A little frustrated

I'm back from the hunt and a little frustrated. Opening morning I hiked in about 2 1/2 hours on a very sore ankle. Only to find two other hunters that had driven there Quads right up the face of the mountain and spooked a herd of nice bucks we were putting a stalk on. Then we see another two very nice bucks about an hour later in the same canyon that I took pictures of some nice bucks earlier this summer and shared with you guys. I thought I had seen a really nice buck for a split second that day but not really sure. Anyway, we did spot a 26"+ wide 5x4 with a 2" cheater and a 27"+ wide 5x3 with a 4" cheater but two guys were already making the move on them, so we set up above the bucks in hopes for them to come to us but no luck and no shots fired at these bucks either. The next day we decide to stay closer to the roads and I was looking over a canyon I had seen some nice 24-26" bucks last month but it was really cold and windy in the shade and not much was moving or out in the open. So I moved over the ridge to be in the sun and look over the ridges closer to camp. Holy cow, there is a huge buck with seval other nice ones, right out in the open about 300 yards above a main atv trail and about 500 yards from someones camp trailer. I can see they are all looking uphill at something. So I take off over that way to get closer, when I hear many shots going off in that direction. Crap, I stop and glass the area again and see deer running all over but not the big boy. So I thought it must have been shot. I make my way over there and talk to the guys doing the shooting and find out they missed it because they were shooting well over 300 yards at it/ them. They said that there was two big ones in the group, both between 28" and 30" wide. I asked them if they thought that maybe they were shooting a little to far out and they said, well you'll never know unless you try. Idiots, is all I can say. Anyway, I had a great time and saw some great animals with many 3 and small 4 points in the mix but too bad I had to have things ruined by some poor hunters ethics.
I also made a couple new friends from the forums.
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Same thing was going on in our area !! :>/

Every closed trail had tire marks on it . :>/ Many ridges also had tire marks on them . The area we hunted was clearly marked as far as what roads that were open or not . Many ( not all ) 4 wheelers went where they pleased , closed roads or trails or not . They need to confiscate any vehicle clearly going on closed roads , trails or wilderness areas . The word would get around fast , and this would stop !! Not a lot of shooting going on in our area , way toooo much noise from all the motorcycles and 4 wheelers , all the deer were hiding , they aren't stupid !! You could hear them coming for miles all day long , from morning and evening . ](*,)

Sorry for the rant , this is a sore spot for me !!
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AGCHAWK
Rob/Ridgetop,

No need to say sorry for spouting off about this subject. I feel the same way! Not only is it lazy, it scares every animal within a 1 mile radius, scars up the land, and just plain ruins the hunt for those of us who obey the rules and do it the right way!

I agree 100%. If an ATV is caught on a closed road or trail, in a wilderness area inwhich motorized vehicles are prohibited, or in restricted areas then they should be confiscated! Maybe folks would learn when they had there ATV taken from them!
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My son and i were the only one's that we saw hunting on foot . ](*,)
The noise from all the 4 wheelers and road hunter could be heard every where . Next year we will park next to a wilderness area trail head and hunt from there . A hour before daylight you could hear and see them coming !! ](*,) ](*,)
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NONYA
I understand your anger but that seems a bit EXTREME,should you have your truck confiscated if caught speeding or driving with expired plates?These morons ruin hunts for many of us every year and should be punished but confiscation of a $6000 rig over a simple off road ticket is way out of line.Maybe they should make it a F&G issue and start revoking hunting rights for a year,that would get their attention.Around here the forest service and F&G build huge boulder type road blocks at the begginig of old trails and logging roads to prevent wheelers from getting in,out on the praire there is no stopping them but if you get caught you are getting a fat ticket.I dont understand why people want to take them any further than you can a 4X4,the game around here are VERY spooky when they hear one.Even on our own property we only use them for recovery,when the elk hear a wheeler they leave the friggen country.
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AGCHAWK
LOL, good point NONYA. It's just REALLY frustrating sometimes.

I relent..and agree. Maybe a lost year of hunting and/or a large fine would do the trick. SOMETHING to keep these idiots from ruining the hunt for everyone else.
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ridgetop
Although I would never do it. It was very tempting to make there machine undriveable, so they at least would have to hike their butts off the mountain and see how it feels to have your hunt ruined but a wrong does'nt right a wrong.
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MuleyMadness
but a wrong does'nt right a wrong.
 Very true, I feel your frustration and pain. Hope you get another chance sometime?
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79Ford
Id venture to say that that's a sore spot for just about every hunter. It really makes the rest of us, that use fourwheelers, look bad. We used to be able to at least use them for getting doened animals out of tough spots, but we cant even do that anymore. Where I shot my deer last year there are several old mining/loging roads that have been closed. However while dragging my deer for almost 2 miles to get him to a legal road, we crossed several fresh fourwheeler tracks on these roads. Not just in the road either, there were several tracks out in the trees and along ledges. All I can say is GET OFF AND WALK! You have a better chance of seeing a big buck in your living room as seeing one on a fourwheeler.
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The problem is , there is no way they can enforce these closed area's , just tooo much country and not enough man power . But if the fine is high enough just maybe they will think twice . The forest service could sell the confiscated 4 wheel at a auction to help pay for the man power that is being used in the building and re- building of the barriers . From what i understand that in California if you get caught poaching they confiscate you guns and vehicle used in poaching and transporting the animal . That's some serious $$$$ money there.
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a_bow_nut
If you can take a picture of the registration sticker and report it. They probably won't get a ticket but to have the athoritiesknocking on their door might get a few of them to start thinking twice before they go around that closed sign again. It's worth a shot.
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