Sometimes you just look STUPID.

W

Wild Bill Bucks

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About 10 or 12 years ago, I was scouting a pipeline, and found a very well used trail going across. Right next to the run was a huge Oak tree, that had easily climbable limbs up to a huge limb about 20 ft. from the base. It was probably the most perfect tree for a stand I had ever seen.

I opted to look around a little before choosing the tree, and about 200 yards from the trail, I came across another trail with as many tracks across it, as the original trail I had found. I decided to find a tree about 1/2 way between the two trails, so I could maximize my hunting territory, and I decided the next morning, this is where I would sit.

The next morning I got to my tree about 1/2 hour before dawn, and waited for something to come across one of the trails. Just as the dawn broke, a real nice 8 point stepped out in the first trail I had seen, walked almost to the middle of the pipeline and stopped. I eased my rifle to my shoulder and dropped him where he stood. Two kicks on the ground, and it was over.

As I climbed down my tree, and made my way over to the deer, I was thinking how I was going to give the guys at camp a bad time, about how long it took me to tag out.

Just about the time I reached down to look at my deer, I heard a voice from above me say," I was letting that one walk for my son".

Needless to say, I almost wet my pants. This guy was sitting in the tree that I thought would make a really good stand, facing away from where I had been sitting, and the tree trunk completely hid him from my sight. I had NO IDEA that anyone else was anywhere around where I was hunting.

I did not know really what to do, so I apologized to him and explained why I did not see him. I was lucky that this guy had a good sense of humor, as I am sure it looked like I shot the deer right out from under him.

I offered to give him the deer, but he was almost laughing by this time, and after realizing that I was telling the truth, he actually helped me take my deer to the ATV.

Wound up being a pretty nice guy, and his son and he wound up getting a couple of nice bucks before the week-end was over.

I consider myself to be a very considerate hunter, and I never try to do something that would interfere with someone else's hunt, but some times, no matter how hard you try, you still come off looking stupid.
 
I did almost the same thing on a power line but the other guy went to screaming like a girl.When I went to check on him he said I though that deer got hit by lightning.That guy had no sense of humor at all & was a **** poor sport at that.So I told him he should'nt hunt in a thunder storm took the deer and went home.:eek:;)
 
Many many years ago when I lived (existed?) in California, I was deer hunting in Lake County California. I was under a tree as it was awfully hot that labor day week end when this guy comes up and starts to talk. We talked for a while when I saw some spooked deer come running down a hill about 100 yards aay. There's a buck in with a bunch of does. I track the buck and they disappear behind some brush and when the buck pops out I shoot. Problem was the buck stopped behind the brush and let the does go. My shot went true and here I am with an illegally shot deer. The guy walks over and says we have a problem. I'm the game warden, shows me his badge and says what are we gonna do? OUCH!. I say nothing. he says I have to go to the bath room and I'll be over behind those trees. If when I come back all I find is that deer gutted and hanging from that tree and no one around, what can I do? Fastest gutting job I ever did and yes, I did get the hell out of there. I was about 18 or 19 Y.O. back then. I've been very careful before shoting ever since.
Paul B.
 
I took my Dad to his stand on the quad. Dropped him and headed up the hill. Ditched the quad and walked across the pipeline to sit at the base of a nice hemlock with good cover. I sat there an hour or so. As im looking around I spot one of the guys from my camp in his stand. He wasnt 25yds from where I was sitting. I moved off as quietly as I could. I felt like such a azz. Luckily him and the other guys only broke my stones about it for the next 3 nights. lol
 
you're bound to have other people hunting and unless there are blaze orange laws you are bound to miss a couple of them. I've had people walk right past me while sitting at the base of trees without the slightest idea that they almost stepped on my toes.

I've had people start blasting at animals as I was just lining up my shot and I've down inside a drainage with people raining down fire from above on each side. needless to say, I no longer hunt in my carhartts and anything else that makes me look a little more like a deer moving through the brush.
 
A good 25 years ago I shot a dandy buck with my bow just at dusk on a large tract of public land. Being late fall and cold, even tho I thought I had a good hit, because of the terrain and the clear sky, I decided to let him lay till morning. Woke up the next morning to a steady drizzle and wind. Cussed at myself for the whole 20 minutes it took to drive to the woods. Took a shortcut across knee deep water to get to where I had marked the blood trail.......still cussing to myself all the way. Picked up the blood trail and altho it was fairly heavy, the rain had washed much of it out. Spent a lot of time on my hands and knees looking for pink wetness on yellow leaves. Coupla times I picked up the lost bloodtrail by makin' educated guesses, again cussin' loudly at myself for leavin' that buck lay overnight. At one point I coulda swore I smelled the distinct smell of an old fashioned lighter, but blew it off as smells comin from a loggin' operation a quarter mile upwind. Finally I looked up and there he lay..... lookin back at his backtrail with glossed over eyes. In my excitement, I whooped and hollered, ran up, hugged the massive 10 point and then closed my eyes and thanked the Lord for finding him. I opened my eyes to see a dad and his young son standing there lookin' at me. It was then I learned they had watched me and listened to me chew myself out for half an hour as I crawled on the ground and marked ever drop of blood I found. It was their hand warmers I had smelled as I walked under them in their climbing treestands and camo clothing. They said nuttin' as I walked under them in hopes I might push something their way as I disappeared in the distance. They were 30 yards from the downed buck and never saw it there till right before I did. After all the commotion I made, and the continued downpour, they figured their hunt was over for the day. Funny thing is....they took pictures of me and my buck so they would remember that day in the woods.
 
Many years ago I used to have to hunt public land.
I got up one morning before daylight for a squirrel hunt and had planned on making the trip and getting set by a favorite den tree I always took squirrels out of.

Timed my trip perfect. Got to the woods, grabbed my shotgun and headed for my fav. tree. Got all seated and comfy against a tree just as it was breaking daylight.

Being ever so still and eye's straining on that 'ole' den tree anxously awaiting my quarry to awake and scurry out on a limb, I heard a voice say ... "excuse me, do you mind?"

I liked to jumped up in that den tree I was watching. I looked up about 25ft. in the tree I was leaned against and there sit a deer bow hunter, all camo'd out in his climber. :o

I don't think that area was much good for deer hunting till the air cleared a bit.

I crawled away all red-faced.
 
I've been on both sides of at equation on public land. With good camo and well placed stands, it's hard to see folks. But much like you, humblest apologies when I was the offender and gracious forgivance to those offending when they obviously had no mal intent.

The only exceptions to that in my years of hunting were the guy who I found sitting in my stand at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, who then acted indignant at my arrival at my stand (I let him hunt after brief exchange, but caught up with him at Range Control), and the guy spotlighting in the predawn darkness with his huge Mag Light.
 
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i live in idaho and i was born and raised in oregon so i have never had that sort of thing happen to me as i hunt wilderness almost exclusively now. one of the few times i ever hunted near a populated area was down by salem oregon for blacktail dear. i made a cross canyon shot at about 550 yards, i had a rock solid rest over a old stump with sand bags. by the time i got to where the buck was all i found was a blood spot and some drag marks. it was a clear cut i was hunting and i took the logging road around the mountain to get to the deer. it took me about a hour to get there, and i passed a little pickup on the way in. never thought someone would take my deer.
 
Sounds like you both handled the situation pretty nicely. Good for him for having a good sense of humor, good for you for being gracious enough to offer the deer.
 
I was in a ground blind once(with flag) and someone approached and set-up in a tree stand 50 yards in front of me 15 minutes after sunrise. They didn't see me, but where right in the center of my shooting field. I was a little worried that if I shot they might fall out of their tree stand(located on the opposite side of the tree where I couldn't see it). It was right on a path and I had walked in from another path. I sat and thought about what to do for a while then moved.

Later I found out they were angry b/c I set-up around their tree stand.
 
I had posted about someone sitting in the tree that I had marked with orange flagging on another thread that alas, got a little testy.
I had the flagging there partly as my safety, partly because PA requires 100 inches of orange within 15 feet of you while bow hunting during an overlapping season.

Bad thing was the following day, I was hunting near Prince Gallitzin. Had been sitting in the woods (seat strapped to base of tree, me in camo, orange vest was hanging on a limb about 10 feet away.
2 guys come up, and start setting out climbing tree stands. Up the trees they go, me sitting there, open mouthed.. :eek:

When I looked up, and said "REALLY!!??" they were shocked to see me there.
I packed up and went home...
 
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