This afternoon after a month carefully monitoring the movements of a 160 class ten pointer, I was going to get my chance. The wind shifted from where the group of deer he was with were bedding towards where they have been feeding, so it was my chance to get into the pattern. The buck with the does, fawns and lesser bucks enter the field just before sundown. The ten pointer was separated from the group about 45 yards out and angling towards me. When he was about thirty yards out a blue green small chevy suv slammed on the brakes on the road. They backed up to the field drive and drove onto the corn field flashing their lights and yelling out the window.
The deer all bolted, I was in plain sight of the suv, but I stood up and started walking towards them. They pulled out of the field back to the road, stopped and the driver yelled out some real intelligently worded mockery, as you can imagine, out at me. They floored it and took off. I have seen this vehicle a number of times before. Since I am the only longbow shooter in the area, they all know who I am and my vehicle was only 50 feet from where they entered the field, they knew I was there. I will meet them again, how stupid can even a compound/shotgun deer hunter get?
Its just amazing how ignorant some people can be.I don't care what there shooting to me there not hunters of any kind.
I feel you left something out. If you know who these people are, how do you know them? Are they tresspassing? Who's property are you on?
I do not know their names, as I have said I have seen the vehicle riding around the area a number of times and I know that the driver hunts with compound, a shotgun, and I have seen him with blaze orange during the muzzleloader season. It was on state land.
Hunter harrassment is hunter harrassment, no matter if it's done by animal rights activists or another hunter.
Does your state have legal recourse for this?
Guy
+1 to what Guy posted. I know Indiana has laws against hunter's being harassed, might be worth looking into for Iowa.
I have called the game warden and left a message.
If they drove through a corn field would that not be considered some from or vandalism or property damage? after all the farmer makes a living from growing the corn.
In New York state hunter harassment is illegal, if I were in your shoes I would push the issue with your local conservation officer. The charges might not stick but the individuals would be well known to the law enforcement community and that would put a damper on there activities for sure. My brother in law was one of those kind of guy's and was shooting his mouth off to the officer thinking he was in the clear, well they found something to write him up for :bigsmyl: Now he's better behaved :thumbsup:
I'm with Grey on this one...Check out your regulations and call the DNR and maybe next time if you can borrow a video cam and set up a decoy you can have evidence of these idiots....Reminds me of about 10 years ago the Traditional Bowhunters of Md. use to have a Greenridge hunt and we camped at this big open campground on a back road...Every morning this truck would ride by going to work I guess and start hunking his/her horn...Little did he/she know we were mostly all up that early in the morning but it was our new alarm clock and we just looked forward to hearing him/her every morning...
That happened to me 3 years ago, earlier in the night though. The buck came back after a half hour and I was fortunate engough to get him after all. Greed and scorekeeping makes people do some pretty selfish things.....its sad and I hope you get your chance with an animal you deserve. Good luck!
It is your word against theirs. An officer can do nothing with heresay.
If you have a cell phone that can record video, you have a possibility there.
Been there done that.
Avoid a face to face confrontation because your bow is a weapon. Act stupid and weak, and get a recording of them actually BEING stupid.
It is hard to swallow, but THEY have the advantage.
Bonebuster is right - you need evidence. You could maybe point to the damage they did to the corn field but video is your buddy.
Wow!
Pavan I am sorry that you had your hunt ruined but even worse is having your inner peace disturbed.
Fools do what fools do and there's no logic to them, they are to be pitied.
I hope you can find a safe and effective way of preventing this from occurring in the future.
I'm sorry brother!
God bless,Mudd