To all Tejon rifle hunters

[archer4evr]

Just a heads up for all you rifle hunters that are hunting the Tejon Ranch for pigs.

Please be extra safe when shooting from a moving vehicle. Sometimes that pig that you have just barraged at might be in the vacinity of a camoed archer.

This past weekend, while at Tejon, I was stalking a very big boar on a secluded hillside away from most roads. From knowhere a white jeep with two slob rifle hunters came flying up an unused fire road, jumped out and started to fire recklessly from over 300 yards. I could hear the bullets all around me.

If you would have taken the few minutes to glass the area you would have seen me, in the open, just 40 yards from that pig, thats probably still running now!.

Just a word of caution. I glassed up your numbers, etched in my brain. When I see you again, beleive me I will give you a saftey lesson you wont soon forget!

David Ferrario

 

[Mgolden]

WOW how scarry, It takes all kinds doesnt it. I have always thought of private land hunts to be safer than public land hunts but i guess when the dollar rules the list of people able to get on the private land then you just never know what type of individual will be there to ruin a perfectly good hunt. Im sorry to hear of your brush with death. Maybe you should give those numbers to Tejon Ranch so those knuckle heads wont be allowed to hunt there anymore.

 

[superduty]

I second that notion.

You need to report them to Lana or whomever you correspond with the ranch. As far as I am concearned it could have been anyone of us being shot at, archer, pistol, or a rifle hunter that like to make a good stalk and clean shot placement.

 

[sdbowyer]

Just a matter of time before the Pig-O-Ramas come to a crashing end.

 

[Speckmisser]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Just a matter of time before the Pig-O-Ramas come to a crashing end.[/b]

Let's not sound the death knell yet. Negativity only breeds negativity. We don't have to let a couple of idiots ruin a good thing for everyone.

Archer4evr, sorry that had to happen to you. I suppose it emphasizes the importance of wearing orange during public hunts (I don't wear it either... but incidents like this make me think twice).

To be sure, that was a pretty stupid thing for someone to do... stupid and careless. There's no excuse for that kind of activity. I do hope it was reported, especially if you got their tags.

Let's police our own, and do our best to educate before someone gets hurt or killed.

 

[Eric Mayer]

David,

If you indeed did get the license plate number of that Jeep, it is no one's fault but your own if the same folks do it again. Speak to Lana and give her the information you have. She has the year, make and model of every vehicle that has permission to hunt on that ranch. She can deal with it in properly.

The only way hunts stay open on areas such as this are if we police our own.

Eric A. Mayer

 

[Rick]

I don't want to make excuses for anyone, and if they were blasting away offhand at over 300 yards, then they were wrong. But I have to say that I do not glass all around a game animal to see if there is some fully camo'ed guy nearby. Maybe I should, from now on. (And no, I have never hunted Tejon and I do not own a Jeep.) If I saw a pig at 200 yards, I honestly have to say that I would not have glassed the surrounding area. Maybe an orange patch on the back of the jacket or something is not a bad idea.

Prior to reading this - how many of you would glass the hillside for another hunter?

 

[Coondog]

Rick.. I would definitely have to agree with you to an extent. Although, I can honestly say that I have never hunted private land where there were other people running around everywhere... In the heat of the moment (especially if I had been out all day and not seen a hog) I would have probably glassed just to make sure it was a hog, but would not have spent much time looking around for anyone else.. But, if David was as close as he said it would have been hard to not see him... I can say with some degree of certainty that I would not have taken the shot at 300yds.. Would have probably tried to get closer. I have a hard enough time dropping them when they are close... Probably juse peeing in the wind at 300yds....

 

[Rick]

I completely agree about the 300 yard shots, although if I am able to lie down and get a good rest, I would shoot at a standing hog 300 yards away.

He said that he was 40 yards away from the pig, and that is further than the field of view in my scope or binoculars, probably, at that range. I scared myself very badly one time on private land, by checking out a hunter in full camo through my scope. Never did that again, and I do make sure of what I am shooting at. But I have to be honest and say that I have never glassed around, looking for another hunter before I took a shot at a confirmed game animal.

I, too, usually hunt on private land with just a few friends and we always know where each other is at. This just drives home to me the point about wearing some kind of orange if there are other hunters in the area.

 

[hronk]

I did a Pig o rama last spring and reported the same thing happening to me, but I was 60 yds from the 8 pigs when the 4 guys in a Jeep did the same thing to me. The road we were near was posted closed and the gate was locked. After turning them in and thinking about it, probably the last thing someone is going to look for is an Archer (pig o ramas are mostly rifle hunters) in full camo. I'm not making excuses at all since I was real pissed too...But.....I have mixed feelings on what is expected of a person before he shoots besides basic safety. There is a Bow only area on the ranch..... But...yes, I will probably be carrying a bow during the JHO hunt, and will not wear full camo. Don't think that you need it for pigs....JMO....hronk

 

[Kentuck]

I just think it prudent that if you are bowhunting around rifle hunters you shoul do something to make yourself more visible to the other hunters.
I had a friend have this happen to him while deer hunting on a private ranch once. It was rifle season and he had spotted a nice buck on a ridge and was just about to get into shooting position less than a hundred yards from the buck when another group of guys that had permission to be there showed on the ridge behind my friend, spotted the buck and opened fire while having no idea my buddy was in the line of fire. My buddy fortunately was able to get behing a large oak but was still in a bad spot. Sad part was my friend would have had a less than 100 yards shot and the other guys were shooting at about 400. The deer is probably alive today.

 

[Rick]

That's another good point about hog hunting - they do not have good vision. They will pick on movement, but if you stand still they may come right up to you. I've had herds of them walk around my parked, running truck while I was in it, and I have had them walk right past me when I was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans. They have excellent hearing and sense of smell, though.

 

[rusman66]

Wow that is scary and It is a real wake up call for all of us to be extra aware of our surroundings while enjoying this great sport of ours. I for one will keep your story in the back of my mind and take an extra look around before pulling the trigger.

 

[Rancho Loco]

I was just wondering over the last few days if I should wear my orange vest on our Ham Slam in May...

I would on any kind of drive, but in general?....Hmmm

 

[Rick]

I have been hunting hogs for more than 20 years and have killed dozens and helped guide others to more dozens, working with a licensed guide. I have never worried about being in full camo. With hogs, it just isn't needed. Deer, of course, are a different story. If other rifle hunters are around, I'm going to make sure I can be seen. I have killed most of my hogs in flannel shirts and jeans, or maybe a camo t-shirt and jeans.

If I am hunting on public land where others may be hunting in full camo, I wll remember to be more careful after this. But in this case, I just do not think it is entirely the rifle hunters' fault.

 

[Shumba]

Archer4ever,

I agree with a few of the posts above that you have some level of duty to communicate the facts to the Tejon Ranch management. This is for the safety of others and our sport in the future.

I hope to see some level of follow-up on this.

Also, I'm sorry that you had to experience this.

Tim

P.S. - I will be rifle hunting Tejon on April 9th thru 11th

 

[Bishop]

I bow hunt and handgun hunt, but I think you got to be nuts to hunt in full camo if gun season is open. You can get orange and black camo hats, or just a orange hat. After all, animals are color blind, so a small amount of orange and black camo won't hurt your chances of scoring.

 

[Freedivr2]

Very well put, Bishop (looks like we were posting the same thought at the same time)

Boy oh boy...... I really hate hearing stories like this. Both sides are at fault here IMHO. Lazy arse roadhunters for one, but also for a fella in the field fully camo'd with rifle hunting season concurrent to archery.

The reality is that, no, very few people will glass a hillside around an animal looking for a camo'd archer. Why? Because it's easy to assume that when you see an animal browsing, it likely doesn't have a hunter within bow distance on the ground. When you spot a trophy animal, the focus is generally on the animal and hopefully what's behind it. I'd venture to say that it would be extremely rare for a hunter to glass around the animal. Don't get me wrong, that's a GREAT idea, but not reality. So let's deal with what's real since bullets and flesh are for real....

Hunter Orange is the CHEAPEST life insurance you can buy, perfect case in point right here. I hope this hunter considers himself a little bit blessed in being able to return home that day.......not all get that 2nd chance.

Whenever rifles are in the field, PLEASE at least wear a hunter orange vest. If want to lessen your safety but feel it's crucial to break up the solid block of color, then get one that is camo orange (orange with black patches) for states that allow that, Calif. being one of them. Colorado, Utah, etc. you must use solid blaze orange.

Statistics don't lie...........you're MUCH safer in the field at any time with hunter orange. I don't know about you guys, but I wear mine so I can live to hunt another day. California has (another reality) a lot of trigger happy hunters in it, and you never know when one will pop over the next ridge (or road).

Post like this are great because they are wonderful for others to learn from, reality checks for us all that not all hunters are cut from the same cloth or hold the same safety values or concerns for themselves or others. I can only pray that someone gets the message from this close call....

 

[jmabbott888]

I'll be the first to admit I haven't looked for people around the animal I'm shooting at OTHER than behind my intended target & what you can see thru a scope, I think I'll start doing it now though. I have spoted hunters thru the scope while looking at an animal but thankfully they where WAY OFF. Sorry you had to go thru that experience, it does make you pucker a bit when it happens at least it did me the 1 time it happened to me, thankfully mine was with a shotgun at about 80 yrds during dove season with a guy shooting "grounders" (I got shot at not doing the shooting)

 

[One Track]

Yah, I can see it happening there. I don't think the place is getting out of hand though. I have to believe that 90% of us that are out there at any given time are respectful and careful. At Tejon, you do a lot of driving thru really good pig country. I don't think of myself as a road hunter. But, I do spend a fair amount of time driving to and from glassing spots. If I ever got so lucky as to see a big ole pig while driving, I would stop and take a shot. Mind you, I would set up with a steady rest to ensure a good shot. Would I glass around the area before pulling the trigger? No. As long as I have a good background, I'm all go. I also like to think that I would stalk to within 200 yards. But, at Tejon, its sometimes impossible in the oaks. A few times I've had to back up just to get a shot at the hogs over the trees.

In March, I spoke with a few groups that were taking 500 - 700 yd shots. This was due to their frustration after a long weekend without any opportunities. I think that's kinda shitty. 400 yards on a wallhanger, maybe.

Archer: I feel your pain. I've heard those bullets whizzing by before. I was in full camo trying to protect a really nice 3x3, that my buddy had patterned during bow season, from rifle hunters on opening day. A few does popped out twenty yards from me, and all hell broke loose. Three hunters were taking shots at two running does. Not fun. All the shooters were in orange. I wasn't. My bad.

I'm wearing an orange hat from now on, or maybe my pink speed-skating one peice. Thanks for posting. Thanks for the wake up call.