Always carry while hunting.

[Axis II]

I always CCW when hunting and fishing because you never know what wild animals or crazy people are out there. Today while squirrel hunting, the dog crosses a creek onto a neighboring property we are 99.9% we have permission for. The property line isn’t a square but at an angle. All of a sudden my buddy turns around with his dog and says we gotta go! Apparently a guy appears wearing jeans and a black coat, no firearm seen or bow and was walking our way. My buddy waved twice and the guy just stood there in the brush and didn’t wave back or move. He said there was also a pile of trash on the ground. We are a good ways from houses so no clue what he was doing. I was a nervous wreck the rest of the hunt. I was debating on carrying my handgun before we left and sure glad I did take it.

I ran into a homeless guy on state land years ago and contacted the warden and he didn't care. I pulled in and he was standing in the parking are shirtless and covered in dirt. I contacted the state park ranger across the road who said the man had been living in the state park and stealing from campers and he must have moved to the hunting grounds. The warden told me I saw a game trail and not a man made trail and all the trash was from deer season. I voiced a concern about being attacked by the man while hunting or scouting and he said if guns start going off he will move on. I quit going there for fear of being attacked.

 

[larryh1108]

Perhaps he had taken up residence there while the weather was nice enough?

 

[jmorris]

That last .1% could be a deal breaker..

If I am not on our property I prefer to be at least 110% positive the owner is fine with me being there.

 

[Dibbs]

Wait, what, "99.9% we have permission for"?

It's like being pregnant, you either are or aren't, there are no degrees. Judging by your nervousness, I'd say you weren't supposed to be there.

Owners all prefer to talk about you entering their property in advance of your doing so. You can take that to the bank.

 

[entropy]

Doin' a little cookin' maybe?

 

[horsey300]

In response to the "always carry while hunting".......that should be taken with salt, carrying a .38 during any big game season around here will get legal troubles. Legal weapons during their respective seasons only. A .22 during bow season? Still trouble. Check your regs. Know your boundaries. Don't overcomplicate things.

 

[LoonWulf]

In response to the "always carry while hunting".......that should be taken with salt, carrying a .38 during any big game season around here will get legal troubles. Legal weapons during their respective seasons only. A .22 during bow season? Still trouble. Check your regs. Know your boundaries. Don't overcomplicate things.

yep, do any of those here, and the least issue you'll have is getting your guns back.
99% of the time, what ever I'm carrying is much more dangerous than a handgun, and I'm much better with it anyway.

When I'm at the shooting range by myself I'll often keep a sidearm on me if I'm not actively shooting. If I walk down range I reload, and take the gun I'm messing with along with me..

 

[LoonWulf]

Wait, what, "99.9% we have permission for"?

It's like being pregnant, you either are or aren't, there are no degrees. Judging by your nervousness, I'd say you weren't supposed to be there.

Owners all prefer to talk about you entering their property in advance of your doing so. You can take that to the bank.

while I've been caught in similar situations with poorly marked boundaries, 99.9% ain't sure enough for me. I'll kindly be over where I'm 100% good, especially if there's ANY chance of an altercation.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I am sure that meeting a quiet, stoic, non-aggressive person on a property where you aren't 100% sure you have permission to hunt would be very scary.

 

[Axis II]

That last .1% could be a deal breaker..

If I am not on our property I prefer to be at least 110% positive the owner is fine with me being there.

Wait, what, "99.9% we have permission for"?

It's like being pregnant, you either are or aren't, there are no degrees. Judging by your nervousness, I'd say you weren't supposed to be there.

Owners all prefer to talk about you entering their property in advance of your doing so. You can take that to the bank.

We have permission for about 800 acres in this area and what made us think we were in the correct spot was a bridge leading over the large creek from Mr. M's to Mr. N's. Mr. N definitely owns the field 50ft to the right of the bridge but his woods goes at a very steep angle. We looked over the Huntstand app before heading in and it showed two creeks but only one is present. If you picture a rectangle and slice from the top right to the bottom left that is the line. Huntstand showed we were very close to the line. I don't trespass and working on a career in LE and debating if I would like to apply for the Div Of Wildlife as a warden I always follow game laws.

I was nervous because my area of the state is the leader in Heroin overdoses. Its 75 degrees in October and your walking around in jeans and what appeared to be a black leather or sued jacket when I am soaked in sweat wearing a t shirt. If he was a landowner or friend/family why did he just stand there in the brush and stare at us when we greeted him? Why is he headed to the bridge on Mr. M that he may not even have permission for. Getting permission from Mr. M is very hard as he deer hunts his farm but we are allowed to Rabbit, Squirrel and Coon hunt it. This man had no weapon or any inkling he was hunting small game. The squirrel dog treed, we crossed the bridge and said this is Mr. N's my buddy went to get the dog from the tree and I stood there at the bridge. Take that to the bank! Hunting Mr. N property 4-5 years ago we ran into a bow hunter who came across the woods screaming at us because we were squirrel hunting with a dog. We didn't see any car's so went in. Here he parked in the old barn to hide his truck. This guy was MF and SOB us for about 150yards until he was face to face with us. Mr. N gives anyone who knocks permission so its luck of the draw. The rest of that hunt I was nervous the guy was going to damage our truck or come back because he was violent.

 

[Axis II]

In response to the "always carry while hunting".......that should be taken with salt, carrying a .38 during any big game season around here will get legal troubles. Legal weapons during their respective seasons only. A .22 during bow season? Still trouble. Check your regs. Know your boundaries. Don't overcomplicate things.

Ohio allows CCW while hunting no matter what weapon used. Your just not allowed to shoot an animal with the CCW handgun.

 

[Axis II]

while I've been caught in similar situations with poorly marked boundaries, 99.9% ain't sure enough for me. I'll kindly be over where I'm 100% good, especially if there's ANY chance of an altercation.

I agree wolf. We tried using huntstand and it showed we were good. We take that app with a grain of salt though because it and the auditors site sometimes isn't updated much. Mr. N bought the property from Mr. B and for almost a year Mr. B's name was still listed as the owner and he passed away. Ohio doesn't require posting property lines and our warden wont ticket unless the landowner calls. I generally ask the landowner where boundaries are and they reply with either a fence, ditch, post, etc. This man in black was most likely on another property and not Mr. N but he sure was headed to Mr. M.

 

[Axis II]

I am sure that meeting a quiet, stoic, non-aggressive person on a property where you aren't 100% sure you have permission to hunt would be very scary.

Any normal person with nothing to hide would have at least waved back don't ya think? My buddy said the man was walking and my buddy waved at him and it wasn't until he called the dog off the tree the man stopped and stood there. My buddy waved again and the man just stood there with his hands at his side. My buddy said we gotta go because we don't know what his intentions are and I for one don't like talking to strangers in the middle of the woods. If I bump into you fine but hunters don't go seek other hunters to talk to them.

 

[horsey300]

and I for one don't like talking to strangers in the middle of the woods.

Maybe he feels the same way? Honestly, unless I catch you on my side of the fence, if I don't know you out in the middle of nowhere, I'm not saying much either. Only time I actively engaged a stranger was in some national forest land, the man was clearly struggling, not from around here at all, looking like he'd been drug behind my horse since dawn, my party of 3 angled to cross paths with him and sure enough, he couldn't remember where the parking area was......150 yds from the entrance and he didn't recognize any of it, made sure he had water at his truck and pointed him across the creek to where he needed to go. No issues helping anyone but I don't go out of my way to say yes or no to a stranger just trudging around on the other side of my "back 40".

 

[22-rimfire]

while I've been caught in similar situations with poorly marked boundaries, 99.9% ain't sure enough for me. I'll kindly be over where I'm 100% good, especially if there's ANY chance of an altercation.

This whole business makes hunting just a big pain in the butt.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Another reason I never thought of before to not use a bolt action for hunting.

It is quite a good reason to use an AR for hunting.

 

[earlthegoat2]

This whole business makes hunting just a big pain in the butt.

As a wise man once said, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

So yeah, I agree.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Give the landowner a call and see if you can figure out who (or what?!) it may have been out there.

 

[22-rimfire]

I stopped hunting because of developing the alpha gal red meat allergy. During scouting trips (for deer) I always tried to understand my boundaries. It is important. But it is a lot of trouble sometimes when all you see is "woods". But still, I feel it's necessary. Deer populations are increasing and yet land owners want to be paid to allow you on their land if you can even figure out who owns what and how to contact them. Such a pain.... I would rather not hunt than risk breaking the law unless I was starving.

As far as talking or visiting folks you run onto in the woods these day if you have no idea who they are.... it's situational and you make your decisions. I don't like to be unfriendly, but I also don't want to un-necessarily place myself in harms way.

 

[Axis II]

Give the landowner a call and see if you can figure out who (or what?!) it may have been out there.

Mr. N hands out permission to anyone who knocks. He wont even sign slips because guys have hosed him in the past. I am 100% sure he has no clue what's going on nor cares.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Mr. N hands out permission to anyone who knocks. He wont even sign slips because guys have hosed him in the past. I am 100% sure he has no clue what's going on nor cares.

Interesting. So it’s a lot like hunting in public land.

Also, think real hard about becoming a game warden. I would advise you to become a wildlife biologist with the Fish and Game. That way you still get to do what you like outdoors but don’t have to be in LE dealing with the public in a mostly negative way.

 

[627PCFan]

I don't know Ohio carry laws so you gotta run what you brung. I assume you were shotgun hunting squirrels and shotguns also take buckshot shells. Keep a box of Fed Tactical OO with you in the field.

 

[Axis II]

Interesting. So it’s a lot like hunting in public land.

Also, think real hard about becoming a game warden. I would advise you to become a wildlife biologist with the Fish and Game. That way you still get to do what you like outdoors but don’t have to be in LE dealing with the public in a mostly negative way.

Yep. He told me he wont sign a slip because some guys drove through the beans and left trash so if I screw him he will screw me by calling the warden. Its been this way from the old landowner Mr. B to the new landowner Mr. N. He said Mr. B wouldn't sign so he's not either. Each year he remembers us and is happy to see us. I check back a time or two a year just to make sure all is good to go and it always is.

 

[Axis II]

I don't know Ohio carry laws so you gotta run what you brung. I assume you were shotgun hunting squirrels and shotguns also take buckshot shells. Keep a box of Fed Tactical OO with you in the field.

22lr. Buddy had a 28ga.

 

[buck460XVR]

I ran into a homeless guy on state land years ago and contacted the warden and he didn't care. I pulled in and he was standing in the parking are shirtless and covered in dirt. I contacted the state park ranger across the road who said the man had been living in the state park and stealing from campers and he must have moved to the hunting grounds. The warden told me I saw a game trail and not a man made trail and all the trash was from deer season. I voiced a concern about being attacked by the man while hunting or scouting and he said if guns start going off he will move on. I quit going there for fear of being attacked.

While I carry most of the time......if hunting, I consider my primary weapon enough. As I have said multiple times, there's a reason they call it public land. It's not just your's or mine, it belongs to everybody. As long as they are not a realistic threat or breaking the law, their activities should not be a concern of yours. I personally have sympathy for those who are so unfortunate they do not have a place to live. While robbing from campers is out of line, I doubt very much, the Warden would have let it go.