I got home late last night from my honeymoon in Colorado and thought I would share an experience I had my first day back in the rockies. We landed in Denver late Tuesday night and made the hour and a half drive to Keystone. Wednesday morning, we stopped into the forest service office in Dillon to pick up a few trail maps and info. The woman working the desk seemed nice and greeted us. I introduced myself and my wife and explained we were from Ohio and that I was hoping to get a morning free to look for antlers and was looking to be pointed in the right direction. The tone of the conversation changed quickly as she told me that wasn't permitted and most areas are closed now so elk calves aren't disturbed. I said that I understood and then asked if there was a good place to pull off a highway and see some elk, because my wife had never seen any (although I don't think she ever looked for them). Well, then the woman proceeds to lecture us for ten minutes about "when you have babies you'll be protective too". Finally, I walked out the door. I did find lots of areas you could see elk from trail head parking lots and fishing access parking. Maybe im overreacting, and if I am please feel free to tell me, but I've never had someone in the outdoor "industry" be so unhelpful. Venting is fun.
Disappointed with forest service
- Thread starter kenton
- Start date
SFC B
Well-known member
You should have gone to the CPW office. I have always had great experiences with their officers and staff. Seems like you may have gotten of of the "non-hunting" empl;oyees :/
If you walk in and ask where the elk are, expect for them to look at you like you've got 3 eyeballs. That's about my mileage anyhow. :W: Kind of like somebody walking in and asking where your favorite morel mushroom spot is I guess or where to catch the biggest trout. The best you can hope for is to get pointed in the right direction. I haven't heard of closures for calving, but I know some areas are closed for winter range protection. Congrats on the marriage/honeymoon, hope the trip was good otherwise! There are some big rainbows in that stretch of the Blue btw.
Some research here might have answered some of your questions.
http://ndis-flex.nrel.colostate.edu/HuntingAtlas/
Some research here might have answered some of your questions.
http://ndis-flex.nrel.colostate.edu/HuntingAtlas/
jryoung
Well-known member
Hard to say, the FS office may be getting a bunch of yahoo's looking to chase after antlers or pressure the elk unnecessarily and is frustrated that most people won't listen.
At a minimum she was looking out for the welfare of the cows right now during a pretty sensitive time. Maybe she wasn't the best at communicating, but between the boom in mushroom and antler hunting over the past decade there are a lot more feet (and wheels) in the wood during the late spring.
At a minimum she was looking out for the welfare of the cows right now during a pretty sensitive time. Maybe she wasn't the best at communicating, but between the boom in mushroom and antler hunting over the past decade there are a lot more feet (and wheels) in the wood during the late spring.
smarandr
Well-known member
It is something they do. I know a couple of roads where we like to camp in the summer time that are closed until July 1st, and the sign says it's to protect the calving elk. In fact, IIRC the forest service map even marks the road as such. So, if you're not afraid of a nice long hike you can probably look for those closed roads on the map and reasonably expect to find some elk nearby.
JoseCuervo
New member
Shed hunters and mushroom pickers are a nuisance. I was in a BLM office one day and they were being asked to sort out some sort of territorial dispute between a couple of mushroom pickers.
I have generally had good luck with requests up at the front counter. I have been impressed with them telling of trails, lakes, hikes with good fishing, great camping tips, etc. Far beyond what would be required.
I have generally had good luck with requests up at the front counter. I have been impressed with them telling of trails, lakes, hikes with good fishing, great camping tips, etc. Far beyond what would be required.
2rocky
Well-known member
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- Jul 23, 2010
- Messages
- 5,137
She may have been having a bad day...Sorry to hear that.
Wyoming BLM has winter range closures as well
If you want to show someone a whole lotta elk This is the ticket:
National Elk Refuge
Wyoming BLM has winter range closures as well
If you want to show someone a whole lotta elk This is the ticket:
National Elk Refuge
roadhunter
Banned
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- Jul 28, 2013
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- 719
Sounds pretty typical. I'm disappointed in most things the USFS does like mismanaging the resources they are in charge of or wasting tax dollars on unnecessary projects.
Had a funny story last year. I was out with my daughter on a Sunday afternoon checking trail cameras and I see a truck parked in a strange place. I walk over and this USFS employee is basically sleeping in his truck. He tells me that he is taking surveys of the people using the forest and proceeds to ask me to answer some questions about how I use the forest. Mind you that he was in an area where people rarely use and was basically just sleeping his way to a paycheck. Complete waste of money. I was the only person in that area that day so we paid a guy a great salary, great benefits, and a company truck to spend a whole day taking one 15 minute survey. What a waste of our tax dollars.
I've also spent quite a bit of time working around overpaid USFS employees and it really frustrates me to watch what they do (and in most cases don't do) while at work. I'm sure there are a few good ones but the vast majority would never make it in the real world. I'd like to see the uncle sam gravy train stop at some point for many of these folks who think they are entitled to all these things even though they did not earn them in any way.
Had a funny story last year. I was out with my daughter on a Sunday afternoon checking trail cameras and I see a truck parked in a strange place. I walk over and this USFS employee is basically sleeping in his truck. He tells me that he is taking surveys of the people using the forest and proceeds to ask me to answer some questions about how I use the forest. Mind you that he was in an area where people rarely use and was basically just sleeping his way to a paycheck. Complete waste of money. I was the only person in that area that day so we paid a guy a great salary, great benefits, and a company truck to spend a whole day taking one 15 minute survey. What a waste of our tax dollars.
I've also spent quite a bit of time working around overpaid USFS employees and it really frustrates me to watch what they do (and in most cases don't do) while at work. I'm sure there are a few good ones but the vast majority would never make it in the real world. I'd like to see the uncle sam gravy train stop at some point for many of these folks who think they are entitled to all these things even though they did not earn them in any way.
jryoung
Well-known member
What's the real world?
dustinf
Active member
T
tjones
Guest
How much do the "over paid " USFS employees make, and how much do you feel they should get paid?
sagebrush
Active member
Forest Service = federal, CPW = state. Any questions?
jryoung
Well-known member
Doesn't Buzz work for the Forest Service?
BuzzH
Well-known member
Yep...just another over paid anti hunting hippy.
Useless for hunting a vast majority of the time as well.
Rarely get out of my company truck either.
Useless for hunting a vast majority of the time as well.
Rarely get out of my company truck either.
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I knew there was something funny about you...
Bugle 'Em In
Well-known member
Buzz....how do I get a job like that with the FS? Are you set to retire anytime soon...I'd gladly be your apprentice and take over the business someday
LOLIn all seriousness, I did work for the FS a couple of summers fighting fires and I was amazed at the amount of $$$ I witnessed being wasted. I'm sure any agency / company experiences such though.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
BuzzH is another great example of "the government is us"!
But consider that you don't get nearly as worked up about the ever increasing price of luxury items or those things you want and desire ... even though there is certainly waste and unnecessary costs involved in producing those items or services. You just get out your wallet and pay.
Therein lies a large dose of reality. It seems easy and even fun to criticize a government agency, particularly when you just recently filed your tax return.
But consider that you don't get nearly as worked up about the ever increasing price of luxury items or those things you want and desire ... even though there is certainly waste and unnecessary costs involved in producing those items or services. You just get out your wallet and pay.
Bugle 'Em In
Well-known member
SA - you won't get any arguments out of me. I can only do what I personally can do....which is my best to work on the things I can control.
Have a wonderful day!
SW
Have a wonderful day!
SW
I guess I get different gov't employees when I call or write. Between dealing with the USFWS, BLM, USFS, USDA, DOI, etc and state officials, it can be tough to track folks down and then they can be just awful.
Case in point: I was looking for some detailed information regarding Land & Water Conservation Fund projects in Montana spanning the 50 year history of the Fund. I called the GIS shop for the USFS in Colorado, and the first thing out of the employees mouth was " How did you get this number?"
I replied: "Well, I googled GIS US Forest Service and your number came up."
THey responded: "Oh, okay. We just don't get many calls from the public, so I was curious how you found out about us."
What a jackwagon.
After I told them what I was looking for, it took two entire days for them to put together the GIS files I was looking for. The worst part about it? They gave it to me for free.
Case in point: I was looking for some detailed information regarding Land & Water Conservation Fund projects in Montana spanning the 50 year history of the Fund. I called the GIS shop for the USFS in Colorado, and the first thing out of the employees mouth was " How did you get this number?"
I replied: "Well, I googled GIS US Forest Service and your number came up."
THey responded: "Oh, okay. We just don't get many calls from the public, so I was curious how you found out about us."
What a jackwagon.
After I told them what I was looking for, it took two entire days for them to put together the GIS files I was looking for. The worst part about it? They gave it to me for free.
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