What would you do??

[Bukmastr]

I guided a couple out of state hunters two seasons ago in a public marsh, one of them arrowed a big buck. I took him back to camp and got the rest of the hunters. While they ate, I went back to track the deer. I quickly determined it was just a flesh wound, but followed up on the sparse blood trail anyway. So it gets pretty late and I start heading back to the truck. I try not to use a flashlight for anything but tracking unless I have to. I think it spooks the deer. So anyway I am walking up this treeline and its pitch black, and there is bairly any wind so it is dead quiet. Then I hear a niose in the tree that sounds like an arrow sliding back across a rest, I quickly flash my light which was in my hand up into the tree and light up a hunter / poacher at full draw aiming down at me!! He lets the string back down and starts yelling at me, something about only an idiot would walk thru the woods without a light on in the dark. I just quickly walked away and didn't say nothing. It was at least 9PM and had been dark for hours. His truck was parked in the parking lot, at least I assume it was his. I did not take down the licence, just did not think about it at the time. I guess I was kind of in shock. The guys back at camp really gave me a hard time about not doing anything about it. But I really was just thinking about getting out of there. Now I always shine a light when I am on the public property but I don't like to.

[Brd-N-Spr]

I think I would have alerted the authorities on this one. Not only a danger to himself but apparently other people. And probably killing deer from that area to boot. I can understand you being in shock..hopefully there wont be a next time.but if there is you might take a different approach.

[ccromnes]

Ya, that would be scary. I would have reported him, but after near death experience your mind does funning things.

Instead of using a flashlight. How about a red flashing LED light. I bought with a strap that goes around my arm. I use it when I take the dogs for walks in the winter so I don't get run over by snowmobiles. I think I got it at Wally World. I also found at Menard's(don't know if ya have them by you) I small red strobe light that clicks on to the dogs collars. At night I let them run in the field and ya can see the light for a long ways.

Just a few ideas for ya. If ya look around, they make some sort of light for joggers to wear too.

P.S.
After I posted I saw that you are from Cheezeville as I am. So ya must have a Menards somewhere near ya. Where about do you call home?

[Bukmastr]

Hi Cheesehead,
Great idea... I live in S.E. isconsin.

[MoBowman]

HE STARTED HOLLERING? He%# by the time I was done hollering the whole county would have known that there was a poacher in the woods. Along with the game warden and the local sherrif. And all my buddies would have been waiting at his truck for him to come out of the woods.

You can not for 1 instance allow this kind of thing to happen. I'am really suprised that you were able to hear someone draw their bow back while on stand. Must have been a noisy bow.


MoBowman ```----------->

[timhicks]

Well first thing first,, I dont think you guys have hogs up there so it couldnt be that he was hog hunting.Anyway I would have been on the cell phone about fifty yards away from him when I was cleaning the chit out of my underwear, or hanging them from a nearby tree. I would have called.. Now if you were in texas and it was on private land its legal and I can uderstand him being pissed off. First thing is he needs to quiet his bow while poaching.Second I would wear an led of some sort this does not scare deer or hogs or coyotes .. I havent seen anything that it scares.. They have a head mount with I think its 3 led and its easy to see by anyone and I would definetly wear one .. Ok back to Texas here you can hunt all night and also shine hogs with a spotlight, a Led light like I have at my feeders. Not on Gov or state land though you need to not be hunting 30 minutes after dark.. Tim nbecareful..if he was out there once he may or most likely will do it again.

[midrivers]

Hard to say what I would have done at the time, but letting the air out of all of his truck tires and then asking the sherriff to help a "stranded motorist" might have crossd my mind. Glad he had a noisy bow, that could have been very tragic.

[Win Mag]

Thats is what i was thinking midrivers.He is lucky he heard the familiar sound, and was alerted to it.And do you think he would have had stuck around to get you help since he was poaching, or just quick bailed leaving you to lie and die.

After that Vang incident in WI last year, it's kinda scary confronting someone doing something illegal any more i fear you'll be shot down like a dog.

[midrivers]

Yeah, that really was an eye opener for everyone who hunts or fishes. One fact remains, this happens very rarley in the field for one simple reason, it is risky business shooting at people who have loaded guns and know how to shoot back. Most "incidents like the Vang thing happen someplace where they know there are no guns to shoot back. Like schools and factories. Do not see to many people who walk into gun conventions or swap meets and light it up. Bad odds.

I really cannot say what I owuld have done at the time with the bow inthe middle of the night, that had to be pretty disconcerting and confusing. Getting away from that clown very well could have been my number one priority, what a J-O.

[RodnGun]

First thing that struck me about your story was the fact that the A-Hole immediately went on the offensive by yelling at you bukmastr.

That would have put me of the mindset (right now at this stage of my life) that this is an idiot who just might shoot me....especially if I were to go back at him and say something about poaching.....which could mean a loss of not only his bow...but the truck...and as we know there are enough crazy people out there that react and don't think even if they had a little bit of brains.

Me....I've been a "give it right back in spades" kinda guy all my life....never backed down from anyone or anything....and I've got the scars that bear that out.

I had a car load of "kids" who near ran me off the road.....let me pull back up beside them at which point I gave them the one finger salute. A kid, maybe 16, pulls out a pistol and starts to point it at me before I got on the brakes. That personal incident, hearing it on the news is one thing...but when you come face to face with it, has made me re-think my attitude and approach to different situations. People don't fight anymore, they pull a gun or a knife and kill someone....period.

So I've begun to cool my jets with my "Frig-You" bring it on hot head attitude. So do I think you did the right thing and let it lay and walk away....YES.

Would I have been on the cell to local authorities, knowing me....YES. But that's just me.

You are here today to bring up the subject....so you can't be wrong in how you handled it.

When in the woods....public or private....I always carry a Streamlight Stylus green LED penlight clipped onto my cap. I love it and you can see it a long way off....and I don't think it spooks game. If it's dark....it's on.

[tuffbroadhead]

I would have called the DNR for sure!!!
Rodngun.... Your story about the kids and the gun.... I had something very simular happen to me a few months back, The difference is how it ended. When the youngster pulled his gun out and decided to point it all of the kids in the car learned what RANCHHAND bumpers are used for.. I slowed just enough for my front bumper to get even with there doors and veered hard into them to keep them from shooting... needless to say with both passenger doors crushed in needless to say they ran for there lives...

[rjet]

I believe I would have done as timhicks did. Get the dirty underwear off first thing. I dont gun hunt for deer on public land due to whackos and rookies being out there. I feel pretty safe bowhunting but have heard an occasional story of someone being drawn on. A poacher is a whole different story though, probably for sure would have left you for dead. Too bad authorities didnt get a hold of him but can understand you not being able to think straight after going through that.

[Bukmastr]

I think I handled the confrontation with the poacher correctly. You shouldn't even try to reason with an Idiot... Especially an Idiot with a weapon. But I should have called the Warden when I got home. (No cell phone) I did run into the Warden at the gas station a few days later and told him about it. He got on me a little for not calling it in that night, but at least he was able to keep an eye on that parking lot for trucks parked late.

[texasrack]

Well here in Texas I always have my .40 Cal at my side for hogs. If that were me, again as said...after having to do some laundry. I would first have walked off and not said a word (I always take my phone, too many snakes and hogs around in case I'm in a tree from a mad boar or bitten) and called the game warden or police. THEN..I'd have probably waited for the idiot to come out of the tree, after he dropped his bow and walk up to him with a .40 Cal at his timple and ask him how it feels to have a deadly weapon pointed in his face. But then again, that is just me. And I'd keep him there until the authorities arrived. But again, that is just me and I'm pretty pissed at the world right now anyway. LOL

[midrivers]

You done good my friend, I think too many of us take life for granted, when you are faced with a real peril like that, saving your own hide does ten to take priority. He will get his, dont worry about that,those guys always do sooner or later. What comes around goes around!