You're just lazy. And greedy.
The A-hole with the mules that I mentioned came into our camp and told us not to burn a fire because it would scare the elk. He was camped nearby. It was kind of warm and we didn't need a fire but we lit one up anyway.
Then he proceeded to tell us to stay away from the area he'd be hunting. We had no desire to go there but if I hadn't tagged out the next day I would've. He also told us he'd been hunti,g that spot for the last 10 years during the muzzloader season, which was BS because we'd been hunting it for the last five and never seen him.
He shot a cow but didn't recover it. He and his party of four were skunked, our party went 2 for 2. That part was sweet but they left a bunch of trash and [bleep] piles with TP everywhere.
And we wonder why hunters get a bad reputation with others.
Almost the exact same story with us.
Just 3 of us packed far into our spike camp of many years the night before the opener.
Found an outfitters tent at our spot but nobody there.
We set up about 1/3 mile farther on.
Opening morning I shoot a bull but the trail is too muddy to bring in our game cart.
The 2nd day of the season the outfitter shows up with clients. (Still can't figure what outfitter misses opening day).
I offer the outfitter several hundred bucks to pack out my elk. He mutters and mumbles and says he's not sure and he's got to wait and see - weird reaction with 8 horses standing idle.
Meanwhile that day, elsewhere, his guide starts picking on the youngest member of my party - tells him they've had that spot for years (a lie), that we are camped in HIS prime hunting area, that we are too close to the trail. (it lit my fuse that he was picking on our young guy).
The elk were already gone by then. We wanted to get out and hunt elsewhere. They obviously wanted us gone. Instead of using their idle horses to fill their pockets with cash we spent the next few days humping the bull out to basecamp on our backs.
Ran into that guide fellow with his clients on the trail and he proudly proclaimed "We saw elk today". Days later when we got the bull out and left that sighting was as close as their entire camp had gotten.
It could have worked out much better for everyone but turned into a lose-lose. They could have made money, got rid of us, and had more area for their own clients. The only fun part was carrying a good set of antlers past their camp in front of their clients.
