Horrible scouting trip...

[iccyman001]

Well last night was not a good night at all...
My fianc? and I our campsite set up at around 6:30, took the dogs on a 3 mile walk, ate dinner then went to bed.
Well Alyssa wakes me up randomly during the night and says \"a truck is reving it\'s engine out side\". When I came through I heard a Diesel engine running over on the road. Our campsite was like 30-40 feet off the road, semi hidden by brush, trees and stuff.
Well I\'m listening and then the truck shuts off... So now I\'m getting mad/on the defense.

After a few door slams my dogs start going crazy because they hear them walking around or talking. Alyssa also tells me she hears footsteps. Well after what seemed like 4-5 minutes I hear a shotgun blast, RIGHT NEXT TO US. this is when things got real crazy. Doors in the truck kept opening and closing and they would BLAST this hardcore rap. That was a bit unsettling because even if it was country I would have felt a little better. Well 4-5 minutes after the first shot I hear another. Same spot and just as close.

Finally we heard the truck start back up and leave, but now I had no clue what was going on.

My original thought and still current thought is poachers. Normally there are more people out there camping, but because of all the rain it was just us. We were also tucked back far enough and it was dark enough, that I am convinced they didn\'t see us. At the same time, how in the heck did they not hear my dogs barking or me telling them to be quiet.

Another part that bothered me was the fact I was with Alyssa. A big part of me wanted to run straight out there with my guns and scare the crap out of them so they never do it again or who knows. I played defense mode because it was her though.

Had it been me alone or me with guy friends, this would have been a different turnout.


Anyways, Alyssa didn\'t want me to go scouting because she didn\'t want to be left alone after that and I don\'t blame her. So I packed up and we drove home......

 

[F M]

Damb that\'s scary stuff out in the middle off no where. They had to here the dogs. Sounds like they were just being a bunch of ass\'s. Glad you are all ok.

 

[Zpd307]

well, that\'s sucks...

 

[cnelk]

That sure sucks.

Last fall, when Pikemaster I were hunting the last weekend of season, Jarod woke me up and said \'\"A truck just drove into our camp\".
It was about 1am so Jarod handed me his 44mag and I slipped out of the tent, around my truck to see a guy wandering around our camp.

I had the firepower in my right hand and behind my back when I asked him \'Whats Up???\"

He said he was looking for a place to camp.... I told him there are more campsite down the road... and suggested he get in his truck and go look.

Some strange things happen in the woods

 

[iccyman001]

And that is naturally what I was thinking Brad, but at the same time I was worried that if that went wrong, then Alyssa would be screwed.


Like I said, I had guns ready if they wanted to try to get into the trailer.


State troopers and the ranger station have been notified, I\'m just mostly bummed I couldn\'t scout. I\'ll have to run up for a day trip, go out there again just by myself, or if we go back out we will will adjust the camp set up so we use the advantage point my AR-15 is coming ontop of everything else.


Definitely strange stuff in the woods

 

[bnsafe]

glad you didnt go out there iccy, the laws are crazy an if you had went out there an a shooting would have happened you might have been charged as the aggressor. always better to be smart. i carry concealed most the time so sure not saying dont defend yourself. just be smart

 

[cohunter14]

Sorry to hear that Dan...glad you guys at least made it back safe. That makes it tough hunting where other folks camp a lot. Probably just some young kids screwing around who had no idea you were there.

 

[iccyman001]

Sorry to hear that Dan...glad you guys at least made it back safe. That makes it tough hunting where other folks camp a lot. Probably just some young kids screwing around who had no idea you were there.

The \"camp\" is just the side of the fire road in the state forest. They are not established campsites, but they are definitely for that.
I was excited because when we went on our walk yesterday, I found elk tracks on the road.

Poaching is just never anything I have understood. I have met a few people who said they poached before and when I asked them why, they said they were bored. I don\'t think I have ever met or heard of someone who is actually doing it for the meat.

Stuff like that irks me and I hope they are able to crack down on that area some bit. I know they probably wont be able to though because it\'s hundreds of thousands of acres and so many roads. You could never watch them all.

Part of me wants to park my trailer more in the open next time so this wont happen again and then the other part tells me to keep it hidden away.

The worst part is Alyssa and I joked around about hanging game cameras around the camp to see what goes through at night. Now I wish I had

glad you didnt go out there iccy, the laws are crazy an if you had went out there an a shooting would have happened you might have been charged as the aggressor. always better to be smart. i carry concealed most the time so sure not saying dont defend yourself. just be smart

You make a good point. I have my LTC as well and that is something I am always thinking about in situations. I am glad things went the way they did, given the circumstances.

 

[Swede]

Less than two weeks ago I was out camping and scouting with my brother. One night we too heard a loud vehicle. It was a gasoline powered truck with knobby tires and modified exhaust. They started shooting a rifle and a large pistol. There were at least eight shots near our camp. They were not poaching. They were harassing.
They heard your dogs and knew you were there. They probably spotted your camp earlier, and returned. My advise would be to learn to live with it. You likely did just what they wanted you to do. You took off and left the area.

 

[iccyman001]

Less than two weeks ago I was out camping and scouting with my brother. One night we too heard a loud vehicle. It was a gasoline powered truck with knobby tires and modified exhaust. They started shooting a rifle and a large pistol. There were at least eight shots near our camp. They were not poaching. They were harassing.
They heard your dogs and knew you were there. They probably spotted your camp earlier, and returned. My advise would be to learn to live with it. You likely did just what they wanted you to do. You took off and left the area.

Are you talking about territorial hunters or just... pricks?
I can live with it just fine, but not when I have someone out there with me. I also cant believe people would do that?

I just hope people like that wouldn\'t go past that point and get violent...

 

[Swede]

Iccy, I was not referring to honorable hunters. I believe they were just being jerks trying to run us off. In addition to my brother, Olympushunt (my son) and his friend were in camp at the time. We did not talk to the rascals, but that is what I believe they were up to. We looked for a dead deer or something else later, but found nothing. My brother thought it was just harassment from the beginning. I was not too sure to start out, but came to agree with him.
These things happen. The question we all need to ask ourselves is, do we let them run us off, or do we risk a confrontation? Is a possible confrontation worth it? I chose to stay. I will return. The vehicle they drove had a unique sound. I think I will recognize them if they try that again.

 

[WW]

Isn\'t this just one of the reasons we carry? Lots of nasty two legged critters out there!

 

[razorback]

So sorry to hear that. I was wondering about leaving my truck parked on the side of a forest service road for two weeks with out of state plates. I have also expeeiienced some stuff like that around here on public land during turkey and deer season. I just stuck a .40 on my pack mainly for looks to ease my wife and my moms mind. May leave it on there. I don\'t have a lot of patience for stuff like that. Be careful but stand your ground.