For a number of years, I managed a 65,000 acre ranch in NM that was primarily US Forest Service land with intermingled blocks of deeded land.
During deer season there would be about 200 hunters on the ranch and nearly every year I would find at least two or three head of cattle shot and killed. These were not accidental shots; they were intended and in plain view.
I also posted the deeded lands and most hunters would respect that but there would invariably be some dummy who would park right by a No Hunting sign and walk onto private land! Did I trespass them? You bet I did and it would cost them a three year loss of hunting privileges.
My biggest complaint is that most of the camp sites were not cleaned up of litter. After hunting season, my employees and I would clean up the camp sites. I have pride in my management of private or public rangelands and I want the area to be clean of trash.
Another complaint that I have, and this really griped me, is that on the last day many hunters with campers would drain their septic tanks on the roads as they drove out to the highway. I think that is low-life and disrespectful of all landowners and users of land, private or public. They do this so they don’t have to pay the dump fee. They don’t realize this costs them more in the long run when they meet a disgruntled landowner.
We have had paying hunters on private land ranches and they are very respectful, appreciative, and interested in our management of wildlife habitat on our land. Many of them have become life long friends.
Most public land hunters are also respectful, appreciative hunters; but it only takes a few bad ones to ruin it for everyone else.
Well said.