Actually YOU did create the dangerous situation. You stated yourself that the guy was NOT armed. From my experience in Law Enforcement you escalated the situation by pointing your gun in the guys direction. I'm sure that if the Timber Company learned of this situation they probably would've banned hunting on the property. The crazy thing is that you stated you actually put your finger on the trigger!! If that gun would've went off and you shot the guy (I lnow the gun was directly pointed at the guy but it could bounce off of something), you would be in jail! Period! You would risk your freedom, someone elses life and ruin the priviliges and respect of your fellow hunters b/c you think your entiltled to hunt somewhere?? Your post really baffles me! At first I thought you were kidding, but it doesn't sound like you are!

I stated that as far as I could tell he was not armed. There is no way to know about concealed weapons. I will always assume that anyone dumb enough to approach an armed man with mischief in mind is probably packing.

I also stated that I moved the muzzle a little more toward his direction, but not at him. I stated as well that my finger was near the trigger and not on it.

No, I do not think I am entitled to hunt just anywhere. I only hunt where allowed. This man was the one who thought he was entitled by attempting to post property that wasn't his and attempting to run off hunters who were allowed to be there.

I guess you experience in law enforcement didn't make you very observant as you obviously have misstated everything I wrote. I positioned myself to defend myself if necessary and that was all. I am no gun toting crazy person. In fact, I am a Christian and pray that I never have to harm another person. But I will defend myself if necessary and I took steps in that situation to ensure that I could if I had to.

Jeff,
You really represent us well. I would like to urge you to actually contact the rancher and explain that you didnt understand his situation completely and that you understand his point of view and that you will keep an eye out for any wrong doings and report it to the authorities. I think you could probably win him over. Your a very well spoken and reasonable person. I dont think I would give up on hunting the land that I had researched so intensley because you may feel guilty or something. You may even become friends and gain access to his ranch as well.

One of my tricks,
I will have an entire deer processed and drop it off to the land owners unexpectingly just to make a good impression.
It just lets them know you appreciate thier tolerance.

WHY DID YOU EVEN BRING THIS UP?LOL We all know this.
The appreciatve ones pratice it.
Have you read from the beginning. I wasn't on his land. No intentions of tresspassing and hunting on his land. No intentions of ever asking to hunt on his land.I pay taxes I own 2 houses, pay property taxes and have a job an family no Rancher offers me help and the Government doesn't bail me out or give advertisments to by stuff off of me.Listen I can give you a list of what I have done for Ranchers. We had that Mad Cow disease where no cows were allowed to be exported. So I bought a cow every year for 3 years, from an Alberta Rancher even though I had enough meat and I live in B.C. I,m not even in that Province.Im a journeyman carpenter welder and glazier,I have roofed barns for and installed over head garage doors, installed windows, tons of welding, for a flat of beer, I have fenced for less and stacked hay bails for less.Some of my coworkers haves Ranches so I do offer alot of weekend help to them. One day travelling home from work a Rancher was burning his field and the fire got out of control.Spent till 1;30 in the morn helping him.My wife came home from a party last year and lost control of their vehical and ended up off the road.With no cell service, (I think I've mentioned ths a few times) 2 hunters driving by stopped and wasted their whole day pulling them out and bringing my familly into town.Need I say this was the last day of the season.I gave them most of my elk meat for that one.Hunters do help out.Im putting it out there, the majority of hunters will drop anything and everything to help out.Every year my brother and I are in Williams lake for three days of branding, castratating and dehorning calfs.And for the record I have recently seen hunters hold the door open for women and child or for that matter a guy.And I have been cut off by every jerk hunter or not.Bottem line is, hunters are pretty respectable in general, we do have bad apples, but every profession has them even PETA.We will get the respect if we keep the good things happening, up.As far as this particular Rancher goes, I hope he catches them, I hope they are chrged to the full extent of the law. I am sorry this happened to him , but as far as the blatent accussations go, I am still pissed ,and he can thank his stars I didn't charge him.

I brought it up because it was the proper place to bring it up. You mentioned respect for hunters, and I voiced my POV on how that respect can be earned.

Very few hunters properly acknowledge good behavior of other hunters - especially new hunters or younger hunters. When those 'few bad apples' do their misdeeds, a hunter may apologize to those who were unfortunately on the receiving end. However, very few hunters will address the bad apples, their actions and suggest they apologize to those they did not treat properly. Like I stated in my prior post, as hunters we need to police our own. If the few bad apples are not handled properly, we will have more bad apples. Also, when someone looks at a barrel of apples, it is the bad apples that are noticed.

Truthfully, a lot of hunters will do what appears to be the right thing if there may be something in it for them (future hunting access, good image, etc.). There are also those hunters who do the right thing just because it is the right thing to do, and this is what hunters need to teach and encourage. We need to teach and stress to hunters that we do the right thing because it is the right thing to do - not so we might get some benefit out of it at a later date. I see advice on a lot of hunting forums suggesting to do good deeds in hopes of getting hunting access. There are much fewer posts of truly caring about your fellow men and women.

Personally, I believe you should have taken the higher road with the rancher; and I was appalled that others on this forum cheered you on for giving him the riot act. Taking the higher road would have served you and fellow hunters much better. In this thread, it appears you continue to look at the actions of the rancher to justify your actions which did not serve hunters very well. I also believe you know that is true, and it is why you don't plan on going back there this season. Hunters are human - we make mistakes. We also need to man up (which others have suggested) and make amends when we make mistakes.

The above is just my POV and $0.02 worth from a fellow hunter whose family owns hunting property. I don't currently live near this property, so I hunt on private land owned by friends. They became friends long before I hunted on their property, and I was asked by them if I would be interested in hunting on their property.

Take the higher road.LOL. This could gave led to me getting charged for an offence I didn't commit. This could have led to embarrasement and And you want me to take the higher road.I could have lost my vehical, my guns hunting license ,drivers licence lost money in tow bills and fines and possibly recieved jail time or community service hours. These allegations are serious not a joke. Do what you want, but I fight for myself and my family.I will die fighting for something I didn't do.

This could have been done in a much better way. To politely explain why you were there - that there was crown land open to hunting. Asking the rancher if he has had problems and what you can do to help. You stated you did not do anything wrong, so why the worry? There would be no evidence as you have stated.

I did expliain,I stopped to chat with a smile on my face. I politely told him where I was and it was obvious I was hunting cause I told him.He than accussed me of hunting and tresspassing on his property.Didn't ask anything else didn't need to.
Serious threat
Fight is on period.

There is a time and place to be cordial and exchange pleasantries. As Jeff clearly stated that is why he stopped to talk. When met with false accusations and threats. Jeff had every right to defend the honest,and legal activities he was rightly enjoying. I for one am appalled by hunters feeling the need to always apologize just for being hunters. What about hunters that legally do everything the way respectable people do and at every turn are accused of trespassing, or being slob hunters that kill only for the "thrill" of it, being a bunch of drunken, gun toting backwoods billy bobs with no respect for nature or laws.

When approached in a respectable manner and asked questions we respond like wise. When jumped and accused and threatened we respond nicely at first and then if someone persists down the wrong road the riot act is in order. For some people that is all they really understand. I will Not just stand there and allow some one to ream my butt over something someone else has done when I am doing what is legal, proper and well within my rights. I respect you and your rights until you don't respect mine. I expect others to treat me as I would treat them and they have every opportunity to conduct themselves in that manner. When they show that is not their intent and falsely accuse... I will set the record straight. I applaud any and all hunters who stand for what they believe.
Live it up! Doug