Road hunters

[Mlgrace]

I live in eastern Arizona in the middle of some very fine elk hunting. Pressure is very high. Locals cannot seem to draw tags. I spend a lot of time out in elk country, several days per week, and have found that road hunters have taken over the hunts. Literally one vehicle or side by side after another. We are crisscrossed with old logging trails and despite them being closed these guys are up and down ever road and trail. To me this is ethically wrong. It is illegal and from my perspective paints us all with the same negative color scheme. I have become quite discouraged by it. I know that enforcement is underfunded but something needs to be done. Are y’all experiencing this same thing and do you say something to these guys? They flag me down all the time asking if I have seen anything. I just always tell them to hike up higher and watch over the lower areas. If they sit all day they will certainly see elk. They are everywhere. This seems epidemic. Are hunting ethics failing?

 

[Bam Bam]

I live in eastern Arizona in the middle of some very fine elk hunting. Pressure is very high. Locals cannot seem to draw tags. I spend a lot of time out in elk country, several days per week, and have found that road hunters have taken over the hunts. Literally one vehicle or side by side after another. We are crisscrossed with old logging trails and despite them being closed these guys are up and down ever road and trail. To me this is ethically wrong. It is illegal and from my perspective paints us all with the same negative color scheme. I have become quite discouraged by it. I know that enforcement is underfunded but something needs to be done. Are y’all experiencing this same thing and do you say something to these guys? They flag me down all the time asking if I have seen anything. I just always tell them to hike up higher and watch over the lower areas. If they sit all day they will certainly see elk. They are everywhere. This seems epidemic. Are hunting ethics failing?

Ethics as a whole is certainly falling- I can see that, and I have only been hunting big game for 19 years.

However, legal road hunting is not really an ethical issue, especially with elk-sized game. I think the larger issue
is the increase in your average hunter's weight over the last 20 years or so- do we really expect big, hefty boys to
climb mountains, packing elk quarters? Let them have the roads, they'll push the game to areas where we already
know to look.

 

[Mlgrace]

Ethics as a whole is certainly falling- I can see that, and I have only been hunting big game for 19 years.

However, legal road hunting is not really an ethical issue, especially with elk-sized game. I think the larger issue
is the increase in your average hunter's weight over the last 20 years or so- do we really expect big, hefty boys to
climb mountains, packing elk quarters? Let them have the roads, they'll push the game to areas where we already
know to look.

It is illegal here. It is even illegal to step off the road to shoot at game according to the warden.

 

[Biggsmehuntressandfishing]

It's like this in Idaho too.

 

[BenInMT]

I think it’s the #1 reason elk move onto private land in Montana. Shutting it down would keep so many more of them out there but good luck telling the go cart crowd that.

 

[Bigjay73]

Isn't this every state, every year? Go in further, or out smart them. Sometimes you can even use them to your advantage.

 

[elkduds]

It is illegal here. It is even illegal to step off the road to shoot at game according to the warden.

He'll tell you that, but don't hold your breath waiting for enforcement. IME offenses w no dead animal involved get a pass.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I stand in the brush and wave my bow...
They drive right past me and never see me.
How can they see big game.
I've been doing it for years!

 

[D4570]

The truth.
There are a great many big games taken by driving the roads. As long as it's done legally what's the harm. In the right place at the right time so what.
Sometimes luck is as good as skill.
Do I road hunt? No do I drive by something I want to shoot and not shoot it just because I found it in my truck? NO.

 

[Bushmaster07]

we need more roads closed in my opinion

 

[D4570]

we need more roads closed in my opinion

I'll bet your not a day over 75 years old...

 

[Mlgrace]

So my mountains were so heavily logged that I do not know af any place where you can be more than a mile from a road and probably 1/2 mile Over 90%. Like I said it is illegal here to use a motor vehicle in pursuit of game. I guess I am just nostalgic for times when people parked and then hunted. Side by sides own the mountains these days

 

[mdcrossbow]

We have bow only areas. These areas do not see the road hunters as often. Maybe lower areas out west can do studies on this premise.

 

[MTGomer]

The other day I was glassing for rams, for fun. Not hunting, not anything. Coming out of the desert (it’s archery season) I get behind a Toyota Tacoma. They’re going about 3 MPH watching down into the wash for deer. These guys were archery deer road hunting in a pick up truck! This went on for about 15 minutes before I became obnoxious enough with my jeep that he finally let me by. I don’t know why he wouldn’t let somebody pass. He’s not going to see anything anyway, especially with my rattling Jeep behind him and if he does I’m going to turn him in for hunting from a vehicle, which as Big Chino outfitter can tell you, is illegal in Arizona.

 

[BucksnDucks]

So my mountains were so heavily logged that I do not know af any place where you can be more than a mile from a road and probably 1/2 mile Over 90%. Like I said it is illegal here to use a motor vehicle in pursuit of game. I guess I am just nostalgic for times when people parked and then hunted. Side by sides own the mountains these days

Anywhere you have an abundance of roads with viewable game you will have road hunters. It may be illegal to pursue game with a vehicle, but I doubt what most of us consider road hunting is illegal.
I guess I'm a road hunter every time I drive through my unit during shoot time. Forget that I'm a road "scouter", well until I see something.

 

[MTGomer]

Anywhere you have an abundance of roads with viewable game you will have road hunters. It may be illegal to pursue game with a vehicle, but I doubt what most of us consider road hunting is illegal.
I guess I'm a road hunter every time I drive through my unit during shoot time. Forget that I'm a road "scouter", well until I see something.

I didn’t realize how serious the law in Arizona was on this until I looked into it. Listen to Aaron Snyder‘s podcast with the owner of big Chino outfitters about their antelope bust.

 

[BucksnDucks]

I didn’t realize how serious the law in Arizona was on this until I looked into it. Listen to Aaron Snyder‘s podcast with the owner of big Chino outfitters about their antelope bust.

Copy that. I meant the second half of reply to be funny. I just reread it; it wasn't. It didn't come out as the funny catch me if you can sarcasm it was meant to.
Road hunters are an annoyance I've dealt with for as long as I can remember. At this point I just expect it and try to plan around it.

 

[Hydrophilic]

This seems epidemic. Are hunting ethics failing?

Bummer to hear that, I see it fairly regularly in Oregon. IMO, overall yes, but there are still some good hunters out there.

 

[Fremont15]

I live in eastern Arizona in the middle of some very fine elk hunting. Pressure is very high. Locals cannot seem to draw tags. I spend a lot of time out in elk country, several days per week, and have found that road hunters have taken over the hunts. Literally one vehicle or side by side after another. We are crisscrossed with old logging trails and despite them being closed these guys are up and down ever road and trail. To me this is ethically wrong. It is illegal and from my perspective paints us all with the same negative color scheme. I have become quite discouraged by it. I know that enforcement is underfunded but something needs to be done. Are y’all experiencing this same thing and do you say something to these guys? They flag me down all the time asking if I have seen anything. I just always tell them to hike up higher and watch over the lower areas. If they sit all day they will certainly see elk. They are everywhere. This seems epidemic. Are hunting ethics failing?

Start dropping nails on the closed roads.

 

[mxracer317]

Start dropping nails on the closed roads.

Not this nonsense again. Two wrongs don't make a right. Also, you could injure someone or an animal by YOUR unethical behavior.