Escape and Evasion

[kylemcintyre67]

I had something happen the other day out in the desert and I wanted some input on how you all would have handled it. On opening morning I stumbled across a small group of bucks and this being my first time bow hunting I got all excited and blew the stalk. After they hit the road the day slowed way down. I decided to run into town and take a page out of Mr Newberg's playbook and hit up the Dairy Queen. Being the noob that I am I was all decked out in my desert camo, very obviously a hunter. On the way into the shop a guy was asking me about how it was going and I told him about my encounter earlier. I was excited and made the mistake of mentioning the specific range I was in. A while later as I am headed out the door he pulls up in his truck and says his son is out hunting in the same area and we could team up. I politely declined. As I drove back down to the area I was hunting just before my turn off the county road, this guy is sitting there with another vehicle glassing. I wave and go on about my day. A few miles later when I am getting out of my truck, these guys pull in to the same area but sit a few hundred yards off. I can seem them watching me in their binos. At this point I am a little irritated about being followed, especially the way they are hanging back instead of just being social about it. I decided to employ a little e and e from my cav days and head out in the wrong direction. I slipped over a ridge line and down into a wash that doubled back to where I wanted to go, it only cost me about 20 minutes and a mile of walking. I realize this is public land and everyone has the right to be out there getting it done in their own way, but I was really irritated about being followed. Chances are they would have wandered in there eventually, and thanks to my earlier bungling the bucks in that area had bugged out all ready. What would you do differently in that situation? Am I just being a hothead?

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Always give a false report when hunting.Not lying just confusing directions as to
show that your not sure where you are or where you were.
Then after your hunt is over you can drop a few hints,Your cooler is full.
And if not sucessful you only dropped a hint or two,nothing specific.Theres
always tomorrow!

 

[Greyman]

Any information that I give out is very likely to be suspect. It's all just part of the game.

 

[kansasdad]

I get that you were feeling the "willies" about being observed. They might have been waiting to see which direction you went, so that they could head off in a different direction, or they may have been creeping on your spot with hopes of undermining you. Here's hoping they steer clear for the rest of your time in the unit.

 

[Greyman]

Always give a false report when hunting.Not lying just confusing directions as to
show that your not sure where you are or where you were.

"Yea, just turn left 7 miles before you get to the dead end. After awhile, you'll see a windmill. Ignore it. Eventually you'll go by old Smitty's place. Now let me tell you about Smitty. He was a serious leg hound back in the day. I remember the one time he was chasing Betty Loo, or was it Betsy? Anyway, they were playing hide the weasel and, oh wait what were we talkin about? "
It helps to be an old man to pull this one off. People quit asking for details pretty quick.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Any information that I give out is very likely to be suspect. It's all just part of the game.

All info.I give out is 100% Horsehockey...But it sounds good.And besides
everyone loves a good Snipe hunt!Ha!,Ha!.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

"Yea, just turn left 7 miles before you get to the dead end. After awhile, you'll see a windmill. Ignore it. Eventually you'll go by old Smitty's place. Now let me tell you about Smitty. He was a serious leg hound back in the day. I remember the one time he was chasing Betty Loo, or was it Betsy? Anyway, they were playing hire the weasel and, oh wait what were we talkin about? "
It helps to be an old man to pull this one off. People quit asking for details pretty quick.

An old man or a little "In the Cups" as they say.

 

[hank4elk]

Never reveal a spot. Never reveal where you see game. Particularly in NM. Sorry,just the way I see it these days.
Mention obvious roads,streams or well known areas. Most folks will just open their yaps & spill beans,some info you can use.
Maybe you will get enough for a direction hint.
This "OLD FART" hunts alone & usually even parks on the wrong side of the road from where I will be going & away from entry point if possible. Had too many honeyholes ruined,let alone lone game encounters.
Bet if you had watched them ,the son would have been a 30something....lol.

 

[kylemcintyre67]

Yeah I messed up when I opened my yap. I feel like the extra pt I did is penance.

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

My buddy shot a buck a couple of weeks ago and we were asked in camp where we were hunting. I told them out in the rocks near some trees. They understood that was all the info they were getting.

 

[JLS]

It’s not lying when someone asks you where you were hunting. Just tell him north of town.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I always reply,even to the folks I'm hunting with.
Yep saw a small herd just over there!...To me the definition
of a small herd is 1. Nuff' said.

 

[RockinU]

Show them your nuts...


wait, I mean you're nuts. When you get out of the truck, walk 3 circles backwards, chant in pig latin, then close your eyes, point your arm, spin around a few times, then go in the direction your arm was pointing when you stopped...they won't want to go anywhere near where you are.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Show them your nuts...


wait, I mean you're nuts. When you get out of the truck, walk 3 circles backwards, chant in pig latin, then close your eyes, point your arm, spin around a few times, then go in the direction your arm was pointing when you stopped...they won't want to go anywhere near where you are.

That's normal behavior for Az. You'd have half the town following
you like a flock of Ducks.Gotta remember the state of Az. as a whole
believes that beer is food! So show'em' your Nuts.

 

[WyoDoug]

I never give specific location when I am actively hunting. I talk about what I seen and experience, but never tell them specific locations. I tell them a general location maybe, but vague enough they are not likely to walk all over me to get to what I saw first. Sometimes a little pressure helps push game your way, so what I might do is send them on the other side of the ridge away from where I am at, downwind of where I think the game is and let them kick up game and run my way. But I never give specific location but something so vague it could be anywhere within a 20 mile radios or something like that.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

If you are successful, but still have buddies hunting, or don’t want to burn a spot, be careful where you buy ice....

A few years ago, I had a couple of guys stalking my truck trying to figure out where I notched my elk tag. Fortunately , we were just parking on the side of the road and there was no trail. We watched them from way above the road trying to figure it out. They didn’t realize we just busted straight up a face to look into the next drainages trying to find my buddies some elk.

 

[Gerald Martin]

It’s a pretty good bet that the folks looking to find game by following a successful hunter aren’t going to be finding anything not visible from the road.

I don’t give info about spots unless I expect and want someone to go there.

 

[marshman]

How is ok, sometimes when is alright, but NEVER where you were!!
At least if you care about the spot.

 

[Festus]

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[JTHOMP]

Last season while walking out of the woods with a quartered 9 point in my pack, I was close to the road when one truck passed so I ducked down and hid. Then at my truck putting my pack on my tailgate another guy sees the deer head and stops and I give him an elaborate truthful of how I killed the deer, but on the other side of the road. People will hunt dead deer and live deer. NEVER let them know.