Messing with the vehicle of a Night Hunter

[Double Naught Spy]

Not sure if this goes here or in another section, but I figured it counted as possible hunter harassment.

Bizarre experience last night. I had finished up at one property and had a load of hogs in the back of my truck when I went to check another property up in Montague County, north Texas. As it has rained the night before, I am not to drive in to said property (landowner rule) and I parked behind some tall brush along the fence to shield me from the view of the property and the half dozen or so hogs that were about 300-400 yards away. I got my gear together and made the 20 yard walk to the gate, hopped the gate and started into the property when I heard a car coming up the road. I hunkered down into a squat in the field as the car passed so as not to be illuminated by the lights and look like a human walking in the field. The car passed and I continued stalking toward my quarry.

Almost immediately the car turns around and makes a bee line for my truck. I squat back down and watch the vehicle through thermal. A guy gets out and checks out my truck with a flashlight from his vehicle, then scans the field several times. The light shines over me but he apparently doesn't see me and I am not about to call out to him and spoil my hunt. He then proceeds to do a walk around on my truck, looking in windows, checking out what was in the bed, etc. I figure he is looking for his daughter on a date or wondering if I am a driver in distress. He then scans the field again with his light. As it pans over me, I attempt to wave at the guy to let him know everything is okay, but he doesn't see me. I am too far for the beam of his light for him to pick me out from the background.

The guy goes back to his vehicle, retrieves something, then returns to my truck, looks inside some more with the light and starts jacking with the driver's door. My thought at the time was that the guy was attempting to gain entry to my vehicle. Then, he gave up and returned to his vehicle, drove down the road and U-turned again and headed back the original direction he was heading. His commotion pushed my hogs further in to the property, but I eventually found them and had a very good hunt.

Later when I returned to my truck, I discovered that the guy had tied flagging tape to the driver's side door handle. WTH?????

The guy as seen through thermal appeared to be a man. His vehicle appeared to be a Subaru Forester. He did not appear to have on any sort of uniform. He was not the landowner or the landowner's son-in-law that lives next door. We all know each other. The landowner hasn't been contacted by any concerned neighbors.

The guy who flagged my truck did not apparently report my vehicle to either the game warden or sheriff's office.

Any thoughts on what all this was about?

 

[alsaqr]

IMO: Some Dufuss who passed up an opportunity to mind his own business.

 

[Highland Lofts]

Some sort of anti hunting idiot.

 

[DocRock]

Don’t rule out ill-conceived Good Samaritanism of some sort.

 

[Antihero]

Really, you probably missed your chance to find out exactly what he wanted by not just going up to him and talking to him

 

[WestKentucky]

I wonder if he was concerned that you might be up to no good. Seems a very odd thing to do, but we have your side of the story which makes him look like an idiot. I wonder what his side of the story would do... might make things make sense, or it may prove your side right showing great idiocy. The thought of a person looking for something/someone seems the most likely scenario. Daughter coming home late, calf missing from the field, rifle missing from the truck...all would be reasons to stop and do a quick investigation of a suspicious vehicle in the immediate area.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Quite Curious...

First, if the person thought you were wrong where you were, then they simply could've called in your tags to the Game Warden. No need for the tape. So that wasn't it.

The person wasn't upset with you to the point of causing you damage, such as an anti-hunter might, as they easily once they scanned the field and did not see you could have vandalized your truck. Pretty easy to pull a valve stem or slash a tire, eh?

IF they thought you really were a problem outlaw, they could've slashed the tire AND called the DNR to make sure you got caught "near the scene", so that wasn't it... have to be plenty upset to do that, but some folks get that way.....

So why mark your truck with tape that doesn't make a permanent mark, and on your driver's side door where you're sure to find it when you come back?

I doubt they were setting up your vehicle as the target for a theft, with a lone guy scouting it for the culprits to arrive a bit later (car parts/tires & rims/etc). In my state, they might have been up to that, but in TEXAS, messing with a hunter's vehicle like trying to steal tires or such, while the hunter is probably near by with a scoped rifle is a good way to get some high velocity lead poisoning.

Whomever it was, wanted to mark your vehicle without breaking the law, and to pretty much ensure that IF it was seen still parked with the tape on..., it would indicate that you had not yet returned to the vehicle.
In other words when somebody known to the tapester, or perhaps the tapester himself, came back to your vehicle, they would know you were still inside the property.

I think it's likely they were trying to deal with a poacher/trespasser problem...,
I think either your vehicle resembles a "problem" vehicle, and they marked it for the landowner to arrive and know you were still out in the field, or they know a person with a poaching problem and assumed your vehicle might be part of that problem, and marked it so that when the landowner found it you would be shown to still be in the field.

Only one problem...

The reason why your landowner didn't get a call, nor did the landowner's SIL...is because the tapester got confused about whose land it was where you parked. OOOPS! The guy probably drove off, and had to go home because he had forgotten his landowner's number. It likely wasn't loaded into his phone. So he gets home and calls his friend/landowner, and tells him what's up. He describes where he saw and marked your truck and how....and the friend/landowner tells him, "Heck that's not my land, that's Roy's land. Mine don't start until the next crossroad" or some such. The tapesters wasn't going BACK to remove the tape at that point......

LD

 

[Obturation]

I see touching someone else's vehicle in any way a violation of property. If it was an officer looking to make sure the vehicle isn't one they're searching for I could see them checking, but some doofus in a suba-goober should have no business looking beyond making sure you're not slumped over inside or in distress . doesn't seem like he had good intentions to me.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Don’t rule out ill-conceived Good Samaritanism of some sort.

Didn't rule that out until I found where he had tagged my vehicle. Looking inside to see if there is a driver in distress is on thing. He didn't search very hard around the vehicle, just in it. He looked into the field on my side of the road only, but didn't try to call out. Flagging my vehicle completely does away with the notion he was there out of concern for my well being, IMHO.

I wonder if he was concerned that you might be up to no good. Seems a very odd thing to do, but we have your side of the story which makes him look like an idiot. I wonder what his side of the story would do... might make things make sense, or it may prove your side right showing great idiocy. The thought of a person looking for something/someone seems the most likely scenario. Daughter coming home late, calf missing from the field, rifle missing from the truck...all would be reasons to stop and do a quick investigation of a suspicious vehicle in the immediate area.

Sure, but he didn't call the game warden or the sheriff's office. As I noted above, he didn't search that hard, except inside the truck. Calf missing from field, rifle missing, etc. are NOT reasons to be searching my truck.

Really, you probably missed your chance to find out exactly what he wanted by not just going up to him and talking to him

Or I missed my opportunity to be killed by a meth head or his partner (s) in his vehicle? I don't know this guy. I don't know what he is up to in the middle of the night. Nothing he did indicated to me that he was there for my benefit.

Going up and "talking" to him wasn't in the cards. The only verbal contact I would have made would have been from my distant position where I would have him at a significant tactical disadvantage. That certainly would have screwed up my hunting chances, which is the reason for me being there in the first place.

This is him, jacking with my door handle.

 

[Antihero]

Didn't rule that out until I found where he had tagged my vehicle. Looking inside to see if there is a driver in distress is on thing. He didn't search very hard around the vehicle, just in it. He looked into the field on my side of the road only, but didn't try to call out. Flagging my vehicle completely does away with the notion he was there out of concern for my well being, IMHO.



Sure, but he didn't call the game warden or the sheriff's office. As I noted above, he didn't search that hard, except inside the truck. Calf missing from field, rifle missing, etc. are NOT reasons to be searching my truck.



Or I missed my opportunity to be killed by a meth head or his partner (s) in his vehicle? I don't know this guy. I don't know what he is up to in the middle of the night. Nothing he did indicated to me that he was there for my benefit.

Going up and "talking" to him wasn't in the cards. The only verbal contact I would have made would have been from my distant position where I would have him at a significant tactical disadvantage. That certainly would have screwed up my hunting chances, which is the reason for me being there in the first place.

This is him, jacking with my door handle.

View attachment 881159

You were armed and obviously at a much more "tactical advantage" as you said.

Everyone is different, personally I don't like the idea that someone is screwing with my only transportation out of an area that you apparently are parked at frequently. Just because he didn't do anything this time, doesn't mean he won't another time.

It's better to confront the situation right away than literally hiding in the grass, armed thinking of "tactical advantages" , and apparently fearful/super cautious

 

[Patocazador]

This is him, jacking with my door handle.
View attachment 881159

It looks like he is wearing camo. He's probably an illegal fire-hunter who is wondering who is messing with his nighttime activities.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

You were armed and obviously at a much more "tactical advantage" as you said.

Everyone is different, personally I don't like the idea that someone is screwing with my only transportation out of an area that you apparently are parked at frequently. Just because he didn't do anything this time, doesn't mean he won't another time.

It's better to confront the situation right away than literally hiding in the grass, armed thinking of "tactical advantages" , and apparently fearful/super cautious

Stupid to 'confront' a situation you don't fully understand.

Oh, and there is no grass to hide in where I was. I was 100% out in the open on a recently sprouted winter wheat field. FEARFUL? Gimme a break. He didn't know I was there. I had nothing to fear. Super cautious? Absolutely. I would be lucky if 911 got me a deputy there in 20 minutes or an officer from the closest towns inside of 15 if something did go wrong.

 

[der Teufel]

Curious.

I can think of several reasons why someone might stop and check out a parked vehicle in the country, particularly if they live in the area. Some are good reasons, some not so good.
But, leaving a piece of surveyor's flagging on the driver's door handle mystifies me.

 

[Antihero]

Stupid to 'confront' a situation you don't fully understand.

Oh, and there is no grass to hide in where I was. I was 100% out in the open on a recently sprouted winter wheat field. FEARFUL? Gimme a break. He didn't know I was there. I had nothing to fear. Super cautious? Absolutely. I would be lucky if 911 got me a deputy there in 20 minutes or an officer from the closest towns inside of 15 if something did go wrong.

You say these things, but your post definitely has a fearful feel. This is not internet tough guy talk, it's observation.Some fear would be natural here

I understand a deputy couldn't be there fast, I've lived way out in the country most my life, but it's also a reason to confront the situation and nip it in the bud.

If he was above board and it was just a neighbor, you acted suspicious by not talking to him and "crouching in the field so not to look like a person walking the field" (paraphrased I know). Making you presence known by saying " can I help you?" means the situation is resolved by talking.

If it is someone not above board then showing up out of darkness and saying "can I help you?" while armed would scare the crap out of him. Sure I guess there is the chance of coming across the Meth A-Team driving their Tactical Subaru Forester around looking for cars randomly parked around to loot but exactly how likely is that? Plus you literally have surprise on them, doubtful it would go past that and you have control of the situation.

If it's an anti Hunter type, showing up and saying "can I help you" out of nowhere while armed would also be fine because either you scare him or you talk to him figuring out *** he's doing.

In any situation like that, with no one around and armed, you really really want to be as above board as possible and not hiding with a gun. That's probably the worst you can do

 

[Antihero]

Curious.

I can think of several reasons why someone might stop and check out a parked vehicle in the country, particularly if they live in the area. Some are good reasons, some not so good.
But, leaving a piece of surveyor's flagging on the driver's door handle mystifies me.

Probably letting the guy know that someone was at his car

 

[alsaqr]

Double Naught Spy handled the situation in the best manner. i would have done the same thing.

 

[wankerjake]

Must not have been too awful scared, since he kept hunting and all

And Lol. Pretty sure LD nailed it

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Must not have been too awful scared, since he kept hunting and all

And Lol. Pretty sure LD nailed it

It was. Took 4 hogs out of a 5 hog sounder that was rooting the landowner's property...my purpose for being there. I will have a video posted tomorrow.

 

[Flintknapper]

Call the Land Owner and his neighbor and ask them IF anyone they know lives (or frequently travels) down that road and owns a Forester.

IF the answer is yes...then you may assume it was a person concerned that something untoward was going on. He might not have been sure of that or not enough to warrant calling a Game Warden or other LEO.

Just left you a 'sign' that he knew you were about and IF you weren't supposed to be there...the flagging might be enough to prevent your return (eyes are upon you..kind of thing).

IF no one recognizes the vehicle...then it's anyone's guess what the guy was up to.

 

[courtgreene]

If he didn’t see it well he could’ve flagged it thinking it was abandoned and wanting to keep the next driver from side swiping it if they didn’t see it well.
I see that a lot on the interstate here.

 

[Patocazador]

There is one other scenario which may have caused him to stop and check out your vehicle.
If your vehicle was parked in such a way that made it appear that it went off the road and crashed, he may have been checking for an injured person(s).

My wife and I have stopped several times when a vehicle appeared to have veered off the road in rural areas. In our cases they had crashed but there were no occupants or evidence of severe injuries.
What the flag was about, who knows?

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Call the Land Owner and his neighbor and ask them IF anyone they know lives (or frequently travels) down that road and owns a Forester.

IF the answer is yes...then you may assume it was a person concerned that something untoward was going on. He might not have been sure of that or not enough to warrant calling a Game Warden or other LEO.

Just left you a 'sign' that he knew you were about and IF you weren't supposed to be there...the flagging might be enough to prevent your return (eyes are upon you..kind of thing).

IF no one recognizes the vehicle...then it's anyone's guess what the guy was up to.

I have contacted the landowner and 3 other folks in the immediate area for whom I hunt and none know who this guy might be.

If it is an "eyes are upon you" kind of thing, the guy is failing badly, LOL, and the reverse is very true.

 

[DocRock]

There's a popular saying in Yorkshire that applies here:

"There's nowt queer as folk".

 

[hq]

In our cases they had crashed but there were no occupants or evidence of severe injuries.
What the flag was about, who knows?

It's not very common, but sometimes people who check a vehicle that's parked in an unusual rural location for stranded occupants, distress or the like, "flag" it so that next person driving by knows everything is ok and there's no need to do the same.

 

[Flintknapper]

It's not very common, but sometimes people who check a vehicle that's parked in an unusual rural location for stranded occupants, distress or the like, "flag" it so that next person driving by knows everything is ok and there's no need to do the same.

Sounds plausible to me.