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.

Ted Nugent is famous for his rock music and prowess with an electric guitar. He’s also famous for his love of hunting, firearms, personal freedom and the NRA--not to mention his tell-it-like-it-is style.

All of the above were on display in classic fashion Sunday afternoon at the 139th NRA Annual Meetings in Charlotte, N.C.

“If you have someone in your life who is not an NRA member, it is your duty to fix them,” said Nugent, who also serves on the NRA Board of Directors.

Nugent is never one to mince words or refrain from speaking his mind, and his legendary disdain for anti-hunters and anti-gunners was in rare form at the Charlotte Convention Center.

“I spend every waking moment crushing anti-hunters and anti-gunners,” he jubilantly told his fans, many of whom lined up outside the auditorium more than an hour before the seminar’s 12:30 p.m. start.

The approximately 1,000 NRA members in attendance were treated to Nugent’s legendary rock music, as he played songs in tribute to his late friend Fred Bear, the well-known archery manufacturer, as well as the men and women who have given their lives and health while serving in the military.

“If you want to say thank you to a hero, buy them an NRA membership,” he said.

Nugent is a devoted hunter and conservationist and takes hunting so seriously that he halts his busy music career and public speaking schedule every fall to go hunting with friends and family.

“I wake up early and work extremely hard to be extremely productive so I can take the entire hunting season off,” Nugent said. “I extremely crave opening day of deer season.”

He may be known as the “Music City Madman,” but Nugent made it clear that he’s bent on ending what he calls the “crazy” ideology of anti-gunners and anti-hunters.

“When you ban hunting and fishing, then the government hires guys to shoot and net them for you. Ain’t that crazy?” he said. “So our job is to fix crazy.”

Nugent said to accomplish that we need to initiative dialogue about hunting and firearms, not defend ourselves after the fact. He also said we need to be more proactive in writing letters to newspapers and elected officials. Above all, he said we must support lawmakers who believe in the Second Amendment, become active in the NRA, and work to recruit more people into the NRA family.

“The charge of Charlotte 2010 should be single: You get it. You are involved. You are part of the most important grassroots organization in the history of mankind. I refuse to believe every one of you couldn’t sign up one new NRA member once a month,” Nugent said.