2014 Season Gripe

shorthairs4life

shorthairs4life

New member
Well it's 2 weeks in and I must say, I'm not very proud of our fellow Wisconsin pheasant hunters thus far.
So far each weekend I've found people out on public land not wearing any blaze orange and hunting pheasant. Today, when I call the guy out on it, he verbally accosts me. I'm not the one breaking the law, be a man and own up to it. No one wonder why farmers won't let us hunt on their land anymore. I for one don't want to get caught in the middle of a bloody mess because your not responsible enough to be visible.
Second gripe: This weekend as well as last I run into a group of 4 hunters making a push on a field right at me. I assume they can't see me and continue hunting, but they just keep coming. Just because you have more hunters in your party doesn't give you the right to hunt right through a person. It's completely not safe and can make you feel very uncomfortable, especially since you already know the group is not exercising strong judgment.
I already stopped hunting at Bong because of these types of reckless actions and for the last 2 years have never run into a problem but this year has been ridiculous and that's putting it lightly.
I for one am glad I'm not a game warden because the people we have out there hunting will surely drive you crazy.
I've hunted in Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota and have not seen anything even close to this bad in all my years.
So there you have it, it's been said and I should feel better but I guess I need to finish this beer first and then maybe it will sink in.
Hope others are having better luck running into respectful and law biding hunters.
 
I gave up on Bong a decade ago. I hear late season and off the beatin path can be OK but...A guy can only get peppered so many times.. and Im only 20 mins or so from there..
 
I came across 3 guys yesterday pushing a spot. They were wearing camo. It was pretty thick and I thought to myself, "that's an interesting choice."

That said, the way I interpret the regs, blaze is only required while out during deer season. Page 9 of the small game regs. I have plenty of orange, and always at least have a blaze hat on, but I don't see where it's required.
 
Deuce said:
I came across 3 guys yesterday pushing a spot. They were wearing camo. It was pretty thick and I thought to myself, "that's an interesting choice."

That said, the way I interpret the regs, blaze is only required while out during deer season. Page 9 of the small game regs. I have plenty of orange, and always at least have a blaze hat on, but I don't see where it's required.
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Interesting because on the opener for the 2011 season, a game warden would not let me out in the field because he said I did not meet the 50% upper body requirement for blaze orange. I was wearing a blaze hat and had blaze orange sleeves and my vest had blaze orange across the front and back through the shoulders.
If it's not required then I guess the game warden was just jerking with me. Pretty ridiculous that it's not required according to the reg's for most of the season. If I can't feel safe in the field, I think I'll have to move to hunting elsewhere or other hobbies.
 
Well, just checked th regulations, and Deuce is correct, although I never hunt without a minimum of blaze orange hat, even if I'm the only person on the property.

But that warden was new, or just wrong. Except for deer season, blaze orange is not required. Some times, in the past, DNR has hired temporary wardens for enforcement during the deer season, he may have been one of these gentlemen.

Dunno.
 
Blaze is good!

Hello men,

Blaze orange is required in Iowa and they do enforce it. I can tell you from much experience that it has lowered the amount and severity of hunting accidents here in our state.

As for the original post, as more and more of us compete for the same lands and opportunities only more of the complaints will continue.:(

A fact with most activities is that the more folks who wish to participate in them the more "incidents" occur. I am not trying to justify or defend these actions. In my opinion, it is important to take time to inform/educate others in as professional and positive a manner that one can. If we all continue to practice this, I believe we can lessen the number of "incidents" that occur. I would additionally caution to use judgment when dealing with others. Numerous killings and assaults have occurred over hunting and regulations in the past.

Sometimes it is best to get a plate number and let the "officials" handle things.
 
I think in a few past posts I kind of bitched about others, never do complain about safe..... I try to respect people that are already in the field and wouldn't mind the same.

Last week end we flushed a hen that flew right, we watched the hen settle back into the tall grass about 80 yards out, my son said "dad there's a guy standing there by the hen" sure enough, there stands a guy in light brown clothes, I never seen him, neither did my son at first. Had that been a rooster we probably would have peppered that guy.....

We have had guys run in front of us to try to shoot birds we flushed, shoot birds off the road, run into the field before it opens to get out there so they are posted for flushed birds, making our shot impossible because we can't shoot at the hunters.

Today I had a the same hunter that I came in behind the other day and I went the other way to give him space, he pulled up and almost ran across 200 yards to beat me and my son to a thick patch we were about 50 yards from and walking right at....no respect for others!
He told me its public land and he can be there too....
He is right, but what an A-hole.

Most of the idiots are gone after opening weekend because they can't find a bird, but there are still some rude, careless people out there.

I'm guessing in the stocked areas they never go home, only focused on taking their birds at all costs
 
Opener in 11' might have overlapped with a youth or doe hunt too.

Not a fan of being told I have to wear orange because every situation is different but yeah if your in a spot other hunters will be at least put a hat on.
 
Deweybagger said:
I think in a few past posts I kind of bitched about others, never do complain about safe..... I try to respect people that are already in the field and wouldn't mind the same.

Last week end we flushed a hen that flew right, we watched the hen settle back into the tall grass about 80 yards out, my son said "dad there's a guy standing there by the hen" sure enough, there stands a guy in light brown clothes, I never seen him, neither did my son at first. Had that been a rooster we probably would have peppered that guy.....

We have had guys run in front of us to try to shoot birds we flushed, shoot birds off the road, run into the field before it opens to get out there so they are posted for flushed birds, making our shot impossible because we can't shoot at the hunters.

Today I had a the same hunter that I came in behind the other day and I went the other way to give him space, he pulled up and almost ran across 200 yards to beat me and my son to a thick patch we were about 50 yards from and walking right at....no respect for others!
He told me its public land and he can be there too....
He is right, but what an A-hole.

Most of the idiots are gone after opening weekend because they can't find a bird, but there are still some rude, careless people out there.

I'm guessing in the stocked areas they never go home, only focused on taking their birds at all costs
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These are the kinds of situations that scare me out in the field. Guys running at you to cut you off, completely ridiculous.
The reason for all the talk about safety is because next year will be my son's first year out in the field. He's a little skidish and an encounter like I had or the one above will send him running from the field because he's scared.
When I lived in MN there was some extreme competition for public hunting. Everyone seemed to know some basic gentlemen rules which were: If you wanted the choice part of the property you had to be their first. When others arrived and they always did, they would talk and lay things out to keep everyone safe and they would stand by the agreement. It was pretty awesome and I miss the kind of sportsmanship I was accustomed to in MN.
I would really like to be able to get something started to improve some of the regs to help things get safer in our fields.
 
Tonight went out for the last 1.5 hours to get a short walk in. Found a pile of corn spread out a few feet by a few feet. Thought that was weird because this was a soy bean field. Walk another 15 to 20 yards down and there's someone up in the tree stand. I guess I found my answer. I don't deer hunt but I'm thinking baiting is not fair chase.

On the bright side on Sunday I ran into a pair of duck hunters and they were very cordial and even shared where they heard some roosters cackling days before.
 
I had the same experience on publics this year opening week-end and later on.
Guys walking through a field we were working with no Blaze orange. Tough to pick out from the cover. This bugs the shi$ out of me. The last thing I want to do is shoot someone. Previous posters are correct that its not required except during any gun deer season, and some years youth season has coincided with the pheasant opener (not a great idea) . Anyway blaze should be required on the publics at all times; a orange cap would suffice. Some/Most of the guys I run into are good natured and use common sense. I had two guys enter a field I was in on Sunday and when they saw me working the far end, they turned around and left.
 
I'd have to go look again, baiting is legal in some places in WI. No where in the southern farm zone though, if I remember correctly.

I ran into a deer hunter on Sunday, he was very polite and also told me where he'd been hearing roosters cackling all morning. Intel was spot on... I bricked the shot though.

Pup find any birds?
 
The problem I have with an orange requirement is if you want to try and jump some ducks and hunt pheasants at the same time you are either going to break the law or have a hard time hunting the ducks. I do if all the time and it's never been an issue but I'm careful how I go about it. Or if you want to hunt turkeys and pheasants at the same time, same problems.

Plus I believe you're not going to make enough laws to reign in the inconsiderate and unsportsmanlike behavior we have here.
 
Deuce said:
I'd have to go look again, baiting is legal in some places in WI. No where in the southern farm zone though, if I remember correctly.

I ran into a deer hunter on Sunday, he was very polite and also told me where he'd been hearing roosters cackling all morning. Intel was spot on... I bricked the shot though.

Pup find any birds?
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On yesterday's walk nothing. But I usually don't expect much from that property, it's just very convenient and a 3 minute drive from the house. On Sunday the pup pointed his first wild rooster. We knocked it down and apparently it was a cripple, the pup trailed it for about 5 minutes and we never found it :( He did great on Saturday on release land and pointed 2 roosters to make for a quick hunt on Saturday morning.
 
I have been stopped for not having 50 percent orange as well don't remember the year but it happened. I will agree with the fact that the safety levels are way down my brother almost got shot last year. And this year as been even crazier! The other day I was walking a field and i was the only hunter in sight then my dog flushed a rooster I missed and like five minutes later I was beening swormed by hunters. Guys where coming over hills cutting in front of me. It was crazy.
 
I hunted bog twice back in the early '70's. Looks like nothings changed. Both times we got peppered. We were fortunate to have relatives and friends with farms that had decent cover to hunt. The only reason we hunted Bog on those two occasions were that dad's co-workers asked if he wanted to go. After the second time, dad said he wouldn't go back and I was happy with that.

I no longer hunt with a buddy because he's reckless. Wears full camo and goes off half cocked. He also doesn't have a clue. One of my brothers calls him a "greenhorn" and told me once that if the guy came along, he [the brother] wouldn't go.

I always wear some orange and carry a spared hat in case someone else that joins our group hunts doesn't have any orange. Still, in the grouse woods, often times just a hat isn't enough.

Be safe out there guys and shoot straight!
 
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