hunting is the challenge of outwitting and getting close to a wild animal.  There isn't much challenge to driving your truck around in the hills all day.  Anybody can do this.  My uncle is 300 pounds and drives the hills each hunting season.  Sure he shoots bucks occasionally, but put a bow in his hand and a locked gate in front of him and I guarantee he won't even likely see a deer.

However, I'm not going to bash people who choose to road hunt if they do it legally. To each his own. I'm just bashing you because you said it takes as much skill to road hunt as it does to successfully hunt the wilderness.  Come on now!!

[SemperFidelis97]

I guess it depends on what you are out there for if you are there to b.s. with old buddies in the comfort of your truck with your bag of goodies, and a hot cup of coffee more power to you.  Hunting for me is about the pursuit I enjoy the challenges that nature provides I believe I honor the animals I harvest by hunting them on their terms.  I always wondered what story you have to tell people when you get back after a successful day in the truck "man I came around the corner, and there he was biggest 2pt I have ever seen I almost spilled my coffee, I threw the parking break on hopped out threw my gun across the hood bang dead deer best part is I could back right up to him so I could take him out whole wouldnt wanna get blood on me might get that stuff all over my truck".  I am glad those of you who are road hunters still buy tags, and get out every year I just dont believe shooting an animal that you spotted driving around in the comfort of your truck would really meet my definition of hunting.

[BoneCollector1]

"I believe I honor the animals I harvest by hunting them on their terms"

Perfectly said!

[singleshot12]

I think road hunting is acceptable for someone who is too old or disabled. But calling road hunting (hunting) for an able bodied person? NOT!

[coyotewallace]

I think road hunting is acceptable for someone who is too old or disabled. But calling road hunting (hunting) for an able bodied person? NOT!

 

[Button Nubbs]

Who cares? If you wanna stay in the truck, stay in the truck. If you wanna get out and burn some leather, be my guest. I have my days where I will hike and hike and hike. I also have my days where I will plant my ass in the seat of my truck and only get out to take a leak.

I have no problem looking in the mirror and calling myself a hunter.

[BPturkeys]

oh yeah, and now the holier than thou crap begins! Let me ask you boys...do you wear shoes. Do you use a modern weapons...no that $600 compound bow ain't no primitve weapon...do you use binocs, camo, trail cams, warm hats and gloves, hell, for that matter, do you wear clothing at all?..Did you walk all the way to the mountain, do you slip back to that 28" 5th wheeler for a comfortable night's rest and a hot meal...need I go on?  Just don't go givin me this load of chit...you're no better than any other guy in the hills...you hunt your way, I'll hunt mine...who made you the judge...you're nothing more than a modern man using modern human tools and skills to hunt down and kill some deer. When I see you chase down some deer and bring him to the table with nothing but tooth and claw...then maybe I'll give you your dues!

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

I don't care if a guy kills one driving around or the guy that hiked 15 miles whatever makes them happy. In the end it's about filling the tag who cares how you do it as long as its legal. I know "road hunters" that pull up on landings and glass & kill stuff every year because they glass well, it still takes some talent.

[SemperFidelis97]

Your opening statement claimed roadhunting took as much skill as any one of us who burn leather every year to harvest an animal this is where the disagreement began.  I have to spend countless hours in the gym I spend good money on the best gear I can afford, and I get my butt out scouting throughout the year.  To tell me you putting some fuel in your pickup to drive around for the day with your rifle in tow takes the same amount of preperation sounds a little bit ignorant to me.  If you enjoy hunting that way fine just dont come here flaunting it as something that requires the same amount of preperation, and skill as backcountry hunting.  Oh!, and no I dont sleep in a 28 inch trailer that would be extremely uncomfortable sorry had to jab you on that bit of misuse of punctuation we do have a great wall tent you should try it sometime though they dont have heated seats, or airconditioning so maybe not.

[singleshot12]

I take it you are a road pounder and are trying to justify it    You're missin out dude!

oh yeah, and now the holier than thou crap begins! Let me ask you boys...do you wear shoes. Do you use a modern weapons...no that $600 compound bow ain't no primitve weapon...do you use binocs, camo, trail cams, warm hats and gloves, hell, for that matter, do you wear clothing at all?..Did you walk all the way to the mountain, do you slip back to that 28" 5th wheeler for a comfortable night's rest and a hot meal...need I go on?  Just don't go givin me this load of chit...you're no better than any other guy in the hills...you hunt your way, I'll hunt mine...who made you the judge...you're nothing more than a modern man using modern human tools and skills to hunt down and kill some deer. When I see you chase down some deer and bring him to the table with nothing but tooth and claw...then maybe I'll give you your dues!

[alecvg]

I personally don't enjoy road hunting, I like getting away from the truck, and getting back into the wild country not as many people see.  Got nothing against it, just not for me.  To each their own.  Why should it matter if its done legally?

[Button Nubbs]

Me thinks the op is gonna get what he wants outta this post.

[7mm Bob]

got nothing against road hunting, even do it myself occasionally. But what really chaps my azz is the ATVs or vehicles behind supposedly locked gates! The area where I elk hunt is owned by a timber co. Behind the gates is a camp full of "security guards" all through hunting season. These priicks have screwed up many early morning hunts by driving past me an hour before daylight. I know it sounds like sour grapes but I hunted here when Weyerhauser owned the property and never had an incident. All of the other people who hunt here are more fed up than I am!

[steen]

I prefer to get out of the vehicle and walk to my hunting spot.  Hiking up the hills in eastern Wa is my favorite, if I hunt around home I want to at least walk out of sight of my truck.  My husband is an avid road hunter but I don't enjoy it.  Some day I won't be able to hike up those hills and will have to find alternative ways to get my deer.  This year we used an ATV to get to where we were hunting, on foot it would have been miles, this way I could get off and hike up the hills and he could putz around on the ATV and hunt.  This hunt was more for me to get away from 60 hour weeks feeding calves (500 of them) and doing haylage so we used someones cabin so we didn't have to pack a huge camp for only 3 days.  We did have to pack water from the Methow because the cabin was already winterized.  It was better than a motel and I could relax after a morning of hunting. Didn't get a deer but I thoughly enjoyed the hunt and the area with only  a few hunters.  I couldn't brag about my deer if I shot it a few feet from my truck, just me and my

[rasbo]

keen road hunters...http://youtu.be/xPB5s_6eqjY

[NWBREW]

The way I see if people want to road hunt that's fine by me. I won't run into them where and how I hunt. The more that stay out of the woods and on the roads the better. 

[Jayfire83]

Absolutely asinine! What skill exactly does road hunting tale for an able bodied person???     

[singleshot12]

   The poster had to of started this thread as a joke!   I hope

[jmx369]

Road hunting takes as much skills as it does to hike into the wilderness 5 miles?  What?  That is crazy!!  Anybody can drive a truck around and hope a buck runs out in front of them and stands around while you stumble around in your truck trying to get your gun loaded. 

Stumble around? What are you talking about? The gun is already loaded while I am road hunting. The skill comes in when driving while drinking a fifth of Jack Daniels and making sure the gun doesn't go off from the bumpy logging roads.

[NWBREW]

Absolutely asinine! What skill exactly does road hunting tale for an able bodied person??? 

Driving while not spilling their beverage. 

[runamuk]

Saw an amazing feat of skill today....dude left the dnr area must of realized his gun was still loaded he rolled the window down and unloaded the magazine out over some sagebrush as in repeated trigger pulls until empty ....then got out of his truck and put the gun in the back......it was strange enough to grab the attention of the 5 guys who had decided to pull up the piece of bank next to me to do some mid afternoon target shooting......
then there was the guy driving hell bent for leather who totally dusted us again leaving more looks of HUH  ..... after an hour or so they headed back to their camp...I went and retrieved my golf ball and the pop bottles I was using for targets and I headed down the road only to spot 2 trucks blocking it doors thrown open and some huge dudes with rifle up scoping a herd of elk cows on private land....man they were excited it was like they had never seen an elk  the cows were hauling ass.....and as I passed these guys after mentioning that its private and no hunting land I spotted a muley doe who looked irritated to have had her nap disrupted.... what an afternoon...the traffic in the woods was worse than rush hour in town 

[singleshot12]

Welcome to the rat race world of road hunting.. Sunday drivers 

[LincolnTWilliams]

I take it you are a road pounder and are trying to justify it    You're missin out dude!

oh yeah, and now the holier than thou crap begins! Let me ask you boys...do you wear shoes. Do you use a modern weapons...no that $600 compound bow ain't no primitve weapon...do you use binocs, camo, trail cams, warm hats and gloves, hell, for that matter, do you wear clothing at all?..Did you walk all the way to the mountain, do you slip back to that 28" 5th wheeler for a comfortable night's rest and a hot meal...need I go on?  Just don't go givin me this load of chit...you're no better than any other guy in the hills...you hunt your way, I'll hunt mine...who made you the judge...you're nothing more than a modern man using modern human tools and skills to hunt down and kill some deer. When I see you chase down some deer and bring him to the table with nothing but tooth and claw...then maybe I'll give you your dues!

Hahaha!!!! Agreed!

[blacktailer]

I just saw where the OP was from and suddenly it all became clear to me.

[tsimp1211]

I guess it depends on what you are out there for if you are there to b.s. with old buddies in the comfort of your truck with your bag of goodies, and a hot cup of coffee more power to you. 

It's funny you mention that.  My buddy and I were on a mountainside, around 5000' in elevation, an hour truck ride from any paved road, and a two hour hike without pack, from the trailhead, enjoying a hot cup of coffee made from a backpacker stove and Starbucks instant coffee when 5 mulie does appeared out of nowhere.  As a matter of fact, we had not only had a hot cup of coffee, but I had one pack of beef flavored top ramen left in my pack, and my buddy had one pack of garlic mashed potatoes so we ate lunch on that mountainside as well.  That was the best top ramen mashed potato muck I have ever eaten!  We were three days into a seven day trip that I will never forget.  If you think that riding around in a truck is hunting, try putting 60 pounds on your back, hike 3 miles into the mountains just to set up a spike camp.  Hunt for 7 days, and come back with nothing but the best memories you could ever make hunting.  I didn't shoot a deer this year, but it didn't matter to me.  Hunting is about so much more than harvesting an animal.

Those mountains were amazing and taught me a lot about myself.  Road hunting is BS........

[ICEMAN]

Road hunting does actually take alot of skill and patience.
 
First off you must be skilled at slowly driving the hills, avoiding the potholes, missing sharp rocks, picking the right gears, avoiding the hazardous edge of the hill, all while looking for game or sheds that others have missed. Take this year for instance, my buddy was driving to his favorite canyon to hike. On the way there, he noticed a buck laying under a tree at 200+ yards, a deer that probably ten other trucks drove by without noticing.
 
Secondly, you need to be very skilled at not getting lost, not creaming the side of your truck on a log protruding into the roadway, skilled at passing other vehicles, skilled at deciding where to pull off and use your binocular or spotting scope.
 
Roadhunters generally have to be very accepting of others, learn to smile and wave as others go by, learn to turn your truck around in a very narrow space, learn to use your 4WL to slow your vehicle on the steep roads, learn and demonstate exactly when to stop and ask directions.
 
Lastly patience. Road hunters must master the patience needed to continue to drive around the same areas again and again in search of game.
 
 
 
In all honesty, road hunting does have it's merits when you are totally exhausted, totally soaked, tired of your normal haunt and wish to see some new area during the hunt so that you can size up the amount of hunters in a given area during hunting season. Road hunting is also of value when you have small children who tire easily after a hike or two. Good nap break for them, while still allowing you to see some country.  I have hip surgey planned for 2012 and roadhunted alot this year. 

[singleshot12]

Sounds like you got a few miles under your belt Iceman    Hip surgery? well then you're justified! Go tear up them loggin roads.

[hntr]

I think everyone does some road hunting--even the hunters that hike in miles keep an eye open when driving to the trailhead.    I road hunt and also hunt on foot.  I prefer to get out of the truck and hunt on foot, but on the west side it is challenging to hike through thick forest with all the debri left over from logging.   it is also hard to find places to hike to get away from all the other hunters on the wet side on public land.

I have hiked into remote areas, but this is a very physically challenging method, especially when faced with hauling out the meat.  It is definitely not for everyone.


I hunt only public land, and have not figured out where and how to find special places to go to get away from all the other hunters.  This is still the unsolved problem .Some people I know have access to private land to hunt.  This to me is the best and easiest way to hunt-no hunter pressure and availability to set up stands, etc..

Road hunting is not my preferred method but it does have its place.

[ICEMAN]

Sounds like you got a few miles under your belt Iceman    Hip surgery? well then you're justified! Go tear up them loggin roads.

Yeah, I am hating it this year for sure... I was unable to hike into most all of my favorite trails, peaks and ridges this year during the muley hunt. This year sucked. (accept when I got my daughter mid week and saw her shoot her first deer...that saved the whole season for me! )

[PA BEN]

I think road hunting leads to illegal activities. Most deer don't stand there and let you shoot them. How many road hunters shoot from the road or vehicle?

[teanawayslayer]

To each there own.  I have a buddy who won't get out of the truck unless it is to shoot something.  He holds me back from the hunting that I like to do.  I usually can't wait for him to head home.  Like I tell him.  You are never going to shoot a big buck from the road.  He doesn't care.  He will shoot the first small three point he see's.  That's fine with me.  I enjoy his company so I will road hunt with him until he gets his buck.  It is a very affective way to kill an animal and cover a lot of ground.  When he heads home I hit the hills.

[boneaddict]

I have no problem with road hunting as long as people are courteous and safe and as PA mentioned Legal.   As with anything else there are selfish idiots out there. I have road hunted myself, when I just couldn't drag my butt out there in the weather, or it was the middle of the afternoon and I wanted to enjoy a drive and check out new country, or I wanted to spend some time with someone that couldn't do my  normal mountain climb, or I have kids I just wanted to take out.  OBVIOUSLY its a successful tactic.  There have been many whole elk hanging on the meatpole, long before the invention of the wheeler.

[boneaddict]

I will add that the only deer that I have killed road hunting was the most anticlimatic hunt I have ever had, and if it wasn't a flier/fluke or the absolute abnormal, probably would be the least remembered.

[teanawayslayer]

I think road hunting leads to illegal activities. Most deer don't stand there and let you shoot them. How many road hunters shoot from the road or vehicle?

I disagree with this statement.  Most of the deer I have seen road hunting just stand there until you shoot them.  probably a true statement in modern firearm. Illegal activities happen when you have an unethical hunter and that happens with road hunters and foot hunters.  Just don't single out the road hunters.  Scum bags just happen to be apart of every sport unfortunetly.

[boneaddict]

Scum bags just happen to be apart of every sport unfortunetly.

Isn't that the frickin truth.

[funkster]

To each there own.  I have a buddy who won't get out of the truck unless it is to shoot something.  He holds me back from the hunting that I like to do.  I usually can't wait for him to head home.  Like I tell him.  You are never going to shoot a big buck from the road.  He doesn't care.  He will shoot the first small three point he see's.  That's fine with me.  I enjoy his company so I will road hunt with him until he gets his buck.  It is a very affective way to kill an animal and cover a lot of ground.  When he heads home I hit the hills.

Who has had more success,him or you?

[nw_bowhunter]

My hunting partner prefers to rd hunt. Bums me out and I get disappointed if I spend to much time in the truck. I have him drop me off so I can do some hiking. He is a good guy just sorta lazy when it comes to hiking.

[Pathfinder101]

Interesting thread.  Here's a little fuel to stir the pot...

I killed my first buck when I was 14.  My stepdad and I had driven up the nearest mountain to town after school.  We hiked up a ridge, found a couple of good trails to sit on, split up and walked back to the car.  I got turned around and wound up coming out in a location that required me to hike back up the road to where we parked.  I got razzed a bit for "getting lost", and we loaded in the car to drive to another location with the last hour of daylight. 
As we bounced down the logging road I glanced out the passenger side window and saw antlers sticking up out of a brush pile in the ditch right next to the road.  I started sputtering and gesturing and fumbling with rifle, shells, etc...

Luckily, my stepdad spoke "buck fever" fluently and stopped the car.  The deer was about 15 feet from my window when he did.  Naturally, the buck jumped out of his bed and ran off.
I jumped out of the car, dropping shells, shaking so badly that I couldn't get one in the chamber, and watched as the deer weaved through a stand of timber. 
We got on the track and followed him, losing it as soon as we came to a small clearcut about 400 yards from the car.  We walked around the clearcut for 10 minutes, trying to pick up the trail again, but couldn't.  At the edge of the meadow was an old slash pile.  I decided to climb up on it and try to get a better view.  As I walked up to it, the buck exploded out of the slash pile.  I aimed at a brown blur and shot him behind the ear at about 10 yards.  He piled up on the far side of the log he was jumping over.  I wish I could say that is where I was aiming, but it wsn't...

So...here's my point....

...did I kill my first buck road hunting...?

[Huntbear]

do you slip back to that 28" 5th wheeler for a comfortable night's rest and a hot meal...

Kind of small 5th wheel.. only 28" ??   

bet the bathroom is a tight squeeze   

[rose673]

I guess it depends on what you are out there for if you are there to b.s. with old buddies in the comfort of your truck with your bag of goodies, and a hot cup of coffee more power to you.  Hunting for me is about the pursuit I enjoy the challenges that nature provides I believe I honor the animals I harvest by hunting them on their terms.  I always wondered what story you have to tell people when you get back after a successful day in the truck "man I came around the corner, and there he was biggest 2pt I have ever seen I almost spilled my coffee, I threw the parking break on hopped out threw my gun across the hood bang dead deer best part is I could back right up to him so I could take him out whole wouldnt wanna get blood on me might get that stuff all over my truck".  I am glad those of you who are road hunters still buy tags, and get out every year I just dont believe shooting an animal that you spotted driving around in the comfort of your truck would really meet my definition of hunting.

Just remember not all of us have ample amount of time and opportunity like everybody else.  Yes, I love to get behind gates and get into back country, and hike countless miles of wilderness in Idaho.  But some of us have a thing called a job, so when I get off at 4:00 pm, I do not have the luxary of having time to get behind gates.  Therefore I bust my but and hit roads until dark because I thats all I have time for.  Furthermore some people can't get off the road due to a disability to their condition so I really do not see a reason to bash the only way of hunting that they can do.