Opening weekend NIGHTMARE

[The Engineer]

So for 51 weeks I wait and wait.

go out check cameras, watch the deer movement. I watch what they eat where they go. It goes on and on.

Over the last couple weeks I have the cabin ready to go.

Pack up the wife and dog on Friday night. Make great time going through the city from Long Island to Grand Gorge (31/4 hours)

Waters running, heat is on, car unpacked all before 11.

In bed by 11:10 and fast asleep.

Get up at 5 have 2 cups of coffee eggs and precooked sausage. In the stand by 6.

I don't see nothing. I cant figure out why. I have 5 cameras out there and I have turkeys, bears and 3 regular bucks that are keepers. Besides the 25 different does.

As I am looking around with my binoculars at 6:45 when I can see. I see my one neighbor up in a tree stand right on top of the intersection of 3 trails. It looks like a tree in the middle of the road. That was not there last weekend when I was up. Not only that this guy was never into hunting and never had a tree stand. But what can I say it is 30' off the property line on his side.

The wind was blowing on his back right into the bedding areas I found during the course of 51 weeks of scouting.

No movement!! 

Wait it gets better.

The neighbor on the other side arrives right after me on Friday and says hello and good luck.

He and brother (who is a tool bag) say they have 3 friends coming up and one was a NYC cop.

Again I am out there at 6 waiting for legal time.

I after seeing the neighbor on the trails I figure I will stay a little who knows maybe a buck went out for a mid night hit and run and may come back through the same trail.

Now at 8:30 the second neighbor decides to start a 2 stroke quad and go up to the top of the mountain which is his property.

He is allowed it is his.

Then for the next 1 1/2 hours the quads are running.

Then comes the best part.

They decided to shoot about at least 150 rounds (10 round bursts) of 9mm in the middle of the day.

After the alcohol set in they decided to run the quads all 5 of them at top speed up and down the road and in the woods.

They finally stop when it got dark out. Thank God I would hate to see them hit a tree or 2.

They go out to dinner at 6:00 and come back at 8. While driving back up the road past my house they spent the time spotting with lights all the way up to their house.

The next day the same dam thing.

I wish they had a season for A-holes.  

They left yesterday by 2.

I was out this morning for my last hunt I saw 1 doe.

I at least saw something.

I am going back next weekend.

I hope the D bags take a weekend off.

Sorry to vent I just cannot believe this experience. It was like a fake reality show.

I am an easy going guy.

I had logging done last summer and pulled out about 6 cords of wood and split in and left it on the side of our road for all the neighbors to take what they need. That's enough wood for me for 3 years.

Never again I am done.

[Deerthug]

That really sucks. Inconsiderate a-holes. Hopefully they got their fill and won't be back.

At least they did not trespass, use your treestand or blind and steal your camera.

[Jeremy K]

Most people like that are long gone after opening weekend.

[PWGUNNY]

It sounds like those guys had fun.  Sometimes State land seems less crowded.

[CuseHunter]

This is unfortunate. It does sound like a group of guys who only go opening weekend and party then might return only once more. Any serious hunter who shows up every weekend would never ride wheelers around and shoot like that. Hopefully the season gets better for you.

[The Engineer]

I have hunted state land and still never had an experience like this.

[DeerStalker22]

We had people like that on our hunting club in the Adirondacks a few years back, but like the others have said, they were only in the opening weekend of rifle and then were in only one other time and it was for the day. 

 

[PostedBoys Gallego]

This was my opening day a couple years back. Same exact scenario. Firing off shots midday and riding quads all over. I now hike up the mountain and leave the bottom for them. State land really is quieter sometimes. Go in deep, no quads allowed, and the likes of those party guys wont be seen that deep.

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[Merlot]

Bow hunt is my way of having some control over the neighbors. Mostly peaceful and the deer are mostly undisturbed. Come NY gun season, I'm better off spending the money for a Montana hunt with friends and have a great time.

[Taylormike]

Merlot is spot on!!!  I couldn't agree more!!! 

 

First off, I'm going to be fair on this, at least this is my opinion.  You do sound like you are complaining a bit too much!  You say you scouted 51 weeks, this seems a little hard to believe but I will assume you are being honest.

 

We all dislike/hate our precious hunting days being tromped on for no regard to others.  I agree 100%. 

 

Here are the issues :  They did not do anything illegal

                                   They stayed on their own property

                                   They might not really care about hunting, they go to spend time with each other even if it's wild/a party and not what you and I someone else might like.  It's a bonus if they get a deer.

                                   Not sure how long you've owned the property but if this hasn't happened in the past then maybe this is a one time deal

                              

Like most said, if you are physically and monetarily able take up archery...  I have 25 of my own acres and have hunted 1 weekend with the gun in the last 3 years.  I prefer archery by far and choose to put all my time in the woods during this season.

 

Hopefully your luck changes and I wish you the best!

 

P.S. It's unfortunate that we have to be on the defense about having our property stolen or vandalize but unfortunately that is the reality today!!!  Thankfully they haven sunk to that level, just yet...!!!  I had my LOPI 1800 wood burner stolen from the inside of my camp...

[PREDATE]

Spotlighting 500' from a dwelling is illegal and if they had a firearm/bow that was not unstrung or locked in the trunk, that is another offense. 

Sounds like they were there for nothing other than to annoy you and spoil your hunt. Unfortunately, it probably won't be the last time either.

[wdswtr]

I despise opening day of gun in southern tier.  Never could understand how much different people actions are compared to opening northern tier gun season either. Its like 2 total different worlds.  There is only 1 reason I go to camp opening gun and that is to make sure the camp is safe and to keep trespassers out.  There is a group of donks that park 2 big campers on state land for the first whole week of the season.  Both campers run the loudest  damn generators 24/7 from the moment they pull in the state land till the moment they pull out.  The DEC has been called on them several time for extended camping with no permit, running 4 wheelers on state land and dead does with no tags.  They must have gotten a few years worth of warnings before the DEC actually did anything because they were gone for about 3 years.  Last year they all came back.  THe kicker is they do not sit at all.  The moment its light out on opening morning they start putting on drives, non stop over and over all day long on the same sections of state land.  They line up on our border and push towards their campers.  Never see much of anything again till they leave.  Bow season is much different and I prefer it, I see deer, and I see no Aholes all bow season.  Then bamm the wackos come out like hoards on opening day. 

[crappyice]

Could you imagine if we added THOSE GUYS into bow season with their CROSSBOWS...yikes! I'm only kidding- relax- call off the dogs!

[AaronBlaine]

sounds like some ones got a case of the Mondays! lol yea that sucks man I would be so pissed maybe try talking to them however I doubt it would do anything more then create problems.

[bubba]

less hassles, never had my camp broken into or anything stolen.  I have a cable across the driveway, but the camp door is never locked.  Only problem I had was trespassers putting stands on my land to hunt the piece they leased.  I fixed that problem this year.  I bought the piece they leased from the local farmer.  he still tills it and plants, but I own it.   I think I will stick to the north.  

[First-light]

Honestly I come from Long Island and had a cabin on roscoe. It got too crowded

For me. Stuff like this happened so I sold the place and bought

In the finger lakes. Way too far for weekend warriors I just have

To put up with the jerks from Rochester! Lol

[philoshop]

Pretty depressing to be all fired up on opening morning, sitting in your stand, watching the sun come up, totally psyched, and see an orange blob in a tree 50 yards away from you. Been there a few times. I guess the other guy was probably thinking the same thing.

Running quads all over and having a shoot-fest, though, is just disrespectful and wrong.

But, you roll with it and learn from it. Make the idiots part of the game plan if possible. I've taken some nice deer over the years by carefully using the idiots.

Sorry to hear about your hassle.

[growalot]

Did he ever say any where else on here,,,,, how the rest of his season went?