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Sometimes I just have to shake my head and wonder where common sense went when I read headlines or in this instance when I see an event unfold. Mike and I were scouting antelope in southern Colorado the day before the season opened and it wasn’t really a surprise to see people paragliding. The surprise came when we saw what they were doing!
We don’t know if these paragliders were fined for their actions, but my guess is that they probably were. The antelope were a little spooky on opening day, but we made due with the cards we were dealt. As hunting season comes to a close in many areas and our quarry starts to head toward their winter ranges be careful! It doesn’t take much to stress deer, elk, and antelope but it would be a shame to lose any animals this winter due to reckless behavior. We are starting to see a recovery in antelope and mule deer numbers, why waste those hard fought population gains?
If you still have a tag good luck and take great pictures, our editorial staff would love to see them!
See this type of behavior everyday from not only planes but also ATV’s, vehicles, joggers and the like. I am pretty disgusted at what we, the hunting “professionals” and the public, claim to be about yet don’t ever look at our own behavior and surely never demand better from other hunters or outdoor enthusiasts. We have TV shows that seldom talk about this issue but glorify the harvest and slam game managers – there is no doubt on this issue. About time we all look in the mirror really damn hard and decide what we want hunting to be about. Is it commercialization, heritage/sport or just to kill something? I truly hope that answer is heritage/sport because right now, this whole thing is spiraling out of control and the genie is damn near out of the bottle for good. This video makes me sick to my stomach.
Are you saying that the folks flying the “trikes” were professional hunters?
I saw this vid when researching the FL black bear hunt (trying to educate a few who were willing to listen) and wondered how to find out who did it and where so I could report it. And then to see that you and your dad saw it happen and reported it seemed impossibly fortuitous. The Eastmans really do cover the West. Thanks for sharing. Any idea what happened to those knuckleheads?
I have seen Ranchers using helicopters and horses doing round-up just prior to deer season. Almost all deer and elk being pushed from public land and almost no cattle. They push them on to private property and then charge to hunt while they patrol the edges. One ranch even had nice brochures with pics of lots of animals for advertisement.
Me too Mike, and then they just say they were rounding up the herd (cows) or looking for strays. Then they get on their cell phones to relay pertinent information for waiting guides & hunters. G&F turns a blind eye.
So, what’s the deal with the Black Bear hunt in Florida? I’ve seen postings on Facebook claiming that the bear population was estimated at 300 animals and over 300 licenses were issued. There was also a photo of a harvested bear being suspended in some type of net and I wondered whether the game & fish people were measuring size, weight, etc. I’d love more info on this hunt as the antis are using it as a springboard to show how cruel and evil this was.
Yeah, there has been a LOT of disinformation and some outright lies spread by the antis.
The FWC estimates the black bear population between 3,000 and 3,500 statewide. The quota for the hunt was 320 but no baiting or dogs were allowed. No sows with cubs were to be taken nor were bears under 100 pounds. About 10 days before the hunt, about 2,300 permits had been issued, but by the time the hunt began 3,778 had been sold ($100 resident; $300 non-res).
On the first day of the hunt, 207 bears were taken and 2 of the 4 bear management units were closed to hunting (2 in the Panhandle combined for a harvest that was about twice the quota. As of late Sunday (2nd day of hunt), 298 bears had been taken and the hunt was ended because FWC didn’t want to go over the quota. “Diane Eggeman, the FWC’s director of hunting and game management division, conceded that the protests surrounding the hunt did motivate state officials to shut it down even though they were still a little below the initial goal they set.” (AP) They had stated previously that the quota amount was set conservatively.
Personally, I was amazed at how fast all those bears were harvested considering baiting and dogs were not permitted. I even offered any one of my liberal buddies or their buddies $100 that the quota would not be reached at all (thank goodness nobody took my up on it!). To me, that just says there were too many bears in the hunted areas and FWC said so it meant there’s probably more bears than their official estimate (3500 statewide). Considering that FWC did not permit baiting or dogs, to reach that level of harvest in such a short time is nothing short of astounding. Plus the fact that some of those central Florida boys have been deer hunting around black bears for a long time and knew where some could probably be found.
Of course, the antis called it a slaughter and said it was too easy based on how quickly the quota was reached. They also claimed that the hunt had no scientific basis. And now they are saying FWC hadn’t completed their population study before the hunt was authorized. I downloaded the FWC Bear Management Plan but haven’t had a chance to read it yet (http://myfwc.com/media/2612908/bear-management-plan.pdf), but the staff I talked to at FWC said the data contained in the plan supported the hunt. There must have been some science to it because a lawsuit attempting to block the hunt based, in part, on the supposed lack of scientific support, was dismissed only a few days before the hunt was scheduled to start.
Unfortunately, 2 of the bears taken were under 100 pounds – one was about 80+ lbs and the FWC did not take action against that hunter; the other small bear was much smaller (I forget the actual weight) and that hunter was cited. Also, a couple of hunters were caught baiting and they will charged.
The worst part about these jerks not following the rules is that the antis are now jumping all over FWC complaining that FWC said these things would not happen, Slob hunters are going to be the end of us!
Also, one of the first bears killed was a lactating sow, which of course caused great wailing and gnashing of teeth among the antis present at the check station and beyond. The Sierra Club and a local group said they were going to rescues the cubs, but changed their minds when the FWC and their own bear expert said the cubs were old enough to survive on their own. FWC officials have said the hunt was timed so the youngest cubs are 8 or 9-months, which is old enough to survive on their own. BTW, they received 6,600 calls about nuisance bears last year. –
There were 33 check stations statewide where all bears had to be weighed, measured, etc. So the bear in the net you saw was indeed at a check station being weighed.
The good news is FWC has already announced they plan on having bear hunts every year from now on.
And one final note, the list of those granted permits and their email addresses was public information in the state of the Sunshine Law (no secrets in government…yeah, right), and many hunters received harassing emails, some even threatening harm and even death to the hunter. Today, a law making it illegal to harass hunters was introduced to the FL state legislature. I imagine it will pass.
Oops, I misspoke. Hunters are pressing for an anti-harassment bill but I don’t think one has been introduced yet.
Awfully similar to my Wyoming 2015 deer hunt. Hunting public land that has its share of leased private ground around it, where local outfitters often guide clients. I’ve shot a couple 180″ bucks in this area and thought my wife and I were destined to do the same this year. Opening morning roles around and we find ourselves 120 yards from 2 bucks north of 180. As we’re waiting for these deer to open themselves for a shot we have 2 quads (4 hunters, 1 young kid maybe 10 -12) crest a hill about 800 yards away. Doesn’t take them long to spot the deer that are right in front of us. Instead of letting it be and moving on, 2 of them begin a stalk on the deer. There was no way they didn’t see us. Saying I was disgusted would be an understatement. My wife and I then figured we’d continue with what we started and get into position to shoot one or both of these bucks. As soon as we moved, the guy left atop the hill on his 4-wheeler started his machine and revved the engine extremely loud and spooked both the bucks over to the private ground. True sportsmanship!!! Apparently if they couldn’t shoot those deer nobody was going too; training the next generation of hunters to do the same as well. We were surely glad we drove 1,500 miles to experience that. Needless to say we didn’t see those bucks again during our hunt. Game and Hunter harassment at its best.
That’s a perfect example of why there should be NO guided hunting on public land with the possible exception of wilderness lands with grizzly bears.
We had a similar experience with harassing an elk herd, dipstick in an ultralight aircraft running an elk herd for miles, and through a barbed wire fence. The kicker was that the guy is a member of the local school board! What a role model! He was fined by the G&F after the idiot posted the video he took from the aircraft on youtube. Our elected officials at work!
No surprise….people who believe themselves to be people of privldge believe they can do whatever they want, whenever they want and to hell with who or what it might impact. Just take a look at what the Wilks brothers are doing with the N Bar ranch in Montana….they currently are facing charges for doing this very thing (hearding elk) out of the famed, public land Durfee Hills and onto the adjoining N Bar….all caught on film….they have been in negotiations over a land swap with BLM but thanks to motivated outdoorsmen and women, a petition out of Lewistown, MT brought it to a grinding halt. So…since they can’t get their way….they will just color outside the lines as much as they want and because of their billions and being in the back pocket of Montana politicians…..having NO fear of consequences while they sit back and laugh and light cigars with $100 dollar bills…
I read about the Wilks billionaire Texas brothers on another website. Concerned sportspeople also filmed the destruction of BLM property by the brothers. All the money those two spent just to keep the lawabiding sportspeople off public land.
It’s a crying shame what lengths wealthy, greedy people will go to in their quests to contain those elk on their land for their own personal use. I’m glad Montana sportspeople put the brakes on the Wilks Brothers vision.
Thanks for looking out for our wildlife, this needs to stop.
I had military aircraft dropping anti missle flares over Nevada unit 71. I never saw another elk after that.
Mike,
I fly a powered parachute and I must tell you that what you captured sickens me. As a pilot, as a hunter and as a human being….it sickens me. I turned in one such individual after he posted a YouTube video of him running elk on our powered parachute forum site. Others had also turned them in and eventually he was found and fined.
We need to bring our world back around to where there is respect. It has been lost on our recent generations.
There are too few ethical hunters left…although those that I have spoken with when out west hunting all seem to agree on these issues…so there are some good guys and gals left too.
The paraplane in your video is really known as a powered parachute and if it has two seats it must also have an N number registered with the FAA and the pilot must have a license. All things that can help in the future if you see anything like this. Use your binos and record the N number if there is one.
# of hunters need to be reduced as well, saw a dick sight this fall on public land 4th season elk hunt in Colorado where there was a group of elk in open sagebrush and hunters on every vantage point around them shooting. Elk were spinning in a tight circle while these hunters shot them. Watched them kill 8 of 16, I was so sick to my stomach, I’ve never seen such a horrible example. Thankfully my kids weren’t with me on that trip.