PNW Hunting Thread

I want to start this thread by saying I'm decidedly not trying to fan the flames of the "discussion" that began here last week:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=246162088&postcount=6506

I wanted to explain myself a little more because I came to understand my position on this topic a little better this weekend. I also thought that this thread might end up providing those of you who do hunt here in the PNW a good place to post about it, and perhaps limit how much of it permeates the rest of the board.

I didn't check the group's response to my reaction to Muddypunk's post until Sunday morning, though I figured it'd be much like it was. I took my Jeep out towards Amboy on Saturday to go kayaking, and on the way there, my left front brake caliper slowly seized up. This was a junkyard WJ Teves caliper that I had installed as part of my WJ swap. I limped it to the 76 gas station nearby, called the buddy I was meeting, he came and picked me up and we went kayaking on Canyon Creek. By the time we got back to the Jeep that afternoon, it had cooled off and the brake had unseized.

I got up bright and early on Sunday morning to swap the caliper, just as it started to rain. I decided against getting the Akebono caliper because it would've required more work, and I again had plans to meet people to go kayaking. A slapped on a new Teves style caliper, and rushed over to the Washougal with my wife, 15 minutes late to meet the group. Somewhere along the way I read the responses to the hunting post.

We use the takeout at MP3 on the Washougal River Road, there's a public fishing access there and plenty of parking. We dropped a car and headed up to put in at the Mercantile. This stretch is mostly class II, with some III, and one big stand out class IV. There's a lot of flat water on the run though, and my mind kept drifting to why I had reacted so strongly to Muddypunk's post. Am I really fundamentally against hunting? Why?

After scouting the big class IV, I walked back up to my boat, and as I was getting back in and paddling through the eddy I decided the answer is no, I'm not against hunting. There's plenty of animals out there, it's not unsustainable. It's a tradition, and it's vital in some respects. It keeps people active and gives them an appreciation for the outdoors. And 4x4's are often involved in getting to and from hunting grounds. I get all of that.

Once below the rapid I was thinking about how hypocritical I am. I eat meat, and love it, but I could never bring myself to actually kill what I'm eating. That's just me, and I realize how problematic that is not just for me, but for society. I'm also concerned with all of the gun violence we see and not really a gun rights advocate, but I just bought a gun a month ago for a variety of reasons that don't include hunting. Hmmm.

By the time we had floated to our takeout, I was convinced that I had really overreacted to Muddypunk's post, and there's really nothing wrong with hunting at all. It's not for me, but I can and should respect it as some people's favorite pasttime.

I heaved my boat up onto my shoulder and climbed the steep bank up to the parking lot. As I got to the top, I noticed a jacked up 4Runner pull into the other end of the parking area a couple hundred feet away from me. I could tell it was a well-built rig on beadlocks, and wanted to go ask him where folks wheel at around Washougal. I'll be working in Washougal for the next 18 months and am really hoping to find the secret stash. I put my boat down and removed some gear, and as I started to walk over there I noticed that the guy had gotten out and walked around the back of his rig where I couldn't see. I saw something hit the ground back there and he got back in his truck and sped off before I could get over there to ask him about the wheeling. His girlfriend waved at me when they went by.
I was curious what was on the ground there where he had been, walked over, and found this:




Thoughts immediately began racing through my head of all of the similar scenes I've encountered traveling around this area. So many of my favorite kayaking runs have their public access points desecrated by dead animal carcasses. The EF Lewis, Canyon Creek (Takeout at the 1-lane bridge over lake Merwin), the Upper Wind River (Takeout at the bottom of High Bridge Road), the Clackamas (access at Fish Creek and Memaloose), the Sandy River (Dodge Park and Ten Eyck Road).... All of them frequently have dead animal carcasses rotting there. And if it's not carcasses, it's trash from campsites. Human waste, broken glass, tarps and styrofoam, whatever wasn't worth taking home.

This is the pinnacle of being inconsiderate and disrespectful, and unfortunately, this is my only real interaction (if you can call it that) with hunters. Now, let me be clear, I'm not suggesting that all hunters do this, or anyone on this board does this. I'm just trying to convey to you hunters out there what MANY people's perception of hunting is. It's the stench of rotting flesh when you get out of your car at a place you came to enjoy.

Say what you want, but few user groups leave this kind of footprint where they go, and they don't include any groups that I'm a part of. I hope that includes the 4 wheeling community around here.

Ultimately, I still feel the way I did while I was floating down the river. I respect hunting for all the reasons I named above. I did overreact to Muddypunk's post last week. But for all the fervent reaction that the previous post generated, and the irony of my experience on Sunday, I really felt the need to express this.

I assure you that I've not mounted a permanent soapbox here, I just wanted to provoke some thoughts and discussion. I hope that ends up being a positive for us and we can all enjoy this wonderful place equally. I probably won't respond to much, if any, of what evolves here, but thank you for reading and I hope you can understand the sincerity of my message.

My thoughts? I would have bagged up that hide lol make some good leather gloves or something, not let it go to waste lol but that's me.

I don't know you, but I'm waiting for you to submit a post that doesn't include "lol".

I do lol so it's not taken so rudely, meant to be taken lightly as to avoid conflict. Unless you're a complete D-bag then I don't use it it and just call you a D-bag lol
But seriously I would have taken the hide and used it. I as a hunter don't let what I shoot go to waste.

Why are you even a part of naxja? Lets see the Jeep?
Or a picture of your wife?

I see this turning into a huge shat show... I am not hunter, but it is your right To hunt. Just like it is our right to use our rigs on public and private land.

Are there going to be some poachers that give hunters a bad name? Of course. Are there going to be people that think they reserve the right to judge and put all hunters in one category and Judge them for it....

the majority of hunters I know, do not hunt for sport, every animal they get most everything is used, whether it be food, clothing or whatever

the picture you posted looks like road kill to me honestly with the way the hold quarters are a bit mangled, so as most likely as what was posted above someone was trying to take what was usable... just my .02

Not to mention some ass hats that give paddling the river a bad name.

jonesinxj said:

I see this turning into a huge shat show...

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I think Nate is entitled to his opinion, and explained his thoughts well. It's up to the rest of us to act like adults.

I do not hunt.

Most of my family is all avid hunters. My dad just returned from a week out at “elk camp”, and my brother guides professionally during the hunting season in, Alaska.

You know the saying, “one bad apple ruins the bunch.” That can be applied to nearly every sport or hobby out there. I believe what you have witnessed is just that. A disrespectful hunter, whose actions single handedly portrayed the sport of hunting in a negative way. The truth of the matter is there are a lot of people out there that call themselves “hunters” who go out and poach animals, kill undersized game, or discard the remnants of their trophy negligently. These people give all “hunters” a bad reputation to those who are unfamiliar with the sport.

The real hunters respect the land they use and dispose of their trophy respectfully, so future generations can follow in their footsteps. This was the way I was raised, and the way my family hunts.

The same can be said about four wheeling too. I will admit I don’t speak about my favorite hobby all that freely, just because of how it’s portrayed by most people. This is a bunch of drunken rednecks, out tearing up the land in their trucks. This is why I hate driving my Jeep around town when it’s muddy after a trail run. While this stereotype may describe a small percentage of four wheelers, I truly believe they are the minority. However, those people are what get our trails and public land closed down, and give our sport a bad image. For example, when some mushroom pickers sees some four wheelers driving around locked gates, and tearing up the surrounding land, how do you think this influences their feelings about four wheeling? Same situation as your hunting experience. Then you have clubs such as who behave responsibly, adopt trails, attend work parties, and try to portray a positive image for our sport. Yet, the stereotype remains.

FYI: Anyone who says they wheel around Washougal is a contributing factor to the negative stereotype. Unless they are on authorized private property, they are wheeling illegally. Whether it’s on private property (BPA, timber companies, etc), or on non sanctioned trails closed for use. Make sure you are where you are suppose to be. Sadly, just because eyou have a badass Jeep, doesn’t mean you can drive anywhere you want.

My .02

Thanks dustin... said much better than what I said

Dang I still want trying to gouge anyone I was just super excited about my unique buck and thought of sharing it here where other guys share my love of jeeps. Here is a monster some douche poached from my neighborhood.

paddlernate said:

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ruger81 said:

Why are you even a part of naxja? Lets see the Jeep?
Or a picture of your wife?

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Is this it?

Good post Nate,
I don't understand your views.. But there is a lot in life that dose not make sense to me. As far as I am concerned you have a gun (or guns) a jeep and love being in the outdoors. So like you said, you are not part of the crowd that wants to take away our guns or our right to hunt.
So You do not sound like a bad guy. Just as long as you don't try to push your views on to others as others should not push there views on to you.

Let's go jeepin, kayaking and, talk about guns

Here's mine

Paddlernate if you ever see an animal carcass dumped get the vehicle license plate and report it to Fish and Game. There are proper ways to dispose of the carcass than to dump it, what you saw was probably someone hunting illegally in the Washougal GMU.

2013


2014

This is the pinnacle of being inconsiderate and disrespectful

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I totally agree.

I am going to say it looks like you witnessed poaching. It is not hunting and they do not represent hunters anywhere, it is as illegal as theft and in fact it is theft. People who poach (or even "head hunt") do not deserve the right to ever hunt again in my opinion. I grew up hunting. Some of the best meat I have ever eaten has come off of animals that I shot, skinned, butchered, and cooked myself. I hate to see and hear about this kind of stuff.