Hunting ...is it worth the price?

The King loves to hunt. Has hunted since he
was 16. Making that 40 years now. He skipped
a few years, but has love the whole thing.

The hiking thru the woods, as he seeks out
the animal of choice. Be it turkeys, deer or elk.
When he hunts with friends or his brother, he
loves the time with them as well.

He isn't the beer drinking party type of hunter.
It is the time together, with coffee over an open
fire, talking about past hunts...

But this year, he is questioning of how much
longer will he be hunting. He definitely has
question the elk hunt part. As he hears more
and more of how the wolves have taken over.

But it isn't just that. In the past 3 years he has
seen more and more of his favorite hunting areas
closing. Turning to private property of no hunting.

Even had one lady who came out of her driveway,
with her engine roaring, beeping her horn, at him,
as he was hunting across the road from her place.
The area is own by the state. So he was well in
his right to hunt. He told the lady how disgusted he
was with her performance. At which she smiled and
said, well, maybe this will teach you not to hunt here
anymore. He told her he had been hunting in that area
for over 20 years. And she had just moved there 2 years
before, as he saw them building their house. He even
told her that she was the one who could be in trouble
for disturbing the wildlife. She laughed and got in her
car and went back up her drive way. He was disgusted,
but knows that this is getting to be more and more of
a situation.

But this year, last night... what he saw and heard scared
him more than he has ever been scared in his hunting
years.

The King is a hiking hunter. When his brother comes
over, even when he isn't actually hunting, he drops the
King off on one road, and he walks thru
the woods coming out a couple miles down the other
road. His brother picks him up.

Yesterday, they were in a no vehicle area. There was
a gate. So they walked up the road for a hour or so. It
was shaded by trees so they were cold. They built a small
fire and had lunch. Two other hunters came along and join
them. They had the fire in the road way as they knew
it was a no vehicle hunting area. About 20 minutes into
the conversation with the hunters, they were shocked to
see a very large white van come speeding around the corner and
heading for them. The van came to a quick stop. In the van
were 8 Mexican workers and their camping gear. They
told, after the guys asked what the heck???, that they were
workers who were trimming white pine trees for the Forest
dept. The hunters were in disbelief. Here were 8 men, in
white, brown, and black clothing working in the woods!!.
For those who are not hunters... the reason why the
hunters were shocked, was there was not a orange vest
in the bunch, none of the hunters knew they were up there.
Meaning they very well, could have been shooting at an elk,
only to have one of the workers walk about behind a tree about
the time the shot left the gun. Dead worker... The hunters were
up set.

The guys put out the fire, and let them pass. As they were getting
their gear back on their backs, another older hunter joined them.
They told of the van, to which the older hunter related to them, he
saw another on up on the ridge. He said he was hunting and heard
music. Mexican music. So he ventured up to find out where the
music was. There were 4 workers, with hand saws, cutting branches
with the boom boxes up as loud as could be, with their music. He
left in disgust... as he knew the elk would not be in that area.

So the King and his brother headed down to their camp area, as
it was starting to get dusk. Once in the camp they called in to tell
me of their discovery and that they were ok for the day. 2 hours
later, they were home. It seems about 15 minutes after talking to
me, they heard the approach of a 4x4 (motorcycle type) and a truck
running up and down the lower road, and spinning donuts in the road.
Then it got quiet... for about 5 minutes... then gun shots ran out. One
they figure was a rifle but many pistol type shots. That is when they
decided they didn't want in a deliverance type of deal and packed up
the camper. And as they were starting up the vehicles, the others
started up theirs and ran down the road. The King and his brother saw
where the donut ruts were, and the tracks heading out of the woods.
And 5 miles away, they saw where the pranksters (?) went sideways,
into their driveway.

The King is going to protest with the Fish and Game and Forest Dept.
about the workers, as normally loggers pull out of the woods during
hunting season. These workers should not have been there, or at least
some signs on the road telling they were there. And the gun totting
group, there really isn't anything that can be done about them.

The two guys changed area for today. But both of them are wondering,
how many more years of hunting will they have left... The King has
decided that it isn't worth a elk tag next year. And if they want a week
together... maybe it should be fishing or turkey hunting instead.
It is hard to let go of a way of life, that brought not only food, but
good times together.