I'm a newbie hunter- and shame on me

[samwyse]

This is a cautionary tale for other new hunters.
My cousin went out on a deer hunt today and couldn't go to the area we had scouted out yesterday. His vehicle couldn't make the route with change of weather conditions.
We drive back down the road and come to a pull-out to sit and think.

Two guys pull up in a truck, obviously fellow hunters due to timing of day and outfit. We shoot the breeze for a bit, describing our plight with the weather. Well these guys were cheerful and told us that in fact a nearby gate will lead to decent walking country, in fact they have quadded it in the past and it wasn't a bad way to go.

We grab our our gear and head out through afore mentioned gate. After about ten minutes we notice that we are actually in a cultivated field with cattle and there is no way out the other side. So we hoofed it back out before an irritated (rightly so) landowner found us. Upon later inspection of land ownership, turns out we walked through the one gate that lead onto private land.

I don't know rightly what the intentions of the two experienced hunters we saw were, maybe pulling our leg, maybe honestly didn't know it was private (or didn't care)- but from here on out I am not walking through any land until I know ownership designation and not take other people on their word.

[monasheemountainman]

Oh well you're sorry shit happens

[samwyse]

Oh well you're sorry shit happens

Yeah, it's a hindsight 20/20, so just thought this would be some food for thought for any other new hunter out there.

[adriaticum]

I don't think anyone would intentionally lead you into this kind of situation. Maybe they were new too and did the same thing.
Maybe they did it once and got away with it, which still qualifies them to say that they "did it".
So the devil is in the details.
You could also plead ignorance with the land owner and say that some guys told you to "go there".
But in the end, it's good to know public/private property.

[boxhitch]

This is a cautionary tale for other new hunters........
........but from here on out I am not walking through any land until I know ownership designation and not take other people on their word.

Can be said that those are wyse words

[Bonz]

more than once ive had others send us to wrong spots or bad area. personaly i dont take anyone info as fact out there,..god or bad info.
everyone feels they own the area and will send you on wild goose chase to have it back. not saying all do that..

[carnivore]

Maybe the guys you ran into knew that you were new hunters and decided to pull a novice prank on you. It used to be quite common when I was a lad that when a new guy was hired and maybe slightly naive the older employees would send him on a wild goose chase ie: if in a printing plant he would be sent to the boss to fetch a bucket of register marks, or perhaps a "paper stretcher". In construction it would be to to fetch a " sky hook" or something similar.

[Wild one]

In areas near private land and higher hunter numbers I have ran into guys who think some private land is crown

Suprising how often I have heard it's not marked so it's ok or the road allowance excuse.

If you are unsure don't hunt it till you can confirm your legal better safe than sorry