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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 8:55:53 GMT -5
Just wondering if anyone has ever experienced hunter harassment? Either from other hunters who got mad at someone hunting in "their" public land area (or other reasons) or non-hunters who were protesting, etc. I've been lucky and never had it happen, but I've read some stories online and even watched some YouTube videos that show it. One was even posted by an animal rights and welfare activist who filmed himself yelling obscenities and throwing the tilapia a family had caught back into the pond, and then in the next video was telling the police very nicely that he and his family (and about 10 other protesters) were not the ones doing wrong.
I've also heard a dogwalker story from the guy that we used to hunt next to who told us one time that while he was hunting near a trail that the deer heavily use on a different property a dogwalker from the local shelter walked through with two dogs. He alerted her to his presence and told her that everything but the main roads on the property were closed for hunting (which they were). She was nice about it but guess who showed up again a while later? She got a stern talking to. I don't think it was hunter harassment, but it certainly was a blatant disregarding of posted signs and rules!
I think the reason I've never encountered harassment is that the county I live in is very rural and a lot of people hunt and respect each other's property. And in the out of county Purdue properties many of the neighbors are also outdoors people and know about and respect the property rules. Also not many people are on the property during hunting season other than students, faculty, staff and hunters, and also the posted signs telling hikers that only the main road is open for them during that time. The Purdue people just sort of know to stay out of an area if someone is hunting there. Also one of the property hunting rules is to be courteous to your hunting neighbor and to others using the area and let them know in some way that you are hunting. And if a deer gets killed and goes into a different area, we have to get permission to go onto that area for retrieval from the hunter who hunts that spot. Works pretty well to keep hunter harassment at bay.
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Post by freedomhunter on Jan 9, 2024 9:03:10 GMT -5
I had a really good spot for deer really close to home, and well known for big bucks. Hard to break into the area. Every time I went to hunt, gunshots from the neighbor I just left it wasn't worth it co couldn't do anything
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Post by steiny on Jan 9, 2024 9:24:23 GMT -5
Yea, back when I was employed my employer always expected me to be at work most of the time rather than hunting October 1 thru year end.
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Post by duff on Jan 9, 2024 9:33:40 GMT -5
Cops always harassed us when we blasted ducks in Anderson. But not sure it was really hunter harrassment.
Pendleton cop broke into my truck while I was goose hunting. Tried to force me out of the area when I walked up to him going through my glove box. I was outside of town limits too. Mentioned it to landowner and realized this was normal as the guy hunted next door. I never went back as it wasn't worth it. Land owner wanted me to make a stink....nah.
Span asks dumb questions when we hunt together. Again I feel harassed but not sure against the law.
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Post by greghopper on Jan 9, 2024 9:39:05 GMT -5
Most people that harass hunters are spineless or have the mindset that the Golden Rule is I got the Gold so I rule!
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Post by jjas on Jan 9, 2024 9:41:37 GMT -5
Years ago I had a buddy who owned a few acres that backed up to a couple of hundred acres. The houses all sat on @ least 4-5 acres so the lots were decent size.
There was a neighbor who every time I would try to go in and bow hunt, they would come out in the yard, turn a leaf blower on (and not really blow leaves) or get a 4 wheeler out and drive up to the the property line behind their lot and drive up and down the line.
The last straw was when one of them slashed a tire on my vehicle.
I never went back.
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Post by SFC (R) B on Jan 9, 2024 10:53:55 GMT -5
I have never had anything serious. Out here in CO we had a couple decide that 2nd season was the time to camp and take their dachshunds for a walk up one of the big meadows. I believe when they realized they were being watched through a scope the entire time they felt uneasy enough that they left. 50/50 chance they had any intent. In IN the only thing I have ever had, and it didn't bother me at all, was the neighbor to the land I hunt on called the CO to come "check" on me. He used to have permission on the land but lost it from being an a$$hat.....lives on an acre next to the farm. CO was a good dude and it was just a check of my permission and a couple of minutes of shooting the breeze. I can't say I would be very calm if it was a tense situation. Not necessarily because of any idea that I didn't shoot an animal, but more because all of my hunts take place quite a ways away from home, take a lot of planning and some cash, and are truly centered around peace and experience. Violation of that would probably push a big button with me. I watched that video of the woman in Ohio the other day and have to say that I would camped out at the prosecutors office until she was locked up. Yelling and swearing at me are bad enough, but you SHOOT in my direction and things change immensely.
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Post by buckeater on Jan 9, 2024 11:01:54 GMT -5
I’ve had a couple instances. One was a spot I only hunted late season was just field and fence rows that ran to other blocks of woods on that section. I only hunted it late season because the deer would winter on that section. The guy that owned the smaller woods that butted up to it and also had a house in it. Which we went to church together when I was younger. I always thought he was a good guy until I started hunting next to him. He left a note on my truck wanted me to call him about me hunting there. I told him I had permission from my cousin and wasn’t on him. He even came out one day and confronted me about 45mins before legal was up. Saying I better not be trespassing on him. I said that’s funny cause your the one trespassing right now cause he was standing on land my cousin owned. So after that he would see me parked and everytime he would start his leaf blower up and start walking around the woods right behind me. He wasn’t against hunting because he said his son hunted his woods. He just didn’t want me there. And magically my blind and camera disappeared at the end of season. He claimed he didn’t take it but I’m willing to put money on it either him or his son did. Then another time was a place we farmed in Marion county by German church road. Crazy guy on the corner would block our entrance with big logs and he even went so far and took my stand down. Luckily that was when Spartan cell cams first came out so was able to get pics of him when he did it. Called the landowner and he said he was going to have a talk with him and also called the CO to have a chat with him. Landowner told me not to mess with him cause he was bipolar. We ended up giving that ground to another farmer that farmed by there cause it was to much of a pain to move equipment there so I just quit hunting there.
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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 11:36:26 GMT -5
I’ve had a couple instances. One was a spot I only hunted late season was just field and fence rows that ran to other blocks of woods on that section. I only hunted it late season because the deer would winter on that section. The guy that owned the smaller woods that butted up to it and also had a house in it. Which we went to church together when I was younger. I always thought he was a good guy until I started hunting next to him. He left a note on my truck wanted me to call him about me hunting there. I told him I had permission from my cousin and wasn’t on him. He even came out one day and confronted me about 45mins before legal was up. Saying I better not be trespassing on him. I said that’s funny cause your the one trespassing right now cause he was standing on land my cousin owned. So after that he would see me parked and everytime he would start his leaf blower up and start walking around the woods right behind me. He wasn’t against hunting because he said his son hunted his woods. He just didn’t want me there. And magically my blind and camera disappeared at the end of season. He claimed he didn’t take it but I’m willing to put money on it either him or his son did. Then another time was a place we farmed in Marion county by German church road. Crazy guy on the corner would block our entrance with big logs and he even went so far and took my stand down. Luckily that was when Spartan cell cams first came out so was able to get pics of him when he did it. Called the landowner and he said he was going to have a talk with him and also called the CO to have a chat with him. Landowner told me not to mess with him cause he was bipolar. We ended up giving that ground to another farmer that farmed by there cause it was to much of a pain to move equipment there so I just quit hunting there. Wow. That first one sounds like a tough one to deal with. As for the second, that would also be a hard one. Bipolar people can be really hard to handle and often can be irrational. Bipolar does weird things to your brain. Anyone who has had long COVID (like me) will know what that feels like! Goes to show that even normally nice and rational people who hunt can sometimes get a little too protective of their hunting land and stuff.
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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 11:37:34 GMT -5
Yea, back when I was employed my employer always expected me to be at work most of the time rather than hunting October 1 thru year end. Did you ever have any major talks with then about that?
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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 11:49:16 GMT -5
Violation of that would probably push a big button with me. I watched that video of the woman in Ohio the other day and have to say that I would camped out at the prosecutors office until she was locked up. Yelling and swearing at me are bad enough, but you SHOOT in my direction and things change immensely. Which woman and video? Was it recent? If I had anyone yelling and swearing at me while I was out hunting in a place where I knew I was completely legal I'd get mad at them and be thinking about calling the local CO. Part of this mindset comes from living next door to a crazy guy felon for 5 years who is a jerk and a bully about everything and badmouths and threatens anyone and everyone. He's a sovereign citizen (look it up if you don't know what that means; it'll make you appreciate the police more once you watch some videos of these people being arrested). Having to drive past his house everytime we go anywhere and be on the alert has made me more touchy. He's the sort that will more than shoot in your direction if he thinks he even remotely has a reason to. My family is involved in one of his criminal cases. We have a lot of people around here who hunt or shoot for fun and own guns. Back before he was convicted and jailed for his attempted murder, he would pull out his rifles and pistols and anytime anyone within 1/2 mile of here shot he'd be rattling off some rounds. Glad he got his 2nd amendment rights stripped, cause not only is he a dangerous person, he'd regularly have hours long shooting sprees at night (and we all know how loud ARs are). It's not exactly hunter harassment but it has made many of us more touchy and more ready to resort to more than calling police if we absolutely need to.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Jan 9, 2024 11:49:55 GMT -5
Dogs let loose on opening gun is the only harassments I have. During bow there are no dogs running the woods, except during gun season. Funny part, they have no clue I hunt mostly bow and only 1st weekend to week of gun. I make sure I hunt the 3nd ridge from the property line opening gun season. Most times, dogs only run the 1st valley to top of ridge of the 2nd on Saturday and Sunday. Perfect harassments, push the deer to me. Later in the week they run both ridges, but most time I'm finished hunting by then. This has been going on for years. Someday, I need to thank them.
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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 11:50:49 GMT -5
Years ago I had a buddy who owned a few acres that backed up to a couple of hundred acres. The houses all sat on @ least 4-5 acres so the lots were decent size. There was a neighbor who every time I would try to go in and bow hunt, they would come out in the yard, turn a leaf blower on (and not really blow leaves) or get a 4 wheeler out and drive up to the the property line behind their lot and drive up and down the line. The last straw was when one of them slashed a tire on my vehicle. I never went back. I think that's the most common form of hubter harassment. They know you're out in the woods and they'll do something annoying or noisy "to scare the deer away." Doesn't always work. And sometimes the deer actually get drawn to the noise.
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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 11:53:01 GMT -5
At the one Purdue property we hunt there are one or two neighbors that have guns and almost every time we are out there they pull them out and sometimes it's just a few rounds, other times it goes on for more than an hour. Sometimes happens at the private property we hunt as well. It's not hunter harassment (hard for them to know there are hunters out unless the've driven into the property or heard us shoot). It's just people sighting in guns or having fun, but it's often annoying.
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Post by SFC (R) B on Jan 9, 2024 12:21:20 GMT -5
Violation of that would probably push a big button with me. I watched that video of the woman in Ohio the other day and have to say that I would camped out at the prosecutors office until she was locked up. Yelling and swearing at me are bad enough, but you SHOOT in my direction and things change immensely. Which woman and video? Was it recent? If I had anyone yelling and swearing at me while I was out hunting in a place where I knew I was completely legal I'd get mad at them and be thinking about calling the local CO. Part of this mindset comes from living next door to a crazy guy felon for 5 years who is a jerk and a bully about everything and badmouths and threatens anyone and everyone. He's a sovereign citizen (look it up if you don't know what that means; it'll make you appreciate the police more once you watch some videos of these people being arrested). Having to drive past his house everytime we go anywhere and be on the alert has made me more touchy. He's the sort that will more than shoot in your direction if he thinks he even remotely has a reason to. My family is involved in one of his criminal cases. We have a lot of people around here who hunt or shoot for fun and own guns. Back before he was convicted and jailed for his attempted murder, he would pull out his rifles and pistols and anytime anyone within 1/2 mile of here shot he'd be rattling off some rounds. Glad he got his 2nd amendment rights stripped, cause not only is he a dangerous person, he'd regularly have hours long shooting sprees at night (and we all know how loud ARs are). It's not exactly hunter harassment but it has made many of us more touchy and more ready to resort to more than calling police if we absolutely need to. This is the one.. www.fieldandstream.com/survival/woman-fires-gun-while-harassing-deer-hunter-in-ohio/ ...guy has that video, called the CO and sheriff and STILL doesn't have an arrest. Awfully sad.
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Post by scrub-buster on Jan 9, 2024 12:34:12 GMT -5
Only from squirrels
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Post by esshup on Jan 9, 2024 13:39:50 GMT -5
Up in Wisconsin, we've had ground blinds made from logs/branches kicked apart, we've been told that we don't have permission to hunt there (by the neighbor) and other confrontations. My buddy has a tree that he sits by every year for the past almost 30 years, then 2 years ago a ladder stand is up against the tree and never used (there you cannot leave the stand out overnight on public property). This is private property that is open to public hunting due to being in the Managed Forest Lands program. 1,700 acres.
The neighbors drive ATV's on the place even though there is a no motorized vehicle rule for the property, and have cut trees apart that have been dropped on the trails to prevent that.
There's a guy up there that (we just found this out a few years ago) "used" to be the property manager, (he's not any more). He drives back there with his PU truck and "watches over" the property. He likes us, hates the asshat neighbors. DNR has been called on the neighbors and they said there has been reports of them hunting over bait too. No issues this last season thankfully. We all have the CO's phone number in our phone and he told us to call him if there are any issues with the neighbors - he's after their butts too. We aren't the only ones complaining about them.
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Post by onebentarrow on Jan 9, 2024 14:44:22 GMT -5
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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 14:57:36 GMT -5
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Post by astronankin on Jan 9, 2024 15:11:23 GMT -5
Which woman and video? Was it recent? If I had anyone yelling and swearing at me while I was out hunting in a place where I knew I was completely legal I'd get mad at them and be thinking about calling the local CO. Part of this mindset comes from living next door to a crazy guy felon for 5 years who is a jerk and a bully about everything and badmouths and threatens anyone and everyone. He's a sovereign citizen (look it up if you don't know what that means; it'll make you appreciate the police more once you watch some videos of these people being arrested). Having to drive past his house everytime we go anywhere and be on the alert has made me more touchy. He's the sort that will more than shoot in your direction if he thinks he even remotely has a reason to. My family is involved in one of his criminal cases. We have a lot of people around here who hunt or shoot for fun and own guns. Back before he was convicted and jailed for his attempted murder, he would pull out his rifles and pistols and anytime anyone within 1/2 mile of here shot he'd be rattling off some rounds. Glad he got his 2nd amendment rights stripped, cause not only is he a dangerous person, he'd regularly have hours long shooting sprees at night (and we all know how loud ARs are). It's not exactly hunter harassment but it has made many of us more touchy and more ready to resort to more than calling police if we absolutely need to. This is the one.. www.fieldandstream.com/survival/woman-fires-gun-while-harassing-deer-hunter-in-ohio/ ...guy has that video, called the CO and sheriff and STILL doesn't have an arrest. Awfully sad. Wow. She's dangerous. Should be arrested for both hunter harassment and trespassing. She doesn't seem to care though. Look what can happen when you let your feelings about "animal rights" and "animal welfare" get the best of you. She's probably a PETA member too. Sad that law enforcement hasn't done their job and is taking their time about it. I remember my dad once telling me about a lady who harassed a hunter by following him to his spot and then waiting until he had deer in front of him that he was going to shoot. He didn't know she was there. Right as he pulled the trigger she swooped down and put her hand over the muzzle. She spent a long time in court over not only her hunter harassment, but trying to sue the hunter for shooting her (her fault; never put your hand over a loaded gun muzzle, especially when the trigger gets pulled). She had a blasted up hand and hopefully far more appreciation of hunting rules and gun safety and firepower.
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