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What would you do?

It’s youth gun season in Ohio today. Hunter orange is required for any outdoor activity except waterfowl. I took one of the girls this morning and was doing some yard work just now. Noticed a guy parked a 1/4 mile down the road walking across a field behind the house. He was carrying his Xgun with no hunter orange on walking into a small patch of woods.

I’ve decided I’m not going to call the local warden and say anything. I’ll feel terrible if a youth hunter is in the area and a accident would happen.

What would you do? Call or ignore it.

Talk to him

Use it as a teaching moment. Explain to the hunter that "seeing and being seen" can help prevent a hunter accident. Yhen explain to your young'un why you corrected (hopefully) and thr importance of following game and hunter safety rules.

My neighbor has a guy hunt with a crossbow and he never wears orange to or from his spot cause he sits in a ground blind. Then again come to think of it usually he unloads his atv and drives it literally 80 yards down thru the backyard to his blind. Maybe cross bow guys are all the same...

The youth has to be accompanied by an adult right?

Maybe shoot at him a few times and when he starts screaming just say “ sorry, didn’t see you”

I might take the time to go talk to him if I can catch him when he leaves. I’m in my shop building coyote snares now. Yes a underage hunter has to be accompanied by a adult. This guy looked to be well over 30 and 300lb so I dout he’s a youth.

That might be a good approach ambush. I bet he would never forget his orange again.

I did use it as good topic with my girls. They both think the guy is crazy and endangering his self.

I hunt on the ground exclusively. I used to hate having to wear orange during gun season while sitting on the ground, with traditional archery gear nonetheless. It felt stupid and hopeless. I have had so many close encounters with deer while wearing orange that I finally got over it.

Not wearing orange is dangerous and stupid. I would let him know that he is endangering the rifle hunters as well. How would you feel if you took a shot at a deer with a rifle and then discovered that a hunter (not wearing orange) was hurt by your bullet on the other side of the field. I think most of us would feel awful, even though it's the other guy's fault. Tell him WE wear orange to protect EACH OTHER.

BTW, my brother does that crap, I have had this conversation with him, and he just laughs and says "come on, what are the odds."

I’m really interested in what he will do if he shoots one. It’s a 300 yard drag across the farmers field to his truck. He was struggling just walking to the woods. Probably have a grabber dragging a deer that far. I’m betting if he does shoot one he’ll just drive across the wet field with his truck. I’m friends with the landowner and he definitely will not be back if that truck goes in the field.

I wore blaze orange while bow hunting elk on public land during muzzle loader season this year. I'm not required to, but I'm not going to be out there without it making elk noises when the lead starts flying.

Not sure i totally get the question - is he an adult hunting illegally in a youth-only season, just not wearing blaze orange where required, or both? If only the lacking orange, I would go back to what I was doing. While illegal under the letter of the law where you are at, lots of states don't have such requirements and I am not sure it is any less safe to hunt under those conditions.

But then again I don't yell at people who exceed the speed limit either.

If you felt the need to message something to him, you could always leave a note on his car.

I'd go talk to him. A few years ago, I came across a guy, opening day of gun season, hunting Buffalo County WI, full camo, with a rifle, trespassing, oh and he had forgotten to buy a hunting license too. It takes all kinds, but it's best to try to do the right thing and be the bigger person.

Well, if the youth hunter is required to take Hunter's Safety, then there's nothing to worry about. Kids might actually be the safest hunters who have the most reservations. The mentorship program might be flawed a bit, but with an adult as a guide, there's likely nothing that could go wrong. Knowing your target is one of the fundamental factors for hunting safely, and if accidents happen (no offense) the person was a dip-wad. I feel like these incidents are purely anomalies, rarely happen, and when they do, it's normally someone too eager to post his latest kill on social media. I literally cannot imagine unknowingly pulling the trigger on something you did not intend to shoot? As far as calling a warden? Not for that, but a friendly note on his vehicle might be nice? We have a youth hunt here, and I've completely forgotten to wear my blazed orange. For one, I'm hunting private land, and no one else is on it. 2, duck hunters don't have to wear it, and when was the last time you heard of an incident with them? 3, turkey hunting is done in camouflage, and I'm confident there are more people hunting turkeys, than all youth hunters combined. 4, blaze orange is archaic, and if anything, should be a requirement on public land (for that matter) when hunting anytime......if indeed, we as hunters are that stupid?

The orange isn't to keep an adult with a crossbow (even 300# wtf does that have to do with anything) from shooting a kid it's to keep a kid with a gun and a supervising adult from shooting someone without orange.Sounds like sillyness-you want to narc on a guy 1/4 mile from your house about orange? That guy might pull you out of a ditch someday pick your battles or fall on your sword.

Let it be. Maybe he was hunting geese.

Are you hunting the same property? If so you are both friends of the landowner.The teaching moment might be it's ok to tattletale but sometimes it backfires.

4nolz. Seems like I’ve struck a nerve. I’m just asking everyone’s opinion. I didn’t (narc) on him. I didn’t even waste my time talking to him. Someone asked about his age is why I gave the weight and age estimate. I was just curious about what others would do. Also the landowner doesn’t know who the guy is. But that’s another story.

I would not do anything, just go about my business.

"Also the landowner doesn’t know who the guy is. But that’s another story."

When you put the note on his windshield, you could have also taken down his license plate #. ;-)

Sounds like a guy I don't want to have 1/4 mile from my house with a weapon.

“ 2, duck hunters don't have to wear it, and when was the last time you heard of an incident with them? ”

Duck hunters tend to use birdshot and shoot it up in the air.

I’m thinking that’s not your best example....

Well GF, I'll reply with this. You missed my example lol. Migratory bird hunters don't have to wear blazed orange during any gun season, when gun hunters, squirrel hunters, upland bird hunters etc. Must. Meaning they are not as visible as someone in blaze, and for some reason they don't get shot?

Not your best argument lol

No nerve just never could stand people that can't mind their own business.Not your land or your landowner so what's the point? If it's not your landowners land what decision is it if his if the guy drives out there? JHC you ask for guidance on this online? Maybe I'm missing something is the guy trespassing on your landowners land?

There are many people in the woods who do not have to wear blaze orange,... hikers, joggers, trail riders, trappers, stream fisherman, adventure seekers, farmers, loggers, surveyors, landowners, dope growers, horse riders, romanticists, etc, etc. I could care less what they wear, I will not shoot them not matter how dumb they may be. I tend to mind my own business.

This is why we have Conservation Officers. They can find out what the guy is hunting, should he be wearing blaze orange, is he a youth hunter, and if he has permission to be on the land. You can stay out of it that way. People not abiding by the ordinary hunting regulations are a black-eye to all of us. Are you just going to sit there when he poaches something? Make the call.

COs have better things to do imo.Unless he's trespassing and poaching.

"COs have better things to do imo.Unless he's trespassing and poaching."

The OP said the landowner does not know the hunters, so it seems like he is trespassing with the intent of poaching. Still not worth the CO's time?

It's not clear if he's on that landowners ground but I did say unless he is.

4nolz, I did mind my own business. I asked others opinion not for guidance. Yes the property is a friends farm and the question was about not wearing orange when required. Thanks for your input.

Well simple call the Warden he's a trespasser.

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