Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Bronson on October 06, 2008, 03:38:10 PM
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I have a question to run by you all. Growing up and spending many hunting trips on the west side we spent a lot of time hunting clear cuts on NF land. To get to those clear cuts there must be a road. Now, I am not a "road hunter" but many good places to hunt and good habitat are sometimes off of these roads.
So my question is this....If you scouted an area and plan to hunt it, and to access this area you must walk/drive a dead-end spur road that leads only to the area you are going to hunt, do you block the road at the entrance with your rig? Or do you pull over to the side and allow people (usually road hunters) to potentially drive in and bust your hunt?
I ask this because in the past I have always tried to do the courteous thing and not block the road, but have had a couple of hunts spoiled due to people driving in on me. I know its a chance that you take hunting that close to roads or off a landing, but sometimes thats where the deer are and the best places to glass are.
Personally, if possible I like to park well away and walk in to good areas like that but some people drive right to a spot and glass the cuts.
Your thoughts?
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I would ask Saylean, he is the Road Warrior. :chuckle: I would say don't block the road :bdid: i would try and find an area with tank trenches or gates to keep people out but if that's not an option i think you will have to live with the fact that lots of people road hunt NF land.
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Camp/Park at the head of the road and and keep it blocked unless there are signs stating not to block it for fire reasons. Note, they may still try to bypass your camp by going off road. You also take some risk of making them mad and doing damage. However if it is a dead end road anyway give it some thought
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I have parked in the middle of the road if I am within a few hundred yards of the end/landing. Most yahoos feel like honking and peeling out, but why would they want to drive up on other hunters in a small unit?
Wouldn't even think of it if the road continues very far.
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No matter where I park, unless it is at the very end of road (and even then I leave room for a turn around for people), I usually always park to the side so people can get by.
If they are road hunters, all they will do is drive by half the time while im in the woods. If they arent road hunters...maybe they will spook something up for me if they are out and about.
Most people tend to not park right by a rig, unless it is in a limited parking area. I personally would not want someone to block a road regardless.
But, again, thats just me.
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Blocking the road on public land is a bad idea and rude to other people who wish to use the land. This is the same as some situations we complain about, like hikers ringing bells and blowing whistles in the woods. It prevents people from enjoying their chosen outdoor activities. Hunters are not the only people in the woods and on public land you don't even have the right to block off other hunter's access. That being said, I do understand the frustration and have had the same thing happen to me on multiple occasions. I try to either get to the end of the road or be at least 1/2 mile off the road.
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So my question is this....If you scouted an area and plan to hunt it, and to access this area you must walk/drive a dead-end spur road that leads only to the area you are going to hunt, do you block the road at the entrance with your rig? Or do you pull over to the side and allow people (usually road hunters) to potentially drive in and bust your hunt?
It's best to leave your rig out of the way, especially if you are hunting on private timber company land. Blocking gates is a good way to have your vehicle moved by the timber company. If it's an open NFS road, I still think it's best to stay clear of blocking the road. Vandalism from disgruntled people isn't work it. My :twocents:
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Blocking the road on public land is a bad idea and rude to other people who wish to use the land. This is the same as some situations we complain about, like hikers ringing bells and blowing whistles in the woods. It prevents people from enjoying their chosen outdoor activities. Hunters are not the only people in the woods and on public land you don't even have the right to block off other hunter's access. That being said, I do understand the frustration and have had the same thing happen to me on multiple occasions. I try to either get to the end of the road or be at least 1/2 mile off the road.
:yeah:
Someone who has never been to the area may not know that the road is about to end. Yes, yes, they shouldn't be learning this on opening morning but that's not for someone else to determine. Haven't we all taken an extra turn just to try an area out?
While I would never vandilize someone's car for doing it, I would be frustrated if I found someone intentionally blocking off a road so they could monopolize it. I would never do it for fear of someone smashing my windows on principle.
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I think blocking the road would be a case by case deal. If the road has other spurs to it or is more than a few hundred yards long don't block it. You really don't know who is trying to access the area ( i.e. Seniors or handicap ). If the area at the end of the road can only support a couple of hunters chances are those that pull up after you already know that if they have hunted the area before or scouted.
JBar
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If it is Public Land, I was told by the Sherif a few years ago that it is illegal to block the road under any cicumstance and subject to towing at the owners expense. He said regardless of how far in, a person could call a tow truck and show that they were blocking public access, and they could come tow it if the company felt like it.
I personally always pull off to the side and run the risk of someone driving it. I also hunt with my 68 year old dad who cannot walk to far anymore, so we WILL drive to a landing and glass from there. I would not hesitate to hook up the winch and pull someone out of my way if they were intentionally blocking a road I knew went for quite a distance.
But, I am an ass, so it is expected.
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Play nice guys. If you've never had the valve stems pulled from your tires miles from a air pump you may not truly grasp the consequence's of your actions.
It will make you think twice.
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Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Just to reiterate, I have not blocked roads but was curious about what the general concensus was on the subject. I have had a couple of people drive in on me a long time ago and it can be frustrating. The places I was thinking of are spur roads that go only a couple of hundred yards and go only to the clear cut I was interested in hunting in. I dont hunt that area anymore but thought about the scenario recently. Good feedback, thanks.
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Idont no anywhere you can block a road nor would I.I have put a sign on my windshield letting others know dead end road several hunters ahead.Its worked for the most part.However there is still an occasional idiot that has to make sure your not lying.
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I agree that blocking the road is BS. Hooking a wench up to someones rig that takes it to another level :bdid:
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I agree, it is a bad idea, and I have only done it one time, but this guy blocked the road while we were already down it! He blocked it off and dropped into the canyon. I could see him in the canyon from the end I was on and did not realize he blocked the road until I tried to leave.
I winched his 2 wheel drive up onto the sidehill and left it there. Must have been a bitch to get out.
Left a note on his windshield about blocking access to and from a road without knowing if anyone was already in there or not. :bash:
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yeah now I see what your saying...Like everyone else is said don't block the road
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DeKuma, that would piss me off too. I would have paid to see the winch action and how the guy got out of there!
The roads I am thinking of there is no way this could happen, very short spur roads and walking to the end. Either way, not going to do it still. Just wanted to see what everyone thought.
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Back in '05 I had planned to hunt a certain canyon that had a deadend road. As I worked my way up the two track I came up on a unoccupied rig blocking the road about a half mile from the end (f. I was pissed). There was no turn around for about a quarter mile back behind me, so I pulled up tight on his bumper, parked, and started up the road hoping to find the owners. I didn't. I cooled off a bit and continued with my hunt as planned. I started up the westside of the canyon and saw people (x3) stalking a buck on the other side. I continued on and started a stalk of my own within sight of the rigs (different buck). The three made it back to the truck that was blocking the road and hung around scratching their heads for about three hours. I came back down and we had a little chat. They apologized and said their four wheel driver had gone out on them and couldn't make it up the road any futher. After chaining up they made it up to a widespot to turn around and I continued up to retrieve my downed buck.
Kind of shocked they turned out to be fellow 509ers.
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What would you think if a granola head blocked the road with his Subaru, or tribal guys, or brush pickers?
Bad idea, illegal, inconsiderate. Just the way it is....
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If you do not want someone in there why don't you pull some root wads, downed logs, etc a week before season starts if there was a deadend road? Then you could park off the side of the road next to the crap you put in the road to make it difficult for them to move any of the crap you put on the road.
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Don't block the road with your rig, or anything else.
Heck, it seems like the majority of land these days is gated or triple-ditched anyway...so you should have plenty of other places to hunt.
Leaving your rig blocking a road is a good way to get vandalized.
Intentionally blocking a public road is a good way to get cited.
Personally, I wouldn't go damaging or winching your rig...
But I think someone on the forum a little while ago had a couple kids take a dump on his bumper...??? :chuckle:
JMHO.
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One time in 77 I was hunting the late hunt (Tenaway Blewet rd) on the way up in the morning 4/5" of snow, spilled my coffee soaking my who-haa's,slid into the ditck. Could easly get out throwing on chains but getting late. Grabed gear and jumped in the other rig and went hunting. Came back after hunting the morning to find someone had winched my truck out of the ditch on to the road. Nice wide road so it wasn't blocking. Nice sized rock blocking the wheels. Didn't know anyone else hunting over there. Just some good guy with time on his hands? No note or nothing. Still laugh about that one anytime I get stuck!! :)
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Never block a road. Whether it is FR or private road or even a marked trailhead, you cannot block access. I imagine nothing would happen if you did, but this land belongs to US and we must share. As a rule, I always park my truck in the general direction of my entry point. (i.e. If I park on the left side of a road, I entered where I parked. This is common courtesy but it also makes extraction easier in case of an accident. They would have a fairly good idea of where I went in). And,,,, any other people could be fairly assured of my entry point and could feel free to enter the forest across the road without running into me. We all practice this rule. Also, I have never parked next to another rig, except once during bow season, and then we parked 1/4 mile down the road. We all head to the river. At night, when all the hunters come out, there is about 30 guys stretching 5 miles or more as we all walk out! Kinda cool. Kinda scary when you think 30 guns are pointing into a single ravine. Talk about a pumpkin patch. Ya just gotta share.
