Some people…

[fishnguy]

So I went to pick up my camera today in 520 that I left there last November. Exciting! Well, not really, because there is always thought of something going wrong in the beginning and there are no pics or something. It was also a brand new camera that I never even tested Before slapping on to a tree (just set the date, time, and proper settings). I didn’t plan on leaving it there for so long either, but it worked out this way.

Anyway, not what the thread is about. The thread is about people. So as I drove off the road and into to the bush to park, there was a little camp right by the trail in the opening. Obviously driving right by would be rude (it is the only “entrance” to the area), maybe someone is hunting and whatnot. So I stopped and walked over, there were two “old timers” there, not really old, but definitely past retirement age. So hi and this and that, the usual talk. One then tells me there is no moose here. Ok, cool, I wasn’t asking and not hunting, but came to retrieve my camera that I left there last year. One asked where is the camera and I said deep in the woods and showed direction. I said I hoped it was still there, though it was in the bush, but you never know. A guy asked what I wanted to get on the camera, to which I said animals and don’t particularly care which, just wanted to see what’s around. He told me there is no moose here again. I told them I hunted this area the past couple of years for moose in November and told them I found plenty of cows, but never a bull; saw lots of sign everywhere, old and new at the time, droppings, etc. But definitely a tough hunt. He said that I must the only guy who saw moose crap here. They asked if I am a hunter (weird, but ok). Yes, sure, but not hunting this year here because I missed the undersubscribed tags and spending my time in 522/23. I asked what they were hunting (obviously moose) and a guy said they were just enjoying the fall because they liked the area and not hunting and that there is no moose there. Ok, whatever, I started leaving and said that if I am not back in hour, a moose must have eaten me, laughing. He told me lots of bears around in response. Ok sure (perhaps, but never saw any droppings or any other sign in two seasons). So I left (drove just another 75-100 meters away from the opening and behind the trees and parked off the trail , so that my vehicle won’t be on anyone’s way and just common sense kind of thing).

So I ran the woods (game trails) to the spot, the camera was there (yay!), but I saw it was a little turned, not how I left it. Damn, oh well. Ran back, in and out in an hour. This is, by the way, right at the end of the day, I got there about 40 minutes before sunset. While running, I looked at the brush around, other sign, saw a couple of moose tracks. One in particular was on a dry pile of soft dirt and it rained a couple of days ago - the track was clearly left after that.

So on the way out, I stopped again to tell them that the camera was there and I got it and that I saw a fairly fresh moose track and another and where, etc. Just being a fellow hunter. So yes, camera is out after 11 months, a little chit chat. I then said, before leaving, where I walked, I saw plenty of moose sign and saw a couple of tracks. A guy replied that it can’t be and something something city boys come and tell them and they live here and know better and know trappers (so do I) and some other rubbish. So I told him I am not his average city boy (already told them I was from Peace River before, which is half an hour away), still laughing, but obviously didn’t care for the conversation anymore and going to leave. He asked why I wanted to make them think there was moose there. I said, frankly, I didn’t care what they thought and what they wanted to do with the information I gave them, just wanted to be helpful and… normal? The other guy said to me “why don’t you get in your vehicle and the four-letter word off”. Lol. Of course, I replied that he can go four-letter word himself too and a couple of other complements and left. He was yelling more stuff as I was leaving, to some of which I replied mutually.

So my question is what the hell is wrong with people? Especially older people who should know better, one would think. Sure, they had a couple of beers, but what the hell? Perhaps, I’ll be just rude next time and just drive by and, potentially, ruin someone’s hunt, because who wants to communicate after this?

[KGB]

Meh, nothing surprises me anymore… just forget about it. Leave the idiots along. May be they were on a date there and you almost ruined it….

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by KGB

Meh, nothing surprises me anymore… just forget about it. Leave the idiots along. May be they were on a date there and you almost ruined it….

😅😅 You're probably right.

[fishnguy]

That exact same thought crossed my mind, lol. They didn’t fit the profile though, not that there is any particular one and



Lol.

[AxeMan]

Originally Posted by KGB

Meh, nothing surprises me anymore… just forget about it. Leave the idiots along. May be they were on a date there and you almost ruined it….

Well, if the old boys show up on the camera card, I hope he doesn't post them in the trail cam thread...

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by AxeMan

Well, if the old boys show up on the camera card, I hope he doesn't post them in the trail cam thread...

Lol. I would. But they weren’t there.

The camera was moved by a bird on February 7 the first time. And it kept coming back to it until June 22. Not sure what it wanted with it. Maybe it was different birds, I have no idea but there is a wing or tail here and there until it provided a decent shot of itself on the last day:



Any idea what kind of bird it is and what it wanted with the camera? Never happened before (though I do not run cameras all that much). Had it chewed up by elk, rubbed off by elk, bear, moose, etc. had a spider make a home right on the length. But never had a bird messing with it constantly for 5 months.

Not much else interesting, really. Some deer (nothing exciting). Took a picture of what looks like a wasp, lol:



Plenty of evidence that there is moose, lol, but none with antlers. Though the camera went up in November, so they dropped them shortly after.









The last two may be bulls? The last one hiding just seems bigger in the body. The one before looks like may have had antlers. In reality, likely all the cows I was chasing the last two season, lol.

The last pic is also the last pic of an animal beside the bird(s) and the wasp. The bird knocked it to look too high two days after that pic was taken.

[Red Bullets]

The bird looks like it might be a Whiskeyjack. Also known as a Canada Jay.

[58thecat]

Well obviously there are no moose around.....did you find any moose nests too?
You know those mounds of mud, logs and debris where the moose lay their eggs...
You city folks are all the same


Ya ran into a couple wankers is all....in the woods, in town they are out there.

[KGB]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

The bird looks like it might be a Whiskeyjack. Also known as a Canada Jay.

When Red and I went mushroom hunting in August, we came across somebody’s camera…. We left a few cool pics for the owner, lol!

[FishOutOfWater]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

The bird looks like it might be a Whiskeyjack. Also known as a Canada Jay.

I second the motion... Very curious birds they are !

Sorry to hear about your run-in with the "oldtimers", OP.

[H380]

Sounds like a typical locals kind of interaction ..sad to say a number of the " older " generation thi k they have a monopoly on the area they hunt in or reside close to and aren't fussy abiut anyone else enjoying the outdoors,especially public land .. glad you got the camera back .
I run 5 cameras all summer on native grass prairie cattle country and birds seem to be enthralled with them ..probably 10% of the pics have a wing tail or head in them ..lol. Imagine my surprise when Mr G Bear inspected the camera close range .

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

[3blade]

Couple beers, unfilled tags, old and can’t get after it, gotta get mad at whoever/whatever they can.

With the overcrowding in most hunting areas nowadays, and most places in general, it’s getting rare to have pleasant conversation. Just the way of it.


As for the bird - maybe the camera was a convenient perch in its nesting area. Right time of year.

[W921]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

So I went to pick up my camera today in 520 that I left there last November. Exciting! Well, not really, because there is always thought of something going wrong in the beginning and there are no pics or something. It was also a brand new camera that I never even tested Before slapping on to a tree (just set the date, time, and proper settings). I didn’t plan on leaving it there for so long either, but it worked out this way.

Anyway, not what the thread is about. The thread is about people. So as I drove off the road and into to the bush to park, there was a little camp right by the trail in the opening. Obviously driving right by would be rude (it is the only “entrance” to the area), maybe someone is hunting and whatnot. So I stopped and walked over, there were two “old timers” there, not really old, but definitely past retirement age. So hi and this and that, the usual talk. One then tells me there is no moose here. Ok, cool, I wasn’t asking and not hunting, but came to retrieve my camera that I left there last year. One asked where is the camera and I said deep in the woods and showed direction. I said I hoped it was still there, though it was in the bush, but you never know. A guy asked what I wanted to get on the camera, to which I said animals and don’t particularly care which, just wanted to see what’s around. He told me there is no moose here again. I told them I hunted this area the past couple of years for moose in November and told them I found plenty of cows, but never a bull; saw lots of sign everywhere, old and new at the time, droppings, etc. But definitely a tough hunt. He said that I must the only guy who saw moose crap here. They asked if I am a hunter (weird, but ok). Yes, sure, but not hunting this year here because I missed the undersubscribed tags and spending my time in 522/23. I asked what they were hunting (obviously moose) and a guy said they were just enjoying the fall because they liked the area and not hunting and that there is no moose there. Ok, whatever, I started leaving and said that if I am not back in hour, a moose must have eaten me, laughing. He told me lots of bears around in response. Ok sure (perhaps, but never saw any droppings or any other sign in two seasons). So I left (drove just another 75-100 meters away from the opening and behind the trees and parked off the trail , so that my vehicle won’t be on anyone’s way and just common sense kind of thing).

So I ran the woods (game trails) to the spot, the camera was there (yay!), but I saw it was a little turned, not how I left it. Damn, oh well. Ran back, in and out in an hour. This is, by the way, right at the end of the day, I got there about 40 minutes before sunset. While running, I looked at the brush around, other sign, saw a couple of moose tracks. One in particular was on a dry pile of soft dirt and it rained a couple of days ago - the track was clearly left after that.

So on the way out, I stopped again to tell them that the camera was there and I got it and that I saw a fairly fresh moose track and another and where, etc. Just being a fellow hunter. So yes, camera is out after 11 months, a little chit chat. I then said, before leaving, where I walked, I saw plenty of moose sign and saw a couple of tracks. A guy replied that it can’t be and something something city boys come and tell them and they live here and know better and know trappers (so do I) and some other rubbish. So I told him I am not his average city boy (already told them I was from Peace River before, which is half an hour away), still laughing, but obviously didn’t care for the conversation anymore and going to leave. He asked why I wanted to make them think there was moose there. I said, frankly, I didn’t care what they thought and what they wanted to do with the information I gave them, just wanted to be helpful and… normal? The other guy said to me “why don’t you get in your vehicle and the four-letter word off”. Lol. Of course, I replied that he can go four-letter word himself too and a couple of other complements and left. He was yelling more stuff as I was leaving, to some of which I replied mutually.

So my question is what the hell is wrong with people? Especially older people who should know better, one would think. Sure, they had a couple of beers, but what the hell? Perhaps, I’ll be just rude next time and just drive by and, potentially, ruin someone’s hunt, because who wants to communicate after this?

Sounds about right. I'm full of stories to. I don't hunt anymore. If you are looking to make friends and want people to like you then successfully shooting big elk and moose is not the way to do it.

[burbotman]

So unfortunate, sounds like they were doing everything they could to stake their claim. Not active members in the Hunting fraternity at all

Always fun to see interesting pics on your cams

[Pekan]

Reminds me of a Steven Rinella quote- "there's you and your hunting buddys, and all the other a-holes"....
One thing I wish were different about meeting hunters you don't know. 50/50 chance how it can go.

Couple seasons ago I walk past an old guy sitting on a stump in a Ghilli suit. He was still and well camo'd. We end up having a conversation that was great. But I hate to say how surprised I was that it went well.

I got mooned by an elk hunter one time. Wasn't expecting that.