Even though there are hunter harassment laws on the books in every state, ruining hunts is still a favorite tactic of animal rightists and anti-hunters. It is illegal in Colorado, for example, for anyone to “willfully prevent or interfere with the lawful participation of any individual in the activity of hunting, trapping, and fishing,” but one hunter has reported to us that he feels the Forest Service in Boulder County has turned a blind eye to hunter harassment.

Here’s the hunter’s account in his own words, describing how anti-hunters are flooding hiking trails on Forest Service land to scare off deer and elk during hunting season:

“I had the supervisor in the [Forest Service’s] Boulder office tell me that he would stop all hunting on public ground if he could. There seems to be some cooperation between the Forest Service and the anti-hunters in Boulder County. Just speculation on my part, but I have seen their officers turn a blind eye to hunter harassment in the past.

“On that subject, the anti-hunters now seem to be using a new tactic. Last year during my elk hunt, I was talking to a nice-sounding bull and all of a sudden he left the country. We hadn’t moved, the wind was right and, after a few minutes, I heard talking down the ridge where the bull was. The same thing happened to my brother-in-law, and my nephews. I was walking down a trail that is pretty open, and I turned around to look behind me (I always do, as sometimes critters will cross the trail behind you), and two people were following me, about 75 yards behind. When they saw that I was looking at them, they did an about face and left. My nephews ran into the same couple, and [my nephew], Ross, said that the girl smelled to high heaven.

“So putting things together, I think they are using the excuse that they are hiking, which is legal, and ‘just happening’ to run into animals and hunters. And they are using the wind to do their dirty work. I and my family talked to other hunters that were seeing nothing but were seeing lots of hikers on trails that weren’t there before. And there were new trails everywhere. I have hunted this area for 36 years and have never seen so many people and new trails. I called the Division of Wildlife officer that has that area, and she said there was nothing she could do about it, because hiking is not illegal.

“We’ll see what happens this year, should I draw a deer tag. Maybe I can film this scenario.”

--Mike Brines, NRA Life Member, Longmont, Colo.

Do you have any horror stories of hunter harassment happening to you? If so, please leave us a comment below.