Crowds.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:43 am
I have mostly been crappie fishing this year as my knee is getting worse, and my hate for Tom gobbler is being surpassed by my hate for the crowds.
Has anyone else had this problem? Meaning, seeing a noticeable uptick in overcrowding?
I realize, being a public land hunter of every type of wildlife that I pursue, that crowds are the norm. That is also why I will go to great lengths to half kill myself to get "over there" to less pressured areas. So, no need to preach to this choir on that subject...
However on my home turf I have noticed the tell-tale signs of trespassing from public land hunters, and, in the last 2 years on the public land side, an alarming increase of run-ins with other hunters in areas that are severely land-locked and/or are in areas waaay back in the woods. Areas where I have been running around educating birds since I was old enough to not choke on a mouth call- areas where I have NEVER seen another turkey hunter nor signs of him being there. And that comes from many years of not only hunting the weekends, but several days during the week as well- times when I would've been bound to run across another hunter at some point...never ever saw nare' a' sign of him being there.
Another thing that has made my paranoia worse...either one of two things is happening in regards to mossy oak obsession and white people: It has become "in style" this season to wear it, or there are just that many more turkey hunters strolling around town running errands after a morning hunt. One thing I am certain of- there are a lot of damn folks this spring wearing turkey camo.
Has anyone else had this problem? Meaning, seeing a noticeable uptick in overcrowding?
I realize, being a public land hunter of every type of wildlife that I pursue, that crowds are the norm. That is also why I will go to great lengths to half kill myself to get "over there" to less pressured areas. So, no need to preach to this choir on that subject...
However on my home turf I have noticed the tell-tale signs of trespassing from public land hunters, and, in the last 2 years on the public land side, an alarming increase of run-ins with other hunters in areas that are severely land-locked and/or are in areas waaay back in the woods. Areas where I have been running around educating birds since I was old enough to not choke on a mouth call- areas where I have NEVER seen another turkey hunter nor signs of him being there. And that comes from many years of not only hunting the weekends, but several days during the week as well- times when I would've been bound to run across another hunter at some point...never ever saw nare' a' sign of him being there.
Another thing that has made my paranoia worse...either one of two things is happening in regards to mossy oak obsession and white people: It has become "in style" this season to wear it, or there are just that many more turkey hunters strolling around town running errands after a morning hunt. One thing I am certain of- there are a lot of damn folks this spring wearing turkey camo.