Trailhead comments

[Bareback]

This year there seems to be an extraordinary amount of people hiking/backpacking. Often we find ourselves using the same trailheads to access the wilderness. Usually I try to head up before light but this year I’ve been lazy, often starting about 10 am. I just love the looks on peoples faces when they see a person with a rifle strapped to the back of their pack. This last weekend I passed a couple of young women just past the parking lot, soon followed by a loud, “OH MY GAWD.” Inside I was ROTFLMAO, but I continued on replying, “have a great day.”

What are some of your most memorable encounters you have had at trailheads?

[jk78]

We had a set of hikers from who knows where ask us what do you do when you Foul one after laughing we told them the process of back country meat care and seemed to change his mind on hunters and many other hikers over the years . On a popular hiking trail in the GPW found a guy chopping wood with his hot dog out! Seems naked people are far to common in this state. The trailhead was full of subaru even ours to blend in at the time they didnt even look twice until we got out in camo.

[Colville]

Couple times i've cone out very heavy with a bag loaded with neat and antlers obvious.  I've met non to anti hunters who could see immediately that the pack was full of meat,  the tenor of anti hunters is frequently because they think we take anylers only.  When they see what you'll suffer to take it all home, they arent converts, but not haters either.

[fishngamereaper]

More like no comments.

Up in the Alpine Lakes earlier in the week and all the people wearing masks while hiking was mind blowing. Of course my group wasn't and we couldn't even get a hello from most people. They looked at us like we had two heads.

[Cougartail]

More like no comments.

Up in the Alpine Lakes earlier in the week and all the people wearing masks while hiking was mind blowing. Of course my group wasn't and we couldn't even get a hello from most people. They looked at us like we had two heads.

Ignorance and fear are the greatest threat to democracy.  I see people out walking by themselves all the time with masks on. Haven't done this much head shaking ever before in my life..

[elkrack]

We were up coral pass one year and ran into a group of hikers and half of them were from Europe. They were really interested in my buddies bow and had no clue what it was🤦🏻‍♂️  They asked if we had seen anything and we replied we had seen some goats and their minds were blown🤣.

Back in 2007 we were in the goat rocks wilderness for my brothers goat tag and after successfully filling his tag we were on our was back to base camp and ran into some very granola hikers. I was new to back country hunting so I only had a day pack which meant I didn’t have very much room and ended up having to carrying  the back straps and scraps cradled in my arms. I was covered in blood and the looks on their faces was priceless. The guy responds “ you got some fresh game” 🤣🤣🤣 they almost ran away from us

[TooTallMike]

For the bear opener I was hiking up to a lake and caught up to some gluten intolerant REI shoppers ...

As I was the only one wearing camo they were like what are you hunting for??

I said bear... But mainly just trying to scout for elk...

Then one told me good thing there is no hunting here with a smirk

I replied with a smirk of my own and said oh yes there absolutely is hunting allowed here 😂😂

Their demeanor changed when I shattered their little safe space with camo and a gun on my pack.

Also threw them off to how polite I was to them and even helped one get their pack on.

I don't think they'll take my offer up on some game meat to try.

Best wishes Helen and Margaret 😁

[TheStovePipeKid]

I rolled up to a branch road gate in the Cle Elum area right at the tail end of spring turkey this year. While donning my official turkey hunting uniform another rig rolled up with some bikes on the back. I walked over and introduced myself and asked if they planned to bike the same road, which they did. I let them know I would be moving slow and would give them plenty of time to get some distance before considering a shot. I also enjoy mountain biking and began a discussion on the local trails in my area. They started asking about my equipment and the tactics of turkey hunting. I ended up giving a ten minute intro to turkey hunting seminar right there at the gate. One of the gals was tickled pink when I fired off a turkey call. Russ would have been proud. They even waved as they went by up the road. Hunting, or not hunting, is a personal choice we all make. I feel like the community as a whole tends to be more understanding and polite than we are given credit. I talk of hunting with passion to hopefully ignite a spark in people that may just open a new door in their lives.

[Russ McDonald]

I rolled up to a branch road gate in the Cle Elum area right at the tail end of spring turkey this year. While donning my official turkey hunting uniform another rig rolled up with some bikes on the back. I walked over and introduced myself and asked if they planned to bike the same road, which they did. I let them know I would be moving slow and would give them plenty of time to get some distance before considering a shot. I also enjoy mountain biking and began a discussion on the local trails in my area. They started asking about my equipment and the tactics of turkey hunting. I ended up giving a ten minute intro to turkey hunting seminar right there at the gate. One of the gals was tickled pink when I fired off a turkey call. Russ would have been proud. They even waved as they went by up the road. Hunting, or not hunting, is a personal choice we all make. I feel like the community as a whole tends to be more understanding and polite than we are given credit. I talk of hunting with passion to hopefully ignite a spark in people that may just open a new door in their lives.

To funny.  That is awesome though.   I try to avoid places with people.   I do get lots of questions at work though.   Sometimes in the office i am practicing calls whether it is turkey or elk.   I will get some of the non hunting people coming into the office wondering what I am doing. I don't mind that they don't hunt but they go away with a little more understanding of what we do as hunters.

Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk

[Sandberm]

I rolled up to a branch road gate in the Cle Elum area right at the tail end of spring turkey this year. While donning my official turkey hunting uniform another rig rolled up with some bikes on the back. I walked over and introduced myself and asked if they planned to bike the same road, which they did. I let them know I would be moving slow and would give them plenty of time to get some distance before considering a shot. I also enjoy mountain biking and began a discussion on the local trails in my area. They started asking about my equipment and the tactics of turkey hunting. I ended up giving a ten minute intro to turkey hunting seminar right there at the gate. One of the gals was tickled pink when I fired off a turkey call. Russ would have been proud. They even waved as they went by up the road. Hunting, or not hunting, is a personal choice we all make. I feel like the community as a whole tends to be more understanding and polite than we are given credit. I talk of hunting with passion to hopefully ignite a spark in people that may just open a new door in their lives.

Way to be a great ambassador for hunting 

[Sandberm]

More like no comments.

Up in the Alpine Lakes earlier in the week and all the people wearing masks while hiking was mind blowing. Of course my group wasn't and we couldn't even get a hello from most people. They looked at us like we had two heads.

Go to the Washington Trails Association Trip reports section and read the reports. https://www.wta.org/go-outside/trip-reports

Lots of mask talk. How wide the trail is to avoid people, how many people wear them/don't wear them. One person claimed that non mask wearing is really bad in eastern washington vs western Wa. One person didnt like seeing a couple guys with holstered handguns, made a snide comment.

I dont even feel like bothering to do any popular hikes this summer. Screw it, the mask crowd in the great outdoors wins.

[Skyvalhunter]

That's why I don't do popular hikes

[HillHound]

They are damn right.We are a  Bunch of gun toting no mask wearing freaks over here on the east side. So stay on the west side and hike those trails

[CoryTDF]

Years back I decided to try my had at ML hunting on the wet side. I was hunting elk off the PCT and I was all done up in my camo and bee bopping down the PCT as it was the best way to access the land I wanted to get into. Several days I ran into hikers and they all seemed really weirded out. I just smiled and said "thank you" as they stepped aside to let me pass.


Hollywood didn't do us an favors with that stupid movie "Wild" staring Reese Witherspoon. They made hunters all look like creepy rapists. Probably why I got such weird looks from people.

[WSU]

I've never had any issues.  Some don't say much and some exchange pleasantries.